US2632590A - Ladder stool - Google Patents

Description

C. W. HARRISON March 24, 1953 LADDER STOOL;

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, "1950 I? 1121? to) (bar/es Afar sore March 24, 1953 c. w. HARRISON LADDER STOOL Filed Oct. 17, 1950 5 Sheets-She et 2- n m/mag E 25 3 M 3M 2 March 24, 1953 c. w. HARRISON LADDER STOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1950 112 1/27? for Char/es W. J? r1290]:

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 LADDER STOOL Charles W. Harrison, Warsaw, Ind., assignor to Arnolt Corporation, Warsaw, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application October 17, 1950, Serial No. 190,595

4 Claims. (Cl. 22830) This invention relates to household furniture and. particularly to convertible stools adapted for kitchen and other household use.

Stools of the aforesaid character are usually made with a seat supported by four downwardly heretofore constructed have been objectionable either by reason of lack of stability or because of the high cost involved where the desired degree of stability was attained, and it is the primary object of this invention to improve and simplify the construction of such stools in such a way that stability and rigidity of structure may be attained without excessive cost.

In the use of stools of the aforesaid character it is recognized that the provision of a back on such stools, would be advantageous, but in the past, the provision of a back has been relatively complicated and has been considered to be too expensive because it required the manufacture of two different stool structures. It is therefore anotherobject of this invention to enable a ladder stool to be so constructed and arranged that it may be made either with or without a back structure and a related object is to enable the back on such a stool to be readily and easily put in place without modification of the parts used in a backless stool. I

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. I Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view-of a ladder stool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame elements that makeup the stool, certain of the parts being shown in a separated or spaced relaion;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the pivot structure for the ladder;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing'the way in which the ladder is supported;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the frame; and

Fig. 6 is a side view of the frame.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a ladder-stool I 0 having a seat I I, tubular metal front and rear legs I2 and I3 secured to and supporting the seat II, a spreader bar structure I4 connecting and spacing the legs, and a pivoted step structure I5 disposed between the front legs l2 for swinging movement between the forwardly projecting operative position of Fig. 1 and a protected or stored position beneath the seat II, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 6; and under the present invention as hereinafter described, the stool I0 may be provided with a back If; in a simple manner which does not involve change or revision of the main stool structure.

The rear legs I3 are formed as integral elements of a generally U-shaped member I I3, that is formed from a single piece of tubing as shown in Fig. 2 so asto afford a horizontal front cross bar I I3A joined at its opposite ends by smooth bends or arcuate portions 313 to parallel rearwardly projecting portions I I 36, and at their rear ends, the portions II3C are joined by downward bends I I3D to the upper ends of the rear legs.

The front legs I2 are separately formed from tubing in a generally inverted L-shape, as shown in Fig. 2, thus to afford an upper rearwardly projecting portion I IZC that is joined at its forward end to the upper end of the related leg I 2 by a relatively large "radius downward bend II2B. The portions II2C"of the legs I2 are disposed along the inner or adjacent sides of the portions H30 and are rigidly secured thereto as by brazing or welding, and the relation is such that the open rear ends of the portions II2C terminate forwardly of the bends II3D, thus to be located in a concealed relation to the seat I I which is secured to the leg structure by screws IIS, Fig. 4, that are passed upwardly through opening I I2E formed in the portions I I2C.

The spreader bar I4 is formed from a single elongated piece of material which in the present case is afforded by tubing bent to a generally U-shaped form to afforda rear bar II 4R. that is joined by forward horizontal bends II4A to the rear ends of parallel forwardly projecting side bars I I 48, and at their forward ends the side 7 bars 48 are bent inwardly at IMF to afford aligned projecting bearing ends II4B that face toward each other to provide pivoted bearing supports for the step structure I as will be described. Where the spreader bar I4 is formed from tubing, the ends that thus face each other are open so that their internal surfaces may afford. bearings. The spreader bar structure I5 is disposed within the space between the several legs I2 and I3, and in a horizontal position, and the bends I I4A are secured rigidly to the respective rear legs I3 as by brazing or welding, while the bends I I4F are similarly secured to the front legs I2.

The step structure I5 is formed from tubin to afford a mounting for a lower step I 5L and an upper step I5U, as shown in Fig. 1, the proportioning of the parts being such that the lower step I5L is disposed at a height equal to substantially one-third of the height of the seat II, while the upper step I5U is located at about two-thirds of the height of the seat II. Thus the step structure comprises a pair of similar frame members 5 formed from tubing to provide an upwardly extending leg II5L that is of a length substantially equal to the spacing of the spreader bar I4 from the lower ends of the legs I2 and I3. At its upper end each leg II5L is joined by a rearward bend I I5A to a horizontal step support portion 53 which projects rearwardly for a distance substantially equal to twice the width of the step I5L, and in the forward part of the por tion II5B, openings I I 50 are provided through which attaching screws II5D may be extended upwardly to secure the step I5L in position. At its rear end eachportion II5B is joined by an upward bend II5E to a riser portion I I5F, and at its upper end each riser portion is joined by a forward bend I I 5G to the rear end of a forwardly projecting upper step support portion II5H. Each step support portion I I5H extends forwardly for a distance, substantially equal to the width of the upper step I5U which is secured in place on the portion I I'5H by screws I I5J extended upwardly through openings II5K formed in the portion II5H.

In assembly of the members II 5, a tie bar I I 5T is extended across the outer, or rearward and lower, sides of the bends H53! and is rigidly secured thereto as by brazing or welding. This is done in such a way that the corresponding parts of the two members II5 are parallel, and the tie rod II5T is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the spaced planes in which members I I5 are located. The arrangement is such that the tie bar II5T is somewhat longer than the distance between the open bearing ends II4B of the spreader I4, and the members II5 are spaced from each other in a distance such that the ends of the tie bar I I 5T project somewhat beyond the members I I5, thus to afford projecting bearing elements which are in the form of journals 2I5J. Under the present invention the tie bar I.I 5T is made from a circular stock material such as metal tubing that has an outer diameter just slightly less than the inner diameter of the tubing from which the spreader I4 is made, and with this arrangement the projecting journals 2I5J may be inserted into the open bearing ends II4B of the spreader I4, thus to afford a pivotal mounting for the step structure I5. It will be obvious of course that this pivotal relation is attained by reason of the' telescoped relation of the elements II4B and H5], and that this relation might be reversed if desuch telescoped relationships, the inner me might be of solid cross section rather than tubular. This insertion of the journals 2I5J into the bearing end II 43 may be readily accomplished by spreading the front legs I2 against the resilient action of the spreader I4, and in practice this resilient force is found to be ample to retain the bearings H43 in engagement with the journals 2I5J. The step structure I5 may thus be positioned in its operative relation of Fig. 6, or may be pivoted to its dotted line position I5A of Fig. 6, where the end caps of the legs I I5L rest against a stop such as the front bar I I-3A.

As hereinabove pointed out, the present invention provides for production of the stool In either with or without the back I6, and in accomplishing this the back It is mounted on a pair of similar L-shaped back supports H6 formed from tubular metal to afford a vertical portion IIBA and a horizontal portion I IBB joined in each instance by a forward bend IISC which connects the lower end of the portion I I6A to the rear end of the portion I I6B. The vertical portion IIBA has transverse or horizontal openings I I61) therein for use in securing the back I5 in position thereon, while each portion IIBB has a vertical opening I|6E therein for use in fixing the back in position, as will be described.

Under the present invention the tubular stock from which the back supports H6 are formed is selected to have an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tubular stock from which the legs I2 are formed, and hence when a back I 6 is to be used, the portions IIBB may be inserted forwardly into the open rear ends of the portions II2C, as shown in Fig. 4, and when the openings I.I6E are aligned with the rear opening I IZE, the same screws IIS may be passed up wardly through the aligned sets of openings so that the back II is secured in place as an incident to the securing of the seat I I on the leg structure.

It will be obvious, of course, that the upper ends of the back support elements IIBA may be in the form shown so as to be closed by conventional end closure caps, or may be of a flattened or fishtail form. Moreover, it will be clear that the lower ends of the legs, and the ends of the members II5 may be similarly closed by decorative end caps of conventional construction.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the present invention affords a new and improved stool structure wherein a single basic unit may be used to afford stools with or without backs, and wherein rigidity of leg and ladder structure is attained by asimple and economical arrangement.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood, that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore donot wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a ladder-stool, pairs of front and rear legs rigidly connected together at their upper ends, a spreader formed from a metal tube of predetermined diameter and bent to a U-shaped form affording a rear bar and side bars, and said side bars having their ends bent toward each other to afford aligned bearing openings facing toward each other, said spreader being secured to all of said legs with said aligned openings dissired. Moreover it will be clear that e ther of p ed i a h ZQlI fiI 11 13 1 9 1 between said front legs, and a step structure having a transverse pivot means fixed thereto and projecting into said bearing openings to pivotally support said step structure between said front legs.

2. In a ladder-stool, pairs of front and rear legs rigidly connected together at their upper ends, a spreader formed from a metal tube of predetermined diameter and bent to a U-shaped form affording a rear bar and side bars, and said side bars having their forward ends bent toward each other to afford aligned bearing openings facing toward each other, said spreader being secured to all of said legs with said aligned openings disposed between said front legs, a step structure comprising a pair of similar frame members each formed from tubular metal and bent to afford a forward leg with a lower step support extended rearwardly therefrom, a riser element extended upwardly from the rear end of the lower step support, and an upper step support extended forwardly from the upper end of said riser, a transverse spacer tube secured to and extended transversely of said frame members at the junctures of said risers and said lower step supports and extended beyond said members to afford bearing journals, said journals projecting 'into said bearing openings to pivotally support said step structure between said front legs.

3. In a ladder-stool, pairs of front and rear legs rigidly connected together at their upper ends, a spreader member formed from a metal stock of circular cross section and bent to a U-shaped form affording a rear bar and'forwardly extended side bars, and said side bars having their forward ends bent toward each other to afford aligned bearing elements facing toward each other, said spreader being secured to all of said legs with said bearing elements disposed on a horizontal axis between said front legs, and a step structure having a transverse pivot member formed from metal stock of circular cross section and fixed thereto to afford projecting elements, one of said members being formed of tubular stock having an internal diameter just larger than the external diameter of the other of said members, and the bearin elements of said other of said members being extended into the open ends of the bearing elements of said one of said members to pivotally support said step structure between said front legs.

4. In a ladder-stool, pairs of front and rear legs rigidly connected together at their upper ends, a spreader member formed from material of circular cross section and bent to a U-shaped form affording a rear bar and side bars, and said sidebars having their forward ends bent toward each other to afford aligned bearing elements facing toward each other, said spreader being secured to all of said legs with said aligned bearing elements disposed between said front legs, a step structure comprising a pair of similar frame members each formed from metal and bent to afford a forward leg with a lower step support extended rearwardly therefrom, a riser element extended upwardly from the rear end of the lower step support, and an upper step support extended forwardly from the upper end of said riser, a transverse spacer member formed of material of circular cross section and secured to and extended transversely of said frame members at the junctures of said risers and said lower step supports and extended beyond said members to afford bearing elements, one of said members being formed from tubular stock having an internal diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the other member so that the bearing elements of said one member have open ends and internal bearing surfaces, and the bearing elements of said other member being extended into said open ends to pivotally support said step structure between said front legs.

CHARLES W. HARRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gelmanet a1. Apr. 3, 1951

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