US2681099A

US2681099A - Adjustable lounge

Info

Publication number: US2681099A
Application number: US260533A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph M Vallone
Original assignee: BARCALO Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: BARCALO Manufacturing CO
Priority date: 1951-12-07
Filing date: 1951-12-07
Publication date: 1954-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-15

Description

June 15, 1954 y L 2,681,099

ADJUSTABLE LOUNGE Filed Dec. 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOSEPH M. VALLONE MMQ M 4- ATTORNEYS June 15, 1954 J, A'L 2,681,099

ADJUSTABLE LOUNGE Filed Dec. '7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1954 ADJUSTABLE LOUNGE Joseph M. Vallone, Hamburg, N. Y., assignor to Barcalo Manufacturing Company,

Buffalo,

Application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 260,533

7 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable reclining chairs or lounges, and more particularly to such devices of the outdoor type and which are adapted to fold for carrying or storage purposes.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide in an adjustable reclining chair or the like an improved reclining adjustment control mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable reclining lounge or chair which is readily foldable for carrying or storage purposes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the frame structure of a lounge chair of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing in solid lines the lounge chair of Fig. 1 in folded condition, and in broken lines the lounge chair is shown in variously adjusted operating positions;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, taken along line III-III of Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale, with portions broken away to show the reclining adjustment control mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section taken along line V--V of Fig. 4.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing as being embodied in a lounge-type reclining chair comprising generally a bent tubular frame structure adapted to have a covering of canvas or other suitable fabric spanning the seat and back portions thereof. However, it will of course be understood that the invention may be embodied with equal facility in a chair or lounge fabricated of other type parts formed of metal or wood or the like.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the improved chair construction as illustrated therein comprises a generally U-shaped base frame member H) which pivotally connects at its opposite side portions by means of pivot connections i2i2 to corresponding opposite side legs of an inverted U-shaped frame piece M. At its rear end the frame piece I is bent downwardly for ground contact purposes, as indicated at I (Fig. 1); and thus when the frame piece it is pivoted to a substantially upright position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, the members lO-M cooperate to provide an elevated seat frame structure adapted to carry a seat canvas as indicated at 2 16 or any other suitable type seat member in lieu thereof.

A back frame is provided as illustrated in the drawing to comprise an inverted U-shapecl frame piece 18 which is mounted at its lower opposite side ends by means of pivot connection devices iii-l9 upon the base member it; and as indicated at 20 a back canvas or equivalent device is carried by the back frame member l8 to complete the back rest portion of the chair. A leg rest device is illustrated as comprising another U- shaped frame member 22 which is mounted at its opposite ends by pivot connection devices 2323 to the corresponding forward end portions of the base frame member Ill; the pivotal connections 23-23 being conveniently formed by means of pivot brackets extending rigidly from the members iii-22 and engaging a transverse brace bar M which is fixed at its opposite ends to the opposite leg portions of the base member 14. A vertical front support comprising a U-shaped frame piece 26 is hingedly connected as indicated at 2'i2l to the front end portions of the leg rest member 22, whereby the leg rest member 22 may be conveniently propped up by the member 26 in any desired position of elevational adjustment. As indicated at 28 (Fig. 1), a canvas cover piece may be stretched across the leg rest frame member 22 to complete the body supporting portions of the chair structure.

To provide at once arm rests and means for controlling the angular adjustments of the back frame it relative to the seat frame it, I show a telescopic tube device at each side of the chair including in each instance an outer tube 30 which is pivotally connected at its rear end to the back frame i5 by means of a bolt 3!. A smaller tube 32 is telescopically fitted inside of each tube 39 and is pivotally connected at its front end by means of a bolt st to the upper end of the corresponding leg portion of the frame member 14. An arm rest 35 is pivotally mounted by means of a bracket St on the corresponding bolt 3| extending from the back frame member it, and the parts are so dimensioned and arranged that the arm rest 35 is thereby disposed to lie above and parallel to the telescopic tube devices 3il-32. Adjacent its forward end each arm rest device is fitted with a downwardly extending bracket 38 which is ported as indicated at 39 to accommodate in sliding relation therethrough the corresponding telescopic tube assembly Sit-32. However, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the

upper edge of the port 39 through the bracket member 38 is squared as indicated at 40 so as to be adapted to drop through a slot portion 32 in the upper surface of the telescopic tube 38 and to thereupon engage in either one of a series of notches M (Figs. 3%) formed in the upper surface of the inner tube 32. Thus, it will be understood that the edge portion 38 of the bracket 33 is adapted to function as latch device for looking the tubes fil -32 together in variously telescopically adjusted positions, whereby in turn to lock the chair structure in variously adjusted positions of angular adjustment of the back rest member 53 relative to the seat frame portion 0. A tension spring i5 is hooked at its opposite ends upon the bolts 3l-3 i respectively, and is so selected and dimensioned as to furnish a constant biasing force tending to pull the tubes B l-32 into completely telescoped position.

I is a particular feature of the chair con struction of the resent invention that the transverse bar 243 extends at its opposite ends beyond the positions of the pivotal connection devices 23 and into positions of interference with free pivotal movements of the upright frame portion 14 beyond the position thereof as shown for example in Figs. 1 and 4. Thus, when the chair is set up in operative position as shown in Figs. 1 and l, for example, the arm rest devices 35 may be manually lifted so as to free the latch portions is from the tube slots 42 whereupon baclzward pressure against the back rest device 2% will cause the back rest portion of the chair to pivot rearwardly against the forces of the springs 4545 to any position of rearwardly adjusted angularity relative to the seat portion of the device. Then, the arm rest devices may be released so that the latch portions all drop through the slots :32 and into one of the notches of the inner tube member 32, thereby locking the telescopic tube device and the back rest device in the desired adjusted position for comfortable reclining purposes. Then, at any time the user may simply lift the front ends of the arm rests 3535 to release the latching mechanism, whereupon the back rest will tend to move forwardly and assume its maximum upright position by virtue of the action of the springs Q5.

Thus it will be appreciated that the back rest portion of the device may be readily adjusted and latched in any desired position by simply lifting up upon the front ends of the arm rests and then releasing them to obtain the desired latched condition. It will also be appreciated that this mode of latching control provides a marked advance in simplicity of construction and con venience of operation for the user, because it eliminates the necessity for fumbling around in an effort to locate some more conventional type of latching device. In fact, when the operator is reclining in the chair it is most natural for him to grasp the front ends of the arm rests with his hands and to pull upwardly thereon for latch adjustment purposes incidental to pullin his body forwardly or pushing it rearwardly and when getting in or out of the chair.

It will also be appreciated that by virtue of the construction as illustrated and explained hereinabove the chair device is susceptible of easy folding for storage or transport purposes. As illustrated in Fig. 2, for example, the back rest and arm rest elements are at all times freely pivotable forwardly as to the solid line reclining position thereof shown in Fig. 2, while the leg rests and vertical prop devices 2-225 are freely pivotable downwardly and under the frame member ID as to the solid line positions thereof shown in Fig. 2. This nests the entire structure into an extremely compact and relatively fiat unit such as may be readily picked up and carried from place to place and stored with utmost facility. It will be appreciated that this folding of the device is accomplished without disconnection and/or removal of any parts and without the use of any tool; and that therefore the unit is at all times readily usable and/or foldable into compact form in response to application of simple folding or unfolding pressures.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not :so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a seat frame member including means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, afront support member for said sea-t frame member pivotally connected to the front end thereof and extending vertically thereabove, a back frame member pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front support member, a length adjustable telescopic tube device extending between said front support memher and said back frame member and pivotally connected respectively thereto, an arm rest device pivotally connected at its rear end to said back frame member extending therefrom along said telescopic tube device, means carried by said arm rest device for detachably latching said telescopic tube device in different positions of relative telescopic adjustment, spring means normally biasing said telescopic tube device toward fully telescoped position, a leg rest frame member extending forwardly from said seat frame member and pivotally connected thereto, stop means carried by said seat frame member to limit the pivoting movement of said front support member in a chair opening direction relative thereto, and vertical prop means hingedly connected to said leg rest frame member for propping the latter in vertically elevated position.

2. An adjustable reclining chair comprising .a seat frame member including means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, a front support member for said seat frame member pivotally connected to the front end thereof and extending vertically thereabove, a back frame member pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front support member, a length adjustable spacing strut device extending from said front support member to said back frame member and pivotally connected respectively thereto, an arm rest device pivotally connected at its rear end to said back frame member and extending therefrom along said strut device, means carried by said arm rest device for detachably latching said strut device in different positions of length adjustment, spring means normally biasing said strut device toward fully retracted position, a leg rest frame member extending forwardly from said seat frame member and pivotally connected thereto, stop means carried by said seat frame member to limit the chair opening pivoting movement of said front sup-port member relative thereto, and vertical prop means hingedly connected to said leg rest frame member for propping the latter in vertically elevated position.

3. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a seat frame member including means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, a front support member for said seat frame member pivotally connected to the front end thereof and extending vertically thereabove, a back frame member pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front support member, length adjustable telescopic spacing means extending from said front support member to said back frame member and pivotally connected respectively thereto, arm rest means pivotally connected at one end thereof to said back frame member and extending therefrom along said telescopic spacing means, means carried by said arm rest means for detachably latching said telescopic spacing means in different positions of relative telescopic adjustment, a leg rest frame member extending forwardly from said seat frame member and pivotally connected thereto, and stop means carried by said seat frame member to limit the chair opening pivoting movement of said front support member relative thereto.

4. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a seat frame member including means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, a front support member for said seat frame member pivotally connected to the front end thereof and extending vertically thereabove, a back frame member pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front support member, length adjustable telescopic tube devices extending between said front support member and said back frame member and pivotally connected respectively thereto, arm rest devices pivotally connected at their rear ends to said back frame member and extending therefrom along said telescopic tube devices, means carried by said arm rest devices for detachably latching said telescopic tube devices in different positions of relative telescopic adjustment, spring means normally biasing said telescopic tube devices toward fully telescoped position, and stop means carried by said seat frame member to limit the chair opening pivoting movement of said front sup port member relative thereto.

5. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a seat frame member including means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, a front support member for said seat frame member pivotally connected to the front end thereof and extending vertically thereabove, a back frame member pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front support member, length adjustable telescopic tube devices extending between said front support member and said back frame member and pivotally connected respectively thereto, arm rest devices pivotally connected at their rear ends to said back frame member and extending therefrom along said telescopic tube devices, said tube devices being notched at intervals therealong, means carried by said arm rest devices for engaging said notches and detachably latching said telescopic tube devices in different positions of relative telescopic adjustment, spring means normally biasing said telescopic tube devices toward fully telescoped position, a leg rest frame member extending forwardly from said seat frame member and pivotally connected thereto, and stop means carried by said seat frame member to limit the chair opening pivoting movement of said front support member relative thereto.

6. A chair comprising a seat frame including leg means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, front leg means for said seat frame pivotally connected to the front end thereof, a back frame pivotally connected to and extending vertically from said seat frame member at a position spaced rearwardly from said front leg means, said front leg means having integral extensions above the level of said seat frame, length adjustable telescopic position adjustment means extending between said front leg means and said back frame and pivotally connected respectively thereto, arm rest means pivotally connected at one end thereof to said back frame and extending along said telescopic position adjustment means, means carried by said arm rest means for detachably latching said telescopic position adjustment means in different positions of relative telescopic adjustment, spring means normally biasing said telescopic position adjustment means toward fully telescoped position, and stop means carried by said seat frame to limit the pivoting movement of said front leg means relative thereto in a chair opening direction.

'7. A folding chair comprising a seat frame including leg means at the rear end thereof for ground contact purposes, front leg means for said seat frame pivotally connected to th front end thereof and extending transversely thereof, a

seat back frame pivotally connected to and extending above said seat frame at a position spaced rearwardly from said front leg means, extensible spacing strut means extending between said front leg means and said seat back fram and pivotally connected respectively thereto, arm rest means pivotally connected at one end thereof to said seat back frame and extending therefrom along said spacing strut means, means carried by said arm rest means for detachably latching said spacing strut means in different positions of relative adjustment, spring means normally biasing said spacing strut means toward fully retracted position, and stop means carried by said seat frame to limit the chair opening pivoting movement of said front leg means relative thereto.

Country Date Netherlands Jan. 16, 1933 Number