US2684708A

US2684708A - Lounge chair

Info

Publication number: US2684708A
Application number: US127218A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank J Luketa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-11-14
Filing date: 1949-11-14
Publication date: 1954-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1971-07-27

Description

y 7, 1954 F. J. LUKETA 2,684,708

LOUNGE CHAIR Filed Nov. 14, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l &

INVENTOR. .FRA/vK d. ZUKETA A T7'ORNEY5 F. J. L KETA July 27,.1954

LOUNGE CHAIR 5 Sheets-S eet 2 Filed NOV. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. FRANK J. L KETA A TTORNE Y5 F. J. LUKETA July 27, 1954 LOUNGE CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3% m s 0 E Y K E m N V L R m o r K r N A m .F

F. J. LUKETA LOUNGE CHAIR July 27, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTOR. FRANK L (/KETA Filed NOV; 14, 1949 A TTORNEYS July 27, 1954 F. J. LUKETA 2,684,708

LOUNGE CHAIR Filed Nov. 14, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JNVENTOR. FRANK d Az/KETA A TTORNE Y3 Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention concerns a lounge chair of the general type shown in various patents issued to me and in certain of my co-pending applications, hereinafter identified, wherein a seat and a back, either one of which may be designated a primary body-supporting element, are mounted for tilting, each independently of the other, about an axis in the vicinity of the rear edge of the seat, and in which a legrest and a headrest, either of which may be designated a secondary body-supporting element, is at least projectable and retractable with respect to the corresponding primary body-supporting element, and is preferably also tiltable with respect to the swinging edge of the corresponding primary body-supporting element. As in the prior lounge chairs, reversible power means are connected to the several independently movable elements, to accomplish the movement thereof, or most such movements, under control of switch means located conveniently to the occupant of the chair.

When such secondary body-supporting elements are both projectable and retractable and also tiltable with respect to their primary bodysupporting elements, it is desirable that they should be positioned, when fully retracted, substantially in coincidence with the plane of the corresponding primary body-supporting element, and that they be moved into this plane, if tilted therefrom, automatically in the course of retraction, yet thatthere be no appreciabl restriction upon the tilting of the secondary body-supporting element nor their projection and retraction during normal usage. It is one of the objects of the. present invention tov provide mechanism which will operate automatically, as a result of and during final retractive movement of the secondary body-supporting element, to tilt the same back into substantial coincidence with the plane of the corresponding primary body-supporting element. 7

Experience with such lounge chairs; especially where retraction of the legrest or headrest is accomplished by power means, has shown the possibility that some object, a book for instance, or some part of the person of the occupant, may become interposed between the retracting headrest or legrest and the corresponding. edge of the seat or back. If the obstruction so interposed is unyielding, damage to the power means is likely, and if. the obstruction be, for instance, some part of. the person of the chairs occupant, the experience may be painful or even injurious. Accordingly, it is desirable, to provide means which are normally inoperative but which will be brought into operation automatically upon the interposition of such an obstruction, to provide some yielding lost motion, so that the secondary bodysupporting element will not close completely, and

will not cause injury to anything caught between it and the edge of the primary body-supporting element, but will, instead, permit time to turn off the power means by the normal control, or to permit operation of the limit control ordinarily employed. It is the provision of mechanism to this end, in such a lounge chair, that constitutes a further important object of this invention.

Various other objects are capable of accom-- plishment by this invention, particularly such as pertain to the construction and mounting of the legrest and headrest and th-e'mechanical de-- tails thereof, as also the mechanical details of the mounting of the various parts in and upon a supporting frame, and themanner in which suchframe and the various parts connected thereto or mounted thereon may be taken down for servicing the. chair. Such objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown embodied in a typical form such as is presently preferred by me, it being. understood,

however that various changes may be made in the form, character and relative arrangement of the parts within the scope of the invention as claimed, and that the illustrations are to be taken as typical only and not as restrictive.

Figure 1 is a general plan view of such a chair;

with parts broken away to show the interior ar rangement.

Figure 2 is in part a side elevational view and:

in part a Vertical sectional view along the line generally indicated at 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view with the arm or housing on the near side broken away to illustrate' the supporting bracket and the connection thereto of the seat and back tilting means.v

Figure 4 is an elevational view and part-section of the connection of such a power operating means to the seat or to the back.

Figure 5 is in part a side elevation and in part a sectional view showing the supporting means: for the legrest, illustrating in particular theoperation of. the yieldable means in the event of interposition of an obstruction between the legrest and front edge of the seat during retraction.

Figure 6 is. in part a bottomplan view and the legrest operating mechanism and certain of the automatic control members associated therewith, the viewpoint corresponding to that of Figure 5, and Figure 9 is a similar view with its viewpoint located at 90 from that of Figure 8, while Figure 19 is a transverse sectional View of the same along the line indicated at l-l9 in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view, substantially along the line indicated at H--Il in Figure 1, illustrating the mounting upon the stand of the seat and back, and the mounting for the legrest.

Figure 12 is a part elevational and part sectional View showing the supporting means for and the mechanism for operating the headrest, and Figure 13 is a sectional view through an end of the headrest, substantially along the line indicated at 53-43 in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a side elevational view and Figure 15 is an end view of a modified form of frame bracket and. its mounting.

Figure 16 is a wiring diagram showing the controls associated with the legrest, in connection particularly with its automatic tilting.

This invention in its general arrangement resembles most nearly the lounge chair of my copending application Case 0, Serial No. 103,987, filed July 11, 1949, now Patent No. 2,629A28 issued February 2 1953; in certain other re spects, particularly in the power mechanism, it resembles also my co-pending application Case N, Serial No. 98,511, filed June 11, 1949. Whereas pending Case N is directed primarily to the ower mechanism and transmission, and the connection thereof to the individual elements to be operated, and patented Case relates more to the seat and back and their inter-relationship to one another and to the legrest and headrest, respectively, the present application relates more particularly to the legrest and headrest, considered collectively as secondary body-supporting elements, and their relationship to the respective primary body-supporting elements, the seat and back respectively.

In general, the chair includes a seat 1, and a back 2, tiltably mounted in a support or frame generally indicated by the numeral 3, to tilt about an axis in the vicinity of the rear edge of the seat. Each such primary body-supporting element is tiltable independently of the tilting of the other. A legrest i is projectable and retractable relative to the forward or swinging edge of the seat i, and is also mounted for tilting or for movement up and, down with respect to the seat. In its fully retracted position it is intended to be located immediately in advance of the forward edge of the seat, that is to say, in coincidence with the general plane of the seat. A headrest t, eing the other secondary bodysupporting element, is projectable and retractable with respect to the swinging edge of the back, and it, too, is preferably mounted for tilting forwardly with respect to the back, or rearwardly, so that when withdrawn fully it will lie in general coincidence with the plane of the back. Power mechanism, such as is indicated by the motor M and selective transmission means T are mounted in a convenient place, for instance in the seat i, and are connected by individual flexible drive shafts or equivalent drive means to the various elements of the chair which are to be moved. in the arrangement shown there is a drive means it for the tilting of the seat, another, 29, for the tilting of the back, another, 49,

for the tilting of the legrest, another, 69. for the projection and retraction of the legrest and another, 59, for the projection and retraction of the headrest. The tilting forwardly of the headrest is normally accomplished manually, and its tilting rearwardly may be accomplished manually or automatically, as will appear more clearly hereinafter.

While the brief general description of the chair and its several components and their mode of operation has been given for the purpose of assisting in comprehending the same, it is to be understood that no restriction is intended thereby, and that various changes may be made without departing from the invention herein to be de scribed. Such a change, for instance, as the substitution of individual motors for each one or for less than all the several components, instead of one motor and selective transmission means to operate all thereof, is still within the contemplation of this application, and is disclosed in patents already issued to me and in my pending applications.

Frame 3 is preferably of skeleton construction, tubing constituting a iioor engaging base and upright brackets 3i as shown in Figure 11, or 32. as shown in Figures 14 and 15, projecting upward alongside the seat and back to support the latter for pivoting about a common pivot axis, defined at 33. The primary difference between the forms of Figure 11 on the one hand and of Figures i l and 15 on the other hand, is that in the Figure 11 form the bracket 3i constitutes an integral upwar-d extension of the base and is provided with a removable head til which is the immediate pivot support, whereas in the other form the entire bracket is removably supported upon and laterally oiiset somewhat from the base 3.

The seat 5 is divided horizontally, some distance below its cushioned upper surface, by a partition ii upon which is supported the upholstering, and the space below constitutes mainly a chamber for the housing of the motor M, transmission T, individual drive shafts departing from the latter, and for the support and operation of the means which supports the legrest l. The cushioned back 2 is similarly divided by the partition 2!, although normally the space to the rear of the artition and behind the upholstery will be employed only for the housing in of the operating mechanism for the headrest 5. Projecting outwardly from the seat, in alignment with the rear edge 33 of its cushion, is a trunnion iii, and a hollow trunnion 2c is similarly secured to and projects outwardly from the two sides of the back 2, in alignment with the lower forward edge of its cushion. These trunnions are coaxially arranged and pivotally received within the head 39 of the main support, or correspondingly received within the sleeve iii? in the form shown in Figures 14 and 15. The whole is held assembled by a screw and washer 35 or the like (see Figure 11).

The casings 39, which in effect constitute the arms of the chair, one at each side, are each secured to the back 2 by means of the bolts 23 (see Figure 2) so that the arm tilts with the back. Each arm is slotted at 38 so that there is no interference with the standard ill or 92, and in the form of Figure 3 removable plates 3?, carried by the arm 239, permits the arm to be lifted off the base and permits the head 3c of the brackets to pass through the opening provided by the removal of these plates 3's.

Tilting of the seat and the back is accomplished from the motor M through the energization of transmission means individual thereto within the transmission T, under control of operating means located conveniently to the occupant of the seat. Typical mechanism for so doing is explained in some detail in each of the co-pending applications N and O, and need not be repeated here. It is sufficient to point out that a nut 12 (see, for example Figures 4 and 11) is provided with a trunnion i3 insertable within a socket in the side of the seat and a jackscrew M threaded within the nut i2 is swiveled within a collar 1 5 which is pivotally supported at it upon the bracket head, 39, so that when the screw as is rotated by owercontrolled rotation of the flexible shaft i9, energized through the selective means within the transmission and housing T, the seat will be tilted upwardly or downwardly, depending upon the sense of rotation chosen for the shaft 59. The drive is preferably duplicated at opposite sides of the seat. The back is similarly tiltable through similar mechanism including the flexible shaft 29.

The legrest d is supported upon telescopingly arranged arms, normally tubular in nature, illustrated at ll and re. The arm 52, constituting a guide, is somewhat T-shaped at its inner end, as best seen in Figure 6, having projecting trunnions Mia and 42b. The trunnions 42a carry a radially projecting pin 320. The trunnion 42b is secured non-rotatively within the end of a tubular cross shaft as which connects the arm at one side to the similar arm at the oposite side, for equalization of stresses. The trunnion t2a is pivotally mounted in the frame of the seat i, although it could be mounted upon the bracket if or 32, and the entire composite support for the legrest is tiltable by means such as the arm t l, having a part-circumferential slot Ma wherein the pin 420 is received, a nut d5 tiltably carried at the end of the arm i l, a jackscrew 6 threaded within the nut 65, a swivel 4'! supported from the frame of the seat i at a point offset from the cross shaft '33, and a flexible shaft 43 whereby power from the motor M through the transmission T is delivered to rotate the screw 16 in one sense or the other, for uptilting or downtilting of the legrest.

The purpose of the slot i ls and pin 420 is to enable the uptilting of the legrest and its supporting arm, specifically the tubular guide 42, but to provide lost motion. If, due to the great extent of forward projection of the legrest in any particular instance, it contacts the floor while the power mechanism tends to continue its downward tilting, such lost motion means prevents injury to the power means or to the legrest.

It is preferred that the arm 4! which is the more direct support for the legrest ii be also tubular, and if it is slotted as indicated at Ma it is possible to insert within it and within the end of the guide member 42 an internal guide 60, secured to the shaft 42', which also constitutes a swivel mount or bearing for a 'J'ackscrew t which extends through the telescoping supporting arm. This iackscrew, being threaded within the nut 61 at the inner end of the tubular member ll (which is now considered as a traveler along the guide if), when rotated by the flexible drive shaft 59 of the motor M through the transmission T will effect extension or retraction ofthe arm fil and consequently of the legrest, with respect to the relatively fixed but tiltably mounted guide tube 52, and with respect to the forward or swinging edge of the seat I. The purpose,

in providing an interior guide at at inside the tube 4! is two-fold-to avoid marring the finish of the latter (which may be polished chromium, for instance) such as would, occur if it were guided exteriorly within the surrounding tube 42, and to enable lubrication of the sliding outboard bearing which supports the tube ii, without fear of wiping the clothing over an oily exterior of the tube 4!.

It is apparent that the retracting mechanism operates quite positively, and that breakage would occur, or at best, a very appreciable strain would be placed on the mechanism, if an obstruction such as a book B in Figure 5 were to be interposed between the retracting legrest i and the forward edge of the seat I, unless there were some provision for yielding. Accordingly the outer end of the arm :3! is preferably not fixed to the legrest t but is guided upon a longitudinally directed pin 7 which may be concealed.

within the legrest, and the arm i! is normally held retracted against a stop wall or partition do by means of a pinion H upon a cross shaft 12, the pinion being meshed with teeth llb constituting a rack on the under side of the arm ll the shaft 12 is urged by a spiral spring 13 or the like in the rotative sense which will urge the end of the arm il against the stop partition to. If, however, an obstacle is interposed, obstructing the retracting movement of the legrest t, the spring it will yield, and the arm :1! being pulled rearwardly by the screw ii with respect to the now stopped legrest B, will not cause any damage, and before damage can be caused the retraotive movement of the legrest arm ti will be halted by the manual control or by, limit stop mechanism still to be described.

Such limit stop mechanism is preferably of a type which is operative to halt movement of the tubular member ll relative to the tubular member s2 at each limit of the formers movement. It consists, for example, of a bar 52 received within the tube 42 and within the slot tier of the tube ii, having at its end the respective inwardly directed heads 62a and 6222 which are so positioned as to be engaged by the nut 6i at the opposite ends of its intended travel, and thereby to shift the bar 52 in one sense or the other. The bar 52 is connected to a spring centered actuator 53 arranged, after brief travel in one sense or the other from its centralized position, to actuate a switch $354 or 532). These switches are connected to the motor M or to control mechanism within the trans ission T, and when depressed serve to terminate rotation of the jackscrew 6. These switches, 63a and 53%, constitute, therefore, the limit switches previously referred to.

Since the seat l is tiltable and the legrest d is tiltable independently of the tilting of the.

seat, so that in effect there is little or no correspondence between the tilting movement of the two, and because the legrest is also retractable when in any tilted position, and so might conceivably be retracted to a position where it would lie beneath the uptilted forward edge of the seat, and so constitute an obstruction to downtiltingduring the final portion of the retr'active move ment of the legrest, the automatic means is so controlled as to become effective only during the final retractive travel of the legrest, and to be inoperative, for manual control of tilting of the legrest, at all other times.

The uptilting of the legrest, or its downtilting, is normally controlled by a self-neutralizing control switch 68 (one of the switches C on the arm 39) which can energize the motor M and a transmission control element 64b for uptilting or 640 for downtilting; see Figure 16. For automatic control a toggle switch 6 4 is mounted upon the underside of the arm 42 and its actuating lever 64a is spring-held projected inwardly (see the dotted line position of Figure 9) through an aperture in the tube 42 into the path of the tube 4| and the nut 51. It is located at such position in the path of the nut 5| that it will only be engaged, and the switch closed, as the nut approaches its innermost position. Whenever the nut BI is projected outwardly of the lever 64a, the latter rises and the switch 64 is open or inoperative. However, when the retractive movement approaches completion, the nut 6| engages and depresses the actuating lever 64a as it is shown doing in the full-line position of Figure 9, and so closes the switch 64. The switch 64 being in circuit with the motor M, and with the elevating control 642) for the shaft 49, when the switch 64 is thus closed the shaft 49 is energized in a sense to elevate the legrest 4. Such elevation continues until the tubular supporting arm 42 in its upward movement engages and actuates a limit switch 65 (Figure 2), which deenergizes the motor M and the control 64b, and the upward movement of the legrest stops, with the legrest 4 in such position in advance of the seat I, whatever may be the tilted position of the latter, that completion of the retractive movement of the legrest 4 locates it immediately in advance of the forward edge of the seat. A similar limit switch 65 is engageable by the arm 42 upon downward movement, and limits such down-tilting of the legrest. The limit switches 65 and 66 operate whether the tilting is under manual or automatic control.

The supporting and operating mechanism for the headrest is quite similar to that of the legrest, already described, with certain modifications which are better adapted to the requirements of a headrest. For one, the tilting of the headrest relative to the back need never be as extensive as the tilting that may be desired of the legrest with respect to its seat. The headrest is supported in the arrangement shown upon an arm 5| guided within an arm 52 which is, generally speaking, fixed with relation to the back 2. However, the tube 52 is actually slidable within the collar 53, is provided with a rack 54 with which meshes a pinion 55 on a shaft 55, which like the shaft 12 is spring urged in a sense to maintain the tubular support 52 always retracted, but which will yield to permit it to be drawn outwardly of the back 2 in the event of interposition of an obstruction between the edge of the back and the retracting headrest 5. In this instance the lost-motion means are located within the back, whereas in the case of the legrest, the corresponding means are located within the legrest itself.

Retraction and projection of the headrest is accomplished in much the same fashion as projection and retraction of the legrest, namely, through the medium of a screw 5'! journaled within a nut 58 carried by the tubular arm 5!. A flexible shaft 59 from the transmission '1, un-

der suitable control, effects rotation of the jackscrew 51 in one sense or the other to effect projection or retraction of the headrest. It will be noted that, corresponding to the bearing 69 for the legrest, the headrest support is provided with an internal bearing 50 near the outer end of the arm 5 I.

At the outer end of the support arm 5!, inside the end of the headrest itself, is a bracket 8 whereon at the headrest 5 is pivotally mounted. The pivot 80 is located in the upper portion of the headrest, so that the tendency of gravity is to throw the headrest into down-tilted position, wherein it will lie in the general plane of the back. Ratchet teeth 81 on the bracket 8 are engageable by a holding dog 82 mounted within the headrest itself, and spring-held in engagement with the ratchet teeth in such manner that whenever the headrest 5 is manually tilted upwardly about its pivot 80, the dog 82 will retain it in its upraised or uptilted position. The dog may be released, however, by pressure upon a concealed pin 83, whereupon the headrest will drop back toward its normal position, or such disengagement may be automatic by providing a mask 84 slidably supported upon the bracket 8 and normally held retracted below the valleys between the teeth 8! but capable of being projected by pressure of a pin 85 upon the finger 84a which is a part of the mask 84. Such pressure of the finger 85 occurs automatically when its inner end is engaged by the bearing 56 in the last portion of the retractive movement of the supporting arm 5!, so that in retracted position substantial coincidence of the headrest and back in a common plane is assured.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lounge chair, in combination with a primary body-supporting element, such as a seat, a secondary body-supporting element, such as a legrest, an arm pivotally supported at one end upon the primary body-supporting element for tilting relative thereto about a transverse axis, and supporting said secondary body-supporting member, outwardly of such axis, for projection outwardly from and for retraction inwardly towards the outer edge of the primary body-supporting element, means reacting between the primary body-supporting element and said arm to tilt the arm relative to the primary body-supporting element, and to retain the arm in any tilted position of adjustment provided the arm and the secondary body-supporting element are projected a distance in excess of a minimum spacing beyond the outer edge of the primary body-supporting element, and means automatically operable by approach of the secondary bodysupporting element to such outer edge of the primary body-supporting element, inside such minimum spacing, to energize said arm-tilting means and thereby to efi'ect tilting of the arm, and with it the secondary body-supporting element, to bring the latter into substantial coincidence with the plane of the primary body-supporting element by the time the retraction of the secondary body-supporting element towards the primary body-supporting element is completed.

2. A lounge chair as in claim 1, including means interposed between the secondary bodysupporting element and its primary body-supporting element, yieldable upon interposition of an obstruction therebetween, during their approach.

3. A lounge chair as in claim 1, wherein the arm which supports the secondary body-supporting element is formed of a plurality of telescopingly engaged tubular members, one whereof is connected to and proiectable with the secondary body-supporting element, and another whereof is fixedly but tiltably mounted, reversible electrically controlled power means operatively connected to the tubular members and constituting the arm-tilting means, a control switch constituting a means to energize said arm-tilting means, and biased into open position but when closed energizing said. power means in the uptilting sense, said switch being positioned to be engaged by said projectable tubular member and to be held thereby in closed position during approach to final retractive movement thereof.

4. A lounge chair as defined in claim including limit switch means also positioned for operative engagement by the tubular members and operatively connected to said power means, and arranged to deenergize the latter when the secondary body-supporting element has been tilted upwardly into substantial Coincidence with the plane or" its primary body-supporting element. 5. A lounge chair as in claim 4, including additionally reversible means operatively connected to and driven by said power means, and to said telescoping tubular members to project and retract at least one of the latter relative to a fixed one of the same, and a limit switch positioned on one tubular member for operative engagement by another such tubular member upon completion of final retractive movement, to deenergize said power means against further retraction. 6. In a lounge chair, in combination with a back, a headrest, arms supporting the headrest for projection and retraction relative to the back, guide means mounted in the back slidably supporting said arms for such movement, power means for so projecting and retracting said arms, means carried by the back and supporting said guide means for sliding in a direction lengthwise of the arms, and yieldable, means operatively connected to said guide means and maintaining them normally in a withdrawn position, but

yieldable in the event of interposition of an obstacle between the headrest and the edge of the back.

7. In a lounge chair, in combination with a seat mounted for tilting about an axis adjacent its rear edge, a legrest, means supporting the legrest for tilting, independently of the seat, about an axis in the vicinity of the seats tilting axis, and for projection and retraction relative to the swinging forward edge of the seat, power means so to move the 'legrest, and means arranged for automatic operation by approach of the legrest, during retraction, to the forward edge of the seat, to energize said power means and to initiate elevation of the legrest, if then downwardly swung, substantially to the level of the seat, in whatever tilted position the latter may be.

8. A lounge chair as in claim 7, including also means arranged for automatic operation when the legrest reaches the seats level, to deenergize said power means.

9. In a lounge chair, in combination with a seat, a legrest, arms supporting the same, guide means supporting said arms for sliding movement, to project and retract the legrest relative to the seats forward edge, power means so to move said arms and the legrest, supplemental guides carried by the legrest and supported on said arms for movement of the legrest lengthwise of and relative to the arms, and yieldable means operatively interposed between the legrest and said arms, urging the legrest in the retractive sense and restraining the same normally against projective movement relative to the arms, but yieldable upon the interposition of an obstruction between the legrest and the seat.

10. Ina lounge chair, in combination with a primary body-supporting element, a secondary body-supporting element, means supporting said secondary body-supporting element for movement relative to an edge of the primary bodysupporting element between a contiguous and a remote position, power means operatively connected to said secondary body-supporting element and energizable to effect such movement, said supporting means including lost-motion mechanism and resilient means urging the latter to one limit position wherein the secondary body-supporting member, when the supporting means is correctly positioned, may lie in contiguity to the corresponding edge of the primary body-supporting element, but said lost-motion mechanism and resilient means being yieldable when the supporting means is otherwise correctly positioned, but an obstruction lies between the otherwise contiguous portions of the primary and secondary body-supporting elements, respectively, to hold them apart.

11. In a lounge chair, in combination with a primary body-supporting element, a secondary body-supporting element formed as a prolongation of one edge of the primary body-supporting element, means supporting said secondary bodysupporting element for movement both in elevation with respect to, and longitudinally away from and back into contiguity to, such edge of the primary body-supporting element, power means operatively connected to said secondary bodysupporting element and its supporting means, and energizable to effect each such movement, said supporting means including lost-motion mechanism and resilient means urging the latter to one limit position wherein the secondary bodysupporting member, when the supporting means is correctly elevated and drawn back, may lie in contiguity to the corresponding edge of the primary body-supporting element, means positioned for engagement by said supporting means during movement of the secondary body-supporting element back towards such contiguous position, and operatively connected to the power means to energize the elevating portion thereof automatically, and so to restore the supporting means to correct elevation by the time the secondary body-supporting element reaches such contiguous position, the lost-motion and resilient means being yielclable when an obstruction between the secondary body-supporting element and the corresponding edge of the primary bodysupporting element prevents completion of the movement into contiguity.

12. In a lounge chair, in combination with a generally planar primary body-supporting element, and with a secondary body-supporting element, an elongated guide and a traveler movable therealong between inner and outer limits of movement, an operative connection between said secondary body-supporting element and said traveler, supporting the secondary body-supporting element in conjunction with said guide, for movement relative to an edge of said primary body-supporting element between a contiguous and a remote position, power means operatively connected to said traveler and energizable to shift the same between inner and outer limits of movement, limit-stop means operatively connected to the power means, and located for engagement by the traveler at the inner limit of its movement to deenergize the power means, and springbiased lost-motion mechanism included in the v operative connection between the secondary body-supporting element and said traveler, yieldable to permit continued movement of the traveler and normal engagement of the latter with the limit-stop means notwithstanding an obstruction limiting approach of the secondary body-supporting element to the corresponding edge of the primary body-supporting element.

13. A lounge chair as in claim 12, wherein the guide and traveler are mounted for raising and lowering relative to the corresponding edge of the primary body-supporting member, and means located to be contacted by the traveler as the latter approaches the inner limit of its movement, and operatively connected to the secondary body-supporting element to restore the same, if displaced, to an elevated position wherein it will, when fully moved to the inner limit of its movement, lie in general prolongation of the plane of the primary body-supporting member.

14. In a lounge chair, in combination with a generally planar primary body-supporting element, and with a secondary body-supporting element adapted to lie along one edge of the primary body-supporting element and to constitute a prolongation of the latter, means supporting said secondary body-supporting element for tilting up and down relative to the corresponding edge of the primary body-supporting element, and also for projection away from and return into contiguity to such edge, power means operatively connected to said. secondary body-supporting element and energizable to effect such projection and return movement, and additionally such tilting movement, and means located to be contacted by a member which moves with the secondary body-supporting element as the latter is projected and returned, and operatively connected to the secondary body-supporting element to energize said power means to restore the secondary body-supporting element automatically, if tilted, to its position in prolongation of the primary body-supporting element.

15. A lounge chair as in claim 14, wherein the energizing means for the power means, to eiTect restoration of the secondary body-supporting means to its position in prolongation of the primary body-supporting element, includes a switch positioned for engagement and closure by the supporting means, as the latter approaches fully retracted position, and operatively connected to the power means, for the purpose indicated, and a second switch also positioned for engagement by said supporting means as the secondary bodysupporting element reaches its position in prolongation of the primary body-supporting element, operatively connected, to said power means and operable upon such engagement to deenergize the same against further retractive move ment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,526,395 Swanson Feb. 1'7, 1925 2,349,701 Buttikofer May 23, 1944 2,480,300 Luketa Aug. 30, 1949 2,533,595 Luketa Dec. 12, 1950