US2696868A

US2696868A - Corrective chair

Info

Publication number: US2696868A
Application number: US222992A
Authority: US
Inventors: Barry L Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-04-26
Filing date: 1951-04-26
Publication date: 1954-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1971-12-14

Description

B. L. MILLER CORRECTIVE CHAIR Dec. 14,' 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 26, 1951 m-fl# 100A Snventor mmf L M/LER Gttomeg United States Patent O CORRECTIVE CHAIR Barry L. Miller, Inglewood, Calif.

Application April 26, 1951, Serial No. 222,992

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-29) This invention relates to a chair structure for the support, amelioration, and correction of the paralytic and spastic ravages of the motor nervous system, the same being particularly helpful to paraplegics and spastics. While the present chair may be used for aiding the training and coordination of unruly muscles of various paralytic conditions, both of adults and children, the invention, as herein disclosed, is more particularly adapted as a corrective aid for spastic children and it is an object of the present invention to provide such a chair structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair of the character indicated, that is capable of substantially universal adjustment as to the angle of the seat and the relative positions of the back and foot support thereof, so that the chair may be adjusted to a wide range of positions between a flat reclining position and a jackknife position in which the body is held at an acute angle to the thighs. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a corrective chair in which the foot rest or support is independently adjustable and which, from any position of adjustment, automatically moves to accommodate itself to the normal or natural position of the feet according to whether the position of the child is a normal seated position or a reclining one.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair, as indicated, that has outwardly tiltable arms to enable ready access for changing the clothes of the child while occupying the chair, said arms also being extensible so that the same may be adjusted to various support positions for the arms of the child.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair of the present character in which the various components are extensible and contractible as desired so that the chair may be easily adjusted to the size of the child.

A further object is to provide in such a chair, restraining and corrective auxiliary devices for both the body and limbs of the child.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a chair structure that includes an independently usable stand which may be employed as a walking trainer as a further aid to the corrective education of the child.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair embodying features according to the foregoing objects of the invention, the same being shown adjusted to hold a child in a normal seated position. f

Fig. 2 is a similar View with parts broken away,show ing the chair adjusted to hold a child in a reclining position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view as taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Patented Dec. 14, 1954 Fig. 4 is a front view of the foot rest of said chair, the view being seen in the direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a similarly enlarged fragmentary sectional View on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of means employed to lock the adjustment of the chair components.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. l0 is an enlarged front view, partly in section, of combined front retaining or restraining means and leg corrective means.

The chair that is illustrated comprises, generally, a mobile stand 15, an articulated chair 16 carried by said stand, jack means 17 interconnecting the stand and chair for adjusting the tilted position of the latter, and means 1S to lock the chair in adjusted position.

The stand 15 comprises side frames 19 integrally connected as by a cross member 20 of which more than the one shown may be provided. Said frames 19 are advantageously formed of metallic tubular elements and, in this case, are shown mounted on caster wheels 21. It will be evident that said stand may be employed as a walker by placing a child between frames 19 so that he may use rails 22 as hand supports and, thereby be maintained upright while propelling the stand along the oor.

Said rails 22 are provided with trunnions 23 for a pivot rod 24, the latter constituting a fulcrum on which chair' 16 is adapted to be tilted.

The chair 16 comprises four major components-a seat 25, a back 2,6, a foot support 27, and arm rests 28.

The seat 25 comprises a metal frame formed of side bars 29 fixedly connected by transverse members 30, and a seat cushion 31 supported in the frame thus provided. The mentioned pivot rod 24 extends transversely at the rear of said frame. As shown, each bar 29 is provided with a rearward extension 32 having selective adjustment holes 33 or the like, and with a forward extension 34 having a pivot 3S on the forward end thereof.

The chair back 26 comprises a back support 36 and a head support 37, the latter being adjustable relative to the former, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a bar 38 atiixed to one support and slidable in suitable ways in the other, the adjustment being locked as by a wing nut 38a. While back support 36 may be generally flat or, at most, suitably transversely curved in the manner of chair backs, head support 37 has a considerable transverse curvature that results from the provision of side wings 39. These Wings are provided for the primary purpose of limiting the position of a lolling head.

The back 26 is carried, at the bottom, by a U-shaped transverse frame 40 which is fulcrumed on pivot rod 24 on either side of seat 25.

Body restraining means 41 is provided on chair back support 36, the same, in this case, comprising a fabric band 42 carried at one end by a bracket 43 aixed to one side of said support, and separably connectable to a similar bracket on the opposite side. Such or similar restraining means 41 serves thefpurpose of either conlining the body against undue movement or limiting the body against slipping laterally, depending on the tightness of adjustment of said means 41.

The foot support 27 comprises a frame 44 depending from seat frame 25 on pivots or hinges 45, a frame 46 within frame 44 and mounted on said hinges 45, a sliding frame 47 carried by frame 46, and a foot rest 48 carried by frame 47 and slidable therewith.

As best seen in Figs. l, 2 and 4, frame 44 is U-shaped and, on the sides 49 thereof, carries locking knobs 50. Frame 46 comprises side bars 51 that are connected by transverse members 52, said frame being smaller than and, therefore, adapted to nest within frame 44. The frame sides 51 are provided with arcuate slotted rearwardly and upwardly directed extensions 43 which cooperate with locking knobs 50 to effect angular adjustment of frame 46 relative to frame 44, if such is desired. Fig. 1 shows one such adjustment, and Fig. 2 a somewhat smaller one. It will be realized that the angular adjustment may be such as to horizontally align frame 46 and seat 25 while frame 44 is in a pendent position.

Frame 47 comprises transversely spaced rectangularsectioned tubes 54. A bracket 55 carried by each tube and a foot rest pad 56.transversely arranged between and connecting said brackets. Said brackets and pad constitute foot rest 4i; and the same is adjustably carried by tubes 54 and locked thereto by means of bolts 57.

Such adjustment may be made according to the legv length of the occupant of the seat, a slot 5S in each tube allowing for such adjustment. A calf-supporting pad 63a extends between tubes 54.

Frame 47 is slidably connected to frame 46 by means of shoulder screws 59, carriedby frame 46, engaged in slots 60 formed in tubes 54. Sliding of frame 47 is effectedthrough the medium kof links 6l that connect the mentioned pivots 35 of the seat frame and tubes 54. Since pivots 3S and 4S are spaced, it will be clear that, as the foot support-27 is swung upwardly, frame 47 is projected relative to frame 46. Such projection can be seen in Fig. 2 by. comparison to the relatively retracted position of frame 47 in Fig. l. Since it is advisable that foot rest 48 support the legs-so there is no binding or pressure on the inner side of the knee joints, the projection of said foot rest, when swung to the position of Fig. 2 independently of inclination ofy the chair back, obviates confining of the legs-so that they may fully stretch. While the sliding adjustment thus effected is relatively small-in the nature of some two inches, the same is conducive to the comfort of the chair occupant and to corrective control of the lower limbs of said patient inl all positions of the foot support relative to the seat.

The arm rests 2S are alike. except that they are oppositely formed. Each arm rest comprises' a metal frame 62.to which is affixed an'upholsteredpad 63 and which frame 62 carries an upwardly extensible pad 64. Figs. l and 2 respectivelyshow partially extended and contractedpositionswhich are locked by wing nuts 65 adjustablyl connecting frame 62 and slotted bars 66 affixed to and depending from pad 64.v

The lower endof frame 62, on hinges 67, has slide bars 67a connected thereto; As best seen in Fig. 7, said bars extend into seats efprovided in the lower side of the seatcushion 31, aligned-openings-69 being provided in frame bars 29. From this structure, it will be clear that the` arms rests are laterallyfextensible relative to seat 25 in` addition to being vertically extensible.

Slide bars-67a are connected by a member 70 which mounts a hinged bolt 71, the same being adapted to extend through a slot- 72 provided in frame 62; A wing nutv73-on said bolt serves to releasably lock frame 62 to member 70 to hold the arm resterect. Release of bolts 71, on both sides, permits the arms to be outwardly swung, asshown by the dotedash lines-of Fig. 3.

The above-described adjustabilityv of the arms perm-its the chair to accommodate persons of ditierent size, provides for corrective elevational positioning ofthe arms, and gives improved-accesstothe occupant for changing of clothing and for other purposes. Wing bolts 74 lock bars 67a to hold the arms-in laterally adjusted position.

The seat25, back- 26 and foot support 27 are interconnected by oppositelydisposed articulated parallelogram frames 75. Side bars 29 and 49 comprise two adjacent sides of said frames, and bars- 76 and V77 comprise the remaining sidesof said frames. Bars 'comprise integral extensions of frame 4il`and are slightly rearwardly otsettherefrom as shown, to obviate the parallelogram frames locking when'collapsed, as in Fig. 2. Bars 77 are connected byvpivots 78'to Athelower endsof bars 77 and by pivots 79 to comparable points of side bars 49.

It will be clear that the fourl pivots 24, 45, 78 and 79 will allowl frames 75 to articulate so'that when chair back 26 is swung on pivot 24, foot support 27 will swing through a corresponding arc, a downward and rearward movement of the chair back resulting in a forward and upward movement of the foot support and vice versa.

The position of Fig. l represents an intermediate seated position since the chair back 26-may be adjusted to incline toward the left to form an acute angle with seat 25, the jackknife position thus attained beingdesired for certain corrective retention of the chair occupant. The

position of Fig. 2 represents anl intermediatereclining*y position since the chairxbackf may be further adjusted to bef horizontally aligned with the seat. In any position of the main chair components, the-foot rest 48rmay'be" separately adjusted relative to frame 44, both angularly on pivot 4S and longitudinally along frame 47.

It will be noted that bars 77 are each provided with a rearward extension 80 provided with adjustment holes 81. These holes, together with holes 33, allow for forward adjustment of the seat, and foot support relative to the seat back, as when adjusting the chair for a larger person.

A locking device 18 is provided to lockthe adjusted positions of the back and'foot support. Said device 18 is shown as an elongated rod 83pivotally carried at 84 on a bridge piece 85 of frame 44 and rotationally mounted in a iitting 86,fa handle 87 on the opposite end of said rod facilitating such rotation. Rod 83 extends through a sleeve S3 carried by an ear 89 on pivot rod 24. A oneway clutch 90 is embodied in sleeve 38 and serves to lock rod 83 to the sleevewhen therhandle87is rotated in a direction (clockwise. in Fig.. 9) toA etectwedging of rod'. and sleeve by meansoftclutch 90. Reversezrotation of the handle releasesA the.. clutch and: enables axial move.-

ment `of the rod in thesleeve when .thech'air componentsv are adjusted.

ln addition to theI above adjustments, jack-.means 17 is provided to tilt the chairbodily on its pivot 24 relative.. to frame l5. Said jack means is shownxas a bracket 92S a'lxed. to forward transversemernber 3i) of the seat frame, a jack rod 93 pivotally carried by said bracket, a.

suitable powerfadvantage. gear. box 94 through which rod 93. extends, a mount 95 pivotally connecting saidA just the angle of seat 25, all the parts-connected to saidv seat bodily moving therewith.

As shownin Figs. l, 3 and l0, a combined body retaining and legcorrecting device 9SA is provided, the same extending between arms-28'. The. device 98 comprises a length-adjustable. bar99l pivotally carried on a rota-V tional pivot 100. at one end asona bar 10ftsecured to the front edge of one arm pad 63).v A-similarbar 102' on` the front edge of the other chair pad 63 releasably holdsvthev other end ofadjustable bar 99. The latter bar includes a channel member 103 on which is adjustably carried. a pair of padded leg-'engaging elements 104 which are curved substantially as shown to either@ engage the outer sides of the thighs orthe inner sides,` as suggested by the dot-dash line` position of Fig.' l0. The elements 104, having a varietyof positions,- may be adjusted'to provide desired corrective restraint of the legs.

While not illustrated,` the feet maybe similarly re-4 strained and held in corrective position'asby means removably attached to foot restv 48;? Spacedseats l05fare provided to mount such foot-correcting` means:

While the invention'that'haslbeenillustrated and described is. now; regarded asthe-l preferred embodiment;

the construction is, of course, subjecttto modications.

without departing from thespiritand scope of the inven' tion. It is,` therefore, not 'desiredito'restrict the invention to the particular forml oflconstruction*illustrated'and' de'- scribed, but to cover allmodications that may'fall within" the scope of the appended claims.V

Having thus described my invention,V what'is"clair`ned'l and desired to be secured by `Letters "Patentis:

1. A corrective. device of 'the character described, comand stand, releasable lookingmeanslinterconnecting the chair back and foot support 'to lockftheadjustment of the` chairback Vand foot-isupportrelativeto the: seat, Vthe chair back Vcomprisingabody support and aJ-.winged-.head sup;

port, the. foot support comprisingzan.independently angu-: larly adjustable foot rest, means interconnectingtthe;foot=A rest and the seat toshift the .formerrelative tothe support during, pivotalwmovemeht of the..support,andthe. arm rests each comprising vertically extensible portions..-

to vary the height thereof, theementioned..adjustments cooperating to confine the head,` b'ody and limbs of'. a..

spastic person occupying said seat.

2. A corrective device of the character described, comprising a stand, an articulated chair pivotally carried by said stand and including a seat, a back, a pivoted foot support and a pair of arm rests, jack means to adjust and lock the tilted position of the chair relative to the stand, said latter means interconnecting the chair seat and stand, releasable locking means interconnecting the chair back and foot support to lock the adjustment of the chair back and foot support relative to the seat, the chair back comprising a body support and a winged head support, an adjustable body-restraining band carried by the body support of the chair back, the foot support comprising an independently angularly adjustable foot rest, means interconnecting the foot rest and the seat to shift the former relative to the support during pivotal movement of the support, and the arm rests each comprising vertically extensible portions to vary the height thereof, the mentioned adjustments cooperating to confine the head, body and limbs of a spastic person occupying said seat.

3. A corrective device of the character described, comprising a stand, an articulated chair pivotally carried by said stand and including a seat, a back, a pivoted foot support and a pair of arm rests, jack means to adjust and lock the tilted position of the chair relative to the stand, said latter means interconnecting the chair seat and stand, releasable locking means interconnecting the chair back and foot support to lock the adjustment of the chair back and foot support relative to the seat, leg restraining and corrective means carried by the arm rests and extending across and above the front of the seat, the chair back comprising a body support and a winged head support, the foot support comprising an independently angularly adjustable foot rest, means interconnecting the foot rest and the seat to shift the former relative to the support during pivotal movement of the support, and the arm rests each comprising vertically extensible portions to vary the height thereof, the mentioned adjustments cooperating to conne the head, body and limbs of a spastic person occupying said seat.

4. In combination, a wheel-borne stand comprising spaced parallel frames and a cross rod extending between the upper portions of said frames, a chair seat disposed between the frames, said rod extending through the rear portion of said seat and constituting a pivot on which said seat is adapted to be angularly adjusted, a chair back pivotally mounted on said cross rod, an articulated and adjustable parallelogram frame connecting the chair back and the forward portion of the seat, a clutch-provided sleeve member pivotally carried by said cross rod, an elongated member extending through said sleeve member and connected at one end to said articulated frame to articulate said frame and, thereby, adjust the angle of the chair back relative to the chair seat, the clutch of said sleeve locking the elongated member and the adjustment of the back, and a jack device interconnecting said stand and the forward portion of the seat to move the seat and back simultaneously and adjust the angle thereof relative to the frame by swinging movement on said cross bar.

5. The combination according to claim 4: an operating handle on the elongated member and an operating handle on the jack device, both said handles being disposed between the stand frames and directed from beneath the seat toward the rear of the stand.

6. An articulated chair comprising a seat, a back pivoted at the rear of said seat, a foot support pivoted at the front of said seat, means interconnecting the back and the foot support to cause pivotal movement of one in response to pivotal movement of the other relative to said seat, independently adjustable means between said interconnecting means and the foot support to vary the angle of the latter relative to the seat, said foot support comprising a frame depending from a hinge on the seat, a frame slidable on said hinged frame and provided with a foot rest, and a link interconnecting the slidable frame and the seat and pivotally connected to said seat forward of the hinge of the hinged frame, whereby pivotal movement of the hinged frame causes both pivotal and sliding movement of the frame having the foot rest.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 667,869 Davidson Feb. 12, 1901 1,053,214 Poll Feb. 18, 1913 1,111,685 Allison Sept. 22, 1914 1,151,414 Steinbach Aug. 24, 1915 2,104,830 Collard Jan. 11, 1938 2,146,191 Peters Feb. 7, 1939 2,269,918 Sill Ian. 13, 1942 2,278,078 Kahn Mar. 31, 1942 2,445,870 Maxson July 27, 1948 2,517,037 Shaw Aug. 1, 1950 2,520,309 Everest4 etl al. Aug. 29, 1950 2,531,045 Hoffman Nov. 21, 1950 2,578,311 Lorenz Dec. l1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 969,883 France May 31, 1950