US2717400A

US2717400A - Water chaise

Info

Publication number: US2717400A
Application number: US434714A
Authority: US
Inventors: Napoleon J Bourdon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-06-07
Filing date: 1954-06-07
Publication date: 1955-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1972-09-13

Description

p 13, 1955 N. J. BOURDON 2,717,400

WATER CHAISE Filed June 7, 1954 United States Patent WATER CHAISE Napol'eon'J. Bourdon, N ortlr Hollywood, Calif. Application June 7, 1954, SerialNo. 434,714

Claims. (Cl. 9-41) This invention relates generally to floats, pontoons,-rafts and similar aquatic support upon which bathers may float and propel themselves along the surface of the water. Specifically, the invention pertains to a buoyant balsa wood pontoons have also been used for thepurpose. While such supporting devices are in wide use, they have the disadvantage of being easily punctured so that they are unreliable from the safety standpoint.

It is usual in such prior raft-like structures to provide a seat supported by and extending between the inflated pontoons. Since the seats are attached to the highly flexible pontoons, they are very unstable in use so that the bather or rider has the feeling of insecurity. In addition, it has been the practice to arrange the seatsat a level which is either above the pontoons, substantially in horizontal alignment therewith or slightly below the pontoons. Consequently, thebather sits at a level adjacent the surface of the water, that is, at the approximate center of gravity of the pontoons and this results in lack of stability so that the support is easily upset due to motion of the water or shifting of the bathers weight.

It is an object of my invention toobviate the-faults and deficiencies of previous floating chairs and similar aquatic supports by providing a water chair or chaise which is a one-piece, rigid, structure capable of withstanding rough handling and abnormal stresses and strains.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water chaise which consists of a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons, connected at one end by a cross member, and having a U-shaped chair portion having legs depending from the pontoons and connected by a transverse rest or seat upon which a person may sit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water chaise, of the character referred to, in which the pontoons, cross member, legs and seat are hollow throughout, being made preferably as sheet metal tubes and assembled by soldering or welding to provide an integral structure which is buoyant throughout, the sheet metal being particularly strong and durable and being practically proof against leakage due to puncturing.

Another important object is to provide a water chaise in which the seat portion is located at a considerable distance below the pontoons so as to attain a relatively low center of gravity and thus afiord maximum stability.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water chaise which is so proportioned that the arms of a bather may extend over the pontoons so as to enable the person 2,717,400 Patented Sept. 13, 1955 ice to use his or her arms and hands as oars or paddles to propel the chaise along the water.

Another object is to provide a water chaise which is portable and of a size to adapt it for convenient storage in a relatively small space and transportation in an automobile. p q

A further object is to provide a water chaise of the" type indicated which, in addition to being strong and durable, is light in weight and economical to'manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a water chaisei in which the pontoons may have partitions or bulkheads providing a plurality of compartments. By this feature, in the event that a portion of either pontoon is damaged to the extent that water may enter the same, the remaining undamaged compartments will afford sufli'cientbuoyancy to maintain the chaise floating.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and from the accompanying'drawing, which is for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my water chaise;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 3'3 of Fig; 1; and v Figs. 4 and 5 are utility views, illustrating the manner of applying the water chaise to use.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the water chais'e' comprises essentially a pair of elongate, spaced, parallel pontoons 10" and 11 which are joined adjacent one end by a cross-member 12. Each pontoon 10 and 11 is constructedfrom a sheet of thin metal stock, the longitudinal edges of the stock being joined in a seam 13 which may be simply a lap-joint or a reverse'or Stovepipe joint, as desired. In either case, the joint is made tight preferably by soldering the same. End caps 15" are fitted eitherwithin or over the ends of the tubular sheet metal pontoons 10and 11 and p'ref'erablyare' soldered in place;

The cross-member 12' is also made from sheet meta-l stock in asimilar manner and its ends are soldered, welded or otherwise secured to the facing sides of the pontoons 1'0 and 11 to extend therebetween.

The water chaise further includes a'platform or rest 20 arranged at the end of the chaise opposite the crossmember 12. The rest 20 includes a pair of tubular side elements 21 which have their upper ends joined to lower portions of the pontoons 10 and 11, as by soldering or welding. The elements 21 extend downwardly in slightly convergent relation and extending transversely between their lower ends is a tubular seat 22.

The

parts

21 and 22 of the rest 20 are constructed from a sheet of thin metal stock, the edges of which are joined in a soldered seam 23 (Fig. 3). While these tubular parts may be of any desired cross-sectional shape, I prefer to make them of polygonal cross section so as to provide a flat upper surface 24 on the seat portion 22 for comfort.

It is thus seen from the foregoing that the water chaise is so fabricated that it is, in effect, a one-piece, strong and rigid structure. It is also to be noted that the chaise is completely hollow so that it possesses full buoyancy throughout. Due to its relatively small size and weight, the chaise may be conveniently transported in an automobile and easily handled.

To apply the chaise to use, it is placed upon the water with its seat portion submerged as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The bather then may assume the position shown in Fig. 4 in which he sits upon the seat 22 with his legs dangling from the seat and with his back resting against the crossmember 12 which serves as a back rest. With the bather thus seated in a somewhat reclining position, he may float for as long a period as desired. The chaise is so proportioned that the bather may extend his arms over the pontoons 1t and 11 as indicated in Fig. 4. By moving his arms, hands and feet, the bather may propel himself along the water.

It is to be noted that the rest 20 is disposed entirely below the pontoons 10 and 11 so that it provides, in effect, a keel for stabilizing the chaise to prevent upsetting thereof. The chaise is further stabilized by the low center of gravity which is located at a considerable distance below the surface of the water when the bather is supported thereby. The aquatic supporting device thus is exceptionally safe in use. The pontoons and other hollow, buoyant parts, being constructed from sheet metal, instead of from rubber, plastic or other inflatable material, will withstand rough handling and abnormal stresses without damage which might cause leakage. To further guard against the escape of air and filling of the pontoons with water in the event of damage causing the appearance of a hole or crack, I may provide partitions 25 within the pontoons as shown in Fig. 4. Such partitions may serve as bulkheads in dividing the pontoons into a number of air-tight compartments. By this feature, should a pontoon be damaged and leak at one portion, the air within the remaining compartments will be sufiicient to maintain the chaise afloat.

The aquatic chair may also be used as shown in Fig. to support a bather in a somewhat prone position to enable him to swim in the water. In this case, the bather kneels upon the seat 22 with his chest resting upon the cross-member 12 and with his arms outstretched over the.

pontoons and 11 to propel himself and the support through the water.

While I have herein shown and described the water chaise as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it will be understood that various modifications might be made in the structure within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A water chaise, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons; a cross-member connected to and extending between said pontoons adjacent one end thereof; and a platform connected to and extending between said pontoons at the other end thereof, said platform consisting of a pair of depending legs and a seat extending between the lower ends of the legs, said seat being disposed at a considerable distance below said pontoons, said pontoons, cross-member and platform being hollow and buoyant.

2. A water chaise, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons; a cross-member connected to and extending between said pontoons adjacent one end thereof; and a platform connected to and extending between said pontoons at the other end thereof, said platform consisting of a pair of depending legs and a seat extending between the lower ends of the legs, said seat being disposed at a considerable distance below said pontoons, said pontoons,

cross-member and platform being air-tight, sheet metal tubes.

3. A water chaise, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons; a cross-member connected to and extending between said pontoons adjacent one end thereof; and a platform connected to and extending between said pontoons at the other end thereof, said platform consisting of a pair of depending legs and a seat extending between the lower ends of the legs, said seat being disposed at a considerable distance below said pontoons, said pontoons, cross-member and platform being air-tight, sheet metal tubes, said pontoons having closed ends and said seat having a flat upper surface.

4. A water chaise, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons; a cross-member connected to and extending between said pontoons adjacent one end thereof; and a platform connected to and extending between said pontoons at the other end thereof, said platform consisting of a pair of depending legs and a seat extending between the lower ends of the legs, said seat being disposed at a considerable distance below said pontoons, said pon toons, cross-member and platform being air-tight, sheet metal tubes, said pontoons having closed ends and said seat having a flat upper surface, said pontoons having longitudinally-spaced partitions providing a plurality of air-tight compartments.

5. A water chaise, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel pontoons; a cross-member connected to and extending between said pontoons adjacent one end thereof; and a platform connected to and extending between said pontoons at the other end thereof, said platform consisting of a pair of depending legs and a seat extending between the lower ends of the legs, said seat being located below the pontoons a distance equal to approximately three times the radius of the pontoons.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,790 Ranlett Aug. 21, 1923 1,555,589 Farina Sept. 29, 1925 1,562,276 Assenzio Nov. 17, 1925 2,141,799 Pyle Dec. 27, 1938