US2734559A

US2734559A - vaughn

Info

Publication number: US2734559A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1973-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1956 Filed Ma'rQh 3, 1952 C- L. VAUGHN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In 6 r CLAUDE L V745H Afrarney Feb. 14, 1956 c. L. VAUGHN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1952 In van for CLAUDE L. WUGHN,

y M 11W Attorney United States Patent ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Claude L. Vaughn, Yankton, S. Dak.

Application March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,574

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-188) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in articles of furniture and mort particularly to improvements in household articles of furniture such as armchairs, sofas, sofa beds and the like, generally of the upholstered type.

In general, the invention contemplates the provision of an article of furniture, such as mentioned above, wherein the arms or ends are hollow to provide compartments for the storage of articles therein. To this end, the arms or end portions are provided with hinged closures for the compartment and there are also provided shelves to support articles either with the closures in open position or within the compartment when the closures cover the arm or end compartments.

An object of the present invention is to provide an article of furniture generally of the above type, wherein the shelf structure is movable with the closure member between open and closed positions thereof to afford ready access to the shelf when in open position and wherein the shelf is maintained in a substantially horizontal and level position throughout the movements thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved means for interconnecting a shelf with the closure member and a fixed part of the arm or end, such interconnecting means operating to maintain the shelf in level position throughout movements thereof. A still further object of the invention is to utilize the shelf connecting means for partially supporting the shelf and also for limiting outward movement of the closure member.

The invention still further aims to provide an upholstered article of furniture, such as an armchair, sofa or the like, which is of relatively simple construction, which is easily manipulated to effect opening and closing of the end compartments, and which construction lends itself to rapid manufacturing and assembling methods.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will hereinafter be more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing for the purposes of illustration an upholstered armchair embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of such an upholstered armchair with the closure members in open position to show the interior of the compartments and the shelves;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of one arm shown with the compartment closed;

Figure 4- is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the closure member and shelf in open position; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail in section taken along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen in Figures 1 and 2 that the invention is shown for purposes of illustration in connection with an upholstered armchair having a bottom supported on suitable feet 12, side arms consisting of front panels 14, 14a and horizontal arm supporting panels 15, 15a,

'ice

a back 16, and a seat cushion 18 supported on the bot tom. The

end closures

20, 20a for the arm compartments are curved at the rear ends thereof, as at 22, 22a, to coincide with the curvature of the arms along these portions.

As more particularly shown in Figure 2, the closure members are shown in open position and, since both may be identical in form, only one will be described in detail. The compartment 24 within one arm is closed at the rear by a further wall portion or flange 26 and also by a bottom Wall 28. The closure member 20 includes an outer closing wall portion and peripheral flanges 30 which meet with the corresponding adjacent edges of the arm when in closed position and thus form extensions of the front and

top panels

14, 15. The closure members are hinged, as at 31, 31a, at the bottom of the adjacent arms and any suitable type of catch may be employed to hold the closure member in its closed position.

For convenience in supporting articles within the arm compartment and also for the purpose of supporting the same articles outwardly of the compartment and in maintained level and readily accessible position, there may be provided upper and

lower shelves

32, 34, which are maintained in substantially horizontal and level position during opening and closing movements of the closure member in a manner to be hereinafter pointed out.

Reference is now made to Figures 3, 4 and 5 in connection with the detailed description of the means interconnecting the shelf 32 with a closure member and its corresponding compartmented arm. The shelf 32 is provided at one end with an outwardly extending portion 35 (Figure 5) which is connected by a pivot 35 to the adjacent flange portion 30 of the closure member. The opposite end of the shelf is cut away as at 37 (see Figure 2) to accommodate taller articles within the compartment and this end of the shelf is similarly pivoted to the adjacent flange of the closure member. Inwardly of the projecting end portion 35 of the shelf, there remains a recessed portion spaced inwardly of the arm panel 14 to accommodate the means interconnecting the shelf and the arm.

A plate-like member or arm 38 is secured by a screw 39 to the shelf and a washer 40 spaces the link from the adjacent edge of the shelf. The opposite end of the plate-like member or arm is free and the intermediate portion of the link is provided with an elongated slot 42 through which a screw 43 extends and is secured to the front panel 14 of the arm. A further washer 44 also is positioned to space the plate-like member or arm from the front panel of the arm. For further stability, the imperforate-upper part of the plate-like member or arm may be secured by a screw 45 or the like to the adjacent edge of the shelf and a further spacing washer 46 may also be positioned to maintain the plate-like member or arm in its properly spaced position with respect to the shelf and the inner face of the front panel 114.

During opening and closing movements of the closure member 29, and with it the shelf 32, the plate-like member or arm 38 which is relatively short to fit within the compartment when closed will travel to the limited extent permitted by the screw 43, passing through the slot 42 therein. It Will be seen that the outward pivotal movement of the closure member 2!) will lower the outer end of the shelf 32 a certain distance, depending upon how far the closure member is opened, and since the shelf 32 is also connected to the plate-like member or arm 38, the plate-like member or arm will be similarly lowered to correspondingly lower the inner portion of the shelf. Thus, during either opening or closing movements, the shelf will be maintained in substantially horizontal level position within the limits of movement permitted by the plate-like member or arm. If desired, a rail 48 or the like may be provided around the shelf.

At the bottom of the arm compartment, there may be provided the further shelf 34 which is also maintained in level position during opening and closing movements. This lower shelf is pivotally hinged, as at 49, to the closure member 24) and the intermediate portion of the shelf 34 rides between upper and lower guide blocks 50, 51, respectively, so as to maintain this lower shelf substantially level throughout its movements.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the present invention affords a convenient and serviceable piece of furniture, or an arm therefor, wherein articles may be easily stored within the arm compartment and out of sight or wherein the articles may be rendered readily accessible for use of an occupant. Thus, books, beverages, cigarette trays and the like, may be supported on one of the shelves. In shifting the closure member and shelving between open and closed positions, the shelf is maintained in level position so that the articles supported thereon will not be tilted, thus assuring that beverages will not spill and cigarettes or ashes will not be discharged from an ash tray or other receptacles. The platelike connector mechanism limits the outward movement of the shelf and associated closure member and maintains the shelf in substantially level position within such limits of movement. While such plate-like connector has been shown at one end of the upper shelf, it will be understood that the plate-like connector may be disposed centrally of the shelf or a similar and additional platelike connector mechanism may be provided adjacent the opposite end of the shelf across the Wide portion thereof.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be accomplished without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture such as an upholstered arm chair, sofa and the like, comprising a bottom body portion having secured thereto an end arm portion in the form of a box-like structure open at the outer side thereof, a closure member pivoted adjacent the base of said boxlike structure and having limited pivotal movement to open and close the open side thereof, a shelf structure pivotally supported at its outer end to said closure member and movable therewith into and out of the said boxlike structure, and means slidably and pivotally supporting the shelf from an inner stored position in the box-like arms for horizontal movement into an outer extended position when the closure member is opened outwardly.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting means between the shelf and the boxlike structure includes a plate-like member having an inclined rectilinear guide surface and a screw passing into the box-like structure and engaging said guide surface whereby to maintain the shelf in substantially horizontal level position.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plate-like member is secured by screws at spaced fixed points to the shelf in order to stabilize the same and wherein the guide surface is provided by a slot in said plate-like member.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the closure member includes peripheral flanges directed toward the box-like structure and complementing the same when closed, and wherein the shelf includes a longitudinal projection at one end thereof pivoted to the adjacent closure flange and providing a space between the remaining portion of the end of the shelf and the adjacent Wall of the box-like structure within which space the plate-like member is disposed and maintained in a spaced position by spacing washers interposed between the plate and shelf and associated with the securing screws.

5. An arm member for attachment to an article of furniture of the class described, and comprising a hollow box-like body portion, a closure member pivoted to the body portion for laterally opening and closing the same, a shelf extending between the closure member and box-like body portion, a fixed pivot between the closure member and the shelf and serving to support the outer end of the shelf, a fixed abutment carried by a side of said box-like structure, means providing a rectilinear guide surface fixed to said shelf and inclined with respect to the vertical component of movement of said pivot during opening and closing of the closure member, and said guide surface engaging said fixed abutment to support the inner portion of the shelf and maintain the entire shelf substantially horizontal during opening and closing movements of the closure member with respect to the body portion.

6. An arm member as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide surface is presented by a slot in a plate-like member fixed to and bodily movable with said shelf during opening and closing movements of the closure member.

7. An article of furniture of the class described, comprising a body portion, an end member mounted on the body portion, a closure member forming with the end member a hollow compartment, means pivotally connecting the closure member and the end member for relative pivotal movement therebetween to laterally open to a limited extent and close the hollow compartment, a horizontal shelf disposed within said compartment and having a fixed pivot connecting the front end thereof with said closure member, and means fixed to the shelf and having a sliding connection with the end members for interconnecting the shelf with the end members for maintaining the shelf substantially level during limited relative movement between the closure member and the end member.

8. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 7, wherein the interconnecting means between the closure member and end member includes a plate-like member fixed to the shelf for bodily movement therewith and having a sliding connection with the end member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,342,387 Kornaszewski June 1, 1920 1,585,574 Thompson et a1. May 18, 1926 2,170,717 Hull Aug. 22, 1939 2,229,937 Reese Jan. 28, 1941 2,296,950 Roedl Sept. 29, 1942 2,372,672 Hultgren et al. Apr. 3, 1945