US2747653A

US2747653A - Reclining chair with horizontally maintained canopy

Info

Publication number: US2747653A
Application number: US299318A
Authority: US
Inventors: Obradovich Drago
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-07-17
Filing date: 1952-07-17
Publication date: 1956-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-29

Description

y 1956 D. OBRADOVICH 2,747,653

RECLINING CHAIR WITH HORIZONTALLY MAINTAINED CANOPY Filed July 17, 1952 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DRAGO OBRADOViCH May 29, 1956 D. OBRADOVICH RECLINING CHAIR WITH HORIZONTALLY MAINTAINED CANOPY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1952 INVENTOR DRAGO OBRADOVICH a; ,flwsy United States Patent 9 RECLINING CHAIR WITH HORIZONTALLY MAINTAINED CANOPY Drago Obradovich, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application July 17, 1952, Serial No. 299,318

13 Claims. (Cl. 155106)' This invention relates to reclining chairs and more specifically to a reclining deck or lawn chair.

In the present deck or law-type chairs it is quite customary to provide a canopy to shield the face of the person using the chair. In the adjustment of the chair to different positions of recline however the canopy, which is normally fixed to the back of the chair, tilts and uncoversthe occupant as the chair moves to full reclining position and he loses the benefit of its protection at the time it is most required.

In addition, while it is customary to provide for adjustment of the reclining position of the chair such adjustment cannot be effected by the occupant from his seated or reclining position.

The principal objectof this invention is to provide a reclining chair which can be quickly and easily adjusted to the desired position of recline by the accupant without getting out of the chair and which will at all positions of recline maintain a protective shading-of the occupant.

A further important object is to provide a chair as aforesaid which can be conveniently collapsedi to a compactportable bundle.

The principal feature of the invention resides in supporting a swinging frame assembly from a fixed frame to support the back and seat of the chair for adjusted positions of incline, mounting a canopy on the swing frame for angular adjustment relative thereto and operating the canopy by means under control of the swinging of the swing or chair frame to maintain the canopy in a posi tion shading the occupant.

A further important feature resides informing the swing or chair frame as a pair of substantially parallel frames pivoted to said fixed frame, the one intermediate its length, and forming the back frame and the. other at its upper end and connecting the lower ends of the parallel frames with a horizontal frame, the back andseat being formed by a flexible fabric secured to the: back frame adjacent the top thereof, leading overthe front: frame adjacent the top. thereof and fixed to the horizontal. frame rearwardly of its forward edge to define a back and seat between the upper ends of the front and rear frames and a leg rest between the upper and lower portions of the front frame, all self-adjusting to accommodate the occupant upon his shifting-his weight to pivot the rear frame about its connection with the fixed frame.

Still a further feature resides in constructing the fixed frame as a collapsing frame.

These and other objects and features will become ap parent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a chair constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the chair and canopy in reclining position in dotted line.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational detail of the upper end of the back frame and canopy with the back frame in upright position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with theback frame in inclined position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational detail showing the canopy swung to a collapsed position.

Figure 5 is a perspective detail of the break joint of the brace of the support frame.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the chair in upright position.

Figure 7 is a perspective viewillustrating the chair in collapsed position.

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the canopy-operating mechanism.

Figure 9 is' a part side elevational part vertical sectional detail showing the canopy-operating mechanism from a position at right angles to Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional detail showing the canopy-operating mechanism in collapsed position.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6, the chair in extended position comprises a fixed frame formed by the front leg frame 1, the rear leg frame 2 and the arms 3' held in extended position by the side cross braces 4 and 5. The front and rear leg frames are pivotally connected to the arms, and as shown particularly in Figure 5 the cross brace 5 is formed with a break joint 6- and carries a pin 7 adapted to fit into the orifice 8 of the cross brace 4.

With a pin entered in the orifice the braces are firmly held in the positions of Figures 1 and 6, but upon removal of the pin from the orifice cross brace 5 is free to collapse to permit the chair to collapse to the position of Figure 7".

Suspended between the arms 3' is a swinging chair frame comprising a back frame 9 pivoted intermediate its height but closer to the bottom than top on the same pivots 10' Which connect the rear legs and arms, and a front frame-11 suspended from the pivots 12 which connectthefront legs and the arms. Connecting the back and front frames 9-and 11 is a horizontal frame-13 which permits free swinging movement of the back and front frames while maintaining a substantially horizontal position; as shown particularly in Figure l.

Secured to the top-of the-back frame 9 is a flexible fabric 14, such as canvas, duck, etc., and this fabric is led over the top of the front frame 11 and is secured to the horizontal frame 13 at a distance rearwardly from the forward end thereof.

The reachof fabric between the upper ends of the front and back frames 11 and 9 defines the seat and-back of the chair. Thereach of fabric between the upper end of the front frame 11 and horizontal frame 13 forms a leg rest; The bar 15 defining the forward end of the horizontal frame comprises a footrest.

In reclining itwill be obvious from Figure 1 and from Figure 6 that upon; an occupant leaning rearwardly he can shift his weight so that the back frame 9 will be overbalanced andturnon the pivots 10 and can be moved from the solid line showing of Figure l to the dotted line showing against stop 9'.

It will be noted that not only are the seat and back, asformed bythe upper portion of the fabric 14, reclining, but the leg rest as constituted by the lower portion of the fabric 14 is raising, as is the foot rest 15, to give full support to the legs and feet of. the occupant in any position of recline.

Carried by the upper end of the back frame 9 of the: chair is a canopy, generally designated at 16. The support for the canopy'comprises a pair of sleeves 17 fitting the upper ends of the sides of the. back 9 of the chair. frame, with pins 18 limiting'downward movement.

Pivoted at 17-' to the rear of each of the sleeves 17 at each side of-the chair is a channel shape' bar 19 havingan arcuate end 20 connecting to the sleeve, and adjacent this arcuate end there is pivoted thereto a second channel bar 21' which is of a sizeto be received in. bar 19 when; swung, into. alignment. therewith; as. illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 10. These bars support a frame 22 carrying the canopy proper for adjustment longitudi nally thereof to different shade positions.

Thebar 21 is pivoted to the canopy frame at 23 in a slot 24 and the bar 19 is pivoted thereto at 25. Thebar'zl is normally prevented from lapproaching back 9' by a brace tube 26 carrying threaded plugs 27 at the ends thereof, Figures 8 and 9, to pivotally connect with a lug projection 28 and a pivoted link 29 carried by the sleeve 17 andbar 21.respectively. i a

The pivotal connection between the lug projection 28 and tube 26 is aiforded by a removable pin 30 to permit this connection to be released. The tube 26 extends upwardly through a slot 19' in the bar 19 and, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, has arranged therein a compression spring 31 which engages a bar 32 extending through slots 33 in the tube and carried by a sleeve 34 which bears on a plate 35 secured to the underside of the bar 19 and having an inwardly ofiset portion 36 to which is connected an operating cord 37.

The spring 31 urges the sleeve 34 and hence bar 19 upwardly on tube 26 to collapse the bars 19 and 21 into alignment. The operator cord 37 is led over a pulley 38 on the back frame 9 of the chair over a pulley 39 adjacent the pivotal connection between the back and horizontal frames 9 and 13 and is secured at 39 adjacent the forward end of the horizontal frame.

It will be noted in Figure 1 that the portion 40 of th operating cord, which is' preferably a strong wire, forms one side of the triangle completed by the horizontal frame 13 and the lower end portion 41 of the back frame 9, and thus when the chair is swung to thereclining position and the frame portion 41 and horizontal frame 13 approach alignment the wire portion 40 must be elongated to approach the sum of the other two sides of the triangle and this elongation pulls the cord or wire downwardly.

Downward movement is translated from the cord through the plate 35 pivoting bar 19 downwardly against action of the spring 31. Downward movement of bar 19 operates o'nthe canopy frame 22 to pull the forward end of the canopy downwardly in opposition to upward movement of its rearward end as the bar 21 is swung in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 21 to accommodate movement of bar 19 about its pivot 17' while tube 26 maintains separation of bar 21 and back 9.

The slide connection 24 between the bar 21 and canopy frame permits the relative movement of bars 19 and 21. The result is that, as the chair reclines, the canopy, instead of pointing Skyward as it would if it were stationarily mounted on the chair, is operated to move'from a position slightly above the horizontal with the chair upright to a position slightly below the horizontal'with the chair inclined, as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figures 2 and 3, with the result that the occupant will at all times be completely shaded and protected irrespective of the position to which he reclines the chair.

'The tilting efiect obtained by raising the rearward end of the canopy and pulling the forward end downwardly is automatically under control of the chair as'it swings. The degree of movement can be adjusted by suitably se-. lecting the position of pulley 39 adjacent the bottom, of the back frame 9 to provide the triangle eflect described.

By removing the pin 30the tube'26 can be released from the lug projection 28 and the whole canopy assembly swung about the pivot 25 to the collapsed position of Figure 4. Alternatively, the whole canopy assembly can be removed by sliding the sleeves 17 Oh? the ends of the back frame 9.

Either with the canopy collapsed to the position of Figure 4 or removed the pin 7 on cross brace'S can be pulled outwardly from the orifice in the cross brace 4 and the whole assembly then collapsed to the position of Figure 7. v

To allow the canopy assembly to collapse as shown in Figure 4 the pivotal link 29connecting the tube 26 to the bar 21 is of a length to extend through bar 19 when these'bars are collapsed together as shown in Figure 10. The upper portion of the sleeve 34 at the rear is split as at 42, allowing tube 26 to pivot into parallelism with bars 21' and 19.

It will be understood that the details of construction may vary or be modified without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a reclining chair, a support frame, a back and seat, means swingably supporting said back and seat from said frame for continuous adjustment under shifting of an occupants weight, a canopysupported for angular adjustment relative said back, and means controlled by the swinging of said back and seat to continuously maintain said canopy substantially horizontal throughout the range of continuous adjustment of said back and seat, said canopy being supported solely on said back.

2. In a reclining chair construction, a support structure pivotally supporting a reclining chair frame, said reclining chair frame having a back and seat thereon and being continuously adjustable under shifting of an occupants weight over a range of inclination, a canopy supported solely'on said frame and mounted for angular adjustment relative thereto, means including a resilient element adapted to alter the angular relation of said. canopy and frame through a continuous range of adjust ment while maintaining said canopy ina substantially horizontal position and means' govered by the movement of said reclining chair frame controlling said canopy-altering means. i p 7 3. In a reclining chair, a recliningchair frame having a back and seat, a canopy solely supported from the upper end of said frame for tilt adjustment relative to said frame about horizontal pivots, pivotal means for supporting said canopy in an initial position relative said back with said chair frame in upright chair position, spring means urging said canopy to initial position, and means governed by the movement of said chair frame from upright chair position operating said canopy supportingmeans in opposition to said spring means. V

4. In a reclining chair a support structure pivotally supporting a reclining back frame, said reclining back frame being continuously adjustable under shifting of an occupants weight over a range of inclination, a canopy frame supported solely from the upper end of said back frame to tilt relative said back frame, the support for said canopy frame including a pair of relatively movable support members pivoted on the back frame and pivoted and slidable on' the canopy frame operable to tilt said canopy frame, and means controlled by a. reclining movement ,of the back frame to efiect' relative movement of said support members. i j i 5. In a reclining chair, a support structure pivotaJlyisup-i porting a reclining-chair frame, said reclining chair frame presenting a reclining back and a seat, a canopy, a first bar pivoted to said frame and pivotedto. said canopy, a

I brace projecting through said bar pivoted to said frame, a

second bar to which said brace is secured pivoted at one end to said first bar and pivoted atv the other end to said; canopy rearwardly of the pivotal connection between said first'bar and canopy, spring means urging said :first bar towards said second bar to elevate the forward end of said canopy, and means governed by; reclining movement of the chair frame to operate said first bar against said spring to depressthe forward end of said canopy.- V V a 6: A device as claimed'in claim '5 in which said brace is a tube pivoted to the back'of the chair frame and said second bar, a'sleeve sliding on said tube below and bearing onsaidfirst bar, and carrying amember projecting through a'slot-in said tube, said spring being arranged within said tube and bearing against said projecting member carried by said sleeve to urge'saidsleeve upwardly.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which said means governed by reclining movement of the chair frame to operate said first bar comprises a flexible tension member connected to said first bar and a point on said chair frame and having a path between a point adjacent to the upper end of the back of said chair frame and its point of connection with said chair frame, said tension member increasing in length upon reclining of said chair frame.

8v A device as claimed in claim 5 in which said chair frame includes a reclining back frame pivoted intermediate its height to said support frame, and a horizontal frame pivoted to said back frame, and the means for operating said first bar against said spring means comprises a flexible cord-like member secured to said first bar and to said horizontal frame forwardly of said back frame, and means constraining said cordlike member to a path leading from its point of connection to said horizontal frame to a point on said back frame above said horizontal frame to present a cord length forming the third side of a triangle having the other two sides formed by portions of said back and horizontal frames, said third side increasing in length upon said back frame leg reclining.

9. A reclining chair comprising a support frame, a back frame pivoted intermediate its length to said support frame, a front frame suspended from said support frame, horizontal bars connecting the lower ends of said back and front frames, a flexible fabric secured to the top of said back frame led over the top of said front frame and connected to said back and front frame connecting bars adjacent the lower end of said front frame, a bar at least at one side of said back frame supported from the upper end thereof and projecting therefrom, a canopy pivoted to said bar on a sliding pivotal connec tion, a second bar pivotally carrying said first bar pivoted to said back frame and pivoted to said canopy forwardly of the connection between said canopy and first bar, a tube bracing said first bar from said back frame, a sleeve sliding on said tube and engaging said second bar and carrying a member projecting through a slot in said tube, a spring in said tube engaging said latter member forcing said sleeve toward said first bar, said sleeve engaging said second bar to urge same toward said first bar, and a flexible cord-like member secured to said second bar led down said back frame and secured to the forward end of one of said horizontal bars, said cord-like member 6 cutting across the angle formed by the lower end of said back frame and said latter bar.

10. A chair as claimed in claim 9 in which said support frame comprises front and rear legs pivotally connected to arms, and cross braces extending angularly across between the front and rear legs 'at opposite sides of the chair and intersecting at a point between the front and rear legs at each side, one of said braces having a joint therein, and means locking said braces at their points of intersection to maintain said braces rigid and releasable whereby said jointed brace can collapse to enable said support frame to collapse.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9 in which said tube is releasable from said back frame and said bars supported from said back frame for pivotal movement may collapse against said back frame with said tube released from said back frame.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9 in which the bars of said canopy are supported from sleeve brackets slidably received on the upper end of said back frame and removable therefrom.

13. In a reclining chair construction, a reclining chair frame having a back and seat, a canopy, means supporting said canopy solely from the upper end of said frame for tilt adjustment relative to said back, said support means including a pair of pivotally connected members carried by said frame and connected to said canopy and relatively movable about their pivotal connection to tilt said canopy, and means governed by movement of said chair frame to effect relative pivotal movement of said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 788,656 Landkamer May 2, 1905 1,429,043 Martin Sept. 12, 1922 1,443,921 Mackenzie Jan. 30, 1923 2,473,745 Di Renzo June 21, 1929 2,505,702 Benjamin Apr. 25, 1950 2,561,886 Rikelman July 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 43,980 Germany July 20, 1888 660,904 France July 18, 1929