US2751970A

US2751970A - Foldable lounge chair

Info

Publication number: US2751970A
Application number: US424415A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marion J Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-04-20
Filing date: 1954-04-20
Publication date: 1956-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-26

Description

June 26, 1956 sMlTH 2,751,970

FOLDABLE LOUNGE CHAIR Filed April 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MARION J SMITH ATT RNEY June 26, 1956 M. J. SMITH FOLDABLE LOUNGE CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1954 INVENTOR.

MARION J. SMIT W track means. A rear cross bar 17 is secured to the arms and constitutes a brace therefor as well as a support for the back and a front cross bar 18 is secured to the fore endsof the arms. and serves as a brace and as a support for the seat 4 and leg rest 6.

The seat'4' and back 5, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, are pivotally connected together by a cross rod 19 having rollers 20 at .its ends for rolling and/ or sliding movement within the confines of the track means formed by the side rails 16. As depicted inFi'gure 7, each of these rails is preferably made in the form of a channel to provide a pair of track formations 21 for each roller. Each rail orchannelis open along its inner side to provide clearance for a collar 22 carried by the rod. A collar is located between each of the rollers and the seat was to centerithe seat and back unit and space the latter from the track means. It will be noted by repair of

links

32 and 33, are similarly connected together and to the axle and cross member. In order to impart stability to the connection means, the links are preferably constructed from angle iron and the outer ends of the links are preferably provided with sleeves as shown which surround the axle and cross member. The fact that the cross member is detachably connected to the rails and that the respective pairs of links are detachably connected offer advantages with respect to .manufacture and assembly. Attention is directed to the fact that the lengths of respective pairs of links are such that they limit forward movement of the arm unit on the base and thereby assist in locating the ends of the arms in predetermined ferring to Figures 6 and 7 that the bottom of each of a the side rails 16 is provided with an entrance opening 23 adjacent its front end so as to facilitate entry of the wheels into the rails or tracks and thereby permit assembly of the seat and back unit with the arm structure after the latter has been completed or made up. In other words, the seat and back unit and the arm unit can be readily detachably connected together.

The seat preferably includes a top portion, depending side walls 24 provided with abutment means in the form of; notches 25 and a depending front wall 26 provided with a slot 27, as depicted in Figure l. The arrangement is such that the seat and back unit can be moved forwardly or rearwardly on the track means to a position desired whereby the back will find support on the rear bar 17 and a pair of opposed notches on the seat will receive and rest on the front bar 18 as shown in Figure 1. If one desires to sit in a more erect position it is merely necessary to shift the unit rearwardly so that the foremost notches on the seat will engage, the front bar 18 and when one desires to rest in a reclining position the unit will be moved forwardly so that the rearmost notches will engage the front bar. With this setup the unit can be easily and quickly adjusted, within practicable limits, to meet the needs of any person and when desired,-the back can be swung forwardly and upon the seat to protect and keep the seat clean when not in use. 7

Attention is directed to the fact that when the arm 7 unit is in the operative position shown in Figure l, the

side rails 16 will find support on the side rails 7 of the base so that any strain or weight placed on the side rails 16 is primarily imparted or transferred to the base. This permits one to utilize side rails or track means of a lighter construction.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the front and rear corners of the base are preferably provided with upstanding projections or pins 28, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, which are adapted to snugly fit into the tubular ends of the curved arms 15 whereby to assist in locating and holding the arm unit in position on the base. If found desirable,v additional means such as snap-connections or latches may be employed to lock the arm unit in operative position on the base unit.

The arm unit and seat and back unit together constitute an assembly which is detachably and pivotally connected to the base unit as exemplified in the drawing; The connection means 3 for this purpose includes a tubular cross member 29 having its ends extending into and supported on the side rails 16 of the arm structure. .As shown in Figure 8, plugs 30 are fixed in the ends of this cross member andtscrews 31 extend through washers and the rails and threadedly connect with the plugs for detachably securing the cross member to the rails. The connection means also includes a pair of

links

32 and 33 having their outer ends respectively rotatably connected to the axle 12 and the cross member 29 and their inner ends are pivotally and detachably connected by a bolt positions to receive the pins 28. It is to be understood that any means suitable for the purpose, other than the particular form of connection means illustrated, may be employed to establish an operative connection between the arm unit and base.

The leg rest 6 may be utilized in conjunction with the chair and may be made in different ways. As illustrated, the rest includes an elongated top wall 37 having an outer relatively wide extremity 38 to provide a rest for the feet. Except for the Wide extremity 38 the rest is made relatively narrow so that it can be easily straddled for convenience in getting into and out of the chair. The leg rest 'is suitably reenforced by internal web structure as shown and supports a shaft 39. Wheels 4% are carried by the ends of the shaft to promote mobility. The inner extremity of the leg rest, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, is provided with a pair of semi-cylindrical fittings 41 which fit'onto the front rail 8 of the base. The inner extremity of the leg rest is further provided with a curved lip or hook portion 42 which rests on the front cross bar 18 of the arm unit as shown in Figure l. A pair of slidable collars 43 are carried by the front rail and located between the rest and front legs 10 of the base. These collars are urged toward one another by helical springs 44 also carried by the front rail. The collars are recessed as indicated at 45 so as to normally receive the outer ends of the fittings 41 and thereby lock the leg rest to the base unit. To efiect'a release of the leg rest from the base unit and arm unit jointly serve as a support for the inner extremity of the leg rest.

When the seat and back unit is moved forwardly to its full limit of travel, the front portion of the seat will extend quite some distance beyond the front of the chair and overlie the leg rest to an extent which renders the rest less serviceable. In order to offset this condition and promote continuity between the seat and rest the hook 42 on the rest can be inserted into the slot 27 in the front wall of the rest as shown in Figure 4.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent that the seat and back can be placed one againstvthe other and that this unit and the arm unit can be readily swung around and into a nested position substantially within the confines of the base unit as illustrated in Figure 3 and that the leg rest can be swung upwardly and over into nesting relationship with the base unit and arm unit to provide a folded compact assembly. Since this folded chair assembly is more or less flat sided, chairs can be conveniently stacked one upon the other flatwise or edgewi'se. This setup allows several chairs of applicants description to be stored in a much smaller space than is required for a large and long chairtof the conventional In the modification of Figure 10 two corresponding pairs of links are provided. The upper links are joined to a tubular cross member 46 extending substantially 34. A pair of

links

35 and 36, corresponding to the across the full width of the arm unit. The cross member is rotatably mounted on a suitable rod and the lower links are joined to a similar cross member 47 carried by a rod. This particular arrangement serves to lend structural stability to the chair and aifords a satisfactory way of locating the base unit and arm unit in proper operative relationship.

It will thus be apparent that improved principles of design and construction have been embodied in the chair and that the chair offers many advantages as to use,

manufacture and assembly, and storage that are not present in conventional chairs.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact forms, constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. A chair comprising a base provided with legs, an arm unit provided with tracks, a seat and back pivotally connected and movable as a unit on the tracks, and means connecting the arm unit with the base in a manner whereby the seat and back as a unit and the arm unit can be moved from nested positions from between the legs to place the arm unit in a supporting position on the base.

2. A chair of the kind described comprising a base having top rails and legs, an arm unit connected to the base for movement to an operative position on the rails or to an inoperative position below the top rails and between the legs of the base, and seat structure adjustably mounted on the arm unit.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, in which the seat structure is provided with one component of an attaching means, and a leg rest is provided with the other component which is operatively connected to said one com ponent.

4. A chair comprising a base provided with legs, an arm unit provided with tracks, a seat and back pivotally connected and movable as a on the tracks, means connecting the arm unit with the base in a manner whereby the seat and back unit and the arm unit can be moved from nested positions from between the legs to place the arm unit in a supporting position on the base, cooperable means on the arm unit, cooperable means on the base, and cooperable means on the-seat, and a leg rest provided with means connectible with any one of said cooperable means.

5. A chair of the kind described comprising a base having downwardly divergent front legs and rear legs, an arm unit of a length the same as the distance between the legs at their upper ends, and pairs of links connecting the arm unit to the base for manual movement to an operative position thereon or to an inoperative position substantially between the legs of the base.

6. A chair comprising a base having downwardly divergent front and rear legs, an elongated arm unit mounted on the base, said arm unit being of a length substantially equal to the distance between the upper ends of the legs and provided with track means supporting a seat, and a linkage pivotally connected to the base and pivotally and slidably connected to the track means on the arm unit whereby the arm unit can be swung into a nested position between the legs or on top of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 360,729 Roberts Apr. 5, 1887 868,324 Buckman Oct. 15, 1907 918,433 Gaertner Apr. 13, 1909 922,994 Zabel May 25, 1909 1,142,657 Armstrong June 8, 1915 1,876,408 Gibson Sept. 6, 1932 2,567,222 Lorenz Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,008 Great Britain 1888 18,606 Great Britain 1908 284,340 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1952