US2799324A

US2799324A - High chair tray slide and swivel assembly

Info

Publication number: US2799324A
Application number: US552846A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph F Anderson
Original assignee: National Lock Co
Current assignee: National Lock Co
Priority date: 1955-12-13
Filing date: 1955-12-13
Publication date: 1957-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1974-07-16

Description

y 6, 1957 R. F. ANDERSON 2,799,324

HIGH CHAIR TRAY Sm AND swxvm. ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l U J l l P h. w

INVENTOR.

RALPH F. ANDERSON ATTORNEYS y 1957 R. F. ANDERSON 2,799,324

HIGH CHAIR TRAY SLIDE AND SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

RALPH F. ANDERSON wan ATTORNEYS United States Patent TRAY SLIDE AND SWIVEL ASSEIVIBLY Application December 13, 1955, Serial No. 552,846 Claims. (Cl. 155-427 HIGH CHAIR The present invention relates to hardware to be applied to high chairs for adjustably and swingablymounting a slidable tray in various positions of adjustment on the arms of the chair. Such a tray functions not only to support in readily accessible position a childs food and toys, but'also to retain a child in seated position and prevent such child from being injured by falling or sliding out or off of the high chair and onto the floor. As such chairs are intended to accommodate children of different ages and to beused for a substantial period of time by a child as that child grows,'the present invention comprehends a novel slide arrangement for adjustably and pivotally mounting the tray upon its support and retaining it securely latched in any of its adjusted, operative positions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel means and mechanism for adjustably mounting the tray of a high chair whereby the tray may be readily adjusted to accommodate children of different ages, and is automatically and positively locked in its adjusted position by a spring-actuated latching means.

The present invention further comprehends a novel slide and swivel mounting for the tray of a high chair whereby this tray may be quickly released from its latched position and swung from its operative position in which it spans or bridges the arms or supports of the chair to a position at one side of the chair when the child is to be removed.

Another object of the present invention is the provi sion of a-novel slide and swivel assembly for a tray of a high chair including a stationary latch unit mounted on the underside and adjacent one end of the tray and adapted to be connected to one of the supporting arms of the chair, and'a swivel latch unit mounted on the underside and adjacent the other end of the tray and connected to the other supporting arm of the chair, each of said latch units provided with means for readily adjusting the position of the tray along these arms and a hinge mounting whereby the tray in any of its adjusted positions may be unlatched and swung to open position from either side of the chair, the swivel latch unit in addition to its hinge mounting having a swivel connection permitting the released tray to be swung to fully open position alongside the chair.

v Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efiiciency, economy-and ease of assembly and operation,-and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings: V I V Figure l is a fragmentary view 'in front elevation of a high chair to which has been applied the novel tray slide and swivel assembly including a swivel latch unit adjacent one end of the tray and a stationary latch unit adjacent the other end, the tray being shown in full lines in its operative, latched position and in dotted lines is shown one manner in which the released tray maybe swung'to fully open or in operative position at one side of the chair.

Patented July ,16, 19.57

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 1 with the tray shown in full lines in one position of adjustment and in dotted lines in another position of adjustment.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in front elevation showing the swivel latch unit mounted on one arm of the high chair and with the tray in released, depending position at one side of the chair.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 3, the view being taken in a plane represented by the line 44 of Fig. 3 and'viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary view in side elevation of the novel adjustable slide and swivel latch unit of Figs. 3

and 4, but with the tray in its operative position where it spans or bridges the arms of the chair.

Fig. 6 is anenlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of-the novel adjustable slide and stationary latch unit at the other or right side of the high chair as viewed in Fig. -1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 7-7 of Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 8-8'0f Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to the novel illustrative embodiment disclosed in the drawings, the present invention is shown embodied in a high chair 10'having -a seat 11, a back rest 12, legs 13 and arms 14 mounted upon supporting members or uprights 15. The arms 14 are adapted to support thereabove the opposite ends of a tray 16 that spans these arms and serves not only to support the childs foot but to maintain the child against falling or sliding out of the high chair. This tray may be of any shape suitable for the purpose.

To effectively retain the tray 16 secure in its adjusted and operative position and prevent the seated child from disengaging the latching means and thereby displace or move the tray to unlatched or open position but to permit the tray to be quickly unlatched and swung to open position by another for removal of the child, the present invention comprehends a novel adjustable slide and swivel latch assembly. In this novel assembly the tray is pivotally but detachably and adjustably mounted upon a substantially horizontal axis adjacent each end thereof but capable of being released, and when released swung upwardly from either supporting arm or side of the chair and also swivelled adjacent one end to permit the released tray to be swung outwardly about a substantially vertical aXis to one side of the chair and also about a substantially horizontal axis when moved to the elevated position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from either of which positions at one side of the chair the tray may be moved or dropped to a depending position at one side of the chair as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

This novel adjustable slide and swivel latch assembly comprises a swivel latch unit A adjacent one end of the tray and a stationary latch unit B adjacent the other end of the tray, with each unit preferably formed of sheet metal and including an arm bracket 17 affixed to each arm 14 of the chair. Each arm bracket is of substantial length and formed or provided with a depending anchoring part 18 having spaced holes for receiving mounting screws 19 for attaching it to an arm 14-, and is preferably so curved or contoured as to conform with the surface of the arm to which it is aflixed. A hinge part 21 on each arm bracket is transversely slotted at 22 to provide spaced knuckles 23 carrying a pin or pintle 24 held against longitudinal movement at each end by an inturned lip or flange 25. I

Spaced embossments

26 and 26 are perferably pro vided on the underside and adjacent each end of the tray 14 for attaching to the embossments 26 the swivel latch unit A and to the embossments 26 the stationary latch unit B. Each latch unit includes a tray bracket 27 comprising a plate 28 having an arcuate or curved lip 29 along one edge and an ear 31 at each end provided with connected openings 32. As disclosed in Figs. 1 and 6, the plate 28 of the latch unit B is secured to its embossments 26 by screws 33 with a screw received in an opening 32 in each ear or the ends of the plate 28.

Each plate 28 is suitably slotted and provided with a centrally arranged opening 34, the slots being so disposed or arranged as to receive and retain similarly spaced upstanding lugs or projections 35 on a housing 36 with these lugs anchored in the plate to support and suspend the housing therebelow. In each housing there is slidably mounted a latch member or locking lever 37 of substantially inverted U-shape having a pair of deending projections providing spaced latch bars 38 with the latching end 39 of each bar adapted to enter a slot 22 between spaced knuckles 23 of the hinge part 21 for locking or latching engagement with an aligned, exposed portion of the pin or pintle 24. These latch bars 38 are spaced apart in conformity with the slots 22 whereby the tray is rigidly connected adjacent its opposite ends to the arms 14 of the high chair when the latch bars 38 of the latch units A and B are brought into registry with aligned slots 22. By providing more than two such spaced slots 22, it will be evident that the novel slide arrangement permits the tray 16 to be readily adjusted longitudinally of the chair arms 14 between the full and dotted line positions of Fig. 2.

Each locking lever or latch member 37 is provided intermediate its ends with a leg 41 (Fig. 8) depending into the housing 36 in which is also housed a coil or compression spring 42 bearing at one end against the rear wall 43 of the housing 36 and at its other end against the leg 41 of the locking lever or latch member 37 for spring-biasing the latter to latching position. To center and retain the coil spring 42 in centered position, the rear wall 43 of the housing 36 is indented at 44 to center one end of the coil spring 42 while the other or front wall 45 of the housing 36 is also indented at 46 to retain aligned an annular embossment 47 on the leg 41 of the latch member with this embossment centering the other end of the spring.

The opposite ends of the front and

rear walls

43 and 45 of the housing 36 are spaced from its side walls 48 to provide clearance for longitudinal movement of the latch bars 38 and to guide them into and out of latching engagement with the pin 24. At its outer end each locking lever or latching member 37 is provided with a depending handle or hand-grasping part 49 whereby when a handle is grasped and pulled outwardly it compresses the spring 42 and releases this locking lever from latch ing engagement with its pin 24.

By the construction and arrangement of the pivotal and adjustable latch units and mountings as above described, either end of the tray 16 may be released by pulling outwardly on its depending handle 49 whereby its latch bars 38 are released from the pin 24 of its tray bracket 27 and the tray may be swung about the horizontal axis of the pin 24 of the pivotal mounting adjacent the other end of the tray. However, to permit the tray 16 to be moved to a position at one side of the high chair, the present invention comprehends the provision of a novel swivel connection in the swivel latch unit A at one end of the tray whereby the tray may be swung about this swivel to the depending dotted line position of Fig. l where it is lowered to its fully open and inoperative position. This may be accomplished after releasing the stationary latch unit B, (1) by swinging the tray 16 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) about the vertical pivot of the swivel latch unit A, or (2) by swinging the tray upwardly about the hinge pin 24 of this swivel latch unit A and then about its swivel to the depending position (Fig. 1). The swivel latch unit A at the left of Fig. 1 is disclosed in detail in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, while the stationary latch unit B shown at the left of Fig. 1 is disclosed in greater detail in Fig. 6.

To permit swivelling of the tray 16, the tray bracket 27 of the latch unit A is not secured to the embossments 26 adjacent one end of the tray, but is suspended from and swivelled or pivotally connected to a swivel arm 51 (Fig. 8) by a rivet or pin 52 projecting through an elongated slot 53 in this arm, through a washer 54 and through the opening 34 in the tray bracket 27 which con formably receives and is anchored to the lower end of the rivet 52. In this swivel latch unit and unlike the assembly of the stationary latch unit B, the opposite ends of the swivel arm 51 (Figs. 7 and 8) rather than the ends of the plate 28 are secured to the embossments 26 by screws or other attaching means 33 through one set of connected openings 55 in the opposite ends of the swivel arm 51. This permits swivel arm 51 to move laterally of the tray bracket 27 by reason of the slot 53, and the tray 16 to be swung upwardly about the pin 24 of the swivel latch unit A when the latch member 37 of the stationary latch unit B is released, and also to swing in a substantially horizontal plane about the rivet or pin 52 as a pivot.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, a tray slide and swivel mounting for adjustably, detachably and swingably mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a hinge bracket afiixed to each chair arm and provided with spaced hinge knuckles and a pin projecting through said knuckles, a tray bracket mounted adjacent each end of the tray, a latch member carried by each tray bracket and having latching engagement with the pin of the hinge bracket between spaced knuckles and when engaged providing a hinge connection with the pin, said tray brackets and latch members being adjustable longitudinally of the hinge members and arms of the chair to accommodate children of different ages but in any position of adjustment the latch members and pin have latching engagement and While engaged the tray is mounted for pivotal movement, said latch members when released permitting removal of the tray and when but one of said latch members is released, permitting the tray to be swung about the hinge bracket and arm of the unreleased latch member.

2. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, a tray slide and swivel mounting for adjustably, detach'ably and swingably mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a hinge member secured to each chair arm and provided with a plurality of longitudinally and uniformly spaced slots and a hinge pin in said hinge member and accessible through said slots, a bracket mounted at each end of the tray adjacent a hinge member, a latch member carried by each bracket and provided with spaced latch bars each having a latching end with these latching ends adapted to engage the hinge pin in adjacent slots of a hinge member whereby the tray is locked in adjusted position but adjustable along said hinge members and arms and rotatable about either hinge pin and hinge member when its latch member is retained engaged and the other latch member is released, and a swivel connection between one of said hinge members and the tray whereby the tray with one end released is adapted to swing about the swivel connection and also about the hinge pin at the other end.

3. A slide and swivel mounting for adjustably and pivotally mounting the tray of a high chair provided with spaced arms upon which the opposite ends of the tray are supported, comprising a slide and hinge unit for each of said ends of the tray and including a pair of binge members with one secured to each arm, each hinge member having uniformly spaced knuckles with a slot between V adjacent knuckles and a hinge pin projecting through said knuckles and bridging said slots, abracket mounted at each end of the tray adjacent a hinge member, a spring actuated latch member carried by each bracket and provided with spaced latch bars each having a latching end with these latching ends adapted to engage the hinge pin in adjacent slots whereby the tray is locked in any of its adjusted positions along said hinge members and arms and with said latch bars providing a pivotal mounting upon the engaged hinge pin, and a swivel connection between one of said hinge members and one end of the tray whereby the tray with the other end released is adapted to swing about the swivel connection and also about the hinge pin at said one end.

4. A slide and swivel mounting for adjustably and pivotally mounting the tray of a high chair upon the spaced arms of the chair, comprising a stationary latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting one end of the tray to one arm of the chair and a swivel latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting the other end of the tray to the other arm of the chair, said latch units each including an elongated hinge bracket connected to an arm of the chair and provided with a longitudinally extending hinge member having multipletransverse slots between uniformly spaced hinge knuckles and a hinge pin projecting therethrough, a pair of brackets connected to the tray with a bracket located adjacent each end thereof, a latch member carried by each tray bracket and having spaced latch bars with the ends of each latch bar adapted to be received in adjoining slots of the adjacent hinge member and thereat engage its hinge pin to retain the tray in its adjusted position and also provide a pivotal connection between said latch bars and the tray whereby upon releasing one of said latch members the tray may be swung about the hinge pin engaged by the other latch member, and a swivel connection on said swivel latch unit whereby the tray may be swung about the hinge pin and about the swivel connection to fully open position and alongside the chair.

5. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, a tray slide and swivel mounting for adjustably, detachably and swingably mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a hinge member secured to each chair arm, a pair of latch members mounted on the underside of the tray with each latch member having latching engagement with a hinge member to retain the tray in adjusted position upon the arms and permit the tray to be swung about a hinge member to open position when the latch member for the other hinge member has been disengaged, and a swivel connection between one of said latch members and the tray to permit the tray when swung to open position to be moved to a depending position alongside the chair.

6. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, hardware for adjustably, detachably and swingably mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a hinge member secured to each chair arm, latching means for each hinge member with :said latching means carried by the tray for latching engagement with said hinge, members to retain the tray in adjusted position upon the arms and permit the tray to be swung about a hinge member to open position when the latching means for the other hinge member has been disengaged, and a swivel connection between one of said latching means and the tray to permit the tray when swung to open position to be moved to a depending position alongside the chair.

7. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, hardware for adjustably and pivotally mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a stationary latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting one end of the tray to one arm of the chair and a swivel latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting the other end of the tray to the other arm of the chair, saidlatch units each including an elongatedhinge member aflixed to an arm of the chair and provided with uniformly spaced hinge knuckles and a hinge pin projecting therethrough, spaced latch members connected to the tray with the ends of each latch member adapted to enter between spaced knuckles of an adjacent hinge member to thereat engage the hinge pinand retain the tray in its adjusted position and also provide a pivotal connection between said latch members and the tray whereby upon releasing one of said latch members the tray may be swung about the hinge pin engaged by the other latch member, and a swivel connection on said swivel latch unit whereby the tray may be swung about the hinge pin of said swivel latch unit and also about ,its swivel connection to fully open position.

8. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting a childs food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, hardware for adjustably and pivotally mounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a stationary latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting one end of the tray to one arm of the chair and a swivel, latch unit for adjustably and pivotally connecting the other end of the tray to the other arm of the chair, said latch units each including an elongated hinge member affixed to an arm of the chair and provided with uniformly spaced, transverse slots and a hinge pin engageable through said slots, spaced latch members connected to the tray with the latching end of said latch members adapted to enter any two adjacent slots of the hinge member and thereat engage the hinge pin to anchor the tray in adjusted position along said arms and provide a pivotal connection between said latch members and the tray whereby upon releasing one of said latch members the tray may be swung about the hinge pin engaged by the other latch member, and a swivel connection on said swivel latch unit whereby the tray may be swung about the hinge pin of said swivel latch unit and also about its swivel connection to fully open position.

9. Mechanism for adjustably, pivotally and swingably mounting the tray of a high chair upon the arms of the chair, comprising a hinge member attached to each arm, a latch assembly for detachably connecting one end of the tray to the hinge member of one arm of the chair and a second latch assembly for detachably connecting the other end of the tray to the hinge member of the other arm of the chair, both said latch assemblies being carried by the tray with said first mentioned latch assembly including means for adjustably and pivotally mounting one end of the tray to an adjacent hi-nge member and said second latch assembly provided with means for adjustably and pivotally mounting the other end of the tray to the other hinge member and means for swingably mounting said second latch assembly upon said other hinge member whereby the tray is adjustably and hingedly mounted at each end to its hinge member for release and pivotal movement and the-tray may be swung about said last mentioned means when the first latch assembly is detached from its hinge member.

10. Mechanism for adjustably, pivotally and swingably mounting the tray of a high chair upon the arms of the chair, comprising a hinge member attached to each arm and provided with multiple transverse slots and a hinge pin in said slots for adjustably mounting the tray upon said hinge members and arms, a latch assembly for 1 detachably connecting one end of the tray to the hinge member of one arm of the chair and a'second latch assembly for detachably connecting the other end of the tray to the hinge member of the other arm of the chair, both said latch assemblies being carried by the tray with said first mentioned latch assembly including latching means for adjustably and pivotally mounting one end of the tray to an adjacent hinge member and said second latch assembly provided with latching means for 7 8 adjustably and pivotally mounting the other end of the References Cited in the file of this patent tray to the other hinge member and mearns for swingably UNITED STATES PATENTS mounting said second latch assembly upon said other I hinge member whereby the tray is adjustably and hingedly 3251178 Knowlton 1885 mounted at each end to its hinge member for release and 5 975755 Y 1910 pivotal movement and the tray may be swung about said g fgfi i g last mentioned means when the first latch assembly 1s 2,728,378 Hamilton Dec. 1955 detached from its hinge member.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION atent No. 2,799,324

Ralph F. Anderson pears .in the printed specification It is hereby certified that error ap nd that the said Letters of the above numbered patent requiring correction a Patent should read as corrected below.

' column for "in operative" read inoperative Column 1, line '72,

read child's food 2, line 32, for "childs foot" Signed and sealed this 24th day of September 1957.

Atteet:

KARL mm I ROBERT c. WATSON Camiasioner of Patents Attesting Officer