US2845995A - Combined table and folding chair - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5, 1958 H. J. LANDRY 2,845,995

COMBINED TABLE AND FOLDING CHAIR Original Filed Feb. 1. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.4

INvENToR HENRY J. LANDRY ATTQRNEY Aug. 5, 1958 H. J. LANDRY 2,345,995 I COMBINED TABLE AND FOLDING CHAIR Original Filed Feb. 1, 1954 y A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e FIG. l 2

.p 2k F|G.|8 465825 2, lm J o /Ie 2O e 3o 64 no 32 O 6 I l 84 4o 8 2o l' INVENToR g4 .42 8 HENRY LANDRY 8 1m/f United States Patent O COMBINED TABLE AND FOLDING CHAIR Henry J. Landry, Ashburnham, Mass.

Original application vFebruary 1, 1954, Serial No. 407,529, now Patent No. 2,805,706, dated September 10, 1957. Divided and this application July 24, 1957, Serial No. 673,927

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-165) This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 407,529, filed February 1, 1954, now Patent No. 2,805,706, granted Sept. 10, 1957, and relates to a new and improved combined and convertible safety table and chair combination particularly adapted for infants and used when the infant can sit up, and also when the child has grown older and is capable of using the device as a table with separate chairs.

The principal objects of the invention include the provision of a device as described wherein there is provided a multi-part co-planar table top, a part of which forms a back-rest for a chair for the infant, and including means for supporting the chair in depending adjustable operative position, the back-rest being movable to provide an entrance aperture for the infant, and the chair being foldable into position for making the device into a single table, the back-rest completely filling the entrance aperture, so that the table has a completely continuous surface when the chair is folded.

Other objects and advantages of the invention include the provision of a device as described including a removable tray which is adjustable to and from the infant sitting in the chair when extended, said tray being quickly and easily removable and being adjustable so as to hold the infant within the aperture safely and without any danger of the child climbing out.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a folding chair forming a part of a`table wherein the chair is adjustable as to the back-rest thereof in at least six different positions including three or more positions in a forward and rearward direction to accommodate different sizes of infants, said back-rest also being pivotable at dierent angles according to the adjustment of a supportable member bracket located on a swinging lever depending from the table and supporting the seat; and the provision of a device as above described including an adjustable foot rest thereon and a multi-purpose strap used as a safety strap for the infantand as a safety strap for the entire chair and also to hold the parts together in folded condition under the table.

Other objects of the invention include details of construction, latches, means for releasing a part of the chair for easy and quick adjustability and folding or extension thereof, etc.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to `be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a device according to the invention, showing the same in extended condition ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a View in front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, looking in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is atop plan view illustrating the table and chair folded;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, lookmg in the direction of arrows 5 5 in Fig. 3;

2,845,995 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 in the direction of arrows 6 6 in Fig. 2, certain of the parts being omitted;

Fig. 7 is va view in front elevation of a part of the mechanism and lookingin the direction of arrow 7 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on line 8 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on line 9 9 of Fig. 4, parts being broken away;

Fig. l0 is a section on line 10 10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on line 11 11 of Fig. 4;

Fig. l2 is a section on line 12 12 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is an'enlaiged sectional View on line 13 13 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view on line 14 14 of Fig. l;

Fig. 15 is a section on line 15-15 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged View in elevation of the adjustable supporting bracket for the leg rest;

Fig. 17 is a view in front elevation of the device when closed; i

Fig. 18 is a bottom plan view of the device when closed, looking inthe direction of arrow 18 in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a View in elevation of a modified form of side rail for the invention; and

Fig. 20 is a section on line 20-20 of Fig. 19.

In carrying out the present invention, it should be understood that the present device comprises a table generally referred to as a childs safety table and this table has in combination therewith a permanently attached folding and adjustable infants chair located in the table top. The device may be used asan infants safety table and it may also be used merely as a table with separate chairs, particularly when the child grows older. The present device is rectangular in nature rather than square as are most safety tables of the prior art, and this is accomplished through novel constructions to be described below.

The table of the present invention comprises a pair of longitudinal side rails 10 and 12. These side rails are interconnected by a rear rail 14 which is preferably xed thereto and forms an end member of the table. At the forward end of the table, the side rails 10 and 12 are connected by a forward cross rail 16 which is lower in height than the other rails and is perhaps best seen in Fig. l0. lust outside of rail 16, there is a second forward rail 18 which is comparable to the rear rail 14 in width and height. Rail 18 is not connected to rail 16 and it must be understood that rail 16 is connected to the side rails 10 and 12, whereas rail 1S is separate therefrom and slidable with respect thereto. These two forward rails are latchedby a spring-pressed pivoted latch 20 so as` to releasably Vsecure the rails 16 and 18 together, or selectively to allow separation thereof by pressing latch 20 in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 10. Folding legs 21 extend or are folded in parallelism in pairs.

The rail 18 has a table surface part 22 secured thereto. Table surface 22 slides in a pair of grooves 24, these grooves facing each other and being in-set in the side rails 10 and 12 (see Fig.' 9).

The seat construction includes a back-rest element 25 which maybe cut out of another table surface element above the table t'op and a part depends below the table top (see Fig. 1). v

The pins 28 slide in appropriate grooves in a pair of spaced fixed cleats 30 -to move the back-rest forwardly and backwardly (see Fig..1l), and the pins 28 are located in a cleat 32 fixed to the under side of the back-rest 25 so as to provide for alignment of the top surface of the back-rest with the top surface of table part 26 and also table part 22. The grooves receiving pins 28 are provided with a series of spaced notches 34 which receivethe pins 28 in different adjusted positions of the back-rest 26 (see Fig. 12). This adjustment is to provide for different sizes of infants, and also for angularity of the back-rest for sleeping, etc. This space or opening 38 remains when the back-rest 25 is cut out from part 26.

The back rest 25 has hinged thereto at its lower end as seen in Fig. l, a seat member 38. This seat member is connected at its rear edge by offset hinges 40 to the back rest member and extendsforwardly, being provided at its under side with a strap 42 which is secured as at 44 to the under side of the movable table surface portion 22. The forward portion of the seat 38 is held in its position as shown in Fig. 1 by means of a pair of spaced links 46 which are pivoted to the cleats 30, depending downwardly.

One of the links 46 is provided with an angular link 48 pivoted thereto at 50. The link 48 has an arm provided with a series of apertures 52, each of which has a restricted opening as clearly shown in Fig. 15. These restricted opening apertures are provided for receiving a narrow rod or the like 54 longitudinally movable in a U-shaped bracket 56 depending from the under side of the seat 38. The rod 54 has an enlarged portion 58 that lits the contour of the holes 52 and itis also provided with a head 60 preventing the bracket 48 from slipping olf sideways. When the rod 54 is moved to the right in Fig. 14, the bracket 48 is released and the device may be folded but when bracket 48 is secured to the seat by the latch just described, the seat is adjustably held in the position shown in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that there are two notches 52 shown and of course more could be used. By selecting the notch, the forward and rearward position of the seat 38 is determined and this in turn determines the angle of inclination of the back-rest member 25 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12. This back-rest member is therefore seen to have a number of positions corresponding to the number of notches 34 multiplied by the number of notches 52 and the adjustments are not only forward and backward, but also the angle of inclination is adjustable as described above.

Referring now to Fig. 16, the seat 38 is seen to be provided with brackets 62 at the under side thereof, these brackets pivotally supporting a leg rest 64 having hingedly mounted thereon a foot rest 66, which may be adjusted by means of removing and re-applying the same in a series of holes 68, to provide for infants of different length, etc.

The angular position of the leg rest 64 is adjustable between the solid line position and the dotted line position in Fig. 1, the dotted line position showing that preferred to be used for smaller children or for sleeping with legs extended forwardly and the solid lineJ position being that preferred when it is desired that the child sit up, more nearly erect. This adjustment is accomplished by means of the linkage shown in Fig. 16 wherein lever 46 is provided with a pin 70 taking into a series of notches 72 and joined by a slot 74 in lever 75. Depending upon which notch 72 receives pin 70 determines the angularity of position of the leg rest. Lever 75 is pivoted at its lower end to the leg rest.

Furthermore, the leg rest 64 may be completely reversed to lie parallel and under seat 38 as indicated in Fig. 16 and this position is used when the device is folded as in Fig. 18. Also, of course, the foot rest 66 folds into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and also shown in full lines in Fig. 18.

The strap 42 is provided with an extension 76` which underlies the seat and terminates in a snapV swivel 78 which is selectively hooked onto a ring 8,0 at the rear side of the back rest 25. This strap acts as a safety factor together with the safety strap 42 so as to support the seat and the infant in the event of failure of the cleats or any of the adjusting linkages 46, 48 and 75. Also, this strap serves to hold the device in folded condition as indicated in Fig. 18.

With the device extended as shown in Fig. 1, it is necessary merely to swing the foot rest 66 to dotted line position parallel with leg rest 64, move leg rest 64 into parallel position relative to and beneath the seat 38, draw out end member 18 and surface member 22 to the dotted line position, and then swing the back-rest 25 into co-planar parallelism with table top surface member 26, so that the back-rest lits the cut out portion 36. In this position, the seat will be parallel with table member 22 and under the same, and the back-rest will completely till tbe .opening as above described.

Hinges 40 are olset to provide for this condition and there is a pin at 80 on the forward edge of the back rest, see particularly Fig. 13, this pin extending into a hole provided for it at 82 in the edge of the table member 22, so that in order to extendor forward the chair, it is necessary to move the table member 22 outwardly to release or accept thepin, and this helps to hold the assembled relation of the parts in folded condition. The corresponding edges of the back-rest 25 and table member 26, and those of table member 22, are made on an angle with respect to each other and interiit as shown at 84 (Fig. 13) whereby the member 22 helps to support the forward portion of the backrest 25 and also the forward edges of the U-shaped member 26.

When the seat member 38 is thus moved forwardly to its folded condition as in Fig. 18, a bracket 82 under table part 22 receives the edge thereof and holds the same in combination with pin 80; and also a bracket 84 at the opposite end of the folding construction may be utilized to aid in holding the back-rest member 25 from moving downwardly in folded condition thereof.

The strap 42 holds the parts folded under the table surface, and the device with its legs folded may be carried or stored or used in any way desired for a plain table top.

The device is seen to have a rim all about the edges thereof, and this rim is useful not only for containing objects on the table; it may also be a. support for an adjustable and separable tray 86. This tray may be of any form or shape desired but it is preferred that it be as wide as the table top. At its forward end, it is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting pins 88 which may be set into the open tops at 90 of grooves 92, and slide forwardly to come to rest at the end of the slots, or in any intermediate position, as determined by locking rods 94 which take into any of the holes 96 inside rails 10 and 12 for adjustment with respect thereto.

These locking rods extend laterally from the tray and may themselves be located in a forward slot. Each rod has a free end extending into the selected hole 96 in the respective edge rails 10 and 12. Each rod extends inwardly and is reversely bent outwardly at 97 'to provide for a handle 98. Between the reversely bent portions 97, there is provided a coil spring 100 which serves to push these rods apart and into the holes 96. When it is desired to adjust the tray or to remove the tray, the handles 98 are drawntogether as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, releasing the ends of the rods 94 from the respective holes 96, whereupon the entire tray can be moved to the right in Fig. 3 and is easily vremoved completely from the table, or it may be adjustably posi# tioned, depending upon the size of the child sitting in the chair as for instance indicated in Fig. 3. l

In Figs. 19 and 20 there is shown a modilication particularly of the side rail construction wherein a side rail 110 is separated near the center and each table top surface member 112 and 114 is fixed thereto and moves therewith. Also each such separable part carries a pair of supporting legs not shown and the parts are guided by a dovetail guide 116 fixed to part 112 and slidingly arranged in an undercut slot in part 114. A latch 118 is used to hold the parts together, and otherwise the construction is the same as above described.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

An adjustable leg rest construction for a chair having a seat, a bracket on the seat, a back-rest and a support therefor, said leg rest construction comprising a link depending from the support and pivoted to the bracket at a point spaced downwardly from the seat, a pivot between the leg rest and seat on an axis spaced from the pivot axis of the link and the bracket, a slotted link pivoted to the leg rest, the slot having a series of notches intersecting the same, a pin on the rst link extending through the slot and into the bracket and comprising the pivot axis of the first link with respect to the seat bracket, said pin being receivable in any notch selected and holding the leg rest at a selected angle to the seat in cooperation with the said offset pivot of the leg rest to the seat, a link on the first link, a connection from the third link to the seat, said last-named connection being adjustable.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,003 McDevitt Jan. 4, 1916 1,400, 625 Rawlinson Dec. 20, 1921 2,694,437 Glaser Nov. 16, 1954 2,696,868 Miller Dec. 14, 1954

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