US3021175A - Folding chairs - Google Patents

Description

F. A. NORQUIST Feb. 13, 1962 FOLDING CHAIRS Filed June 2, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. Flavcz's' QWOTQZZZ SZ M (l/(lurk,

ATTORNEY F b 13 19 2 F. A. NORQUIST FOLDING CHAIRS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1958 iii) INVENTOR. Fwmc'z's Cl. i707? u'z'sz My, M

ATTGFNEY Feb. 13, 1962 A. NORQUIST FOLDING CHAIRS Filed June 2, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Ecmcz's QJYcr'gfln'si a ,7 Mn/ ATTORNEY:

Unite States Patent 3,021,175 FOLDING CHAIRS Francis A. Norquist, 107 Westminster Drive, Jamestown, N.Y. Filed June 2, 1958, Ser. No. 739,132 Claims. (Cl. 297-58) This invention relates to folding chairs and more par ticularly to folding chairs made from furniture hardwoods which can be internested together when in collapsed po sition to permit compact stacking thereof in minimum space and in rigid columns.

Folding chairs made in accordance with this invention are composed of relatively few and simply formed wood parts comprising a front leg assembly composed of four wood parts, a rear leg assembly composed of three wood parts and a seat assembly formed of three parts. These three assemblies can be separately manufactured and then connected together in a simple manner by metal strap hinges, metal linking struts and metal pivot devices. Folding and erecting movements of the assembled Wood chair is affected through the agency of these metal parts which are not visible when the chair is erected, and not subjected to wear or loosening after extended use. As a result, the warm and inviting attractiveness of wood legs, wood backrest panel and wood cross bars are fully attained in a folding wood chair which is rigid, sturdy and lasting in use.

The improved folding chair of this invention embraces a unique front leg and backrest structure which is so formed and proportioned that the backrest panel and front legs provide a pocket for the upper portion of the upfolded seat assembly which protects the upholstery covering of the seat assembly when the chairs are collapsed and stacked. Additionally, the backrest panel is rigidly attached to enlarged head sections at the upper ends of the front legs in a manner to support the outbowed backrest section at an inclination to most comfortably support the back of the seated occupant.

Great sturdiness and strength is attained by the structural shape and construction of the front and rear leg assemblies, and by the means employed for pivotally con necting the enlarged head sections of the rear legs to the front legs, with only a single wood cross bar joining the front legs and a single wood cross bar joining the rear legs. These wood cross bars are positioned directly under the seat assembly to reinforce the leg assemblies, and in addition, to provide the support for the seat assembly. No secondary cross bars or reinforcing for the front leg and rear leg assemblies are required, with the result that the seated occupant can freely move his lower limbs and conveniently deposit his wearing apparel beneath the chair seat.

As a further feature, the metal strap hinges and metal linking struts which foldably connect the seat assembly to the leg reinforcing and seat supporting bars, are so formed and constructed to be substantially invisible from View when the chair is in an erected seating position, and which permits upfolding of the seat assembly as the chair is collapsed.

These foldable wood chairs also feature front legs which present straight front sides designed to flatly rest on the floor or pallet when the chair is collapsed. The next adjacent folded chair can be reversely positioned to be flatly supported on the collapsed chair therebelow with the front legs of the superimposed chair partially telescoping over the rear legs of the collapsed chair therebelow. As a result of this inter-nesting relationship, a large number of collapsed chairs may be stacked in a rigid column in vertical alignment without danger of the stack tipping over. These chairs are also so designed that the front leg-connecting cross bar of the superimposed chair will rest flatly on the rear legs of the collapsed chair therebelow, with the bottom ends of the front legs of the superimposed chair seating against the back face and side edges of the backrest panel of the collapsed chair therebelow. Each superimposed collapsed chair is thus firmly supported at four spaced points on the collapsed chair therebelow, which further insures a rigid column of stacked and internesting chairs.

In erecting the chair, the upper portion of the upfolded cushion assembly and the backrest panel may be conveniently grasped and spread apart, thereby automatically erecting the chair into seating position. The erected chair may be readily collapsed to folded position by grasping the front portion of the seat assembly and the backrest panel and upfolding the seat assembly.

Folding chairs formed of finished hardwood in accordance with this invention can be manufactured by mass production procedures at economical cost, to provide highly attractive folding wood chairs of high quality and sturdy serviceability at economical prices for use in auditoriums, entertainment halls, school gymnasiums, conference rooms and homes.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of'thefolding chair as viewed from the front thereof.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair as viewed from the rear thereof.

FIG. 3 isa side elevational View of the chair as. it appears when in folded position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken vertically through the chair as the same would appear when viewed along line 4-4 of FIG. 1, certain parts of the seat assembly being shown in section to reveal its structural details.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section of the chair as the same would appear when viewed along line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of the pivot assembly which may be used to connect the head section of the rear leg to the adjacent intermediate section of the front leg, as the same would appear when viewed along line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an exploded View, partly in section, of the pivot assembly prior to the application of the. pivot bolt.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational View of two of the folded chairs as they would appear when stacked in nested arrangement.

FIG. 9 is a transverse section of the stacked chairs as the same would appear when viewed along line 9- 9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is another transverse section of the stacked chairs'as the same would appear when viewed along line 10--10 of FIG. 8. 7

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings and specification. r

Folding chairs made in accordance with this invention comprise a front leg assembly 1, a rear leg assem bly 10 and a seat assembly 20. The front leg assembly comprises a pair of similar wood front legs 2, each of which presents a substantially straight front face 2 and a straight rear face 2", the rear face 2" having a slight inclination with respect to the front face 2 so that the leg is gradually tapered in width from the floor supporting end to the enlarged head section} thereof.

Patented Feb.13, 1962' The enlarged head section 30f each front leg 2 presents a rounded terminal end 3' which merges into the straight front face 2 of the leg and into a rear face portion 4 which is rearwardly inclinded at an angle or" approximately fifteen degrees with respect to the straight front face 2 of the leg. The straight rear face 2" of the leg merges into a rearwardly flared throat face portion '4' which intersects the lower end of the'inclined rear face A concave or outwardly bowing backrest panel 5 is securedalong the side edges thereof asby furniture glue and wood screws to the inclined-rearface portions 4 of the leg head sections 3. "The backrest panel 5 can ad vantageously be made of plywood and has a shaped concavity in comfortable conformityto the chair occupants back. When the backrest panel 5 is-secured to 'the' in clined rear face portions 4 ofthe head sections 3', the backrest panel 5 is correspondingly inclined at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees with respect to the straight front faces 2 of the front legs 2, for purposes hereafter explained. The backrest panel 5 may be provided with a hand hole cut-out 6 to facilitate convenient lifting and hand transportation of the chair.

The front legs 2 are also connected and braced by a single wood cross bar7 which extends horizontally between the legs, with the ends of the cross bar 7 rigidly secured to the legs 2 as by Wood dowels and furniture glue. The cross bar 7 may present abeveled upper edge 7"as shown in FIG. 4 which provides a flat supporting face for the seat assembly 20 when downswung mm seated position. It'will 'thus be noted that the paired front legs 2 "are joined to each other by the backrest panel 5 and the seatsup'por'ting cross bar 7 only, provi d a front leg assembly of great strength and sturdine'ss, without the use" of any further cross bar reinforcing to connect the legs 'below the seat, which would interfere with free 'movement of the lowerhmbs of the chair QEPPQ L i I "The'rear leg assembly 10 comprises a pair of wood rear legs 11, each rear leg having a" substantially straight rear face 11' throughout its length, and 'a straight front face 1 1 in tapered relation to thestraight rear face 11 soasto provide a'chair leg of least Width at the floor supporting end: thereof and maximum width adjacent the upper end thereof? Each rearleg 11 is provided with enlarged head section 12 having a semi-rounded termi'-' rial end 12' which merges into the straight rear face 11'. Eachenlarged'head section 12 also has a forwardly inclinedfront edge portion 13 -as shown in'FIG. 4; The front edge'portion 13 of each'head section 12 is intersected by a tapered throat face portion 13 which merges intothe straight'front face 11 of the rear leg 11. Each leg 11 is substantially the same thickness throughout the length thereof, except 'that' the inside face 12" of its head sectionis tapered to reduce it s'thickness as shown FIG. 6 to thereby accommodate the up-swingin'g movement of 'theseat assembly"2i) as explained hereafter.

T l e he on 2, f the r a l s P vide' a s ufl iciently strong constructionto withstand the s tfains" imposedby he applic'ation of hingepivots which pivotally connect the leg head sections 12 to the adjacent front" legs 2 in manner to provide'an extremely sturdy and rigid chair "when set upfor" occupancy. The head sections 12 of the rear legs are pivotally connected to {he adjacent portions of thefront legs 2 by sturdy pivoting means which are'so formed as to place minimum stress on the wood and cause minimum abrasion of the wood during long use of thech'air. As shown more particularly in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pivotal assembly which secures the head section 12 of each rear leg 11 to the adjacent front leg 2 may comprise a tubular metal ferrule 15 which issnuglyf pocketed within a'conforming hole extending transversely through the rear leg head section 12. Kpivot bolt 16 has a cylindrical neck section 16a which is snugly journaled in the tubular ferrule 15 and presents an'exposed manipulating head 160." The pivot bolt 16 also has a threaded shank section 16!; for securement to the adjacent front leg 2. It is important that the threaded shank section 16b be rigidly secured to the adjacent front leg, and such rigid securement is obtained by insetting an expansible socket nut 17 in a conforming pocket bored into the adjacent side face of the front leg 2 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. i i

The expansible socket nut 17 presents an enlarged diameter head'section 17a having a threaded bore of uniform diameter. A reduced diameter expansible section 17b projects from the larger diameter head section 17a and is provided with a conical threaded bore 17c in axial alignment with the threaded bore in the head sec tion 17a. The reduced diameter expansion section 17b is provided with a plurality of radially extending slits 17d as shown in FIG. 7 so that the sectional parts of the expansion section 17b may be laterally expanded when the threadedshank section 1612 of the pivot bolt 16 is threaded into the threaded conical bore 17c of the expansion section. The outer surface of the reduced diameter expansion section 17b may also be knurled or roughened to firmly grip the wall of the conforming bore formed in the wood front leg 2. Thus when the threaded shank section 16b of the pivot bolt 16 has been fully turned into the expansion section 17b of the socket nut 17, the segmental parts of the expansion section 17b thereof will be flared outwardly to wedge against and grip the cylindrical bore wall in the front leg, to thereby rigidly anchor both the expansion nut 17 and the pivot bolt 16 to the front leg 2.

To further strengthen and reinforce the head sections 12 of the rear legs, a wood dowel 14 may be horizontally driven into each leg head section'12 through the front face portion 13 thereof, with the dowel positioned along the underside of the tubular ferrule 15. The en larged head sections 12 as thus formed and reinforced, will capably withstand the rigors of use and abuse, insuring'a wood'chair structure of lasting quality'and usefulness.

' The paired rear legs 11 are connected by a horizontally extending 'wood cross bar '19 whose ends may besecured to the paired wooden legs 11 as by wo'od'dow'els and wood glue. The rear leg assembly 10 is extremely strong and rigid in construction when the-paired legs arc joined by'a single seat supporting wood cross bar 19, and when the head sections '12'thereof are formed and pivotally connected to the paired front legs '2 in the manner above described. No further cross bar to con meet and reinforce the rear legs below the seatassembly is required. As thus constructed, the floorspace be neath the set-up chair is conveniently accessible for sweeping and cleaning, and packages or wearing apparel can be c'onveniently placed underneath the set-upchair.

The seat assembly 20 is constructed to provide a sturdy and comfortable seat which can be completely assembled before it is connected to the front leg assembly I and rear leg assembly 10. This seat assembly may be advantageously made from a plywood panel which providesthe frame structure for the seat, and having anedge con tour as generally indicated in FIG. 5. A foam'rubber" pad 22 is" adhesively bonded to the upper face of the: plywood panel 21, and smoothly covered by relatively non-stretchable upholstery material, such as natural or synthetic leather or upholstery fabric. The "perimetrical edges of the upholstery covering .23 may be folded around the perimetrical edges of the resilient cushioning" pad 22 and secured as by tacking to the under face of the plywood panel 21.

The seat assembly 29 as thus constructed has a rear width-designed to fit between the rear-legs 11 of the rear leg assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 5. The side edges 24 of the cushion assembly taper outwardly so that the front portion of the seat assembly is substantially wider than the rear portion thereof, and yet permits the front portion of the seat to fold between the collapsed front legs 2, and the head sections 12 of the rear legs 11. Maximum width for the front portion of the seat assembly is attained by beveling the inside faces 12" of the rear leg head sections 12 as shown in FIG. 6, and by tapering the side edges 24 of the cushion assembly, so that the cushion side edges 24 can be swung over the inside faces 12" of the rear leg head sections 12 when the seat assembly 20 is upswung into fully folded position.

The seat assembly 20 as above described is supported when in seating position by the rear cross bar 19 and the front cross bar 7 and is also hingedly connected to these cross bars as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The rear portion of the seat assembly 26 is hingedly connected to the rear cross bar 19 by suitable hinging means such as a pair of strap hinges as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each strap hinge 25 has a flat hinge leaf 25a which is secured as by screws to the adjacent underface of the seat panel 21. An angular hinge leaf is hinged by a pintle to the fiat hinge leaf 25a, the angular hinge leaf having a main section 251) which is preferably secured to the upper edge 19 of the rear wood cross bar 19. The angular hinge leaf also has a leg section 250 extending at an angle to the main leaf section 2512 and which overlies the inside face of the wood cross bar 19 and is secured thereto as by wood screws. As thus constructed, the seat assembly 2t hinges on the rear cross bar '19 and can be readily swung upwardly between the front legs 2 and rear legs 11 to collapse the chair.

The underface of the seat panel 21 is connected to the wood front cross bar 7 by a pair of rigid metal linking struts 26 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. One end of each linking strut 26 is connected to a link bracket 27 secured to the underface of the seat panel 21, each link bracket 27 having a hinge knuckle 27 extending perpendicular to the seat panel 21 and pivotally connected to the adja cent end of the link strut 26. A similar link bracket 28 is secured to the inside face of the front cross bar 7 as by screws or the like, the link bracket 28 also having a hinge knuckle 23 projecting perpendicularly from the inside face of the front cross bar 7 and to which the adjacent end of the link strut 26 is pivotally connected.

It will be noted by referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 that the paired link struts 26 are of proper length to permit complete collapse of the chair, and are so formed that no part of the link struts 26' or their hinging connections contact the wood rear cross bar 19 when the chair is completely folded.

It will be further noted by referring to FIG. 3 that when the seat assembly 2% is upswung into col-lapsed position, the front portion of the seat assembly is protectively pocketed between the rear legs and front legs and that the cushion covering 23 is shielded from damage during storage of the chairs by the outbowed backrest panel 5 which extends thereover.

it will be further noted by referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 that when the .seat assembly 20 is in seating position, the outbowed backrest panel 5 is in a more nearly vertical position than the long'tudinal axis of the front legs 2,

column of substantial height. The collapsed chair as shown in FIG. 3 may be laid horizontally on a floor or pallet, with the straight front faces 2' of the front legs 2 thereof in contact with the flat surface of the floor or pallet as shown in FIG. 8. As thus positioned, the cushion assembly 20 of each stacked chair is substantially pocketed between its collapsed front and rear legs, with the upper portion protected by the outbowed backrest panel 5 as shown in FIG. 8. The hinge knuckles 27 and 28, the hinge brackets 27 and 28 and linking struts 26 of each collapsed and stacked chair are so positioned that these metal parts do not contact the rear cross bar 19 or otherwise mar the wood finish.

The superimposed stacked chair as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 is reversed in position with respect to the chair therebelow, so that the backrest panel 5 of the chair therebelow is adjacent the floor supported ends of the superimposed chair. The front legs 2 of the superimposed chair are designed to partially telescope over the collapsed rear legs 11 of the underlying chair so that the stacked chairs are internested and interlocked, preventing lateral shifting of the chair stack. The front cross bar 7 of the superimposed chair will also rest on the adjacent rear faces 11 of the rear legs 11 of the chair therebelow, and the floor supported ends of the front legs 11 of the superimposed chair will rest on the side edge portions of the backrest panel 5 of the chair therebelow as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. Thus the superimposed chair is sup- 1 ported on the underlying chair at four spaced points,

thereby providing a back support of the most comfortable contour for the seated occupant. This desirable inclination of .the outbowed backrest panel 5 is obtained by inclining the rear face portions 4 of the front leg head sections 3 to which the sides of the outbowed backrest panel 5 are attached, at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees to the longitudinal axis of the front legs 2. The rear legs are also sufiiciently inclined when the chair is in erected position so that when the lower extremities thereof are placed in contact with the room baseboard, the backrest panel 5 will not contact the room wall.

The folding chairs above described can be nestably interlocked together when in collapsed position and stacked together in minimum space and in a study vertical which insures sturdy stacking.

The head end of the superimposed chair as thus stacked will over-hang the foot end of the chair therebelow for a distance of three or four inches only. Thus the stack of superimposed chairs has an over-all length which is approximately only three or four inches greater thanv the overall collapsed length of the individual chair. The width of the stack approximates the width of an indi: vidual chair. Thus a minimum of floor or pallet space is required for vertical stacking of these chairs. By reason of the internesting and mutual supporting characteristics of these folding chairs, the stacked chairs assume a horizontal position throughout the height of the stack. These chairs can therefore be stacked to ceiling heights without danger that the stack will topple over.

The improved folding chairs of this invention are rugged in construction, extremely comfortable to the seated occupant, and can be fabricated at relatively low cost from any selected type of furniture hardwood. The front leg assembly 1, rear leg assembly 10 and seat assembly 2% may be separately fabricated by mass production assembly procedures, before these assemblies are joined together to provide the completed chair. The front leg assembly 1 is composed of only four wood parts com.- prising a pair of front legs 2, backrest panel 5 and cross bar 7, which can all be economically shaped onpowerdriven wood lathes. The rear leg assembly 10 is composed of only three wood parts comprising a pair of rear legs 11 and cross bar 19 which can also be economical-1y shaped on power-driven wood-working machines. The seat assembly 29 can also be economically manufactured from a plywood panel approximately to inch in thickness, cut and shaped on a power-driven wood-work ing machine, and to which the foam rubber cushioning pad 22 and upholstery covering 23 may be easily applied.

Before the final assembly, the strap hinges 25 and the link brackets 27 with link struts 26 hinged thereto, can first be attached to the underface of the seat panel 21. Wood dowels 14 may be insert into the head sections 12 of the rear legs 11, and the head sections transversely bored and the tubular ferrules 15 inserted. The front legs 2 may be double bored and the socket nuts 17 as above described inserted therein. In the final assembly, the leg sections 25c of the strap hinges 25 are secured as by screws to the inside face of the rear cross bar 19, and the link brackets 28 connected to the link struts 26 are secured as by screws to the front cross bar 7Q The'hinge bolts 16 can then be inserted through the tubular ferrules and turned into the conical threaded bores 17c of the socket nuts 17 to expand the expansion sections 17!) thereof into gripping and wedging engagement with the wood wall of the bored holesin the adjacent front legs 2. The front leg assembly 1 and the rear leg assembly 16 can be painted or lacquered and given a furniture finish before they are joined to provide the finished chair.

Folding chairs constructed in accordance with this in vention are pleasing in appearance, sturdy and lasting in use, comfortable to seat occupants, can be economically manufactured by mass production methods at relatively low cost, and are designed to permit rigid vertical stacking thereof in minimum floor space. These folding wood chairs are particularly adapted for use in auditoriums, enterainment halls, conference rooms'and gymnasiums, where the seat occupants can conveniently deposit their wearing apparel in an unobstructed manner beneath the chair seats.

From the above disclosure, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the folding chairs as illustrated and described, without departing from the teachings of this invention, and the invention is therefore not to be construed as limited to the particular structure shown, but embraces the full range of equivalents comprehended by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A folding chair including in combination; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of wood front legs rigidly joined by a rigid outbowed backrest member and afw ood front crossbar, said front crossbar having relatively fiat front and rear faces inset with respect to the front and rear faces of said front legs; a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of wood rear legs, means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rear leg to the inner face of the adjacent front leg in the area'between the front crossbar and backrest member of the front leg assembly, said pivoting means being forwardly offset with respect to, the longitudinal centerline of said rear legs so that the rear faces of the rear legs project rearwardly of the rear faces of the front legs when the chair is'fully folded; a seat assembly presenting'a relatively thin seat panel free of any projecting scat frame and whose upperface is covered by a resilient cushioning pad embraced within upholstery covering, means positioned below said rear leg-pivoting means and secured to the underface of the seat panel for supporting and pivotally connecting the seat assembly to said rear legs, and linkage means for swingably connecting the seat assembly to said front crossbar which includes a pair of linking struts, a bracket element pivotally connected to one end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the underface of the seat panel in inwardly spaced relation to the sides thereof, and a bracket element pivotally connected to the other end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the front crossbar in inwardly spaced relation to the ends thereof, said front crossbar being positioned directly adjacent the underface of said seat panel when the seat assembly is in seating position, the lower portions of said front legs which extend below said front crossbar being free of cross-bracing and other obstructions whereby the lower limbs of the chair-seated occupant may be freely swung under the seat assembly and between the lower portions of said front legs, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported from said front crossbar when in seating position and to be upswung between the upper portions of the paired front legs when in folded position; said folding chair being designed when fully folded for interlocking stacking with similar folded chairs with the front legs of the following folded chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the preceding chair.

2. A folding chair including in combination; a front 5% leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by a backjrest' and a'lse'at supporting front crossbar, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear crossbar, each of said rear legs presenting a forwardly 'oifset head section and a substantially straight rear face, a seat assembly, means pivotally connecting the forwardly offset head sections of said rear legs to the inside faces of the front legs in the area above the front crossbar of the front leg essernbly, means hingedly securing the rear edge portion of said seat assembly to said rear crossbar, and means for swingably securing the underside of the seat assembly to said front crossbar, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported by said front and rear crossbars when in seating position and to be upswung into folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs, the rear legs of thechair as fully collapsed being designed to be supported by said front crossbar with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and projecting above the rear faces of said front legs of the chair, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front crossbar of an adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow.

3. A folding chair including in combination; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by a backrest and a seat supporting front crossbar, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear crossbar, a seat assembly presenting a seat panel' covered by a resilient cushioning pad embraced within upholstery covering, each of said front legs presenting a substantially straight front face and a rearwardly offset head section, each of said rearwardly offset head sections terminating in a rounded upper end merging into a rear face portion extending downwardly therefrom and rearwardly inclined with respect to the front face of the front leg at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees, said backrest being secured at the ends thereof to the inclined rear face portions of said rearwardly offset head sections and having an ontbowing contour in comfortable conformity to the back of the seat occupant, each of said rear legs having a forwardly offset head section pivotally connected to the inside face of the adjacent front leg in the area above the front crossbar of the front leg assembly, the rear portion of said seat panel being hingedly secured to the rear crossbar, and means for swingably securing the underside of the seat panel to said front crossbar, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to besupported by said front and rear crossbars when in seated position and to be upswung to folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs and with the upper portion of said seat assembly pocketed between the head sections of the front legs and with the cushion covering thereof protected by the outbowed backrest, the lower edge of said backrest terminating rearwardly of the rear edge of the said seat assembly when the chair is floor supported in fully erected position, the rear legs of the chair as fully collapsed being designed to be supported by said front crossbar with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and projecting above the. rear faces of said front legs of the collapsed chair, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front crossbar of an adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow.

4. A folding chair designed when folded for rigid interlocking and horizontal stacking with a series of similar folded chairs; said folding chair including, a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by an outbowed backrest and a seat supporting front crossbar, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear crossbar, each of said rear legs having a forwardly offset head section pivotally connected to the inside face of the adjacent front leg in the area above the front crossbar of the front leg assembly, a seat assembly, means hingedly securing the seat assembly to said rear crossbar, and mean swingably securing the underside of the seat assembly to said front crossbar, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported by said front and rear crossbars when in seating position and to be upswtmg into folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs, the rear legs of said chair when fully collapsed being designed to seat on said front crossbar with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and substantially parallel to and projecting above the rear faces of said front legs of the collapsed chair, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front crossbar of the adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow and with the lower ends of the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair supported by the end portions of the backrest therebelow and Whereby each superimposed chair is supported at a plurality of spaced points by the chair therebelow.

5. A folding chair designed when folded for rigid interlocking and horizontal stacking with a series of similar folded chairs; said folding chair including a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by an outbowed backrest and a seat supporting front crossbar, each of said front legs presenting substantially straight front and rear faces along the major length thereof, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear crossbar, each of said rear legs presenting a forwardly olfset head section and a substantially straight rear face along the major length thereof, means pivotally connecting the forwardly offset head sections of said rear legs to the inside faces of the front legs in the area above the front cross-bar of the front leg assembly, a seat assembly, means hingedly connecting the seat assembly to said rear crossbar, and means swingably connecting the underside of the seat assembly to said front crossbar, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported by said front and rear crossbars when in seating position and to be upswung into folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs, the rear legs of said chair when fully collapsed being designed to seat on said front crossbar with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and substantially parallel to and projecting above the rear faces of the front legs of the collapsed chair, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front crossbar of the adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow and with the lower ends of the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair supported by the end portions of the backrest of the chair therebelow and whereby each superimposed chair is supported at a plurality of spaced points by the chair therebelow.

6. A folding chair a plurality of which are designed to be horizontally stacked in collapsed and interlocking relation, said folding chair including; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by an outbowed backrest and a seat supporting front cross bar, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear cross bar, means pivotally connecting the upper ends of said rear legs to the inside faces of the front legs in the area above the front cross bar of the front leg assembly, a seat assembly, means hingedly connecting the seat assembly to said rear cross bar, and means swingably connecting the underside of the 10 seat assembly and to said front cross bar, said seat as sembly being designed and proportioned to be supported by said front and rear cross bars when in seating position and to be upswung into folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs, the rear legs of the chair as fully collapsed being designed to be supported by said front cross bar between the front legs with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and projecting above the rear faces of said front legs, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front cross bar between the front legs of an adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow and with'the lower ends of the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair supported by the end portions of the backrest of the chair therebelow, whereby each superimposed chair is supported at a plurality of spaced points by the chair therebelow.

7. A folding chair a plurality of which are designed to be horizontally stacked in collapsed and interlocking relation, said folding chair including; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs joined by an outbowed backrest and a seat supporting front cross bar, each of said front legs presenting substantially straight front and rear faces along the major length thereof, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs joined by a seat supporting rear cross bar, each of said rear legs presenting a forwardly ofiset head portion and a substantially straight rear face along the major length thereof, means pivotally connecting the forwardly offset head portions of said rear legs to the inside faces of the front legs in the area above the front cross bar of the front leg as sembly, a seat assembly, means hingedly connecting the seat assembly to said rear cross bar, and linking struts pivotally connecting the underside of the seat assembly to said front cross bar, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported by said front and rear cross bars when in seating position and to be upswung into folded position between the upper portions of the paired front and rear legs; the rear legs of the chair as fully collapsed being supported by said front cross bar between the front legs with the rear faces of said rear legs extending between and projecting above the rear faces of said front legs, the rear legs of the chair as collapsed and stacked with similar collapsed chairs being designed to provide support for the front cross bar between the front legs of the adjacent superimposed collapsed chair with the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the chair therebelow and with the lower ends of the front legs of the adjacent superimposed chair supported by the end portions of the backrest of the chair therebelow whereby each superimposed collapsed chair is supported at a plurality of spaced points by the collapsed chair there below. i

8. A folding chair including in combination; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of wood front legs rigidly joined by a rigid outbowed backrest member and a rigid wood front crossbar, said front crossbar presenting relatively fiat front and rear faces inset with respect to the front and rear faces of said front legs; a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of wood rear legs rigidly joined by a wood rear crossbar, said rear crossbar having relatively flat front and rear faces inset between the front and rear faces of said rear legs, and means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rear leg to the inner face of the adjacent front leg in the area between the front crossbar and backrest member of the front leg assembly, said pivoting means being rearwardly offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said front legs so that the rear faces of the rear legs project rearwardly of the rear faces of the front legs when the chair is fully folded; a seat assembly presenting a relatively thin seat panel free if any projecting seat frame and whose upperface is covered by a resilient cushioning pad embraced within upholstery covering, hinging means positioned blow said rear leg-pivoting means and fixedly secured to the underface of the seat panel and said rear crossbar for pivotally connecting the seat assembly to said rear crossbar, and linkage means for swingably connecting the seat assembly to said front crossbar which includes a pair of linking struts, a bracket element pivotally connected to one end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the underface of the seat panel in inwardly spaced relation to the sides thereof, and a bracket element pivotally connected to the other end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the front crossbar in inwardly spaced relation to the ends thereof, said front crossbar being positioned directly adjacent the underface of said seat panel when the seat assembly is in seating position, the lower portions of said front legs which extend below said front crossbar being free of cross-bracing and other obstructions whereby the lower limbs of the chair-seated occupant may be freely swung under the seat assembly and between the lower portions of said front legs, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported from said front and rear crossbars when in seating position and to be upswung between the upper portions of the paired front legs when in folded position; said folding chair being designed when fully folded for interlocking stacking with similar folded chairs with the front legs of the following folded chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the preceding chair.

9. A folding chair which includes; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of front legs rigidly connected to and braced by a rigid outbowed backrest member and a rigid front crossbar, said front crossbar having relatively fiat front and rear faces inset with respect to the front and rear faces of said front legs; a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of rear legs, and means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rear leg to the inner face of the adjacent front leg in the area between the front crossbar and backrest member of the front leg assembly, said pivoting means being forwardly offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said'rear legs so that the rear faces of the rear legs project rearwardly of the rear faces of the front legs when the chair is fully folded; a seat assembly presenting a relatively thin seat panel free of any projecting seat frame and whose uppertace is covered by a resilient cushioning pad embraced within upholstery covering, means positioned below said rear leg-pivoting means and secured to the underface of the seat panel for supporting and pivotally connecting the seat assembly to said rear legs, and means for swingably connecting the seat assembly to said front crossbar including spaced linkage struts pivotally connected to the underside of the seat panel and to said front crossbar. and positioned in inwardly spaced relation to the sides of said seat assembly and the ends of said front crossbar, said front crossbar being positioned directly adjacent the underface of said seat panel when the seat assembly is in seating position, the lower portions of said front legs which extend below said front crossbar being free of cross-bracing and other obstructions whereby the lower limbs of the chair-seated occupant may be freely swung under the seat assembly and between the lower portions of said front legs, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported from said front crossbar and said rear pivoting means when in seating position and to pivot on said rear pivoting means when upswung into folded position, said seat assembly presenting a seat rear section whose transverse width is less than the transverse distance between the upper portions of said rear legs so that the sides of the seat rear section will be pocketed between the upper portions of the rear legs which extend above said rear seat-pivoting means when the seat assembly is fully upfolded, and a front seat section whose transverse width is greater than the transverse distance between the upper portions of said rear legs but less than the transverse distance between the upper portions of the front legs extending above the rear legs so that the sides of the seat front section will extend laterally beyond the upper portions of the rear legs but be pocketed between the upper portions of the front legs and with at least a portion of said front seat section overlapping the front face of said outbowed backrest member when the seat assembly is fully upfolded; said folding chair being designed when fully folded for interlocking stacking with similar folded chairs with the front legs of the following folded chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the preceding chair.

10. A folding chair which includes; a front leg assembly presenting a pair of wood front legs rigidly connected to and braced by a rigid outbowed backrest member and a rigid wood front crossbar having relatively flat front and rear faces inset with respect to the front and rear faces of said front legs, a rear leg assembly presenting a pair of wood rear legs and means for pivotally connecting the upper end of each rear leg to the inner face of the adjacent front leg in the area between the front crossbar and backrest member of the front leg assembly, said pivoting means being rearwardly offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said front legs so that the rear faces of the rear legs project rearwardly of the rear faces of the front legs when the chair is fully folded; a seat assembly presenting a relatively thin seat panel free of any projecting seat frame and whose upperface is covered by a resilient cushioning pad embraced within upholstery covering, means positioned below said rear leg-pivoting means and secured to the underface of the seat panel for pivotally connecting the seat assembly to said rear legs, linkage means for swingably connecting the seat assembly to said front crossbar which includes a pair of spaced linking struts, a bracket element pivotally connected to one end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the underface of the seat panel in inwardly spaced relation to the sides thereof, and a bracket el ement pivotally connected to the other end of each linking strut and fixedly secured to the front crossbar in inwardly spaced relation to the ends thereof, said front crossbar being positioned directly adjacent the underface of said seat panel when the seat assembly is in seating position, the lower portions of said front legs which are tend below said front crossbar being free of cross-bracing and other obstructions whereby the lower limbs of the chair-seated occupant may be freely swung under the seat assembly and between the lower portions of said front legs, said seat assembly being designed and proportioned to be supported from said front crossbar and said rear pivoting means when in seating position and to pivot on said rear pivoting means when upswung into folded position, said seat assembly presenting a seat rear section whose transverse width is less than the transverse distance between the upper portions of said rear legs which extend above said rear seat-pivoting means so that the sides of the seat rear section will be pocketed between the upper portions of the rear legs when the seat assembly is fully upfolded, and a front seat section whose transverse width is greater than the transverse distance between the upper portions of said rear legs but less than the transverse distance between the upper portions of the front legs extending above the rear legs so that the sides of the seat front section will extend laterally beyond the upper portions of the rear legs but be pocketed between the upper portions of the front legs and with at least a portion of said front seat section overlapping the front face of said outbowed backrest member when the seat assembly is fully upfolded, said folding chair being designed when fully folded for interlocking stacking with similar folded chairs with the front legs of the following folded chair partially telescoped over the rear legs of the preceding chair.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Clark Nov. 20, 1894 Norcross Sept. 11, 1900 Barrows July 25, 1922 Peters July 25, 1922 Rastetter Jan. 18, 1927 Hagernan Jan. 8, 1929 Boardman Schermerhorn Jan. 30, 1934 1075 559 June 18, 1935 m 14 Dowdy Aug. 16, 1938 Huffman Nov. 2, 1943 Hoover June 6, 1944 Maurer Aug. 20, 1946 Wilkinson Jan. 16, 1951 Kingsrnore Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 7, 1934 France Oct. 18, 1954

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