US3041081A

US3041081A - Wheeled attachment for household chairs

Info

Publication number: US3041081A
Application number: US14054A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene W Lott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-03-10
Filing date: 1960-03-10
Publication date: 1962-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1979-06-26

Description

June 26, 1962 E. w. LOTT 3,041,081

WHEELED ATTACHMENT FOR HOUSEHOLD CHAIRS Filed March 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 26, 1962 E. w. LOTT WHEELED ATTACHMENT FOR HOUSEHOLD CHAIRS Filed March 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rates This invention relates to attachments for chairs and more particularly to a wheeled attachment for conventional household chairs.

A general object of the invention is to provide a wheeled attachment of the type described for conventional household chairs.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a wheeled attachment for such chairs that is readily applied to such a chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheeled attachment for such chairs which is arranged in such a manner that the wheels of the attachment will be withdrawn from contact with the floor when it is desired to use the chair as conventionally used and which may be lowered onto the floor when it is desired to mobilize the chair for use by invalids.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is inexpensive, durable, and which may be fabricated from readily available materials.

More specifically, my invention resides in the arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is understood that while I illustrate the device of my invention as being attached to rocking chairs, I do not wish to limit myself to this precise embodiment of the invention as various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend no limitations other than those imposed by the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a rocking chair having a wheeled attachment affixed thereto with the wheels of the attachment in a lowered position for contacting the floor;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View of the device of FIGURE 1 showing the wheels in their elevated position;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the wheeled attachment of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the wheeled attachment of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a conventional rock ing chair includes a pair of rockers 12 which are connected to a seat 14 in the usual manner. A wheeled assembly 20 may be attached to the chair 10 in the space below the seat 14 and between the rockers 12 by means which will be hereinafter described.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, the wheeled assembly 20 includes a frame 22 having side rails 24 and end rails 26. A plurality of castered wheels 27 may be attached to the end nails 26.

A pair of brackets 28 may be rigidly atfixed to the side rails 24 by any suitable means, such as welding, not shown. Each pair of brackets 28 may be spaced apart as shown.

A pair of rotatable shafts 30 each includes a pair of brackets 3-2 which have one end rigidly affixed toits respective shaft 30' in spaced relation. The space between the brackets 28 on the side rails 24 corresponds to the space between the brackets 32 on shafts 30. Each shaft 30 is linked to a pair of brackets 28 by means of links 34. Each link 34 has one end pivotally connected to a bracket 32. While each link 34 may take any suitable shape, such as a bar with bifurcated ends, I employ a plate 36 on each side of the

brackets

28 and 32.

The shafts 30 support the wheeled assembly 20 between Unite atent "ice a front bar 40 and a rear bar 41. The ends of shafts 30 are rotatably mounted in apertures in

bars

40 and 41. A pair of brackets 42, which may be rigidly afiixed to the ends of the

bars

40 and 41 or may be an integral part thereof, are employed to attach each of the

bars

40 and 41 to the rockers 12 of the chair 10. The wheeled assembly 20 is then supported between the rockers 12 by means of bolts 43 which pass through the rockers and the brackets 42.

The wheeled assembly 20 may be elevated so that the wheels 27 will be disposed above the rockers 12 when it is desired to use the rocking chain in a conventional manner or the wheeled assembly 20 may be lowered so that the wheels 27 will contact the floor and raise the rockers 12 off the floor. While electrical, mechanical or hydraulic means may be used for these operations, I prefer to employ mechanical means for its simplicity and inexpensiveness. This mechanical means includes a lever 44 which may be located in any suitable place with respect to the chair. For example, the lever 44 may be located at the side of the chair 10 if the user of the chair is physically able to operate the lever, or it may be located at the back of the chair, as shown, if the person who pushes the chair 10 must operate it.

When the lever 44 is located at the back of the chair 10, it may be pivotally attached to the rear bar 41. For this purpose, the rear bar 41 carries an upstanding projection 46 having an aperture near its upper end. The lever 44 carries a similar aperture near its lower end. A bolt =48 passes through these apertures to pivotally mount the lever 44 on the projection 46. The lever 44 is linked to the shafts 30 to rotate them in such a manner that the frame 22 may be raised and lowered by means of the links 34 coacting with

brackets

28 and 32. A crank 50 is rigidly affixed to each shaft 30 at the end which passes through rear bar 41. A first lever-link 52 has one end pivotally connected to one crank 50 and its other end pivotally connected to the lever 44 intermediate bolt 48 and the upper end of the lever 44. A second lever-link 54 has one end pivotally connected to the other crank 50 and its other end pivotally connected to lever 44 intermediate bolt 48 and the lower end of lever 44.

A guide rod 60 is rigidly affixed across each end rail 26. Each rod 60 is sufficiently longer than its respective rail 26 to extend beyond the ends of the rails 26. The portions 62 of rods 60 which extend beyond the ends of the rails 26 engage guides 64. The guides 64' are cut into an upstanding projection 66 which may be an integral part of a guide bar 68. One guide bar 68 is provided subjacent each side rail 24 and includes apertures 70. The apertures 70 are employed to attach each guide bar 68 to a rocker 12 by means of bolts 72.

A footrest may be provided as an integral part of the wheeled assembly 20. Since the footrest 80 will prevent the occupant of the rocking chair 10 from placing his feet on the floor to rock the chair 10, I prefer to slidably mount the footrest 80 on the front bar 40 in such a manner that the foot-rest 80 may be slid back under the chair 10, as shown in FIGURE 2, when not in use.

It will be seen that the invention provides -a new and useful wheeled attachment for conventional household chairs.

I claim:

In a convertible rocking chair construction including rockers and reciprocably mounted floor-engaging wheels, the improvement comprising, means for reciprocably mounting said wheels inside said rockers including a frame having side rails and end rails, said wheels being rigidly aflixed to and depending from said end rails, brackets mounted on said side rails, a pair of rods rotatably mounted on said rockers, link means connecting said rods to said brackets in such a manner that said frame is supported in a raised condition when said rods are rotated to a first position and is supported in a lowered condition when said rods are rotated to a second position, a crank on one end of each rod, said cranks lying in the same horizontal plane in spaced relation, a 5 lever pivotally mounted intermediate said cranks, a first lever-link pivotally connecting one of said cranks to said lever below its pivot point, a second lever-link pivotally connecting the other of said cranks to said lever above said pivot point, whereby said frame may be raised and 10 lowered by said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,129,429 Skibbe'et a1. Feb. 23, 1915 15 4 Tifiany Aug. 15, 1922 Hanna Jan. 27, 1942 Billi-nghurst Feb. 13, 1951 Booth Feb. 13, 1951 Not-t0 May 22, 1951 Feist Aug. 30, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 5, 1955 Germany Sept. 11, 1911