US3115367A

US3115367A - Knockdown furniture

Info

Publication number: US3115367A
Application number: US196253A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry J Gariepy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-21
Filing date: 1962-05-21
Publication date: 1963-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-24

Description

Dec. 24, 1963 H. J. GARIEPY xuocxnown FURNITURE Filed May 21, 1962 INVENTQR HENRY J. GARIEPY "fiMfva ATTORNEY United States Patent C 3,115,367 KNUCKDGWN FURNITURE Henry Ii. Gariepy, Gariepy Products, Inc, South Ashburnharn, Mass. Filed Why 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,253 9 Claims. (Ql. 297-44i5) This invention relates to a new and improved knockdown furniture construction which is particularly adapted for easy transportation at freight rate savings and for quick and easy assembly of the parts by the purchaser. The knockdown furniture comprises in general -a chair, sofa or the like comprising a main seat portion which is substantially finished at the factory and which provides special new and improved means for receiving a backrest portion, armrest portions, and legs, to the end that the article of furniture may be packed in a relatively narrow container of small volume for shipment and storage but which at the same time is easily put together in a few moments by anyone.

A further object of the invention includes the provision of a knockdown article of furniture comprising in general a more or less finished seat portion, an assembled backrest portion, and two individual armrest assemblies, the latter each comprising an armrest and a supporting strut therefor, these two pieces being permanently secured together but at the same time being generally coplanar as is also the backrest assembly and the seat, there being an easily operated fastener for securing one end of each strut to the seat and one end of each armrest to the backrest, and in addition there also being quick and easy means for securing the backrest at the lower part thereof to the seat, said last-named means including annular members which receive tenons at the lower ends of the said armrest strut and the backrest, said annular means being located in openings in the seat (of the frame thereof) and including outwardly extending means such as flanges for securing upholstery to the seat about the open ings in the seat which receive the tenons.

Other objects of the invention include new and improved features of construction of knockdown furniture including legs which may be applied singly to provide a so-called cricket chair or a pair of leg assemblies including two legs and a rocker for making the device as a rocking-chair.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating the invention and its components, parts being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged section through the seat illustrating the attachment of the various members to the seat;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating means for holding a leg in position with respect to the seat member;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one of the flanged tubular devices;

P16. 5 is a detail of the end of a leg partly in section, and

FIG. 6 is a detail of a modification.

In carrying out the present invention, the same has been illustrated as applied to a so-called cricket chair. The seat is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. This seat may be of course of any nature desired but in general it is formed of an open wood frame although the invention is by no means limited to open frames but may be applied to solid seats also. This open frame is customarily provided with upholstery material covering the surface thereof as for instance as shown at 12. The seat or seat frame 10 is also provided at its lower surface with four chocks, these being block-like members and there being one at each corner. These are generally indicated by the reference numeral 14 and as is shown in FIG. 3 each one is located at an angle with respect to the sides and rear portions of the seat frame 10.

These chocks may be secured to the seat frame 10 in any way desired as for instance by fasteners 16 but each chock has an outer surface 18 and an inner surface 20. The outer surface 18 is grooved as is indicated at 22 and these grooves are preferably made in such a way as to provide for the inclination of the legs 24 which are to be attached as is usual in chairs of this class as shown in FIG. 1. The chocks 14 themselves may be conveniently made so that the forward faces 18 thereof are not quite perpendicular to the under surface of the face of the chair for this purpose. Each chock has a passage drilled therethrough as at 26 and in this passage there is a conventional screw fastener 28 which threads into the leg 24, holding the same solidly in the position shown in FIG. 3. If it is desired to do so, the legs 24 on each side of the article of furniture may be provided with a conventional rocker 34) so that then there will be another coplanar unit made up of one front and one rear leg 24 permanently secured to a rocker member. Otherwise the legs 24 of course are independent prior to assembly thereof to the individual chocks 14.

Any kind of backrest can be utilized and the one shown is of a :ladderback variety generally indicated by the reference numeral 32. This comprises two side pieces 34 each of which is provided at its lower end with a tenon 36 and intermediate the ends thereof they are provided with mortices 38 receiving screw fasteners 40 by which means they are attached to the armrests as will be described hereinafter.

The seat member If) is provided with a pair of slanted apertures or

holes

42, 42 for the reception of tenons 36 and in the

holes

42, 42 there are provided tubular members or ferrules 44 each of which is provided with an outstanding flange 46, These ferrules may be made of metal, plastic, or any suitable material. The flanges 4e are adapted to extend over the adjacent areas of the up holstery material 32 and when the parts are all assembled, the flanges 46 will hold the upholstery material down against the seat.

The armrest units are made up of armrests 48 and supporting studs 5% therefor. These are permanently secured together by a tenon 52 at one end of each stud, these being cemented or otherwise permanently secured to the armrests 48 at the outer ends thereof. The inner ends of each armrest 43 are provided with a stud 54 and these are received in the mortices 38 which are prepared for this purpose so that when

screw members

40, 40 are entered through the backrest side pieces 34- and into the ends of the tenons 44 they solidly secure the armrests 4-8, 48.

The lower end of each stud is provided with a tenon 56 and this is adapted to extend into slanted holes Sit in the chair frame 10 in the same manner that tenons 36 extend into holes 42. Also the metal tubular members 59 similar to those at 44 are provided and the metal mem bers 59 are provided with flanges 60 which are the equivalent of members 44 with flanges 46 and for the same purpose.

The tubular metal members 4-4 and 59 slide fairly easily into their

respective holes

42 and 58 but preferably they can be tapped with a hammer or the like to generally permanently position the same as for instance as best shown perhaps in FIG. 2, and it is to be understood that the showing of FIG. 2 for instance although specifically for the backrest 32 also shows an equivalent structure for the studs 50.

Screw fasteners generally indicated at 62 are provided for securing

members

34, 34 and 50, St) to the chair seat member in the general angular positions shown. These fasteners are preferably in the form of lag screws or the like. as are also the fasteners 23, but in this case are provided with relatively large washers 64 which abridge the openings of the

apertures

42 and 58 so that the parts when assembled appear as in FIG. 2.

t will be appreciated that the seat it the back 32, the two armrest assemblies 48 and Eli, and the legs whether separate or connected with rockers, can be packed in general parallel position in a relatively narrow box that only needs to be a little over twice the width necessary to accept the seat It? by itself, and thus it will be seen that the volume of the box used to pack this article of furniture is extremely small compared to those used for packing chairs which are sold in set up condition.

When the customer opens the package, he can easily secure the legs 24 to the chocks 14 as above described. He can also then apply tenons 54 to the mortices at 38 and the tenons 5% to the holes at 5% and tenons 36 to the holes at 42, utilizing the strengthening features of the tubular members 44 and 43. Then the screw-threaded members 62 being applied, the shoulders which are indicated at 66 and which are present in all furniture of this class where tenons are utilized act as clamps to secure the respective flanges 46 and 6% down onto the upholstery (see FIG. 2) while at the same time clamping the respective tenons tightly in position, and when all of the fasteners have been tightened up, it will be found that the article of furniture presented is stronger and longer lasting than an article of furniture which is merely glued together in the conventional manner.

As shown in FIG. 5, a ferrule can be inserted in a bore in top end of a leg 24 and a headed bolt ill can be utilized to adjust the leg. A hearing member or the like '72 bears on the under side of seat 10 and the fastener 26 extends through an enlarged hole 74 in the block 14.

As shown in PEG. 6, a headed screw 75 can be set at the under side of the chair seat it) so as normally not to extend beyond the lower surface thereof, but this screw can be turned in or out to allow adjustment of leg 24 which again is held to the block 14 by a fastener 26 in a large hole '74.

Faving 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 claims, but what I claim is:

1. Knockdown furniture comprising a seat, a back assembly, leg members and two armrest assemblies, each armrest assembly comprising an armrest and an end connected supporting stud thereon, said backrest assembly including two spaced, connected side members each of which is provided with an end tenon, said armrest being provided with a tenon at one end thereof and said stud being provided with a tenon at the end opposite the arrhrest, said seat having openings for the reception of the tenons on the side members of the back assembly and the tenons on the studs, ring-like members located in said openings and receiving the studs, fastening means extending through the openings from the under side of the chair seat through the ring-like members and into the respective tenons, and means for securing the tenons on the armrest to the back assembly.

2. The knockdown furniture of claim 1 including leg members and means for separately attaching the same to the under side of the seat.

3. The knockdown furniture of claim 1 including legs and a pair of rocker members each attached to a pair of said legs, and means for securing the legs in position at the lower surface of the seat.

4. Knockdown furniture comprising a seat member, a

back, leg members, and two armrest members, each armrest member comprising an armrest portion and a supporting stud portion, said backrest member including two side members each of which is provided with an end tenon, each stud being provided with a tenon at its end opposite its. respective armrest portion, said seat member having openings for the reception of the tenons on the side members of the back and the tenons on the studs, ring-like members located in said openings and receiving the respective tenons, said ring-like members including means overlying the surrounding edges of the 'openings at the top surface of the seat member, fastening means extending through the openings from the under side of the seat member through the ring-like members and into the respective tenons, and means for securing the armrest portions to the backrest.

' 5, The knockdown furniture of claim 4 wherein said ring-like means and said overlying means each comprises a tubular member, and a flange at the upper end thereof, said flange being forced into engagement with the seat by the fastening means securing the back and studs to the seat.

6. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including upholstery material covering the seat frame, the means on each ringslike member ovenlying theseat comprising a flange overlying and clamping the upholstered material in position.

7. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including means at the end of at leastone leg to adjust the effective length of the leg, said means comprising a threaded member engaged with threads in a bore in the leg.

8. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including means at the end of at least one leg to adjust the effective length of the leg, saidmeans comprising a threaded member engaged with threads in a bore in the leg, a portion of the threaded member bearing on the under surface of the seat member, the bore in the leg being at the top end or the leg.

9. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including a screw threaded into the seat member at the lower surface thereof, and a head on the screw engaging the upper end of a leg for adjusting the longitudinal position of the leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. KNOCKDOWN FURNITURE COMPRISING A SEAT, A BACK ASSEMBLY, LEG MEMBERS AND TWO ARMREST ASSEMBLIES, EACH ARMREST ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ARMREST AND AN END CONNECTED SUPPORTING STUD THEREON, SAID BACKREST ASSEMBLY INCLUDING TWO SPACED, CONNECTED SIDE MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH AN END TENON, SAID ARMREST BEING PROVIDED WITH A TENON AT ONE END THEREOF AND SAID STUD BEING PROVIDED WITH A TENON AT THE END OPPOSITE THE ARMREST, SAID SEAT HAVING OPENINGS FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE TENONS ON THE SIDE MEMBERS OF THE BACK ASSEMBLY AND THE TENONS ON THE STUDS, RING-LIKE MEMBERS LOCATED IN SAID OPENINGS AND RECEIVING THE STUDS, FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENINGS FROM THE UNDER SIDE OF THE CHAIR SEAT THROUGH THE RING-LIKE MEMBERS AND INTO THE RESPECTIVE TENONS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE TENONS ON THE ARMREST TO THE BACK ASSEMBLY.