US3158400A - Church pew - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 24, 1964 I E. W. TUHTAR CHURCH FEW Filed Dec. 10, 1962 sms I hiiin. \5 s T m Him. [P1165 8 INVENTOR.

EUGENE W TUHTAFQ Unitcd States Patent 3,158,400 CHURCH PEW Eugene W. Tuhtar, 424 Elm Lane, Janesville, Wis. Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,530 9 Claims. (Cl. 297-460) This invention relates to benches such as church pews of the curved back type.

The invention provides a strong, comfortable, economical and attractive church pew of the curved-back type.

The back panels of church pews have heretofore been wood panels usually from three-fourths inch to one and one-half (1 /2) inches thick. Such panels were sometimes solid wood and sometimes laminated, being made up of a plurality of layers of wood glued together. Such panels were sometimes flat, and sometimes curved to a desired shape. When so curved, it was usually accomplished by using forms or molds and applying pressure and steam or heat to permanently deform the back panel into a static, unstressed curved piece.

This invention provides, in a church pew, a one-piece thin back panel held under stress elastically deformed so as to be curved forwardly convex and rearwardly concave, thereby resulting in a strong, economical, comfortable and attractive church pew of great simplicity and usefulness.

The invention permits lower cost church pews through savings in material, in manufacture and in assembly.

The invention permits the use of thin panel materials such as plywood, Masonite wood, cardboard, paper, metal and plastics.

The invention permits greater curvature of the back panel, i.e. curvature about a smaller radius than is possible with present heavy constructions, and thus can provide greater comfort.

The invention provides effective storage means adjacent the pew back for hymnals, pencils, envelopes, etc.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a church pew illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the pew shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof, taken along lines 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of a church pew illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view thereof, taken along lines s s in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of a church pew illustrating a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view thereof, taken along lines 7-7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a church pew illustrating a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an alternate form of strut useful in the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating still another form of strut useful in the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a church pew having conventional end pieces E, a seat S, a top rail TR and a bottom rail BR. The rails may be of any suitable material such as wood, metal or plastic and are fastened to the end pieces in any suitable manner and may be routed thereinto if desired. The seat is fixed to the end pieces in any suitable manner, as by being routed thereinto or being fixed to a bracket which is routed thereinto. The bottom rail is fixed to the seat in any suitable manner. The seat S may be plain, as shown, or may be of any desired contour and cushioned, upholstered or padded as desired.

3,158,400 Patented Nov. 24, 1964 normally fiat and when fiat has a height dimension secured to the rails.

greater than the panel space between rails, is placed under stress by curving it and installing it so curved, as shown, held between the rails in grooves as shown or otherwise The curving deformation is elastic, not permanent, so that the panelis under stress, the concave side being in compression and the convex side in tension. The panel, stressed curved about a. generally horizontal axis, is stronger than it would be if not so stressed, and is as strong as a very much thicker ordinary unstressed panel. The panel may be of the order of one-sixteenth inch to one-eighth A5) inch of panel material such as Masonite material, and because of the stressed condition be of sufficient strength to carry the maximum loads placed thereon in use; and the back panel is exceptionally comfortable as well. The panel may be of any desired panel material elastically. deformed,

i.e. curved so as to be urging return or stressed, as opposed to being permanently bent to be static or un stressed.

The stressed, curved panel P, is constantly tending to return to its former flat condition, and thus constantly tends to how the upper rail upwardly and/ or thebottom rail downwardly. Depending upon the rigidity of the rails, and distance of span between end pieces E, and the urging return force of the panel, the rails may actually bow. To prevent such bowing, one or more struts such as'strut ST may be provided, as shown in FIGS. 4'and 5, connecting the rails TR and BR together in proper spaced relationship. The strut may be a rigid member of any suitable material such as wood, metal, or plastic, and may be contoured to fit the back of the panel, if desired. The strut may be a portion of a pew support member SM, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, or may be simply a rigid rail connecting member as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In FIG. 9, the strut ST3 is contoured to lit the back of the panel. In FIG. 10, the strut ST4 is simply straight, not being so contoured. The strut may be of wire, as shown in FIG. 7, and may be of adjustable tension type, using for example a turnbuckle as shown.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the struts may serve as supports for storage racks SR for hymnals, pencils, programs, etc.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein a pair of curved, stressed panels is installed, panel P of the pair being forwardly convex and the other, panel P2, being rearwardly convex. This arrangement provides a nicely finished appearance front and rear, and by placing openings 0 in panel P2, a novel and effective storage space is provided between the panels. Struts STZ of the wire type may be used, or rigid struts of other material may be used, if desired. i

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a compound curve back is obtained by utilizing between top rail TR and an intermediate rail IR, a thin panel PA stressed curved forwardly convex as shown, and by utilizing between intermediate rail IR and bottom rail BR, a thin panel PB stressed curved rearwardly convex as shown.

I claim:

1. A church pew comprising a thin, one-piece back panel which unstressed is flat, and means supporting said panel stressed in a curve in nonpermanent, elastic debetween in a curve in nonperrnanent, elastic deformation with its forward side convex and its rearward side concave, said panel constantly elastically urging return to its former flat condition but is held in said curve and held again-st such returnby said rails.

3. A church pew comprising an upper rail and a lower rail, a thin, one-piece back panel which unstressed is flat, said rails holding said panel stressed therebetween in a curve in nonpennanent elastic deformation with its forward side convex and its rearward side concave, said panel constantly elastically urging return to its former flat condition but is held in said curve and held against such return by said rails and a strut member connecting said upper rail to said lower rail intermediate the ends of said rails.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 wherein said strut member includes means for adjusting the tension therein.

5. A church pew comprising a front back panel and a rear back .panel each of which is a thin, one-piece panel which unstressed is flat, and means supporting each of said panels stressed in a curve in nonpermanent, elastic deformation, said front back panel curved with its forward side convex and rearward side concave, and said rear back panel curved with its forward side concave and its rearward side convex, each of said panels constantly elastically urging return to its former flat condition but is held in said curve and held against such return by said means.

6'. A church pew comprising a top back rail,- an intermediate back rail and a bottom back rail, an upper back panel and a lower back panel each of which unstressed is flat, said top and intermediate rails holding said upper back panel therebetween stressed in a curve in elastic deformation with its forward side convex and its rearward side concave, said intermediate and bottom rails holding said lower back panel therebetween stressed in a curve in elastic deformation with its forward side concave and its rearward side convex.

.7. A church pew comprising a pair of pew ends, a 7

seat, an upper rail, a lower rail, and a thin one-piece back panel which unstressed is flat, said rails holding said panel therebetween stressed in a curve about a generally horizontal axis in nonpermanent, elastic deforma tion with the forward side of the panel convex and the rearward side concave, said panel constantly elastically urging return to its former flat condition but is held in said curve and held against such return by said rails.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 further characterized in having a strut member disposed rearwardly of the panel connecting said rails to resist bowing apant of said rails.

9. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein said strut member includes means for adjusting the tension therein.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CHURCH PEW COMPRISING A THIN, ONE-PIECE BACK PANEL WHICH UNSTRESSED IS FLAT, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PANEL STRESSED IN A CURVE IN NONPERMANENT, ELASTIC DEFORMATION WITH ITS FORWARD SIDE CONVEX AND ITS REARWARD SIDE CONCAVE, SAID PANEL CONSTANTLY ELASTICALLY URGING RETURN TO ITS FORMER FLAT CONDITION BUT IS HELD IN SAID CURVE AND HELD AGAINST SUCH RETURN BY SAID MEANS.

Images