US3163468A - Adjustable footrest or hassock - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1964 c. R. KOCH ADJUSTABLE FOOTREZST OR HASSOCK Filed March 13, 1963 FIGZ CHARLES R. KOCH 6 4mm .m;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,468 ADJUSTABLE FOOTREST 0R HASSDQK Charles R. Koch, Richmond, Va., assignor to Crawford Manufacturing Co., llnc., Ricond, Va. Filed Mar. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 264,898 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-439) This invention relates to furnishings of the character used in the home and in other habitable quarters including furnishings designed to provide not only for the functional necessities but for the convenience, comfort and relaxation of the user and of a construction to forestall and relieve both physical and mental fatigue.

The invention relates particularly to a portable article of furniture in the nature of a footstool or hassock on which the feet and lower leg portions of the body may rest, the footstool or hassock comprising a base, and a relatively soft upper portion mounted for angular adjustment thereon to accommodateand conform to the angularity of the legs of persons of different physical characteristics.

It has been determined that physical and mental fatigue can be reduced and relieved by relaxing in a sitting position with the feet and legs elevated, and that in providing a device for such elevation it is preferable to have a relatively broad rest or support in order that the weight may be distributed without pressure being concentrated or localized which might tend to block free blood circulation to the extremities of the body, the present invention contemplating a leg supporting surface which canbe adjusted to any desired angle thereby to provide a most eiiective support.

Footstools and hassocks of many kinds have been produced some of which were of the generaltype of'the present invention in that they included a base and an adjustable upper portion. These hassocks have, not been entirely satisfactory because of their unwieldiness and the fact that they were complicated to operate and difficult to maintain in adjusted position.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the difliculties enumerated and to provide an inexpensive lightweight portable stool or hassock having a unitary base and an upper or rest portion pivotally mounted thereon for angular adjustment in either of two extreme positions as well as any desired intermediate position and with a readily releasable clutch for maintaining the upper or rest portion of any angular position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively broad non-titltable base and a relatively broad rest or upper portion, said base being of a single tubular or other type of member including two pairs of side posts with each pair connected along their lower portions and with said pairs connected along their upper portions with one of said last-mentioned connections having a pivotal connection with said upper or rest portion and'a releasable gravity actuated clutch means between one of the connections of the side posts and the upper or rest portion of the device for securing the other edge of said rest in adjusted position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunc tion with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged side elevation;

FIG. 3, an enlarged fragmentary perspective base;

of the the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, a section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4. Briefly stated the present invention is a lightweight FIG. 4, an enlarged fragmentary section taken along Patented Dec. 29, 1964 portable footstool or hassock having a relatively broad base and a relatively broad upper or rest portion, the base being of one-piece tubular construction with two pairs of corner posts, each pair being connected along their lower extremities and the pairs being connected along their upper extremities. Along one of the latter connections the upper or rest portion is pivoted and an adjustable attaching means is provided between the other connecting portion and the rest with such adjustable attaching portion including a readily releasable clutch means between an upright support and a laterally extending bar with an opening in which said support is adapted to slide, the bar being mounted at one end consequently being overbalanced so that it operates as a clutch.

With continued reference to the drawing the present invention includes a base 10 constructed of tubular or other material and defining a pair of inverted U-shaped side members 11 and 12 each with a pair of upright post portions and with such side members joined atone end by an integral cross connection ortbight portion 13.

A padded upper rest or supporting member 14 is provided with a pair of brackets 15 attached thereto by fasteners 16 and such brackets pivotally receive the big ht 'side members 11 and 12- are provided with openings 19 on the inner side of each of such side members adjacent to the upper ends thereof. A connecting rod 21 is disposed between the free ends of the side members and is adapted to have its opposite ends received within the openings 19 and 2t} and such ends extend substantially through the tubular side members 11 and 12 to reduce endwise movement to 'aminimum. The connecting rod 21 is freely rotatable within the openings 19 and 20 and has a gravity actuated clutch-member or latch 22 fixed to the central portion thereof in any desired manner as by spot welding or the like. The latch 22 may have an outwardly and downwardly curved manipulating portion 23 disposed on one side of the connecting rod 21 and a longer latching portion 24 with a clutch opening 25 therein disposed on the opposite sideof the connecting rod 21. Due to its being supported from one end, the longer latching portion 24- provides an overbalanced condition which causes it to tend to move downwardly by gravity and rotate the supporting rod 21 which causes a binding or clutching of the rod 31. When the rod 31 is raised, the frictional engagement between the member '31 and the opening 25 of the member 22 as illustrated in FIG. 4 will retain the upper supporting member 14 in adjusted position which may be readily overcome by depressing the manipulating portion 23 and raising the portion 24 as illustrated in the dot-dash lines in said figure.

In order to adjustably connect the upper or rest member 14- to the base 10, a pivot rod 27 is journalled in a pair of outer brackets 28 and reinforced by a pair of inner brackets 29 connected to the upper member 14 by fasteners 30. A downwardly extending elevation rod 31 is fixed to the central portion of the rod 27 between the inner brackets 29 which prevent endwise movement of the rod 27. The elevation rod 31 extends downwardly through the opening 25 in the latch 22 and terminates in a threaded end portion 32 to which a ball or stop 33 is connected to prevent the rod 31 from being removed from the latch.

If desired, the free end of the tubular side members 11 and 12 may be closed by plugs 34 or the like. Such plugs prevent the passage of foreign matter into the tubular side members as well as provide a support for the upper member 14 when such member is in its lowermost position.

site side supported by the bar between the free ends of.

the U-shapedside members to provide a bench or seat upon which a person can sit in comfort. When desired the upper rest portion may be grasped near'the rod 27 and raised to any desired position. When the side of the upper portion is raised the rod 31* is freely movable through the opening 25 of the latch until the desired position is reached; Gravitational force acts against the longer latching portion 24 and causes the opposite edge portions which form the opening 25 to engage the rod 31 so that when the upper member 14' is released the edge portions which form the opening 25 will frictionally engage and hold the rod 31 tomaintain the upper member 14 in adjusted position. To release the upper member it is necessary only to apply a downward force to the gripping or operating portion 23,01 the bar or latch to raise the rear portion thereof and relieve the binding action in the opening 25 to permit the upper portion 14 to fall by gravity.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a footstool or hassock is provided of practical durable construction which can be used and angularly' adjusted to the needs with minimum effort and attention.

It will'be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and-scope thereof and therefore the inven-. tion is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1'. A footstool or hassock, comprising a base, an upper rest mounted on said base, said base having a relatively large floor-engaging portion, and means whereby at least' a side of said upper rest maybe adjusted relative to said' base, said meansincluding said base having a pair of substantially upright supporting members, a first bar extending between the upright supporting members and rotatably mounted thereon, amember extending outwardly from said bar and tending to move downwardly under the influence of gravity, said member having an opening therein, a second bar, said second bar pivotally mounted on said upper rest on the side adjacent to said under the influence of gravity tending to hold said rodagainst downward movement, said rod being liftable to release said connection.

2. A footstool or hassock comprising a base, a rest portion, hinge means pivotally mounting said restportion on said base adjacentv one side edge, adjustable mechanism mounting said rest portion adjacent its other side.

edge in a manner to support said rest portion in a different angular" position, said adjustable mechanism including a member depending from said rest portion, and

gravity clutch means frictionally engageable with saiddepending member and permitting elevational adjustment in any lengthwise position thereof, said gravity clutch means being pivotally supported by said base.

3. A footstool or hassock comprising a base, an upper rest portion mounted on' said base, and means whereby at least one edge of said rest portion may be adjusted relative tosaid base, said means-including relatively movable cooperating portions, one of said cooperating portions being pivotally supported by said base and being overbalanced to cause one end to tend' to move downwardly by gravity and the other cooperating portion being friction'ally engageable with the first cooperating portion for securing such cooperating portions in relatively fixed adjust-able relation in all positions of elevational adjustment. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UN ITED' STATES PATENTS 836,303 11/06 Christensen 248-355 2,473,947 6/49 Hamstrom 297-423 2,483,395 10/ 49 Benson 248-161 2,644,732 7/ 5-3 Westcamp 108-1 2,728,374 12/55 Whalen 108-1 2,738,001 3/56 Drabert 297-423 2,869,620 1/59 Gleitsman 297-462 2,907,598 10/59 Hart 248-355 2,994,364 8/61 Gleitsman et' al. 297-439 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary- Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A FOOTSTOOL OR HASSOCK, COMPRISING A BASE, AN UPPER REST MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, SAID BASES HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE FLOOR-ENGAGING PORTION, AND MEANS WHEREBY AT LEAST A SIDE OF SAID UPPER REST MAY BE ADJUSTED RELATIVE TO SAID BASE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING SAID BASE HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT SUPPORTING MEMBERS, A FIRST BAR EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPRIGHT SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREON, A MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BAR AND TENDING TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY, SAID MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A SECOND BAR, SAID SECOND BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER REST ON THE SIDE ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST BAR, A ROD MEMBER RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND BAR AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREFROM, SAID ROD MEMBER PASSING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING MEMBER, THE INTERNAL OPENING OF SAID MEMBER AND THE DIAMETER OF SAID ROD BEING SUCH THAT SAID ROD CAN BE HELD IN FIXED POSITION IN SAID OPENING, SAID MEMBER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY TENDING TO HOLD SAID ROD AGAINST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT, SAID ROD BEING LIFTABLE TO RELEASE SAID CONNECTION.

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