US335927A

US335927A - Stool and seat

Info

Publication number: US335927A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1903-02-09

Description

(No Model.) r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. HOLDEN.

W STOOL AND SEAT. W No. 335,927. Patented Feb. 9. 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

W. HOLDEN.

STOOL AND SEAT. No. 335,927. 7 Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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STOOL AND SEAT.

SFECIFICATION forming part 01 Letters Patent No, 335,927, dated February 9. 1886.

Application filed-November 27, 1885. Serial No. 181,041.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baldwinsville, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stools and Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stool, chair, or analogous article of household furniture in which the seat portion is capable of being raised and lowered relative to the base or body portion, such adjustment of the seat being effected with ease and celerity, and the various parts being locked and unlocked in position in an automatic manner by a simple manipulation of the seat portion, and without the necessity of operating the fastening devices by the hands of the operator.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with a base or body frame, of a supplementary frame hinged at one side of the base-frame, and having the seat-frame proper hinged to its other side. Rack surfaces formed on or applied to the end pieces of the baseframe engage with pivoted pawl plates or props depending from the ends of the seatframe proper, and forced against the racksurfaces by the action of springs. The seat is raised by maintaining it in a level position and drawing it upward, the pawl-plates engaging automatically with the rack-surfaces on the base-frame to prevent the seat from dropping. In order to lower the seat, it is tilted relatively to the supplementary frame to which it is hinged, which will cause the pawl-plates to be automatically released from the racksurfaces on the base-frame and allow (No model.)

allow it to be lowered. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing the seat and supplementary hinged frame in a raised position.

I have in the present instance shown my invention applied to that class of pianostools known as ottoman stools; but I desire it to be understood that it is capable of being applied to various types of stools, chairs, and settees. Furthermore, the invention is ap plicable to drawing and other tables having tops that require to be raised and lowered.

The reference-mimeral 1 designates the base-frame, which is mounted upon the tops of four legs, 2, two of which are shown in the drawings. This frame or base portion may be of any desired form and material. In the present instance it is made rectangular, or

has two end and two side panels or boards. On the inner surfaces of these end boards or panels I form rack-surfaces or a series of stepshaped projections or ribs, 3. These racksurfaces run horizontally and occupy the en tire height of the end boards, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Instead of forming the racksurfaces 011 the end boards of the baseframe I may attach separate rack-plates to the boards of the same or other material than the boards. A supplementary frame, 5, of the same shape as the base frame 1, is, by means of hinges 6, connected with one of the sides of said baseframe, and this supplementary frame is lo cated entirely within the base frame, the hinges being applied to the inner surface of the side panel of the base-frame. At the side of the supplementary frame opposite to its point of connection with the base-frame I la cate other hinges, 8, which serve to connect a seat-frame proper (marked 10) with said supplementary frame, the seat-frame having a block, 10, for making the connection with the supplementary frame in such a way that one side of said frame is carried below a horizontal line and the lateral motion of the seat is lessened in raising and lowering.

The seat-frame is of any desired pattern, and is upholstered or covered in any suitable manner.

To the under side of the seat-frame I apply depending boards or plates 12, serving as props curved surfaces of the racks.

or seat-supports. These plates or boards are connected with said seat-frame by hinges 13, so that they are free to swing or vibrate between the ends of the base-frame and the end bars of the supplementary frame. These plates 12 are a little shorter than the end panels of the base-frame, and have a continuous rib or toe, 12 formed on their lower edges, which ribs or toes engage with the rack-surfaces on the base-frame, and serve to hold the seatframe in the various positions in which it may be placed. The plates 12 are held in firm ongagement with the rack-surfaces by means of springs 15, applied to the under side of the seat-frame and bearing against the plates 12. As shown in the drawings, these springs are of a coiled form, having their upper ends secured to blocks 16 on the seat-frame, and their vertical arms or free ends entered into keepers on the plates 12. Other suitable forms of springs may, however, be employed, and in place of the chains 17, connected with the seat and base frames, for limiting the upward movement of the seat-frame, I may resort to any other appropriate stop devices. The functions of the chains or other stop devices are to prevent the raising of the seat too high and allow it to be tipped from either side to let it off while on the top notch of the rack-surface. The spring-pressed props or pawl-plates are generally sufficient to hold the seat in the proper positions; but it is also proposed to employ a locking device for locking the seat at any desired height.

The operation of the parts is as follows: To raise the seat, it is held level and drawn up to the required height, the props or pawlplates slipping automatically over the rack-surfaces and holding the seat wherever it is left. To lower the seat, one side thereof is tipped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby causing the beveled surfaces of the ribs 12 to ride over and become disengaged from the corresponding The plates 12 are thus forced inward against the pressure of the springs,and the ribs 12 are made to occupy a position diagonally across the rack-surfaces 3 and disengaged therefrom. The seat can now be lowered to any position desired, or it willfall of its own weight to itslowest position, resting directly upon the base-frame, the ribs 12 riding diagonally over the rack-surfaces so long as the seat is held in a tipped or diagonal position. WVhile the seat is in a horizontal position, however, it is not liable to fall under downward pressure thereon, the ribs 12 and rack-surfaces 3 being then engaged in such a manner as to afford an adequate support.

It is obvious thatastool or chair constructed and operating as described can be cheaply and strongly made, and is direct and" automaticin its action, it not being necessary to directly manipulate or set the locking devices by hand in order to allow the required adjustments to be made.

In lieu of the chains 17 for limiting the upward movement of the seat-frame, I may employ the device shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which consists of two looped wires engaging with each other, the ends of one of said loops being secured to the under side of the seatframe and the ends of the other to a strip of wood secured to the under side of the railso the lower frame.

1. The combination of the base-frame having rack-surfaces on its end walls and the supplementary frame pivoted to one side of said baseframe, with the seat-frame hinged to the free end of the supplementary frame and having pivoted pawl-plates or props engaging with the rack-surfaces on the end walls of the baseframe, substantially as described.

2. The combination of'the base-frame having rack-surfaces on the innersides of its end walls, the'supplementary frame hinged to one side of said base-frame, and the seat-frame hinged to the opposite side of the supplementary frame and having hinged to each end a depending spring-pressed pawlplate, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination ofabase-frame provided at its ends with rack-surfaces, asupplementary frame hinged to one side of said base-frame, a seat-frame hinged to the opposite side of the supplementary frame, depending pawl-plates hinged to the ends of the seat-frame, springs attached to the under side of the seat-frame and pressing against the under sides of the pawl-plates, and means for limiting the upward movement of the seat-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

"WILLIAM HOLDEN. lVitnesses:

FRANKLIN I. BLAKE, JOHN Know.