US3737195A

US3737195A - Seat suspension apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3737195A
Application number: US00132320A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Black; R Wright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-04-08
Filing date: 1971-04-08
Publication date: 1973-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-05

Abstract

A seat suspension apparatus for hanging seats from beneath a table top. A cable serves as a support, pivot structure and adjustable biasing means for the seat supporting arm and a reinforcement bar strengthens the supporting arm so that its size can be kept to a minimum and also serves as an anchor and guide for the cable. An adjustment bolt can be provided to move the supporting arm up with respect to the cable, and to thereby change the elevation of the seat supported by the arm.

Description

United Sttes atet [1 1 Black et a1.

[ 51 June 5,1973

[54] SEAT SUSPENSION APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Herman Wendell Black, 138 North Meridian St., Blackfoot; Richard R. Wright, 1335 Azalea Drive, Idaho Falls, both of Idaho [22] Filed: Apr. 8, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 132,320

[52] US. Cl. ..297/142, 297/349, 248/417 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 39/00, A47b 91/08 [58] Field of Search ..297/141, 142, 140,

297/256, 445, 349; 287/59, 61, 86, 99, 36 H, 54; 189/36 H, 20.92 D; 72/465, 466; 29/505; 248/4l7,418, 145, 131, 188.91; 135/15 PO [561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,226,154 12/1965 Allen ..297/142 3,498,654 3/1970 Diaz et al ..287/1 89.36 H 2,705,015 3/1955 Langlas ..135/15 PQ 3,537,675 11/1970 Cycowicz 248/4l7 3,212,816 10/1965 Nordmark ..248/417 X 2,068,583 1/1937 Westlund ..29/505 1,299,810 4/1919 Toole et al. ....248/4l7 3,272,554 9/1966 P'Simel' ....297/256 3,547,484 12/1917 Allen ..297/141 3,635,233 1/1972 Robertson ....135/15 PO FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 972,971 9/1950 France ..135/15 PO Primary Examiner.lames T. McCall Att0rney-B. Deon Criddle [57] ABSTRACT A seat suspension apparatus for hanging seats from beneath a table top. A cable serves as a support, pivot structure and adjustable biasing means for the seat supporting arm and a reinforcement bar strengthens the supporting arm so that its size can be kept to a minimum and also serves as an anchor and guide for the cable. An adjustment bolt can be provided to move the supporting arm up with respect to the cable, and to thereby change the elevation of the seat supported by the arm.

17 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 5197s 3,737,195 sum 20F 3 FIG 5 wmi UHHHH 0440/ III/I/l/I/l/l/I/I/AgL: a" w mama ENflNfi HERM BLACK RICHA R. WRIGHT ATTORNEY PATENIEDJUN 5 I975 SHEET 3 [IF 3 FIG 8 FIG 9 INVENTORS! HERMAN w. BLACK RICHARD R. WRIGHT fizganf ATTORNEY SEAT SUSPENSION APPARATUS BRIEF DESCRIPTION 1. Field of the Invention THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view with a table The present invention relates to integrated table and 5 top and a floor partially cut away to more clearly show seat units and more particularly with such units wherein one or more seats are suspended from beneath a table top structure.

2. Prior Art In US. Pat. Nos. 3,262,733 and 3,226,154, there are shown integrated table and chair units wherein seats are suspended from beneath the edges of supported table tops. Another such unit is shown and described in our copending application for patent, Ser. No. 57,150 filed July 22, 1970. The units heretofore shown include various types of seat supporting arms and bearings therefor, and to some extent, they have all been satisfactory. However, it has been found that the supporting arms used with these prior art devices are not entirely satisfactory in that they must be formed of overly large and strong pipe, or solid rod material bent to give the necessary upwardly and horizontally extending portions or they must be externally reinforced at the bend so that the arm will not collapse at that point where it experiences the greatest moment and may be weakened as the result of the strain induced in the material during bending. The heavy and/or externally reinforced arms are not desirable because of the costs involved in forming them and because frequently they detract from the otherwise attractive appearance of the unit.

Also in the past, expensive grease lubricated bearing structures have been used to journal suspended arms and in some cases separate spring means have been used to bias the arms to a storage position such that the seats on the ends of the arms are beneath the table top.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide a supporting arm for a suspended seat that can be made of less expensive and smaller materials, without losing the strength necessary to support even a heavy person sitting on the seat and to provide a greaseless, dry bearing structure.

Other objects are to provide a suspension system that both supports and biases arms such that seats thereon are properly positioned when unoccupied beneath the table top from which the arms are suspended. Still other objects are to provide such a system wherein easily constructed adjustment means are provided for setting the height of the seats on the arm and wherein means are provided for easily adjusting the rotation of the arm.

Principal features of the invention are pipe arms having a bar inserted at an elbow bend, a torsion cable suspension, twisted to normally bias the arms to a storage position, means for shortening the effective length of the cable suspension system whereby the elevation of a seat on the arm is varied with respect to the table top beneath which the arm is suspended, means for adjusting the extent of rotation of the arms and a means for biasing the seat pivot to a storage position.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what are presently contemplated as being the best modes of the invention.

the suspended seats and the mounting of the unit to floor joists;

FIG. 2, an enlarged elevation view of the attachment means shown within line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a perspective view of a mounting arm and suspension means, partially broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4, an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the upper end of the seat support arm;

FIG. 5, a side elevation view of a mounting arm and one seat mounting arrangement, partially broken away for clarity;

FIG. 6, a fragmentary view of an arm and another seat mounting arrangement;

FIG. 7, a sectional view, taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8, an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partially broken away for clarity, of an alternate mounting arrangement of the upper support arm; and

FIG. 9, a view like FIG. 5, but additionally showing seat biasing means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, a table top, shown generally at 10 is supported at the top of an upright post 11. The post 11 is adapted to extend through a floor 12 of a house, restaurant, etc., and into a threaded coupling 13 extending upwardly from a mounting member 14. Mounting member 14 extends beneath and transverse to floor joists 15, is fitted with vertical straps 14a and terminates at each end in a mounting plate 16. Braces l8 and 19 extend from the plate 16 and are joined together at both ends to form a truss. The web of a short channel member 17 serves as a splice plate for joining the ends of the braces. Bolts 20 extend through holes in the channel members 17, through the joists against which the channel members are positioned, and through flat washers 21 and have nuts 22 tightened thereon. As the nuts are tightened the flanges of the channel member embeded into the wood of the joists thereby completely immobilizing the support member and the table supported thereby.

A decorative collar 23 may be telescoped over post 11 and placed against floor 12 to fully cover the hole through which the post is inserted.

A cross tube 24 at the top of post 11 extends transversely thereto and terminates at each of its ends at a pair of downwardly extending

sleeves

25 and 26, inside a downtumed edge 10a of the table top. The sleeves have rolled cylindrical liners 25a and 26a, respectively, inserted therein.

An upstanding or vertical portion 27a, FIG. 3, of a support arm 27 extends upwardly through each of the downwardly extending liners 25a and 26a and terminates just below the top of the associated sleeve. The plastic liner provides a dry lubrication film between the arm and the sleeve. The other, or horizontal, portion 27b of each arm 27 radiates outwardly from the sleeve and is adapted to support a seat, as will be hereinafter further disclosed.

By milling slots in both sides of the top end of the arm, rotational stops 28, FIG. 4, and a back-up ring 28a are formed. 7

Pin 29 is inserted through holes in the sleeve walls, thence through the slots (FIG. 3) in the upper end 27a of the arm 27. Engagement of the rotational stops 28 with the pin 29 limits rotation of the arm and will prevent engagement of the upright back of a seat on the arm with the sharp edge of the table. Damage to seat backs is therefore prevented. The back-up ring serves to reinforce the rotational stops against breaking and also serves as an emergency thrust load carrier. In the event cable 31 should fail, the support arm will drop within its sleeve but only until back-up ring 28a engages pin 29. Thus upon failure of the cable, a person supported by the arm would not be injured. A solid spring steel wire is used for cable 31 because of its highly desirable torsion spring action but a multi-strand cable could be used.

Alternatively, pin 29 can be replaced by a pin comprising a stop bar 70, FIG. 8, containing relief slots 71. The outer ends of bar 70 would rest in vertical slots 72 milled in the upper end of sleeves and 26. The rotational stops 28 are positioned to rotate into the relief slots and to impact on the backs of the relief slots. With the slotted stop bar it is possible to adjust the arm stop position by either turning the stop bar over or by re placing with stop bars of different slot depth. All sleeves can be built to a standard configuration, yet the seat stop position may be easily varied on initial assembly or changed in the field to suit each installation. Another advantage of the stop bar is that it provides more surface area for the rotational stops to impact against. The stop bar is captivated in place at the top of its

sleeve

25 or 26 by the snap-on cover 35 and by upsetting some metal of the sleeve wall into the open end of the vertical slots in the sleeve.

If complete freedom of arm movement is desired, the rotational stops and the back-up ring portion of arm 27 may be eliminated. In this arrangement, the cable 31 is preferably multi-stranded and is installed in an untwisted condition so that it will accommodate the additional rotation of the arm without torsionally fatiquing the cable.

When the arm 27, which is made of pipe, is bent to form the

portions

27a and 27b a length of steel bar stock 30 dimensioned to just fit into the steel pipe from which the arm is formed, is inserted therein at the point of the bend. Thus, as the pipe is bent the bar stock is also bent on edge and the bar stock keeps the pipe from collapsing during bending and provides additional strength to the arm at the point where it experiences the greatest stress. Consequently, a pipe material having a smaller wall thickness can be used than could otherwise be safely used.

A doubled high tensile strength cable 31 is passed over the pin 29 and twisted as necessary to create a torsional spring torque. Both sides of the cable extend past bar stock 30 and the ends are swaged, welded or otherwise fixed together adjacent to the free end of portion 21b of arm 27. A bolt 32, FIG. 3, extends through an end plug cap 33 inserted into the end of portion 27b and a wing nut 34 is turned onto the bolt 32 backwards with the wings extending towards the bolt head and with the connected ends of the cable held on the bolt by the wing nut.

With the arrangement shown, the cable suspends the arm and a seat thereon from the pin. The twist of the cable imparts a torque force which moves the arm and hence the seat thereon to a storage position. For arrangernents where the rotational stops 28 and back-up ring 28a are not used the effective length of the cable is changed by turning bolt 32 to thread nut 34 onto or off of the bolt. As the nut is threaded onto the bolt the cable is moved closer to the end of horizontal portion 27b and the vertical portion 27a is moved up into its sleeve, thereby raising the seat elevation. Conversely, turning bolt 32 in the opposite direction will lower the seat with respect to the table top.

A snap-on cover 35 of sheet metal, or other suitable material can be placed over the

sleeves

25 and 26, if desired, for decorative purposes and to captivate the pin 29 or bar 70, whichever is used.

As shown best in FIG. 5, if it is not desired to have the seat automatically return, it is not necessary to twist the leads of the cable. Also, if it is not desired to be able to adjust the vertical elevations of the seat, it is not necessary to provide means for changing the effective length of the cable. The cable ends can then be anchored in any convenient method, such as by hooking the ends of the cable around the lowermost end of the bar stock 30. The cables may be dip coated in plastic to eliminate rubbing sound and to protect against corrosion on outdoor installations.

. The seats can be placed on the ends of the arms in a variety of ways. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a seat 38 can have a plate 39 fixed to the bottom thereof. A nut 40 is fixed to the plate 39 and a bolt 41 fitted with a washer 41a is inserted upwardly through opposed slightly enlarged holes 42 provided therefor in the wall of arm portion 27b at a point near the end of the arm and is threaded into nut 40. A pedestal ring 43 having a flat bearing surface is welded or otherwise affixed by means of

brackets

43a and 43b to the top of the arm. The

brackets

43a and 43b provide clearance between the seat bottom and the arm and also allow clearance whereby

nuts

40 and 45 can be manipulated during installation. Bearing member 44, which consists of a disc of suitable strong material having a low coefficient of friction, surrounds nut 40 and is positioned between the plate 39 and the pedestal ring 43. Suitable plastics, nylon, or other such materials, can be used for construction of the bearing member 44. Pedestal ring 43 has an enlarged center hole therethrough to provide ample clearance as nut 40 is rotated, and the bearing member 44 has a hole therethrough which fits around nut 40 to keep the bearing member 44 in position. Lock nut 45, threaded onto bolt 41 is tightened against nut 40 to lock the bolt securely in place.

When the seat arrangement shown in FIG. 5 is in use, weight is applied through the bearing member 44 to the arm and the bearing member permits easy rotationof the seat, even when loaded, with respect to the arm. Bolt 41 holds'the seat in place while still allowing for free rotation.

Preferably, bracket 43b is extended outward to engage pivot stops 46 which are affixed to plate 39 and that extend downwardly beneath the seat, thus providing rotational limits to the pivot assembly.

A spring return feature can also be added to this seat mounting assembly as shown in FIG. 9, if desired. A double acting coil spring 81 is mounted concentric with bolt 41. The spring 81 has two hooked ends 81a and 81b shaped to simultaneously respectively engage ears 82 (which is attached to arm 27b) and 83 (which is attached to plate 39). The normal position of coil spring 81 is such that the hooked ends are about apart. Upon assembly, however, the hooked ends are forced to a position where they overlap and the spring is therefore preloaded. The spring force thus tends to pull both ears into alignment. When plate 39 is rotated in clockwise direction, hooked end 81a remains engaged with ear 82 while hooked end 81b lifts off ear 82 but remains engaged with and follows ear 83. This motion further winds the coil spring 81 and increases the spring force. When plate 39 is rotated counterclockwise, hooked end 81a engages and follows car 83 while hooked end 81b remains engaged with ear 82. This motion further winds the coil spring and thus increases the spring force. Pivot assembly rotational stops 46 as discussed above can be used to avoid overstressing the coil spring.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown another seat mounting arrangement. As shown in these figures, the cushioned seat 50 has a plate 51 fixed to the bottom thereof. A sleeve 52 is fixed to and depends from plate 51 and a spider 53 provides bracing for the sleeve. An upstanding post 54 is fixed to the free end of an arm 55 (corresponding to the arm 27, previously described) as by welding and the sleeve is telescoped over the upstanding post to rotate freely therearound. A skirt 56 extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the sleeve and extend partially around the upstanding post 54. The skirt is thus arranged to cooperate with a stop 57 fixed to the upstanding post.

Stop 57 consists of a nut 58 welded to post 54 and an eye bolt 59 threaded into the nut. As the seat 50 and sleeve 52 fixed thereto are rotated in either direction, with respect to post 54, the skirt 56 engages the stop 57 to limit the rotation.

A spring 60 has one of its ends connected to eye bolt 59 and its other end connected to one of a plurality of sets of holes 61, FIG. 7 provided in plate 51. The spring thus biases the seat to a predetermined positive relative to the arm and as the seat is rotated the spring is stretched. When the force turning the seat is removed, i.e., a person sitting on the seat moves off, the spring will return the seat to its predetermined position. It is thus an easy matter to connect the spring 60 to one of a set of holes 61 that will turn the seat-back (not shown) parallel to a table top as the arm swings the seat towards the table. The size of skirt 56 determines the extent of rotation of the seat with respect to the arm and, since the seat cannot revolve a full 360 the spring cannot be overstressed.

A flexible cover 64 of plastic or the like, can be placed over the spring to hide the spring from view and to thereby increase the aesthetic appearance of the unit.

Any described seat mounting arrangement can be used on the suspended arm described. Similarly the suspension arrangement, whether arranged to bias the arms or not, whether provided with height adjustment means or not, and whether equipped with slotted bars for adjustable arm stops or not can be used with the described suspended arm.

While reference has been made specifically herein to table tops, it is to be understood that such term is used in its broadest sense and includes counter tops, bar tops and any other such surface below which an arm may be suspended.

Although preferred forms of our invention have been herein disclosed it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.

We claim:

1. A table and suspended support arm unit comprising a table top;

means supporting said table top at an above ground level;

at least one tubular seat support arm having an upstanding portion and a horizontal portion; bracing means for holding said upstanding portion substantially vertically beneath the table top; and suspension means including a cable extending within the support arm, means fixed with respect to said table top and above the support arm to which the cable is connected and means fixed with respect to the support arm to which the cable is connected, whereby said support arm is rotatable about the upright axis of the upstanding portion.

2. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 1, further including adjustment means for adjusting the effective length of the cable within the arm, whereby the vertical elevation of the horizontal portion of the arm can be adjusted.

3. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 2, wherein the adjustment means comprises means for varying the position of the means fixed to the arm to which the cable is connected.

4. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 1, wherein the suspension means includes a pin fixed beneath the table top above the support arm and extending transverse to the upright portion of the arm;

and wherein the cable is passed over the pin and has a pair of leads extending into the arm, said leads being connected at their ends.

5. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 4, further including means on the upper end of the arm to engage the pin in the event of failure of the cable, to thereby hold said arm against dropping entirely away from the table top.

6. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 4, wherein the pin extends through the support arm and the support arm has shoulders formed therein to engage the pin and to thereby limit rotation of the arm with respect to the table top.

7. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 4, further including adjustment means for adjusting the effective length of the cable within the arm.

8. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 7, wherein the adjustment means comprises means for varying the position of the means fixed to the arm to which the cable is attached.

9. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 8, wherein the means fixed to the arm to which the cable is attached comprises a bar extending into both portions of the seat support arm and to which the cable is attached.

10. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 4, wherein the cable leads are twisted together between the ends thereof,

whereby the tendency of the cable leads to untwist biases the horizontal portion of the arm towards the table top.

11. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 8, wherein the means fixed to the arm to which the cable is attached comprises an end plate closing the end of the horizontal portion and a bolt extending through said end plate and into the arm; and wherein the adjustment means comprises a nut on the bolt holding the cable to the bolt, whereby turning of the bolt moves the nut and the cable carried thereby along the length of the bolt.

12. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 8, further including a seat;

means mounting said seat for revolvement above the end of said arm remote from the table.

13. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 12, wherein the means mounting the seat comprises a plate on the bottom of the seat;

a tubular depending post extending downwardly from the plate;

an upstanding post on the end of the arm remote from the table telescoped into the depending arm whereby the depending arm is freely rotatable around the upstanding post;

a skirt extending downwardly from the depending post above the arm and partially around the upstanding post;

a stop fixed to and projecting from the upstanding post and arranged to be engaged by the skirt during rotation of the seat and the depending post; and

spring means fixed to the seat and to the plate,

whereby the seat is biased to a predetermined position relative to said arm.

14. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 12, wherein the means mounting the seat com- 8 prises a plate on the bottom of the seat;

a nut fixed to the plate;

a pedestal ring fixed to the end of the arm remote from the table and having a bearing surface spaced above the said arm and a hole through which the nut on the plate is inserted;

a flat bearing member constructed of material having a low coefficient of friction surrounding the nut on the plate and separating the plate and the bearing surface;

a bolt revolvably extending through the arm and threaded into the nut; and

a lock nut on the bolt threaded against the nut on the plate to hold the bolt securely in the nut on the plate.

15. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 14, further including an ear fixed to and projecting upwardly from the end of the arm remote from the table;

an ear projecting downwardly from the plates; and

a coil spring surrounding the bolt, said coil spring having one end thereof arranged to be engaged by the ear projecting downwardly from the plate and its other end anchored by the ear fixed to the arm and being pre-loaded to bias said ears into alignment.

16. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 14, further including cooperating means on the seat and the arm for limiting rotation of the seat with respect to the arm.

17. A seat support arm for suspension beneath table tops comprising a steel tube of generally circular cross-sectional configuration bent to have an upstanding portion and a horizontal portion; and

a solid steel rod of generally rectangular crosssectional configuration in the arm at the bend, the corners of said rod being in engagement with the wall of the tube and extending into both portions thereof.

Claims

1. A table and suspended support arm unit comprising a table top; means supporting said table top at an above ground level; at least one tubular seat support arm having an upstanding portion and a horizontal portion; bracing means for holding said upstanding portion substantially vertically beneath the table top; and suspension means including a cable extending within the support arm, means fixed with respect to said table top and above the support arm to which the cable is connected and means fixed with respect to the support arm to which the cable is connected, whereby said support arm is rotatable about the upright axis of the upstanding portion.

4. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 1, wherein the suspension means includes a pin fixed beneath the table top above the support arm and extending transverse to the upright portion of the arm; and wherein the cable is passed over the pin and has a pair of leads extending into the arm, said leads being connected at their ends.

10. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 4, wherein the cable leads are twisted together between the ends thereof, whereby the tendency of the cable leads to untwist biases the horizontal portion of the arm towards the table top.

12. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 8, further including a seat; means mounting said seat for revolvement above the end of said arm remote from the table.

13. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 12, wherein the means mounting the seat comprises a plate on the bottom of the seat; a tubular depending post extending downwardly from the plate; an upstanding post on the end of the arm remote from the table telescoped into the depending arm whereby the depending arm is freely rotatable around the upstanding post; a skirt extending downwardly from the depending post above the arm and partially around the upstanding post; a stop fixed to and projecting from the upstanding post and arranged to be engaged by the skirt during rotation of the seat and the depending post; and spring means fixed to the seat and to the plate, whereby the seat is biased to a predetermined position relative to said arm.

14. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 12, wherein the means mounting the seat comprises a plate on the bottom of the seat; a nut fixed to the plate; a pedestal ring fixed to the end of the arm remote from the table and having a bearing surface spaced above the said arm and a hole through which the nut on the plate is inserted; a flat bearing member constructed of material having a low coefficient of friction surrounding the nut on the plate and separating the plate and the bearing surface; a bolt revolvably extending through the arm and threaded into the nut; and a lock nut on the bolt threaded against the nut on the plate to hold the bolt securely in the nut on the plate.

15. A table and suspended support arm unit as in claim 14, further including an ear fixed to and projecting upwardly from the end of the arm remote from the table; an ear projecting downwardly from the plates; and a coil spring surrounding the bolt, said coil spring having one end thereof arranged to be engaged by the ear projecting downwardly from the plate and its other end anchored by the ear fixed to the arm and being pre-loaded to bias said ears into alignment.

17. A seat support arm for suspension beneath table tops comprising a steel tube of generally circular cross-sectional configuration bent to have an upstanding portion and a horizontal portion; and a solid steel rod of generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration in the arm at the bend, the corners of said rod being in engagement with the wall of the tube and extending into both portions thereof.