US643663A - Convertible chair. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 20, I900.

E. J, LUTWYCHE. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

(Application filed Aug. 22, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I .N' VEN TOR.

.dttarneys WITNESSES.

THE Nonms Pzrzns co. PNOTU-LITMO.. wAsumurcm. u. c

s 3 sea. Patented Feb. 20 I900. No 4 E. .1. LUTWYCHE.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

' dA .22, 1898. (No Model) (Apphmm me 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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THE Nonms PETERS co. Puoruumvl. WASHINGTON. q. u:

'NrTED STATES PATENT Enron.

EDGAR J. LUTXVYOHE, OF BELLAIRE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ANNIE D. LEUTY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 643,663, dated February 20, 1900. Application filed August 22,1898. Serial No. 889,221. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR J. LUTWYOHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellaire, in the county of Belmont, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in convertible chairs; and it consists more particularly in the means employedfor effecting an adjustment of and for locking and supportingthe movable members of the chair in their various positions, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out more particularly in the claims.

The objects of the invention are to provide simple and efficient means for supporting the hinged back of a chair in which the arrangement is such as to enable said back to be readily manipulated and a further arrangement whereby the hinged leg-support and foot-rest may be readily operated and supported at various degrees of inclination at the will of the operator. These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a chair embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing by dotted lines the various positions which the chair may be made to assume, the arrangement being such as to enable the chair to be converted into a couch when desired. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the means employed for lockin g the hinged leg-supporting section. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the chair converted into a couch. Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, showing the spring-actuated locking-plunger adapted to engage the curved rack-bar which supports the back of the chair. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section as on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of one of the plates forming the keeper which receives the curved rackbar and the locking-plunger. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the opposite plate of said keeper.

A of the seat-frame extending rearwardly beyond said hinges a to afford a support for the back and relieve the hinges a from strain when the back is extended horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4.

To support the back of the chair at any degree of inclination, the curved rack-bars O are employed, the upper ends of which are pivoted at a to the side rails of the frame of the back and whose lower ends pass through the keepers located upon the inner face of the extended ends of the side rails A of the seatframe. These keepers comprise two opposed plates 1') and b. The plateb is provided with a recess 6, adapted to receive the rack-bar O, and with the opposed lugs d, formed on the inner face thereof and between which the locking-plunger D is adapted to lie and reciprocate. This plunger is adapted to project into the recess 1) in the keeper and engage the notches of the rack-bar O lying therein to lock said bar against movement. The plate I) is adapted to be secured to the face of the plate I) to maintain said parts in their relative positions within the keeper. When the locking-plungers are Withdrawn from engagement with the rack-bars, said bars are free to pass back and forth through the keepers, enabling the back of the chair to be tilted to any desired angle, when said plungers are caused to engage said rack-bars and lock the back of'the chair in said position.

The locking-plungers D are supported upon the inner faces of the rails A of the seatframe,their inner ends passing through brackets c and being pivoted at c to the short crankarms 0 on the transverse shaft D, journaled at its opposite ends in said rails, said shaft being actuated by an integral right-angled lever 6, formed on one end thereof and lying parallel with and adjacent to the outer face of one of the seat-rails. Mounted upon each of the plungers D is a coiled spring 6, one end of which is attached thereto, while the oppo site end bears against the bracket 0. It will now be understood that by a downward throw upon the lever e the shaft D will be actuated to retract the locking-plungers D, so as to free them from engagement with the rack-bar C, at the same time compressing the coiled springs, which upon the release of said lever will throw said plungers outward into en gagement with the rack-bars.

It will be seen upon referring to Fig. 7 that the locking-plungers fit snugly between the lugs (1 within the keeper and that the inner ends thereof are beveled so as to enter tightly into the notches e of the rack-bars, thereby obviating, any lost motion and rattling of the parts. When the locking-plungers are re tracted, the ends are drawn back beyond the face of the lugs 61, which serve to prevent said rack-bars from swinging into contact with the locking-plungers as they pass through the ways I)" in the keepers during the operation of raising and lowering the back of the chair.

The arms E of the chair are pivoted at f to the back and atf to the upper ends of the standards E, which are in turn pivoted at their lower ends, as atf, to the side rails of the seat-frame.

F designates the leg-supporting section of the chair, which normally depends in front of the seat and which is united by means of the hinges g with the standards E. By hinging the leg-supporting sect-ion F to the standards E in the manner described said section may be swung upwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to support the legs of the occupant of the chair, which movement is independent of the movement of the back. To provide for supporting the section F in an extended position, a plate his secured upon the inner face of the standards E, which is provided with a curved notched face i and with a curved slot 76. Formed in the rail of section F is a recess, in which is pivoted a curved dog G, having upon one end a button m,which projects above the surface of the rail of said section, and at the other end a hook n, adapted to engage the notches i of the plate It. Located over the recess in which said dog is pivoted is a plate II, through which passes the pivot-pin 0 of said dog. Bearing against the curved face of the dog G is a spring, (shown by dotted line 0 in Fig. 3,) which serves to hold said dog normally in contact with the notches of the plate h. By pressing downward upon the button m the dog G will be moved upon its pivot, so as to carryits hooked end n from engagement with the notches of the plate h, when the section F maybe freely moved upon its hinges 9. Upon the release of the button 171. the spring 0 throws the hooked end of the dog G into contact with the notches t' of said plate, serving to lock the section F in an extended position. In raising the section F a depression of the button m is not necessary, for the reason that the hooked end of the dog G will traverse the notches of the plate h as said section is raised.

It is only when the section F is lowered that a depression of the button m is necessary to disengage the hook n from the notches of the plate 71. Mounted upon the pivot 0 of the dog G is an arm J, which projects rearwardly and carries in its rear end a pin 0", adapted to lie in the curved slot of the plate h. By this arrangement the upward movement of section F is limited, preventing said section from being raised so high as to carry the dog G past the notches of the plate It.

Attached to the bottom edge of the hinged section F is-a foot-rest I, which is hinged to said section at r and is provided with a pivoted dog 0*, adapted to engage a ratchet-plate r to maintain said foot-rest at an angle to the section F, said construction being similar to that employed to maintain the section F in an extended position, and will therefore need no further description.

By reason of the fact that the arms E are pivotally united with the back and with the standards E, as said back is tilted rearwardly the section F, attached to the standards E, is raised and caused to stand at about the same incline as the back. In fact, the arrangement is such that in the normal position of the parts the back and the section F 5 are caused to move in unison, the section F rising as the back is tilted rearwardly and returning again to its normal position as the back is raised. Besides this movement in unison with the back the section F may be raised independent of the back, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the legs of the occupant may be supported in an extended position while the body of the occupant is erect.

Pivoted to the back of the chair, near the upper end thereof, are the legs B, which may. be swung outward, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and serve to support the back of the chair when extended as a couch, as shown in Fig. 45.

When the chair is extended to serve as a couch, any desired inclination of the head may be attained by raising the section F. It is obvious that the chair may be made sufiiciently wide to serve as a double couch when extended, if so desired.

Having thus fully set forth this invention,

what is claimed is-- 1. In a convertible chair, the combination with the rigid seat-frame, the back hinged to said seat-frame, the side rails of the seatframe extending rearwardly of the point of the hinged connection between said back and seat, a keeper mounted upon the ends of each of said projecting rails, curved rack-bars pivoted to the back of the chair and passing through said keepers, spring-actuated locking-plungers mounted upon the rails of the chair entering said keepers and engaging said rack-bars therein, a transverse shaft connect ed with said plungers, and a lever upon the end of said shaft.

2. In a convertible chair, the combination with the rigid seat-frame having side rails Whose rear ends project beyond the seatframe of the chair, keepers mounted on the projecting ends of the rails of said frame, the back hinged to said frame, a curved rack-bar pivoted to the back and adapted to pass through said keepers upon the projecting rail of the seat-frame, said keepers comprising a plate having a recess therein and provided with opposed lugs on its inner face extending into said recess, spring-actuated plnngers entering said keepers between said lugs, and means for actuating said plunger.

3. In a convertible chair, the combination with the seat-frame, the back pivoted to the seat-frame, the arms pivoted to the back, the standards pivoted to the seat-frame and to the arms, the leg-supporting section hinged to said standards, the notched plate mounted on the standards, the spring-actuated dog pivoted in the leg-supportin g section and engaging the notches of said plate, said dog having a button on one end which projects above the plane of the leg-supporting section for actuating said dog.

4. In a convertible chair, the combination with the seat-frame, the leg-supporting sec- EDGAR J; LUTWYGHE.

\Vitnesses:

HARRY H. LEUTY, M. A. MARTIN.-

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