US947090A - Folding chair. - Google Patents

Description

J. J. WOLFE. FOLDING 0mm.

APPLICATION FILED 06127, 1908. v 7 947,090. Patented Jan.'18, 1910.

2 sums-sum 1.

/'j 7 Y H WWW J; J. WOLFE. FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.27, 1908.

Patented Jan 18, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nmmtoz Witnesses- I WED gTAWENT rips.

JACOB J'. WOLFE, OF NORTH MAN-CHESTER, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO PEABODY SCHOOL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF NORTH MANCHESTER, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FOLDING oHAia.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. VOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Manchester, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding 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 figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to furniture, but more particularly to folding chairs, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which is constructed of short straight stock having no sword curves cutting across the grain of the stock, thus insuring great strength and rigidity.

A further object of my invention is to provide a folding chair which is so constructed and arranged that the same will fold flat and compact.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a folding chair in which the back is pivoted in such manner that said back will fold parallel with the back posts in order to insure compact nesting of the chair.

"With this object in view my invention consists in the novel construction of the chair and particularly in the construction for hinging the front and back posts together.

My invention also consists in the construe tion of the chair which provides for a utilization of short straight stock in the manufacture of the chair.

My invention also consists in the construction for hinging and supporting the back of the chair to the back posts; and my in vention consists in certain other novel fea tures of construction and in combinations of parts, all of which will be first fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge and supporting iron for the back of the chair. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the chair in a folded position. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the hinge and supporting iron in position when the chair is unfolded. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the hinge and supporting iron in posi tion when the chair is fold-ed. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the chair folded, and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through the chair in an unfolded position. I

'Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures in which-.

,1 indicates the chair which, as shown in the drawings, is constructed of short straight stock.

2 indicates the back posts or legs, 3 the front posts or legs, 4 the seat and 5 the back.

As shown in Fig. 1 a link 6 is pivoted at 7 on the outer side of each of the back posts or legs 2, each of said links 6 being provided with a perforation 8 near the free'end of each of the links 6 through which perforations 8 a rod 9 extends.

Referring now to the front posts or legs 3 it will be seen that each of said posts or legs is provided with a slot 10, through which slots 10 the rod 9 passes, any suitable securing means 11 being provided on the ends of the rod 9 for securely holding the rod 9 in position for tying the parts to-- gether as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the seat l it will be seen that the front posts or legs 3 are aivoted thereto at 12 by means of a rod 13 (Fig. 8) which passes under the seat 4t and securely ties the seat and front post or legs 3 in position. It will also be seen that the seat 4: is provided at its rear corners with a pivoting iron 14; by means of which the seat is pivoted to the back posts or legs 2, a small portion 4 of the seat 4 extending beyond the irons 14 to act as a lever for a purpose which will be pres ently described.

' Referring to the back 5 it will be seen that the same is provided with stiles 15, which stiles are pivoted to the back posts or legs 2 at the point 16. Arranged between the outer face of the stiles 15 and the inner face of the back posts or legs 2 are the hinge and supporting irons 17 (Fig. 2). Each of said hingeand supporting irons is provided with a substantially circular portion 18 centrally perforated at 19, said circular portion 18 being thicker in cross section than the extension 20. Said circular portion lS'being interposed between the stiles 15 of the back and the back posts or legs 2 acts as a washer to hold the parts separated to prevent chafing.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 it will be seen that the back posts or legs 2 are provided with a recess 21, while each of the stiles 15 is provided with a similar recess 22; and referring to Figs. 2 and 6 it will be seen that the extension 20 on the hinge and supporting iron 17 is provided at its lower end and on each side thereof with lugs or gudgeons 23 and 24, said lugs or gudgeons 23 and 24 being staggered on the extension 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the lugs or gudgeons 23 entering the recess 21 in the back posts or legs 2, while the lug or gudgeon 24 enters the recess 22 in the stile 15 of the back 5. As will appear from Fig. 6 the recesses 21 and 22 are considerably larger than the lugs or gudgeons 23 and 24, and as the stiles 15 of the back 5 are pivoted to the back posts or legs 2 a short distance above the lugs 23 and 24 the back 5 can swing a short distance on the back posts or legs 2 as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the lugs or gudgeons 23 and 24 acting as stops to limit the swing of the back 5.

Referring now to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the lower ends 25 of the back stiles 15 engage the rear edge 26 of the extension 4 of the seat 4 when the chair is in an unfolded position, in such manner that the back 5 is braced by the seat 4 and rigidly maintained in proper position against any ordinary strain which may be put upon the back while in use. When the back stiles 15 are in position shown in Fig. 8 the lugs or gudgeons 23 and 24 on the hinge and supporting iron 17 are impinging against the sides of the recesses 21 and 22 as shown in Fig. 6, thus rigidly maintaining the back 5 in proper position as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 8 it will be seen that when the chair is in an unfolded position the cross rod 9 lies at the upper end of the slot 10 in the front posts or legs 3, said rod 9 engaging the forward edges of the back posts or legs 2 as clearly shown, thus rigidly maintaining the parts in proper position. When, however, the chair is folded, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the front posts or legs 3 being carried up by the seat 4 the cross rod 9 passes down through the slot 10 and lies in the bottom of said slot as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This passage of the cross ed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the front posts or legs 2 cause the cross rod 9 to lie under the bottom edge of. the seat 4 when the chair is in a folded position as clearly shown in Fig. 7, in such manner that the rod 9 does not engage the seat 4 nor lie across the same in order to prevent and obviate a neat and compact folding of the chair. On the other hand the rod 9 lying under the seat 4 when the chair is in a folded position (as shown in Fig. 7) allows the chair to fold neatly and compactly.

W hen the seat and front posts or legs 2 are in a folded position the the back 5, which is normally maintained and supported by the seat 4 in position shown in Figs. 1 and 8, is swung parallel with the back posts or legs 2 as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 thus allowing the chair to be folded neatly and compactly and causing said chair to occupy a minimum amount of space.

As will appear from the drawings all parts of the chair are constructed straight, thus obviating the use of curved parts or pieces, which curved parts or pieces cutting across the grain necessarily render those parts or pieces delicate and weak.

A further advantage derived from my construction is that all of the parts being of straight stock a great saving in the cost of the manufacture of the chair is obtained the back 5 being capable of a slight swing on the back legs 2 as before described and said back 5 lying normally parallel with the back legs 2 when in a folded position as shown in Fig. 7 it becomes necessary to cause the back 5 to tilt into position shown in Fig. 1 when the chair is in an unfolded position and to rigidly maintain the back in this tilted position while the chair is not used. In order to accomplish this in a simple and efiicient manner the extension 4 of the seat 4 acts as a lever while the chair is being unfolded, the edge 26 of said extension engaging the lower ends 25 of the back stiles 15 thus forcing said ends rearwardly, tilting the back and causing the gudgeons 23 and 24 to engage the walls of the recesses 21 and 23 in the back and back legs.

Having thus fully described my invention whatIclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

LAfolding chair comprising front posts or legs, back posts or legs, a seat connected to said posts or legs, each of said front posts or legs being provided with a slot, a link pivoted to each of said back posts or legs, a rod passing through each of said links and through each slot in said front posts or legs, said rod lying in the upper ends of said slots and in engagement with the said back posts or legs for maintaining the chair in an unfolded position, said rod lying at the lower ends of said slots in said front posts or legs and under the said seat when the said chair is in a folded position.

2. A folding chair comprising front posts or legs, back posts or legs, a seat pivoted to said back posts or legs and pivoted to said front posts or legs, said seat being arranged to be folded up against the said back posts or legs and to raise the said front posts or legs, each of said front posts or legs being provided With a slot, a link pivoted to each of said back posts or legs, a rod passing through each of said links and through each slot in the said front posts or legs, said rod lying in the upper end of said slots in engagement with the said back posts or legs for maintaining the chair in an unfolded position, said rod lying in the lower ends of the said slots in the said front posts or legs and entirely under the said seat When 10 said front posts or legs are raised by said seat and the chair is in a folded position. i

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa ture, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JACOB J. WOLFE. Vitnesses THos. A. PEABODY, L'oN D. FLEMING.

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