US2310476A - Chair - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1943.. E. T. TODD 2,310,476

CHAIR Filed Feb. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l J 7 3mm JAKW, W

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNiTED sra'rss CHAIR Edwin T. Todd, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationFebruary 3, 1939, Serial No. 254,357

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to a chair having a reclining back. The chair herein shown and described is a modification of the chair structure shown in my copending application filed January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,063.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a chair of the general character above indicated having means for adjustably fixing the back thereof at a selected angular inclination; to provide such a chair whose angu- I larly adjustable back is normally caused to be tilted forwardly but which may be caused to be tilted rearwardly to selective angular disposition by an occupant thereof; to provide such a chair which is particularly adapted for installation in motor buses, railway coaches and airplanes; to provide such a chair whose operating mechanism is simple and compact, hidden from view and efiicient in operation; and, to provide such a chair which is attractive in appearance, light in weight yet rugged in construction, comfortable in use and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the chair frame and the operating mechanism for controlling the adjusted angular inclination of the back thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof viewed from a different angle;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the supporting frame of a pair of chairs disposed side by side and showing the pivotal connections between the tiltable chair backs and their supporting frame;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on lines 4-4 of Figures 3 and 5; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on lines 5-5 of Figures 3 and 4.

Referring then to the drawings wherein like parts of the structure shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a frame for a pair of chairs disposed side by side and of a character particularly adapted for installation in motor buses, railway coaches or airplanes, comprises a pair of spaced horizontally disposed members It, i I, here shown as formed of tubular stock, to provide for rigidity at light weight, respectively supported above the floor and adjacent their opposite ends by front legs l2 and rear legs I 3, likewise of tubular construction.

Arm supports I4, here shown as castings, are disposed on opposite sides of the frame and are secured inwardly of their forward ends to the were opposite ends of the front member ll) whose respective ends are each embraced by an apertured boss [5 integrally formed with the arm supports. Each arm support is likewise secured to an end of the rear member I l whose respective ends are each embraced by an apertured spider member I5 disposed medially of the upper and lower portions of an arm support and integrally cast therewith.

A bowed intermediate rear leg ll likewise of tubular stock supportsv the rear tubular member ll medially of its length and an upwardly projecting portion thereof is provided at its upper end with a bracket l8 to whose opposite sides a pair of spaced U-shaped back supports I9 are pivotally secured adjacent their inner lengths, all as hereinafter more particularly described. I

The outer vertical length of each U-shaped back support is likewise pivotally supported on a bearing member 20 (Figure 3) carried on the upper portion of each arm support I4 at the rear thereof, as hereinafter more particularly described, to thus permit independent forward and rearward tilting movement of each back support. Upholstered backs, not shown, are carried by each U-shaped back support and the opposite sides of each back support are provided with secured angle iron brackets 2!. Upholstered seat cushions, not shown, are mounted on the front and rear members Ill, l I in any suitable manner and a horizontally disposed torque tube 22 secured interjacent the vertical lengths of each U-shaped back support provides for rigidity and against torsional twist of the back support relative to its frame.

The lower end of each outer bracket 2| is provided with an arcuate rack 23 secured thereto as by rivets 24 and a pinion 25 pivotally mounted on a plate 26 secured to the arm support M and within its confines is in detachable meshing engagement with the arcuate rack 23. A triangularly formed plate 21 is pivotally mounted at one of its corners to the plate 26 and a link 28 pivotally connected at one end to the free end of the pinion 25 is pivotally connected at its other end to a rod 29 whose opposite end is secured to another corner of the triangular plate 21. A Bowden control 3% secured at one end to the third corner of the triangular plate 21 has its flexible tubular casing 2| fixedly secured at its inner end to the plate 26 and at its outer end to the upper portion of the arm support Hi. Manual pressure on the knob 32 against the tension of the coiled contraction spring 33 provides for tilting of the triangular plate 21 to effect disengagement of the pinion 25 from the arcuate rack 23 in instances wherein selective angular adjustment of the back support is desired by the occupant of the chair.

Means for eifecting a forward tilting movement of the back support when the pinion 25 is out of meshing engagement with the rack 23 and operable independently of the rack and pinion, comprises the pivot structure best shown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown therein, each U-shaped back support I 9 is provided with a pair of aligned cup members 34, each set into and secured within an oppositely disposed vertical length thereof as by the angle iron bracket 2|. An inner member 35 disposed within each cup member 34 in spaced relation to its circumferential inner wall, is provided with a pair of oppositely projecting studs 36, 31, the stud 36 of each member 35 being seated Within an axially disposed bearing aperture of its cup member and the screw threaded stud 31 of each member 35 is rigidly secured either to the bracket l8 or to a bearing bracket 20 as by the nut 39 screw threadedly tightened upon the stud 37.

Bridging the space between the outer surface of each inner member 35 and the inner surface of each spacedly surrounding cup member 34 is a filler of resilient material 40 such as rubber vulcanized to or highly compressed between said surfaces.

Operation In instances wherein the chair back and its support have been pivotally mounted on the frame in its extreme forwardly movable position, the manual pressure release of the pinion from its rack permits the occupant of the chair to thereafter adjustably fix the chair back at a selected angular. inclination and against the radial stretching of the resilient filler.

Thus it is seen that the tiltable chair back will be caused to return to a forwardly tilted position from its previously rearwardly retained tilted position upon disengagement of the pinion from its rack since the resilient filler which has been radially stretched during the rearward tilting movement of the chair back, tends to return to its normal shape causing a forward tilting movement of the chair back.

It will thus be seen that the chair structure herein shown and described is attractive in appearance, light in weight yet rugged in construction, comfortable in use and reasonably economical in manufacture and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A chair structure comprising: a frame; a forwardly-rearwardly tiltable back having a recess extending inwardly from its side; means for turnably mounting the back on the frame including a pivot pin having an outer end portion pivoted on the frame and an inner end portion extending into the recess and having a sleeve of resilient material secured thereon and within said recess for yieldingly resisting the tilting movement of the back, said outer end portion of the pivot pin having a threaded extension with a nut turnable into engagement with the frame for clamping the pivot pin non-turnably thereon.

EDWIN T. TODD.

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