US1756545A - Chair construction - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930. F. F. FORTNEY CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed June '7, 1928 MM I M WWW v ATTORNEYS FRANK IF. FORTNEY, on nnnroan, 01:10,

be obviated.

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES PA'r sic]:

ASSIGNOR TO THE B. L. MARBLE CHAIR COMPANY, OF BEDIEORD, OHIO, A CORPORATEON OF OHIO CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Application filed June 7, 1928.

This invention relates to a chair construction and is particularly adapted for use in connection with chairs of the spring-back type commonly used in oflices and other places.

In the spring-back type of chair, as is well known, the chair back is arranged to move ortilt relatively to the chair seat, the back being held in and returned to its normal position by a substantial spring tension. Frequently the clothing or fingers of the occupant of the chair get inserted between the seat and the back when the latter has been moved or'tilted relative to the former, so that they are caught or pinched between these members when the chair back is returned to its normal position by the substantial spring tension, thereby either damaging the clothing or inflicting painful injury to the fingers.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a construction for the springback type of chair wherein all, possibility of catching the clothing or pinching the fingers between the seat and chair back will Another object is 'to provide in a chair of this type a seat and back so constructed and relatively arranged that during the return movement of the back to normalposition sit or having been opened the. fingers will be pushed out from between the seat and back.

Additional objects 'and advantages inherent in the construction will become apparent as the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a springback chair embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the chair seat and a horizontal section of the back taken on line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing one of the back posts in the open position.

'The'invention is applicable to any chair construction wherein the chair back is capable of movement relative to the chair seat, so that the particular arrangement or structure Serial No. 283,498.

of the mechanism for accomplishing this purpose is immaterial so far as the invention is concerned. Therefore, the description of this part of the embodiment illustrated will be general in character, since its characteristics are well understood in the art.

Briefly, the chair shown in the drawing comprises a base formed of four downwardly andoutwardly extending or radiating legs- 10, which are secured at their upper ends to a common member 11 including an interiorly threaded vertical bushing having an annular.

flange 12 at its upper end overlying the tops of the legs. Suitable casters 13 are remov ably orotherwise secured to the lowerends x of the legs 10 so that the chair may be readily moved about, as is common practice. It

should be here understood that the chair base nally threaded downwardly extending screw 17 is suitably connected to the brackets and is adapted to fit the internally threaded bushing of the base and to be screwed inwardlyor outwardly of the same by the nut or collar 18 to Vary the height of the chair, all of which is well understood.

The chair back in the present instance comprises the substantially vertical post members 19 which extend below the chair seat and the substantially horizontal members 20 and 21 connecting the vertical members at their upper ends and intermediate'theirends, such horizontal members in turn being connected by spaced Vertical slats 22. Of course, the chair back is suitably curved or formed to most advantageously and comfortably fit the back of the occupant of the chair, as is usual in chair constructions. V

As already mentioned,'the vertical post members 19 extend below'the chair seat on each side of the rear edge thereof, such extending portions of these members being secured to a transversely extending horizontal supporting bar 23 which is operatively associated with a movablespring tensioned member 24. If desirable, means, indicated generally at 25, may be provided for effecting an initial angular adjustment of the seat back.

The spring tensioned member 2a is prefer-- ably'inthe general nature of a bell crank pivotally connected at the'j unction of its arms to the supporting member 15, the longer of its arms being connected to the bar 23 while the shorter arm 26 extends downwardly and is provided with an opening through which a screw rod 27 passes. This rod is threaded into a portion of the brackets 16 at its inner end while its outer end is provided with a flanged sleeve 28 having a hand wheel 29. A spring 30'surrounds the rod between the arm 26 of the bell crank and the flange of the sleeve, so that when the hand wheel 29 is rotated the spring tension may be increased or diminished. So far the description has related to a conventional construction and it is because of such fact that it has been briefly stated.

However, suflicient structure has been described to indicate the manner in which the chair'back is movably arranged under spring tension relative to the chair seat. V

Heretofore in chairs of this type it has frequently happened that the occupant of the chair has placed his hands or fingers between the rear edge of the chair seat and the back when the latter has been moved out of its obviate thesedisadvantages guards of Va isfactory.

rious forms have been employed, all of which,

however, are unsightly and otherwise unsat V Heretofore, attempts to eliminate these disadvantages have been made by recessing the seat edge'adyacent to the back and thereby prov ding a clearance; but, in order to maintain the chair seat and .backin theproper relationship the clearance has been"insufiicient at some point for the purpose desired.

' Therefore the present invention contem lates the effective elimination of these disadvantages wit ioutc hanging the relationship of the seat and back. The edge or periphery of the chair seat is provided with recesses 81 adjacent therear of theseat at approximately the points where the chair back or chair "backposts are normally in close contact therewith, the seat edge ofthese recesses being of a peculiar contour and cooperating with the seat back or back posts insuch'manner, that not only is it impossible to insert. the fingers the substantial curve of the seat edge.

at any point where they may be pinched but also the movement of the back to normal position will push or cam the fingers to a safe position In order to obtain this result the edge of the seat defining the recesses is formed at its forward portion in a substantial curve while at its rearward portion it is formed on a lesser curve, and the seat back or back posts 19 are so arranged that their front faces 32 are at such an angle to the seat edge of the recesses that they will serve or actin conj unction-with the seat edge as a cam during the forward movement of the posts to push the fingers into,

a safe position. Since the corner edges 33 of the back posts, which are adjacent to the seat edge along the lesser curve of the recesses, are positioned so close to such edge that it is impossible to insert the fingers fully there between, it is apparent that forward movement of the back will cause the front faces 32 of the posts to' cam or'push the fingers along the seat edge until they are in the large clearance zone -betweenthe front'faces and Fig. 4 of the drawing the normal and the open positionsof the chair back posts 19 are clearly shown, and it is evident that thefin gers cannot at any time be placed in a position to be pinched since the forward move? ment of the posts always push them into the safe position, while at the same time, because of the closeness of the corner edge 33 of the posts and the edge of the'seat, the proper 2 relationship maintained. 7

Although a preferredembodiment of the invention has been shown and described," it should be understood that the same isnot'limited thereto but is susceptible of such variabetiween the se'at'and back is tions and modifications as fall'withinthe scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

post portions normally 'lying adjacent the a 1. A chair construction of the type described comprising. a seat member, and aback member adapted to be movably associated therewith under spring tension and having edges ofthe seat so that theseat and'back are in the proper relative positions, said seat being provided with recesses adjacent the post portions, and said post portions being disposed so that a substantial clearancespace is provided between-the edges of the recesses and the front face of eachpost portion when the edges of the recesses and the front face of each post portion being so arranged "asto the seat and back are in'the normal position,

cooperate to effect a cam actionduring fora ward movement of the back to normal position, whereby the fingers of the chair-"occupant will be pushed intothe said clearance 7 Q.

space.

2. A scribed comprising a seathaving as edges chair construction of thetype de T recessed adjacent the rear of the seat and substantially on opposite sides thereof, and a back movably associated under spring tention with said seat, said back having post portions normally lying partly within said recesses, said post portions being so disposed that a substantial clearance space is provided between the front face of each post portion and the edge of the adjacent recess while the inner forward corner of each post portion is closely adjacent the seat edge so that the fingers of the chair occupant can not be placed therebetween, the edges of the recesses and the front face of each'post portion being so arranged as to cooperate to effect a cam action during forward movement of the back to normal position, whereby the fingers of the chair occupant will be pushed into the said clearance space.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

FRANK F. FORTNEY.

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