US2258864A - Theater chair - Google Patents

Description

C. RIEGER THEATERCHAIR oct; 14, 1941.

Filed Aug. 8, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVEgvmR. V75/A95 /Q/@ger' BY @e m ATTORNEYl C. RIEGER THEATER CHAIR Oct. 14, 1941.

Filed Aug. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 M I U A ,D U n/v .Ll X 0/0 w @d 1- MW @6% ab f w Hl b H; m

INVENTOR.

(bar/@5 BY@ Z Patented Got. 14, 1941 THEATER CHAR "Charleslltiegen San FranciscmCalif. -Applioationlugust 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,569

This invention relates generally to chair constructions of the type suitable for'installa'tion in Atheaters or auditoriums, wherethe chairs Vare arranged in regularrows.

It is 1an object of the invention to provide a chair construction 'of 'theiabove character `which will leave the Aspace beneath a group of 'chair units substantially'unobstructed.

'A further object *of the invention "is to provide a Vtheater chair construction in which the individual chair units can be .morerjeadily assemled together vto form Ja :group of chairs, -'and which will aord utmost structural .strength whenassembl'ed vAnother objectof the invention lis'fto Aprovide'a theater .chair construction which can .be .manufactured substantially entirely from sheet metal, to afford .a vrelatively `'fireproof and rugged construction.

Additional vobjects .and 'features 'of the invention will appear from :the following description in `which 4ithe preferred vembodiment yof the inventon. has been set vforth in detail Vin conjunction with the accompanying-drawings.

Referring tothe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a .'front elevational Lview, illustrating 'onepart of a kgroup of chairs, constructed inaccordance with 'thelpres'ent invention.

'Fig. 2 isia side viewslooking towards the-group ofchairs, as illustrated in'Fig. '1.

`Fig. 3 risa cross-Sectional -view taken-along the line '3 3 oflig.v V1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional ldetail ftakenalon'g the1ine`44 of -Fig.l.

Allig. '5 is an expanded'or vrexploded view, illus- 'tratin'g .theimann'er in which -the parts are assembled.

Fig. 6`is 'across-sectional viewta-ken along the line S-Sof-l'ig 1.

Myinvention consists generally of a plurality `o'f chair units,'.having novel structural features,

and which are adapted-to'beassembled toi-'form a group ofv chairs. In placeof having `supporting legs or 'feet extending downwardly 4between-'each chairun't, a's-'is 'common with theater chairs, my

construction dispenses with intermediate supporting legs or feet, and the entire group of chairs is supported by feet extending downwardly from theends-of the group. ThusV the space beneaththe chair units is entirely unobstructed.

-In order to aiTord the desired structural strength a structural element is provided extendingvhorielement is sectionalized in such-a manner as to Afacilitate assembly and detachment'of the parts.

Referring :to the form of the invention vrdis- `closed in the drawings, eachof `the seat units includesa body part IIJ, preferably A`formed of sheet metal. While 'the 4precise detailsmay vary, I prefer that one piece o'fsheet metal b'e Abent to form the Aback .portion 'Illa of the seat, and also what can be termed the seat supportingportion wb. At-the upperedge of the back portion Ina, the sheet metalispreferably rolle'dfupon itself `Sto form a tubular portion II. To vform the `sea-r support I'Ilb the body part Avcan `be 'provide-d with right-angle bends, l2 Aand I3, to form the inter- 'vening bottom wall I4, Aand the `'upstanding "forward Wall I G. `It is-pre'f'erable to also roll'tlfie -tip-- per edge: of `wall I6, 'to form in eiectia tube Il.

The side'edges of the bodyparts 'Ill fare v'shown `provided with flanges I8, which-are apertured, 'and whichffacilitate VVVmaking' attachment between the chair units.

Interposed between the sheet kmetal body 'parts Ill, are the members I9, which are -alsocprefera- Vbly formed-of sheetmetal. 'Ihese members can r'be contoured Ysomewhat as'illustrate'd in iFigf,

with a forward projecting portion I9actoform`an arm support, `and with :an upwardly `extending fporti'on IS'b which is adapted `Ato'be interposed 'be'- :tween Vthe anges "I8 vof adjacent body portions. The upper end portions |90, ofmem'ber's 19,' can vbe 'enlarged and yapertured to receive "the studs 2|. `'I'hese studs can .be short `tubes'c` 1"pipes,fand fcan be permanently attached to portions "|950,V as

by means of welding. The diameterrof studs -2'I is such that these studs can snugly interlit'zwith the tubular portions I'I 'ofthe'b'odyparts'f IIB. .The :lower ends of eachy member -I9 are also Ishown apertured to accommodate the studs 2-2, which fc'an be similar to studs 2'I ,and which are propor- "tionied 'to snugly intert with gthe 'tubular tions |11 of the bodyfparts.

por-

:At the ends 'of agroup, members ZS-are provided` (Fig. 2) which are contouredsimilarly Vto the intervening members liL-except that instead yof Vstopping short at the level of the bottom wall I4 of the body -part,they extend .downwardly to form thel feet 2l. Also thestuds 2`8-and 2'9, at-

tached to the end members`26, extend from only `these rods maybe carriedv by thefspecialplates "34, which are mounted within tbe :seat Supports lDb. In order to limit downward swinging movement the rear edge of each seat is shown provided with a rod 36, the ends of which operate within arcuate slots 3l formed in the plate 34.

It will be evident that the parts of the chair units described above can be upholstered in any suitable way. Thus conventional cushions 38 and 39 are shown mounted upon the back portions lila and upon the seat 3|, and also upholstered arm rests 4G are shown carried by the intervening members I9, and the end members 2B.

Assembly of the various parts described above, can be outlined as follows: One selects the nir-'nber of units desired in a group, and then the parts of these units are assembled together, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 5. Thus starting with one of the end members 2S, the studs 28 and 29 of this end member are telescoped with the tubular portions Il and l1 of the first Abody part I0. Then an intermediate member i9 can be applied by telescoping its studs 2l and 22 with the tubular portions I and l1. After the selected number of chair units have thus been oonsecutively'assembled in this fashion, bolts can be applied to clamp together the various fianges I8, thus forming the assembly into a rigid structure. W'hen thus assembled the tubular portions H together Vwith the studs 2l and 2B, form in effect a sectionalized structural element extending across and attached to the upper edges of the chair units, and'serving to resist downward forces which may be applied to the same. Also the YVtubular portions l'l together with studs 22 and 29, formY a sectionalized structural element attached to the lower portion of the chair units -and likewise serving to resist downward forces.

With reference to either Figs. 3 or 6 it will be noted that these sectionalized structural elements Vare so connected by the sheet metal parts of the chair unita'that in effect a composite structural beam is formed, of great strength, and capable of resisting all reasonable stresses to which the assembly may be subjected.

After having formed a given assembly of chair units, as described above, it is' a relatively simple matter to increase or decrease the number of chair units in a group. Also by suitably modifying the shaping of the body parts, and the connecting studs, the'units can be assembled to form a curved row as is sometimes desired in theaters or auditoriums.

I claim:

1. In a chair construction, a plurality of chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot'at each end of the group, the space between said feet being unobstructed, each chair unit including a body part formed of sheet metal Ato Vafford a chair backl and a seat support, there side relationship to form a group of chairs, supporting feet for said group of chairs, each chair unit including a body part formed of sheet metal bent to ai'ord a chair back and a seat support, the seat support being box-like in form and affording a forward upstanding wall, and a seat hinged to said seat support.

3. In a chair construction, a plurality of chair units disposed in side-by-side relationship and attached together by telescopic engagement to form a group of chairs, supporting feet for said group of chairs, each chair unit including a body part formed of sheet metal bent to afford a chair back and a seat support, the seat support being boX-like in form and affording a forward upstanding Wall, and a seat on said seat support.

4. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair units removably attached together in sidebyside relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, and a sectionalized support structure providing a structural beam extending between the ends of said group and serving to support the chair units against downward forces and serving to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support structure including portions of said chair units.

5. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group,

the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, and a sectionalized support structure' providing a structural beam extending between the ends cf said group and serving to support the chair units against downward forces and serving to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support structure being composed of separable telescopically engaged sections formed in part by portions of said chair units.

6. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, each chair unit including an individual body part formed to afford a chair back and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as to position in said group, and a sectionalized support structure providing a structural beam extending between the ends of said group and serving to support the chair units against downward forces and serving to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support structure including portions of said chair units.

7. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, each chair unit including an individual body part formed to `aiord a chair back and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as to position in said group, and a pair of sectionalized support structures providing respective structural beams extending between the ends of said group and serv- `ing to support the chair units against downward forces and serving to transmit all such downward forces to isaid feet, each of said support structures including portions of said chair units rolled Vto tubular form and other tubular support members telescopically engaged with said rolled portions.

8. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, each chair unit including an individual body part formed to aiord a chair back and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as to position in said group, there being intervening members between said body parts, said intervening members being similar and interchangeable, and a sectionalized structural support extending between the ends of said group and serving to support the chair units against downward forces and to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support being composed of separable sections formed in part by portions of said chair units.

9. In a chair construction, a yplurality of separable chair units removably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group of chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the space intervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, each chair unit including an individual body part formed to aiiord a chair back and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as to position in said group, there being intervening members between said body parts, said intervening members being similar and interchangeable, and a sectionalized structural support extending between the ends of said group and serving to support the chair units against downward forces and to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support being composed of separable sections formed in part by tubular portions of said chair units and formed in part by tubular support members extending to both sides of said intervening members and telescopically engaged with said tubular portions.

CHARLES RIEGER.

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