US2528452A - Combined high chair and stroller - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 M. G. RILEY ETAL COMBINED HIGH CHAIR AND STROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1946 INVENTOR5. Mar/v15 61 19/7? Edward M E/ g ,2 6' Q ATTORN Oct. 31, 1950 M. G. RILEY ETAL 2,523,452

COMBINED HIGH CHAIR AND STROLLER Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIW INVENTORS. Mar/7.5 6i Eflgy Edward M Edgy Patented Oct. 31, 1950 OFFICE COIWBINED HI GH CHAIR AND STROLLER Morris G. Riley and Edward M. Riley, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 27, 1946, Serial No. 672,379

3 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of furniture and particularly to high chairs for infants, and the primary object is to provide a high chair of the character capable of conversion into a vehicle or carriagefor infants such as strollers or the like.

a One of the most important objects of this invention is to provide a combination high chair and stroller for infants having collapsible supporting structure, which structure when in an upright position supports the seating assembly thereof in a raised condition adaptable for use as a high chair, and when in a collapsed condition supports the seating assembly in a lowered condition, rendering the same adaptable to be used as a stroller.

Another important aim of this invention is to provide a chair-like structure having collapsible supporting means and a wheel assembly on the supporting means, which wheels carry the entire structure when the supporting means is in a collapsed condition to permit use thereof as a stroller, and which wheels are moved to an inoperative position when the supporting means is in an upright position to prevent free movement thereof when the structure is utilized as a high chair.

A still further aim of this invention is to provide a chair-like structure having collapsible supporting means for converting the assembly from a high chair to a stroller, and an uniquely disposed and specially designed handle for manipulation thereof when used as a stroller, which handle is also capable of holding the collapsible support in an upright position when the structure is to be used as a high-chair.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a chair-like structure for infants having a tray slidably mounted thereon and including novel means to fix the tray in a, number of positions which means consists of a yoke of resilient material adapted for engagement with the tray and being capable of releasing the same for readjustment or removal altogether from the said structure.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent throughout the following specification wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a combined high chair and stroller forming a part of my invention illustrating the same in condition for use as a stroller.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the arms of the chair with parts broken away to illustrate the manner of mounting the holding means for the tray.

Fig. 3 isa cross-sectional view showing the structure in condition for use as a high chair, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

It has been found particularly desirable in the manufacture of strollers for children still in the infant stage to provide a stroller that may be quickly and easily converted into a high chair when so desired, especially in view of the inconvenience of feeding the child in restaurants, soda grills and the like. A stroller that is capable of use as a high chair, that can be moved near the table or counter in a store, that has interchangeable tray and hand rail features as a part thereof, and a stroller that is highly maneuverable over curbs and other difficult terrain is therefore extremely advantageous.

A chair-like structure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is generally designated by the numeral l0 and consists of a frame [2, a seat It fixed thereto by bolts IS, a back rest I8 on the frame I 2, and additional framework 20 interconnecting the seat I4 and the back rest l8 and mounted to the former through the medium of the bolts IS. A pair of arm rests 22 is carried in spaced relation by the frame 20.

Side panels 24 and a bottom wall 26 on the frame :2 provides a partially enclosed chamber immediately below the seat M to contain items of merchandise, articles of clothing for the child, or other necessary needs such as toys or the like when the assembly is used as a stroller as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Each of a pair of supporting members designated by the numeral 28 in spaced relation below bottom 26, consists of a pair of legs 30 and 32, which legs are crossed and pivotally connected as at 34. Brackets 36 extending below the bottom 26 near each rearward corner thereof pivotally mount the legs 32. A pair of link members 38 pivotally fixed to the ends of a foot rest 40 and pivotally joined to each of the legs 30 of the supporting members 28, complete the supporting framework to render it completely collapsible and permitting the alternate positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Iwo pairs of wheels 42 and 44 are spaced from the free ends of the legs 30 and 32 respectively. Thus a portion of the legs 30 and 32 extends beyond the wheels G2 and 44 to render the latter inoperative when the members 28 are in an upright position, and movement on the wheels is thereby prevented, To add stability however, the wheels 42 are in slight engagement with the supporting floor when the structure is in position as a high chair. A cross bar 46 interconnects the free ends of each of the legs 32 and is covered with rubber or other suitable material to provide a highly frictionable surface and thereby prevent slipping of the high chair on highly polished floor surfaces.

A handle is formed of a pair of interconnected members 48 pivotally joined at one end thereof as at 49 to the free ends of the legs 38 and is joined to the frame 12 by links 50. Links 58 are pivotally joined to the handle 58 as at and to brackets 54 as at 56. These brackets are fixed directly to the frame l2 and extend rearwardly therefrom.

In addition to serving as a means for moving the assembly when the members 28 are collapsed as in Fig. 1, the handle 48 is formed and disposed to maintain the members 28 in an upright position as shown in Fig. 3. This handle 48 is slightly arcuate as indicated at 58 and this arcuate portion rests against the rearward edge of Y the bottom wall 26 and with the aid of the link members 58, no additional fastening means is necessary to maintain the entire assembly in position for use as a high chair.

As a safety feature however, a catch 66 swingably fixed to one of the brackets 36 is provided to engage the handle 48.

The bottom wall 26 extends forwardly beyond the frame 26 and the foot rest 4!] is carried by this extension in both the collapsed and upright position of the assembly. A handle 62 fixed to the rear face of back rest I8 is provided to be gripped by the user to facilitate movement of the structure I8 to and from a raised position.

The arm rests 22 each have a longitudinal groove 68 spaced inwardly from the bottom face thereof. A hand rail 66 has a pair of spaced apart bars 68 projecting laterally therefrom, each of which bars 68 is provided with a plurality of perforations 10. In operative position the bars 68 are inserted in the grooves 64 of the arm rests 22 for free sliding movement on the upper faces of the frame 20.

A substantially U-sh-aped yoke 12 is pivotally mounted in bearings 14 on the back rest I 8. The free ends 16 of this yoke 12 pass through openings 78 in the back rest l8 and into the grooves 64 of the arm rests 22. A cavity 88 in the arm rests 22 carries a leaf spring 82 for yieldably maintaining a down-turned tip 84 on ends 16 in one of the perforations Hi of the bars 68.

The yoke 12 is preferabl formed of resilient material and downward pressure by the operator on flap 86 fixed the yoke 12 at the bight thereof causes the yoke 12 to turn in the bearings M which raises the ends 16 thereof against the action of the springs 82 to release the hand rail 66.

A tray 88 has a pair of bars 90 similar to those on the hand rail 66. Thus the tray 88 and the hand rail 66 are interchangeable and the one not being used is fitted over the brackets 54 as illustrated in Fig. 3. When the assembly is used as a stroller, the tray 88 will always be available to place in operative position in exchange for the hand rail 66 if the child is to be fed in a restaurant.

The tray 88 is of conventional character in that it is dish-shaped and particularly adaptable to be used when the child is being fed and is designed from material that is easy to keep in a clean condition. Each of the bars 68 and 96 of the hand rail 66 and the tray 88 respectively are longer than the lengths of the arm rests 22 whereby a space between the proximal edges of the rests 22 and the tray 88 or the rail 66 is always present to avoid pinching of the fingers of the inf-ant when the tray or rail is placed in operative position.

It is also notable that all of mechanism designated by the numerals 76, 84 and 88 and the cooperative bars 68 or 90 are completely housed Within the arm rests 22 to prevent the occupant of the chair from moving the same out of place or become injured by coming in contact therewith. In the same manner, the releasing mechanism I6 and 86 is located to the rear of back rest 18 out of reach of the infant and thereby precluding movement of the tray or rail once it is in place.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desireto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an article of furniture of the character described, a frame; a seat and a back rest on the frame; a pair of spaced arms interconnecting said seat and back rest, said arms each having a grooved portion therein and a cavity adjacent to said grooved portion; a tray having a pair of bars thereon, said bars each having a plurality of perforations therein and being slidable in the grooved portions of said arms; a substantially U -shaped yoke of resilient material journalled on the rear side of said back rest, the free ends whereof project into said grooved portions for releasably engaging the perforations of said bars and holding the tray in a predetermined position spaced from said back rest; and a spring in the cavity of each arm for yieldably maintaining said yoke in engagement with said perforations.

2. In a chair having a back and a pair of spaced arm rests, a tray; a pair of spaced, laterally extending, perforated arms on the tray, said arm rests each having an elongated, longitudinal slot formed therein for slidably receiving a respective one of said perforated arms; and a U-shaped member swingably mounted on said back and having its legs extending into said slots of the arms, said legs each having ears formed thereon moveable, into and out of certain of said perforations as the member is swung on said back.

3. In a chair having a back and a pair of spaced arm rests, a tray; a pair of spaced, laterally extending, perforated arms on the tray, said arm rests each having an elongated, longitudinal slot formed therein for slidably receiving a respective one of said perforated arms; a U-shaped member swingably mounted on said back and having its legs extending into said slots of the arms, said legs each having ears formed thereon moveable, into and out of certain of said perforations as the member is swung on said back; and means in said slots for yieldably holding said ears within one of the perforations.

MORRIS G. RILEY. EDWARD M. RILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 292,067 Stevens Jan. 15, 1884 399,069 Odell Mar. 5, 1889 612,792 Thompson Oct. 18, 1898 1,355,039 Gibson Oct. 5, 1920 2,155,813 Veal Apr. 25, 1939 2,285,845 Stinson June 9, 1942

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