US2595240A - Rest structure with adjustable back - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1952 M. GLlcK ETAL REST STRUCTURE WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET l Filed Sept. 2, 1949 M w l. 0 www wf VUM @NUM .dan mw y B May 6, 1952 M. GLlcK Erm.

REST STRUCTURE WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1949 f m M MW w 4M MM NK .m4 um hmm Patented May 6, 1952 ltlaurceA Glick, Brooklyn, and Norman lIichoIaS',V

' Binghamton, N. Y.

Application september 2, iaiaserieme. 113,712 aA claims. (c1. s-163') ThisY invention relates to chair, bed, couch or similar seat or rest structures with an adjustable back." and concerns more particularly the mechanismforoperating theback to and from adjusted positions;

It is an object of the present invention to provide a chair or similar'structure of the aforesaid type having a back wherein the adjustment of said back can be effected from a location of one of the arms of the chair and wherein said back will be held in adjusted position until forcedly and automatically returned toV an elevated ory end position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mechanism capable of adjusting the back of the chair in any desired position: relatively to the seat of the chair without the need of. a raclr bar Vor other complicated devices-which generally permit only a limited number of positions for adjusting the backof. the chair or the It is another object of the present invention tovprovide means affording an effective and reliable construction of a mechanism for moving the baclrA of the chair to adjusted position, for retaining the back in saidadjusted position, and finally for returning said. back. to initial or any other adjusted position.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a chair, couch, bed` or the like, with. an adjustable back, which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of operable parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, may readily bebuilt in the sides of the structure, requires only little space for accommodation within Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspectiveview' offl a i part of the spreading device forming` part ofi mechanism of Fig. 3I and.A shown in a.. diferen-t position than that seen in 3 Referring now to the drawings, there is. dis'- closed an armchair A having. rearward and upwardly extending spaced supporting. members l0,

. I i. These" members may be curved at thei'rupper the sides of the chair or structure, is convenient A to use andeicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had tothe. following detailed description taken in connection: with the accompanying. drawings. in which:

Fig. lis a side-elevational view of an arm chair with upholstered side portion thereof removed to expose the frame and. to illustrate thev mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig 2. is a Aside-elevational view of the opposite side of the chair otFig. 1.

liig.A 3 isA an enlarged perspective View of the mechanism-V embodying the invention` and. shapedfor. application. to a chair.

Fig.` 4 is an enlarged frarmentary and sectional View of the mechanism, taken along line Il ll of F''. 3';

Fife 5 is a sectionalv view takenalong line 55 o-fl Fig. 4;, andV ends and are providedV with notches |21 in" the' rear edges of said members. For'wardl'y from these supporting members IEI, il extend, respectively, side frame members. i3 and i4 which tei:- minate, respectively, at arm supports l5, and` f6 which extend to horizontal ariilresting portions I1 and I8. A` cushion |79 forms the seatofl the chair and. may extend forwardly beyond the arm supports l5 and i6. A forward upholstered structure 2i is provided to support the cushion seat I9. Therear ends of the arm rest portions i1 and I 8 are connected to the'upper parts o the curved supporting members IB and Between the supporting members t and' il, there is positioned and swingably supported'y a' adjustable back 22. This adjustable. back carl be constructed in the ordinary manner and" is' cushioned to provide comfort for the person rclining in the chair.

To opposed sides of the back 2'2- there are, re'- spectively, connectedr angle arm members 23. and 24. The angle arm-member. 23 is connected by a pivot pin 25 to an upright bar 2'6 rigidly fi'rexi to the vertical support lo and extending. across the end of notchv i2 thereof.f i

This bar or plate 26 is xed to the supportA I'U by any suitable means, such as screws 21'. Plate 2S has an offsetmedian portion 28lproviding stops ZSvand 3i for limiting the upward and downward movements of the back 22 and determining' the' extreme positions of the latten. The angleV armi` 23 is pivoted onV pin 25' passing throughoi'set porition- 23. The side edgesof angle arml 2`3 will abut against the stops 29 and 3i as the back'fis' rai-sed' or lowered to end positions. Thearm. Z3 isdnwardlv offset at 23aso as to extendilaterallyand inwardly through the notch l2y forlengageinent with and fixation to the side frame ofiA the back.2"2.

`On` the opposite side frame of back- 22;;t'hereis a similar swinging mechanismV attached which, however, is devoidof. any adjusting rdevice and more. or lessserves to guide back 22 during; its' nlovements and tov aiorda' stabilization` of' theV back structure.

Angle arm 24 is connectedto said opposite 1side frame of the back 22 and is pivoted" at 35. to vertically extending plate 33 having the median oiset portion 34. Thefforwardly extending dnd of the arm 24 carries a tension spring 66 which acts upon the arm 24 to urge back 22 to its elevated or one of its extreme positions. The other end of the tension spring 36 is anchored on a bracket 31 fixed to the base of the chair A. A similar tension spring 38 is connected to the angle arm 23 as indicated at 39 (Fig. 1) and acts upon the back 22 in conjunction with the tension spring 36 to automatically urge the back 22 to elevated position as soon as the mechanism is released, to which reference is made further below. Tension spring 38 is anchored on a bracket 4I located at the base of the chair A.

Connected to the support l and to the side frame member I3 is a horizontally extending strap 42 to which is connected by means ofa pivot pin 43, a U-shaped member 44, having vertically spaced horizontally extending flap or flange portions 45 and 46 with openings therein through which4 extend a round rod 41. This round rod is'pivotally connected at 46 throug the forward end of the angle arm 23. f

spaced inwardly from the horizontally extendi'rig portions 45 and 46 of the U-shaped member 44 are respectively openings 5I and 52 adapted to respectively accommodate tongue portions 53 and 54 of edge gripping elements 55 and 56. These edge gripping elements are respectively provided with openings for receiving the rod 41, and these openings are of larger diameter than the diameter of the rod 41 so as to permit the angular movement of the gripping elements in order that the edges of the openings can respectively engage the sides of the rod to grip the rod and prevent the movement of the rod through the gripping elements and the U-shaped member 44 whereby to retain the back 22 in its adjusted positionj. The gripping elements 55 and 56 are respectively urged into edge gripping engagement with the rod 41 by springs 51 and 58 reacting respectively against the horizontally extending portions 45 and 460i the U-shaped member 44. The openings in the gripping elements 55 and 56 are indicated, respectively, at 59. The rod 41 has a cotter pin at its free end as indicated at 6l to prevent the disengagement of the rod 41 from the U-shaped member 44.

Ihe'gripping elements 55 and 56 are spread against the action of their springs by horizontally extending spreading lever members 62 and 63, having inwardly bent ends engaging with the freeends of the gripping elements. These spreading elements 62 and 63 are pivoted to each other and to an outwardly offset end 64 of the strap 42 by a pivot pin 65. A vertically extending strap 66 is connected to the horizontally extending strap 42 adjacent the offset end 64 thereof by a pin 61 and will serve to support that end of the strap 42. The lower end of the vertical support strap 66 is connected by a pin 68 to the base of the chair.

The forward end of the spreading member 63 is bent as indicated at 69 and receives the plate 1|, which is pivotally connected by a pin 'i2 to the forward end of the spreading member 62. The plate 1i has a notch 13 for receiving the bent portion 69 of the spreading member 63. The plate 1I can accordingly be pivoted on the end of the spreading member 63 to cause the separation of the ends of the spreading members 62 and 63 and the release of the gripping elements 55 and 56 upon the rod 41. This action is eiected when the plate 1I assumes the position shown in Fig. 6.

The plate 1l is worked by a rod 14 connected at its lower end to the plate 1| and at its upper end the rod 14 is connected to a bell crank 15 pivoted as indicated at 16 upon a bracket 11. This bracket has an operating -rod 18 slidable therethrough with a knob 19 thereon. This rod is connected to the bell crank lever and when depressed, the spreading elements are pivoted by the working of the plate 1I and the rod 41 is released to free the back 22 of the chair.

.In operation it will be seen that the back 22 when released can be adjusted .in a rearwardly extended position by 'pushing backwardly upon the button or knob 1 9 being depressed to release the gripping elements and 56. As soon as the desired position of the back has vbeen obtained, the button is released and the rod 41 is gripped to hold the back in the exact position to which it has been adjusted. The back can be adjusted to a horizontalposition if desired, as shown in Fig. l., or it can be held rigid at any location between the raisedposition and the horizontal position. The rod 41 can be gripped at any loca.- tion upon thesame, and accordingly there are any number of positions to which the back can 'be set. The device does not depend upon rack teeth, so that the number of positions to whichthe back can be adjusted are unlimited. Accordingly, there has been provided a retaining mechanism for a chair back which is not dependent upon rack teeth.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as dened by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: y l. In a chair. or similar article; a substantially vertical supporting structure, a seat portion supported upon said supporting structure, a back adjustably connected to said supporting structure in rear of the seat portion, arms connected to the opposite sides of the back, means for pivotally connecting said arms to said supporting structure, spring means connected to said arms urging the back to its elevated position, a slide rod extending from one of said arms and being pivotally connected thereto, means for gripping said rod to retain the back in its adjusted position, and means accessible to the user of the chair for releasing said gripping means, said gripping means including elements adapted to be spread apart to release the rod, said means for releasing said gripping means comprising spread elements pivotally connected to each other and to said supporting structure, a plate 4pivotally connected between the outer ends of said spread elements to separate the same, and a hand operating device connected to the plate to eiect its actuation whereby said spread elements will be spread'from one another and the grip elements will be released from the rod.

2. In a chair or similar article; a supporting structure including a seat portion thereon, a swingable back adjustably connected to said supporting structure to assume elevated and obliquely adjusted positions, respectively, arms connected to the opposite sides of the back, means pivotally connecting said arms to said supporting structure, spring means connected to said arms urging the back to its elevated position, a slide rod extending from one of said arms and pivotally connected thereto, means for gripping said rod to retain the back in its adjusted position, releasable means accessible to the user of the chair for operating said gripping means, said gripping means comprising a U-shaped member having ange portions with openings in alignment with each other, said rod being slidable through said openings of said flange portions, gripping elements having respective openings normally permitting passage of said rod therethrough and, respectively, movable with respect to said U-shaped member, springs about the rod normally urging said gripping elements at their openings into engagement with the rod, said releasable means for the gripping means including spread elements pivotally connected to said supporting structure and to one another and having inwardly bent ends engaging with the free ends of the gripping elements, one of the spread elements being longer than the other, an operating member connected between the operating ends of the spreading elements to effect the separation of one another, and a hand operated device including a rod connected to said operating member to actuate the same, said hand operating device being secured to said supporting structure.

3. In a chair frame and like piece of furniture having a swingable back; means connected to said lback, said means including an arm .pivotally supported on said chair frame, a rod element operatively connected to said arm, a substantially U-shaped member having flange portions provided with openings, two gripping elements movably arranged on said U-shaped member and provided with openings dened by edges, said openings of said flange portions and said openings of said gripping elements being registrable With one another and being shaped for the passage of said rod element therethrough, spring means surrounding said rod element at locations between said flange portions and said gripping elements and normally urging the latter against each other and to thereby provide edge-gripping engagement with said rod element, spreading, lever means disposed to extend between said gripping elements and to spread the latter apart for achieving registry of said openings of said ange portions and of said openings of said gripping elements whereby said rod element may pass therethrough for adjusting purposes, and push button means remote from said U-shaped member and linked to said lever means to thereby operate said gripping elements against said spring means and in relation to said rod for adjusting said back.

MAURICE GLICK.

NORMAN NICHOLAS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,903,253 Austin Mar. 28, 1933 2,016,119 Owler Oct. 1, 1935 2,273,423 Bank Feb. 17, 1942 2,341,465 Monnet Feb. 8, 1944 2,443,400 Reinhold June 15, 1948 2,529,309 Everest Aug. 29, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,460 Denmark Jan. 8, 1912 321,790 Great Britain Nov. 21, 1925 431,084 Great Britain July 1, 1935

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