US2828807A - Folding seat - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1958 D. l-L SKYEOCH 2,828,807

FOLDING SEAT Filed Sept. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .Famfi/Z'Jieaak ATTORNEYS p l 1, 1958 D. H. SKEO'CH 2,828,807

FOLDING SEAT Filed Sept. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 9 FOLDIWG SEAT Donald H. Skeoch, Anderson, Ind.

Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,155

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-153) This invention relates to a folding seat.

The folding seat of this invention is easily and inexpensively fabricated of sheet material, preferably metal.

This seat is characterized by having an adjustable back for increased comfort. There is also provision of means for supporting apparatus for holding food and drink without entailing additional cost to the manufacturer. When not in use, it folds into a light compact arrangement, well suited for handling and storage.

The device may be manufactured at unusually low cost because the parts are easily formed and they require but a relatively small amount of die work. The seat may be used out of doors, as a comfortable back rest for use on bleacher seats or, for sitting on the ground at picnics and the like. Indoors, it serves as a convenient extra seat, easily taken up for storage when there is need for additional seating capacity. Especially, the device is excellent for seating children before a television set.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the drawing wherein one embodiment of the invention is displayed as follows:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the invention ready for storage;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken along the lines 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section taken along the lines 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section taken along the lines 6-6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cutting plan for one of the parts.

Referring now to the drawings, the seat is made up of a back member 10, a seat member 12, a pair of arms 14, the arms being supported by struts 16, and a pair of adjustable side braces 18 for adjusting the angle of inclination between the seat and the back.

The seat and back are of identical dimensions, being formed in the same manner from identical blanks. They differ only in the location of various holes employed for fastening the parts together. In order to emphasize the similarity of the two members, reference numerals for the seat will be distinguished from corresponding reference numerals for the back by the prefix 1 being added to the numerals applicable to the seat.

The body of the back is of approximately T-shape I made up of a central column 20 and two arms 22. Across the top of the back is a downturned flange 24. Extending along the lower part of the body 20 on each side thereof, and below portions 22, are flanges 26. At the lower portion thereof, these flanges are cut off in angular fashion at 28 to facilitate inter-fitting of the parts.

A further pair of flanges 30 are bent down from the side portions 22 and are extended at 32 to a point opposite the lowermost edge of the center panel 20. The outermost portion of the extensions should be cut off at ice an angle 34 corresponding with the cut off portion 28 of flange 26. Since the back and seat members will each be formed from a substantially rectangular piece of "sheet material, it is convenient to form the extensions 32 in the manner shown in Figure 7. The flange 26 is formed by cutting along the lines 38 and40 and bending along the line 42. The cut 40 is continued until it-joins the fold line 44, which forms the flange 30. Instead of wasting the material falling within the lines 38, 40 and 44, this portion may be bent down along the extension of line 44 to reinforce extension 32. This folded over reinforcement is indicated by reference numeral 36.

The central portion of the back and seat members may be somewhat dished at 46 to conform to the body. The indented portions 46 and 146, if formed by the same die, may be identical in configuration but if a series of progressive dies are employed, it is contemplated that the shape of depression 46 will differ somewhat from 146 in order to conform the two depressions to the shape of the body. Ventilation holes 48"may also be provided in a suitable pattern.

The back and seat are pivotally riveted together by means of four rivets passing through holes 52, in flanges 26, and 54, in extension'32; A small amount of clearance between panels 20 and 120 may be had by bending lip 58 to form a bead along the joint, thereby providing a smoother edge than would be obtained by cutting away the excess material.

The arms 14 are provided with side flanges 62 and front flange 64. The dimensions of the arms are so chosen that, when the back 10 and seat 12 are arranged flat for storage, the arms are snugly nested in the slots defined by flanges 2-6, 126 and extensions 32 and 132.

In operative position, the rear end of arms 14 are pivotally supported by rivets passing through holes 66 in flanges 26 and holes 68 in flanges 32. The front portion of the arms are supported by struts 16 riveted to flanges 62 at 74. A cross brace 76 is riveted to the inner flange 62 at 78 and to an intermediate point on the strut 72 at 80. Grommets 82 are provided around rivets 74 and S0 for a purpose to be indicated below.

To support the back 10 in adjustable position with respect to the seat 12, a brace 18 is secured by heading I on the inside of flange 130 at 84. This mounting also secures strut 16 in its lower position. A series of holes 86 in flange 30 permit the bent outer end of brace 18 to be held in such holes to permit the angle of inclination of the back to be adjusted to the most comfortable position. A hole 88 in extension 32 enables the brace 18 to be placed therein to lock the assembly in storage position.

A large hole 98 in arm 14 is adapted to receive the base of a bottle or glass and a strap 92 welded to the underside of the arm serves to support the bottle or glass. A pair of holes 94 in the front portion of the arms serves to receive pins located on the underside of tray 96 which can be supported on the arms to hold food or the like.

When the device is to be folded for storage, notches 98 in extension 132 permit rivets 74 and to be received therein in order that the entire device may be housed in a flat condition. The grommets 82 serve to space the strut 72 from the arm 14 and the cross brace 74 so that the struts 16 will lay smoothly along flange 132 while the other parts will nest neatly within the space provided for them.

It will be obvious that the device may be made in a number of sizes for children and adults. It will also be seen that the device is very simple in construction, comfortable to use and easy to store.

I claim:

1. A foldable seat including a pair of members of the same configuration, one serving as a back member and the other as a seat member, said members being formed of sheet material; each member having an overall rectangular shape, a downturned flange along the outer edge thereof, a downturned flange along each of the sides of said member, cutout portions on each side of said memher, said cutouts extending from about midway between the outer and inner edges to the inner edge and inwardly from each side, a pair of downturned flanges on the body ofthe member extending into the cutout opening and running parallel to the side flanges, means in the inner ends of the body flanges and side flanges of each member pivotally connecting the members along their inner edges means mounted in the outer portions of the side flanges of the respective members for detachably holding the back and seat members in operative relation to each other, said members, in non-operative relation, being openable to fiat storage position and a pair of arms, pivoted between the body flanges and side flanges of the back and nestable within the opening formed between the body flanges and side flanges of both back and seat members when the assembly is flat for storage.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the arms are pivotally connected at their front portions to struts which, at their opposite ends are connected to the side flanges of the seat members, the arms, struts, seat side flanges and back side flanges forming a parallel linkage whereby the arms are automatically erected to position as the back is raised from storage position to operative position.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the struts are secured to the arms on a flange depending from one side of each arm and, from a flange on the opposite side thereof a brace is provided extending to a mid-point of the strut.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein the side flanges of the seat are notched to receive the point of connection of the arms and struts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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