US2839125A - Adjustable head roll for seat structure - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1958 J. J. BRANDON ADJUSTABLE HEAD ROLL FOR SEAT STRUCTURE Filed May 19, 1954 IN V EN T 0R.

United States Patent ADJUSTABLE HEAD ROLL FOR SEAT STRUCTURE Joseph J. Brandon, Chicago, Iil., assignor to Coach and Car Equipment Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporafion of Illinois Application May 19, 1954, Serial No. 430,781

' 6 Claims. c1.1ss-177 This invention relates to an improved seat structure of the general class used in railway passenger cars, airplanes and highway buses, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved head rest for a seat structure of the above class.

The above type of seat structure ordinarily includes a head roll at the upper end of the back rest portion of the seat. Such head roll is usually formed integrally with the back structure, but in some instances it has been proposed to hingedly support the head roll on the upper end of the back rest portion of the seat structure. Applicants co-pending application Serial No. 365,579, now Patent No. 2,801,678, dated August 6, 1957, is directed broadly to an adjustable head roll of the general class herein disclosed, but includes a torque spring for supporting the head roll in various positions of adjustment. The present invention is directed to improvements on the said co-pending application with the view of simplifying the hinged articulation of the head roll to the upper end of the seat structure and to provide improved means for supporting the head roll in various positions of adjustment.

According to the present invention, the head roll portion of a seat back structure is pivotally attached to the upper end of the back rest portion of said structure so that the head roll may be readily and conveniently adjusted to various angular positions relative to the back rest portion by merely applying suitable pressure to the head rest in an appropriate direction. In this connection, the head roll is maintained in any desired adjusted position by means of a friction clutch. The said clutch is composed of a plurality of friction discs which are so cooperatively embodied in the back structure of the seat as to simplify the installation and operation thereof. In this connection, the clutch discs are mounted on a bar which constitutes a part of the hinged structure for attaching the head roll to the back rest portion of the seat structure. All of the discs are movable lengthwise of said bar into frictional engagement with each other and are held in such frictional contact by means of a compression spring. Certain of the said discs are formed to cooperatively engage a portion of the head roll structure so as to rotate therewith about the axis of said bar and certain other discs of the clutch structure are held against rotation on said bar with their opposite side faces pressed into frictional engagement with adjacent discs by virtue of the force exerted by said compression spring.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates, in side elevation, a seat back structure provided with a head rest which is adjustable to various positions in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of the upper portion of the seat back shown in Fig. 1, illustrating in dotted lines a forward adjustment of the head rest section;

Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation of the upper portion of a seat back structure with the upholstery removed therefrom so as to illustrate the hinged connection beice tween the head roll and the back rest portion of the seat structure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 through the clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 3 and parts of the adjacent frame, this figure being shown on a larger scale for the purpose of clearness; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the clutch mechanism on line 5-5 and illustrating the construction of another clutch disc for cooperative engagement with the hinge rod and with a portion of the head roll frame,

The seat structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a seat cushion 10, an arm rest 11, and a sectional back structure. The back structure comprises a lower section 12 and an upper or head rest section 13. The head rest section includes a rigid frame comprising a bowed tubular element 14, the lower ends of which are welded or otherwise suitably secured to a crossbar 15. The crossbar 15 is preferably, though not necessarily, rectangular in cross-section so as to provide a support for a nailing strip 15a and to also provide a flat bottom surface 16. A plurality of sleeve elements 17 are welded or otherwise secured to the bottom surface 16 of the bar 15. The said sleeves are arranged in spaced relation to each other and fit over a tubular hinge bar 18 with capacity for rotational movement about the bar. The opposite ends of the bar 1% extend into openings 20 -20 of adaptor studs 21 and are secured therein against rotation by means of set screws 18a. The said studs 21 are formed with stem portions 21a which are tightly fitted in the upper ends of tubular side posts 19-19 of the lower section 12 of the back structure.

It will be seen from the above that the elements 17, 18 and 21 provide a hinged attachment of the head roll frame structure to the upper end of the frame structure of the lower section 12 of the back rest. The hinged connection is preferably such that the frame 14 of the head roll portion 13 is normally aligned with the side post 19 of the section 12 and is adjustable only to forward angular positions relative to the section 12. In order to avoid movement of the head rest rearwardly from its normal position, the adaptor studs 21 are formed with flat upper surfaces 21a which abut against the lower surface 16 of the bar 15 to limit the counterclockwise movement of the head roll, as shown in Fig. 2, to a position in which the frame element 14 of the head rollfis aligned with-the side post 1% of the back rest frame.

An angle bar 22 extends across the back structure and is welded to the side posts 1919 at a location near the upper end so as to firmly secure the side posts together. A nailing strip 23 is mounted on the angle bar 22 to which a back panel 24 may be secured. Suitable panels 25 and 26 are secured to the front and rear planes of the head roll frame 14. A pad 27 of foam rubber is preferably secured to the panel 25. The front face of the frame structure of the back rest section 12 is preferably provided with a plurality of vertical and transverse straps 2829 which serve as a support for a foam rubber pad 35. An envelope 31 of sheet material is fitted over the entire structure, as shown in Fig. 2, and is stitched to the pads 27 and 3d, as indicated at 32.

The friction member or clutch for retaining the head roll in various adjusted positions is indicated generally by the reference character 33. It is of special construction whereby its several parts have direct cooperative relation with parts of the lower and upper sections 12 and 13 of the back structure. The said clutch includes a series of plates 34, 35, all of which are mounted on the hinge rod 18 with capacity for movement lengthwise of the rod and are pressed into frictional engagement with each other by means of a compression spring 36, one end of which presses against a clutch plate 34 and the other end bears 3 against a sleeve 37 fixed to the hinge bar 18 by means of a set screw 38 whereby the sleeve 37 may be adjusted lengthwise of the rod 18 to provide the desired compressioh of the spring. Each of the clutch plates 34 is formed with a circular central opening 39 and is rotatable about the outer surface of the bar 1-8.1 The upper ends of the plates 34 are provided with flat edge surfaces 40 which engage the fiat underface 16 of the crossbar '15 whereby movement of the head rest section 13 to various angular positions impartsrotary movement of the clutch discs 34 about the axis of the hinge bar 18, The clutch plates 35 are in the form tof circular discs and are interposed be tween adjacent clutch plates 34' The said discs 35 are formed withcentral openings which receive one end portion'of the bar 18, the said discs being formed with fiat faces .41 which engage fiat faces 36 formed on the bar 18 and, therefore, lock the discs 35 against rotation on the bar. t r

When it is desired to adjust the head rest section 13' relative to the back rest section 12, the head rest section is moved from one position to another by merely applying force thereto in anappropriate direction to turn it about the hinge bar 18. The frictional force exerted by the several discs 35 and the cooperating plates 34 will be sufiicient to hold the head roll section 13 in any adjusted position desired. 1

What Iclaim is:

1. A seat back structure, comprising in combination, a back rest section, a head rest section including a hinge bar fixed to the back rest section for hingedly attaching V the head rest section to the upper portion of the back alternative friction members with fiat surfaces for engag ing the fiat surfaces on said hinge bar.

3. A seat back structure as defined in'claim 2 characterized in that the head rest section includes a frame having a transverse rigidifying bar provided with a fiat lower surface and the group of plates which are rotatably mounted on said hinge bar are formed, with-[straight upper edges slidably engaging the flat lower surface'of said rigidifying bar. I

4. A seat back structure as defined in claim 3 characterized by the provision of an abutment on said fixed hinge bar and in that the spring for exerting pressure against the friction plates is mounted under predetermined compression on said hinge bar and bears against said plates and said abutment. V p

5. A seat back structure as defined in claim 4 characterized in that the ends of said hinge bar are secured to adaptor studs fixed to side post elements of a frame structure for the back rest section and in that the upper engaging a portion of the head rest section for limiting the-rearward movement thereof.

engaging atportion of the head rest section, whereby the last mentioned group of plates are rotatably movable with the head ,rest' section about said hinge bar, and preadjusted spring means positioned to exert uniform axial pressure against said friction members to hold them in constant frictional engagement with each other.

2. A seat back structure as defined in claim 1 characterized in' that the locking of one group of friction mern- 6. A seat back structure as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said flat surfaces on said hinge bar are in the form of chords extending from spaced, points on the cylindrical outer surface of said hinge bar and in that the friction plates which are rotatably mounted on the hinge bar are positioned to engage only the curved outer surface of the bar intermediate said flat surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden Ian. 2,

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