US2851090A - Chair - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1958 E. F. HAMILTON 2,

CHAIR Filed July :1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3f 1 Y v dax I. .3. 43 if 43 45 3,33% 45 x if u i uvwszv ron fie; L b's/nu r04,

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E. F. HAMILTON 2,851,090

CHAIR 2 Sheets-Shae? 2 Sept. 9, 1958 Filed July 31, 1956 l I'Ill u m I United States Patent ice ig CHAIR Earl F. Hamilton, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Corporation, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,149

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-194) This invention relates to a chair and more particularly to a knock-down chair which can be readily assembled. It is an object of the invention to produce a chair of knockdown construction which may be readily erected and which, when erected, will be of attractive appearance and sturdy construction.

A chair embodying my invention comprises four principal parts-namely, a seat, a pair of side members, and a back. In the preferred construction, the back com prises a frame member in the general form of an inverted U desirably provided with cross-slats; each side member is formed of metal tubing also bent into the general form of an inverted U; and the seat rests on the intermediate portions of the U-shaped side members, the remaining portions of which constitute front and rear legs. Below the seat, the rear legs are provided in their rear faces with openings, and the lower ends of the back-frame member enter such openings and extend downwardly within the rear legs to provide a vertically extended bearing contributing to the rigidity of the construction. The seat desirably comprises a sheet-metal seat-pan provided along its sides with downwardly opening grooves receiving and locating the intermediate stretches of the U-shaped side member. For reasons which will become apparent hereinafter the back-frame member and two side members are desirably formed of tubing which is of a generally square cross-section but which is modified from a true square in that the side walls have a slight camber.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the chair in erected condition with a portion of the seat broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chair;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevation similar to Fig. l but on an enlarged scale with portions of the structure broken away to illustrate interior construction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental rear elevation of a portion of a rear leg; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

The chair illustrated in the drawing comprises a seat 15, a back designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 16, and a pair of side members each designated. in its entirety by the reference numeral 17. The seat (Figs. 4 and 5) includes a sheet-metal seat-pan formed to provide a down-turned peripheral flange 21 terminating at its lower edge in an out-turned bead 22. A second sheet-metal member 23 is provided with a down-turned peripheral flange 24 telescoping over the flange 21 of the seat-pan. Appropriate padding 25 on the member 23 is covered with any appropriate upholstery material 26. Preferably, the padding 25 and the upholstery material 26 extends downwardly over the flange 24 and upwardly within such flange so as to be held securely between the two flanges 21 and 24 when the member 23 is in place,

The member 23 and the seat-pan 20 are secured together by any appropriate means such as screws (not shown) passing through the seat-pan and into the member 23.

Along each side of the seat, the metal of the pan 20 is ofiset upwardly as indicated at 30 to provide a downwardly opening groove adapted to receive the intermediate portion 31 of the side member 17, such side member being in the general form of an inverted U to provide, in addition to the intermediate portion 31, a front leg 32 and a rear leg 33. Desirably, each of the side members 17 is formed of metal tubing of a generally square cross-section but having side walls possessing a slight convex chamber, as will be clear from Figs. 5 and 7. Below the seat, each of the rear legs 33 is sheared to provide a tongue 34 continuous at its upper end with the metal of the rear legwall but separated from such metal along its sides and at its lower end. Such tongue is bent inwardly to extend across the interior of the rear leg with its lower end engaging and extending along the surface of the front legwall, as indicated in Fig. 4. If desired, feet 35 may be provided on the lower ends of the front and rear legs.

The back 16 comprises a frame member desirably formed of the same tubular stock as that used in the side members 17 and bent into the form of an inverted U to provide two generally vertical side portions 37 and an intermediate portion 38. For a substantial distance upwardly from the lower ends of the side portions 37, such side portions are reduced in cross-sectional dimensions to enter the openings formed in the rear legs 33 by the inward bending of the tongues 34. In so reducing the crosssection of the lower ends of the side portions 37, it is convenient to displace the front wall of each inwardly to form a deep channel or'groove 38. In addition to reducing the cross-sectional dimensions of the lower ends of each side portion 37, I bend each reduced lower end rearwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 4 and provide it with a shoulder 40 adapted to seat against the lower edge of the opening in the associated rear leg 33.

To complete the back, I provide cross-slats 42 extending horizontally between the side members 37 of the back frame-member. Conveniently, such cross-slats are tubular and have the form of an elongated oval, their ends being partially collapsed and thereby tapered to enter openings in the side portions 37 with a tight fit. Such slats 42 are inserted in the openings in the side portions 37 before the frame-member is given its final form.

For the purpose of securing the seat to the intermediate portions 31 of the side members, a pair of nuts 43 are secured in the base of each groove 30 in theseat-pan 20, such nuts receiving screws 45 extending upwardly through the intermediate portion 31 of each side member. To provide clearance for the nuts, the upper wall of such intermediate portion 31 may be offset downwardly as indicated at 46. Each channel or groove 30 is formed to receive its associated intermediate portion 31 with a snug fit, thus locating such intermediate portion positively in the plane of the seat. The cambered side walls of the tubing from which the 'side members 16 are formed makes such a tight fit possible in spite of dimensional variations which may occur in manufacture. In other words, the groove 30 is made narrow enough that the associated intermediate portion cannot enter it without some deflection of its cambered side walls, so that tightening of the screws 45 will result in some slight collapse of such Walls leaving them bearing resiliently but firmly against the sides of the groove 30.

To secure the back in place, I provide nuts 48 mounted in the inwardly deflected front wall of the side portions 37, as indicated in Fig. 4, such nuts receiving screws 49 which extend through the rear legs 33 from the front side thereof.

51 of the collapsed lower end will be located adjacent the front" wall of the rear leg 33. With such arrangement, tightening of each screw 49 willtend to rock the back about the portion 51 urging such portion forwardly while, at the same time, urging the extreme lower end 50 rearwardly. Preferably, the width'of the collapsedlower end of each side portion 37 is such that asthe screws 49 draw the back into its final position the extreme lower end 50 will be wedged between'the cambered side walls of the lower leg 33 and the curved portion 51 will. similarly be wedged between such cambered side wall. This feature, coupled with the snug fit of the side portions 37 between the sides of the opening left by inward deflection of the tongue 34 provides, in effect, a vertically extending hearing of relatively great effective length preventing both side members from rocking about the axes of their respective intermediate portions 31.

As will be obvious, when the chair is in knocked-down conditionthese various elements may be arranged to form a compact package. To assemble the chair, it is necessary only to place the intermediate portions 31 of the side members in the grooves 30 of the seat, insert the screws 45, run the lower ends of the side portions 37 at the back into the openings in the rear legs 33, and insert the screws 49. Most'conveniently, none of the screws 45 and 49 are tightened until all have been inserted, whereupon all of Q the screws may be successively tightened. Since the snug fit of the intermediate portions 31 of the side members withinthe grooves 30 locates the side members positively in the plane of the seat, and since the vertically extended bearing between the side portions 37 of the back frame and the rear legs 33 prevents rotation of the side members about the axes of their respective intermediate portions, the chair, when assembled, is exceptionally rigid and sturdy.

I claimas my invention:

1. A chair, comprising a seat, a pair of side members, and a back. each of said side members being of metal tubing bent into the general form of an inverted U to provide a generally horizontal intermediate portion, a front leg, and a rear leg, said seat being secured to the intermediate nortions of the side members said rear legs being 4 provided'below the seat with openings in their rear walls, said .back comprising sides, the lower ends of which extend through said openings and downwardly within the rear legs, and means for securing said side portions to said rear legs.

'2. A chair as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said seat is provided alongtits side edges with downwardly opening grooves snugly receiving the horizontal intermediate portions of said side members and locating them in the plane of the seat.

3. A chairas set term in claim 1 with the addition that the tubing from which said side members are formed is generally rectangular in cross-section and has two opposite walls which" are cambered, the lowerends of the sides of the back being curved to provide vertically spaced portions one of which is wedged between said cambered sides near the rear of the rear leg and the other of which is wedged between said cambered sides near the front of the rear leg.

4. Ina' chair, a seat, means including rear legs for supporting said seat, and a back, said rear legs being tubular and being provided below said seat with openings in their rear walls,- said back including sides the lower ends of which extend through such openings and downwardly within the rear legs.

5. A'- chair as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that theftubing from which said rear legs are formed is generally rectangular in cross section and has two opposite walls which are cambered, the lower ends of the sides of the back being curved to provide vertically spaced portions one of which iswedged between said cambered'sidesne'ar the'rear of the rear leg andthe other of-whieh is wedged between said cambered sides near the front of the rear leg.

6. A chair'as set forth in claim 5 with the addition of means for securing said sides in said rear legs said-means acting at a point above the upper one of said vertically spaced portions and tending to rock the back relative to the rear legs to increase the tightness of the fit of each such portion between said cambered sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,346,448 Noblitt et al. Apr. 11, 1944 2,710,053 Hamilton' June 7. 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,251 Great Britain July 5, 1932 471,625 Canada Feb. 20; 1951

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