GB2186189A - Garden furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of garden furniture comprising a load bearing platform 10 supported by a framework 11 of rustic timber. The framework 11 is built up from pre-formed units which include two upright end units 12 and at least one longitudinal unit 13 which can be laid flat for storage prior to being releasably secured together. The article may take the form either of a seat or of a table. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Garden furniture This invention concerns garden furniture of a kind comprising a load bearing platform, such as a chair seat member or a table top, supported by a framework of rustic timber.

Rustic timber has the advantage of providing a natural and visually attractive appearance which is not provided by industrial materials, such as tubular metal, moulded plastics or machined to size wood, which are commonly used in furniture manufacture. However, whereas such industrial materials, although more expensive, can be employed with considerable precision in conjunction with precision fittings to form mechanically, e.g. pivotally, collapsible articles of furniture such as folding garden chairs and tables, rustic timbers, even when cut to length, are irregular in diameter, shape and grain and are thus unsuitable for use in mass production, and are traditionally employed by craftsman to construct individually distinctive complete articles of furniture.However, such articles give rise to problems of very high storage and transportation costs due to their bulk, and difficulty of repair due to their individual construction in addition to their high constructional labour costs.

An object of the invention is to enable such problems to be reduced or avoided.

According to the present invention, there is provided an article of garden furniture comprising a framework to support a load bearing platform, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright end units which provide support for end portions at least one longitudinal unit; wherein each end unit comprises a transverse member which is fixedly secured to an upright member and which provides support for one end portion of the platform; and wherein said end portion are releasably detachably secured to said end units to enable said units and platform to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

The invention more particularly provides a garden seat comprising a framework to support a load bearing seat member, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright arm rest unis which provide support for end portions of a longitudinal spar unit and a longitudinal backrest unit; wherein each arm rest unit comprises a seat support member which is fixedly secured to two upright members and which provides support for one end portion of the seat member; and wherein said end portions are releasably detachably secured to said arm rest units to enable said units and seat member to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

Each arm rest unit preferably comprises an arm rest member bridging the upright members; and the backrest unit is preferably connected or connectable to the armrest members and inclined rear ones of the upright members. Front ones of the upright members are preferably vertical or near vertical and are connected or connectable to the spar unit.

The invention further provides a garden table comprising a framework to support a table top, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright leg units which provide support for end portions of a longitudinal spar unit and two upper longitudinal upper rail units; wherein each leg unit comprises a transverse member which is fixedly secured to an upright leg member and which provides support for one end portion of the table top and wherein said end portions are releasably detachably secured to said leg units and table top to enable them to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

The table top preferably overlaps the upper units and the transverse members.

In all articles, the spar unit serves as a tie beween two of the leg or upright members, and each of the end portions of the spar unit is preferably trimmed to produce a flat lower face, which preferably extends across at least one third of the overall diameter of the end portion; and each of these leg or upright members is preferably grooved transversely to provide an open sided socket having a flat lower surface to abut the flat lower face on the spar unit.

The invention further provides an article of rustic garden furniture comprising two such leg units secured together by such a longitudi 4vial spar unit.

The units are preferably secured together simply by means of male threaded fasteners such as woodscrews and coach bolts.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, which show articles of garden furniture in accordance with the invention, and in which: Figure 1 shows a garden seat in front elevation; Figure 2 the seat in side elevation; Figure 3 shows an armrest unit of the seat in front elevation; Figure 4 shows the armrest unit with one end portion of a spar unit; Figure 5 shows a garden table in front elevation; Figure 6 shows a leg unit of the table in side elevation; and Figure 7 shows the leg unit in plan with one end portion of a top rail.

The articles generally comprise a load bearing platform 10 supported by a framework 11 of rustic timber, which timber is preferably debarked, sanded to remove sharp protuberances and splinters, and chemically treated, or coated e.g. varnished or polished to produce an attractive finish. The framework 11 is built up from pre-formed units which include two upright end units 12 and at least one longitudinal unit 13.

In the seat shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the units 12 are arm rest units, the unit 13 is a backrest unit, and a spar unit 13A serves as a further longitudinal unit. The backrest unit 13 comprises a rectangular frame, including upper and lower members 20 and 21 permanently secured to two upstanding end members 22, and an infill of rustic members 23 permanently secured between the upper and lower members, e.g. by means of nails.

Each arm rest unit 12 includes front and rear upstanding leg members 24 and 25, a transverse arm rest member 26, bridging the leg members, and a transverse seat support member 27, which members are permanently secured together.

The spar unit 13A comprises a main spar 28 each end portion of which is cut away to provide undersurface 28 which, when the units are assembled together, overlies the seat support member 27 and rests on a lower surface 29 of a socket 30 (Fig. 3) formed in the front leg member 24, as shown in Fig. 4; and is provided with two short rustic braces 31 which are releasably securable to the leg members 24 below the seat support member 27.

The platform 10 is a seat member comprising, for example, two boards 32 the end portions of which rest on and are releasably secured to the seat support members 27, e.g.

by means of woodscrews.

The units, prior to being releasably secured together to form the framework to support the seat member 10, may be stacked or laid flat for storage and transportation. For ease of assembly each arm rest unit 12 is pre-drilled to receive three coach bolts 33, 34 and 35 (Fig. 2) for releasably securing a rear portion of the member 26 and the rear leg member 25 to one of the end members 22, and one of the end portions of the spar 28 in the socket 30. Each of the end members 22 is preferably planed to provide a flat end surface which abuts the arm rest unit 12; and each of the arm rest members 26 is preferably planed to provide a flat undersurface which abuts the tops of the leg members 24 and 25.The height of the sockets 30 and the thickness of the end portions of the spar 28 are preferably about the same as, or only slightly greater, e.g. 1 to 2 cm, than, the thickness of boards 32; alternatively packing may be provided between the ends of the boards and the seat support member 27 to raise the seat member 10.

In the table shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the platform 10 is a table top comprising boards 32, which may be joined by cross members; the end units 12 are leg units; and the longitudinal units 13 comprise a spar unit 13A and two upper rail units 13B.

Each leg unit 12 comprises a single leg member 30 a transverse top member 50 secured, e.g. nailed, to the top of the leg member, a foot member 52 secured to the bottom of the leg member, and, optionally, upper and lower short braces 53.

The end portions of the top member 50 are halved to provide flat vertical inwardly directed surfaces 54 (Fig. 7) to which table top anchoring brackets 55 are secured, and against which the ends of the rail units 13B abut. The end portion are pre-drilled to receive coach bolts 56 to releasably secure the rail units to the top members 50.

The leg members 50 provide sockets 30 to receive the end portions of the spar unit 13A as described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, but the braces 31 of the spar unit 1 3A are upwardly inclined towards the leg members 50.

The table top 10 is releasably fastened to the brackets 55 so as to rest on and overhang the rail units and top members 50.

It will be readily appreciated that the frameworks of the articles are manufactured simply from cut-to length rustic timbers secured together to form lay flat units which can be simply and rapidly releasably fastened together to form the frameworks, thereby substantially obviating the problems hereinbefore set forth; and the minimal woodworking required to provide sockets and flat surfaces does not involve expensive precision machining, and such woodworking can be performed simply, and inexpensively to approximate dimensions, without regard to surface finish.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing examples, and many variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

For example, the dimensions may be varied to the extent that the table's form of construction may be employed to construct a bench seat, and the seat's form of construction may be employed to form a chair.

The table top may be circular.

The backrest may be modified, e.g. the lower member may be extended, lower ends of the members 22 may rest thereon and the leg units may be secured thereto.

Claims (12)

1. An article of garden furniture comprising a framework to support a load bearing platform, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright end units which provide support for end portions at least one longitudinal unit; wherein each end unit comprises a transverse member which is fixedly secured to an upright member and which provides support for one end portion of the platform; and wherein said end portions are releasably detachably secured to said end units to enable said units and platform to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

2. An article as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the longitudinal unit or at least one of said longitudinal units is a spar unit which serves as a tie between the end units.

3. An article of garden furniture in the form of a garden seat comprising a framework to support a load bearing seat member, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright arm rest units which provide support for end portions of a longitudinal spar unit and a longitudinal backrest unit; wherein each arm rest unit comprises a seat support member which is fixedly secured to two upright members and which provides support for one end portion of the seat member; and wherein said end portions are releasably detachably secured to said arm rest units to enable said units and seat member to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

4. An article as claimed in Claim 3 wherein each arm unit comprises an arm rest member bridging the upright members,

5. An article as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the backrest unit is connected or connectable to the armrest members and inclined rear ones of the upright members.

6. An article as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 wherein front ones of the upright members are vertical or near vertical and are connected or connectable to the spar unit.

7. An article of garden furniture in the form of a garden table comprising a framework to support a table top, wherein the framework is composed substantially of units formed primarily from rustic timber, the units including two upright leg units which provide support for end portions of a longitudinal spar unit and two upper longitudinal upper rail units; wherein each leg unit comprises a transverse member which is fixedly secured to an upright leg member and which provides support for the table top, and wherein said end portions are releasably detachably secured to said leg units and table top to enable them to be laid flat for storage prior to being secured together or after being separated.

8. An article as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the table top overlaps the upper units and the transverse members, and is releasably secured to the transverse members.

9. An article as claimed in any one Claims 2 to 8 wherein, of the spar unit which serves as a tie between two of the leg or upright members, each of the end portions is trimmed to produce a flat lower face which extends across at least one third of the overall dia meter of the end portion; and wherein each of these leg or upright members is grooved transversely to provide an open sided socket having a flat lower surface to abut the flat lower face on the spar unit.

10. An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the units are secured together simply by means of male threaded fasteners.

11. A garden seat constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawing.

12. An article of garden furniture constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.