US2215425A - Roller attachment for rocking chairs - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1940. E. E. I oNGFELLow ROLLER ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING CHAIRS Filed Sept. 28. 1938 ATTORNEY.

l 35 in Fig. 1; and frame is underhung whereby the gaps I6 between Patented sept. 17, 1940 n 2,215,425.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,215,425 ROLLER ATTACHMENT Fon. BOOKING CHAIRS Earl E. Longfellow, Warsaw, Ind., assignor to Harry Herschel Leiter, Warsaw, Indf Application September 28, 1938, Serial No. 232,149

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-61) This invention relates to a roller attachment adjustment of the tubes, the stirrup castings are for rocking chairs, and an object thereof is to spaced apart from each other selectively at points provide an adjustable support including wheels as required so as to receive the rockers 8 of a and stirrups so constituted as to be readily aprocking-chair 9 between the inner and outer 6 plied to and removed from a rocking-chair withflanges I0 and II of the corresponding castings. 5 out securing means that ordinarily are resorted Each of said castings has integral with its outer to that tend to mar the rocker or other parts stirrup flange II a bracket I2, the lower part of the chair and require the use of tools and more of which is bifurcated to provide an opening I3 or less mechanical skill when such devices are therein, said bracket constituting a guard for the 10 applied. corresponding outer end of the -frame and the 10V Another object of the invention is to provide wheel therein.

a roller attachment for' rocking-chairs that when Upon a stationary axle-shaft I4 in each stirapplied, the chair is elevated from the oor by rup casting is journaled a Wheel I5, preferably the attachment, merely by applying rocking rubber-tired, and with the lower portion thereof movement to the chair when the attachment is extending through the opening I3 in the bracket a 16 placed into position to receive the weight of the suiiicient distance that the frame when in operchair with its occupant, and which requires ating position is sustained by the wheels in a but negligible physical exertion upon the part of plane suitably spaced above the floor to permit the operator. free travel thereover. The ends of the shafts I4 And a further object of the invention is to proextend respectively into the corresponding outer 20 vide a roller attachment so constituted, that stirrup flanges II and guard-brackets I2, and when applied enables an attendant to maneuver thus each of said shafts receive support at both a rocking-chair about upon the floor within an ends in the corresponding stirrup castings while extremely confined area thereof, and move it the wheels are disposed upon said shafts between about generally from one place to another, withthe supported ends thereof. In this manner 25 out discomposure of the occupant. bending of said shafts when the frame is loaded Other objects and advantages of the invention by the chair and its occupant is circumvented. appear in the following description. A feature of the invention is that the lower An illustrative embodiment of the invention portions of the stirrup castings as well as the is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: telescopic tubular connections adjustably con- 30 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a preferred form necting the -castings are disposed in planes lower of the invention, a portion thereof being in secthan the axle-shafts I4 for the wheels, so that tion; the frame normally is pendant from the axes of Fig. 2 is an outer end view of the device shown said shafts. In this respect the mounting of the 5 Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the the inner and outer flanges I0 and II of the stirline 3-3 thereof, a fragmentary part of the rockrups are always openly exposed upwardly in proping chair being included in the View. er position to receive the chair rockers. The illustrative embodiment of the invention Each stirrup preferably is padded with a cushconsists of a frame having two stirrup castings I ion Il formed of rubber, felt or the like, and is 40 and 2 that are adjustably connected together, disposed so as to over-lie the upper face of the preferably by telescoping tubes 3 and 4 that are bottom portion of the stirrup and the adjacent secured firmly in connection respectively with faces of the flanges I0 and II, thusl to circumvent the corresponding castings. 'Ihe tube 4 has in marring of the chair rockers when the device is its top an elongated slot 5 through which loosely applied theretd y 45 extends a clamp-screw 6, the shank 'I of which is Operation y threaded in Ithe tube 4, so that when the screw is tightened' its lower end bears against the In use, the rocking chair 1s rocked elther forlower inner Wan of the tube y)y thus to hold the wardly or backwardlynand while thus tilted the telescopng tubes from having relative axial attachment 1s moved in'under the chair so the 50 movement-, The Screw 6 also, by extending rockers enter they gaps 1n the stirrups through .through the slot 5, prevents relative angular the open tops thereof. The chairis then rocked movement of the tubes, and when the screw is in the opposite direction onto the stirrups, whereloosened axial sliding movement of the inner tubev upon the Chair With its Occupant iS eleVated 4 in the outer tube is permitted, and thus by bodily from the 11001' and balanced on the frame .55

2t While supported by the. wheels. Thus positioned upon the attachment, the chairis readily movable in all directions over the floor requiring only slight physical exertion upon the part of the attendant. The attachment is readily removed from operating connection with the chair merely by tilting the chair forwardly or backwardly so that the rockers of the chair bear upon the oor, whereupon the attachmentis easily rolled from beneath the chair and out of the way, thus leaving the chair resting with its rockers on the floor. The forward and rear edges of the stirrups extend to points beyond the outer perimeters of j 'the wheels so that when swung upon the axes of the wheels in either direction to receive the rockers of the chair the lowermost Aedges of the stirrups then project a substantial distance beneath the rockers or have contactrwith the oor. In this manner rocking of the chair into balance position onto the stirrups is greatly facilitated and without thrusting the attachment out of rocker-receiving position during the transfer of spirit or scope of the invention, and the following claims are intended to be inclusive of such variations.

What I claim is:

1. A roller attachment for rocking-chairs consisting of a pair of wheels axially alined, axleshafts for said wheels, an underhung frame pendantly connected with respect to said axleshafts, said frame having a stirrup member adjacent the inner end of each wheel and including y an adjustable connection arranged between said members to permit selective spacing apart of said members toward or from each other, and a bracket on the outer end of each of said members constituting a Wheel-guard disposed adjacent the outer end of the corresponding wheel and having an opening in its bottom through which the lower portion of the corresponding wheel protrudes so that when the frame is in operative position it is held out of contact with the floor while said Wheels rest thereon.

2. A roller attachment for rocking chairs, said attachment consisting of a framevprovided at its endswith open top stirrup members and supporting wheels therefor, said members having forwardly and backwardly projecting extensions that project beyond the outer perimeters of said wheelsY thus to facilitate engagement of said members with the bottoms of thev rockers of a chair while the chair is rocked 01T balance and when said chair is subsequently rocked into balanced position thereon.

EARL E. LONGFELLOW.

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