US2400630A - Chair - Google Patents

Description

May 21-, 1946. R. CRAl VIER EI'AL' 2,400,630

CHAIR Filed Jan, 2a, 1945 Roy A. CRAiMER Roy A CRAMER JR.

HAROLD- CRAMER.

Patented'May 21, 1946 CHAIR Roy A. Cramer, Roy A. Cramer, Jr., and Harold W. Cramer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application January 26, 1943, Serial No. 4.735%

4 Claims.

tical position.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be made apparent by the following description and the annexed drawing which, it will be understood, are only illustrative of the invention and impose no limitations thereon not imposed by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in which the same reference letter or numeral refers to like .parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a chair having a back formed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the back-retaining device shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. l, and showing a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing there is illustrated a chair formed in accordance with the invention and comprising legs 2, a vertical standard 4, a generally horizontal seat 6 and a back which, in the disclosed embodiments, is formed of a metal strip having a lower horizontal portion 8 which is attached to the under surface of the seat 6 and a part I which extends vertically upwardly at the rear of the seat 6 and supports a back-rest I2 at the upper end thereof. The horizontal part 8 of the back is preferably slidably mounted on the seat 6 whereby it may be adjusted forwardly to position A and rearwardly to position B, as shown in Fig. 1, a clamping device I4 being provided for holding the back in adjusted position.

Means are provided by the invention for permitting the back to be moved to \a lowered position as shown at C in Fig. 1. In accordance with the invention the back is formed of an upper part 20 and a lower part 22 which are connected by a horizontal hinge 24 whereby the upper part may be moved about the hinge to a lowered position over the seat 6 as shown at C.

Means are alsoprovided by the invention for normally and usually supporting the upper part 20 of the back in vertical, upwardly-extending position. Such means comprise an elongated device 26 which is U-shaped in cross-section and the inner face of the bottom wall 28 of which is rigidly attached to the rear face of. the lower part 22 of the back in such a manner that the device encloses the part 22 and the side walls 38 thereof extend forwardly of the part 22. The device 26 extends vertically upward above the hinge or pivot 25 whereby it also receives the upper part 20 of the back when the same is in its vertical positionA. In order to releasably but firmly hold the part 26 within the member 26 a U-shaped clamp device having a, bottom wall 34 and resilient side walls 36 is positioned within such member adjacent the upper end thereof, the width of the clamp device being'such that the side walls thereof will be sprung apart by movement of the part 20 between them when the part 28 is moved to or from its vertically-upward position A, In order to accommodate the side walls 36 apertures 38 are formed in the side walls 38 of the device 25, within which apertures the resilient side walls 36 of the clamp device are received, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be apparent that the upper part 28 of the back may be moved to a vertical position A or to a lowered position 0, and that it will be releasably held in vertical position by engagement of its side edges between the resilient side walls 36 of the clamp device. It will also be seen that the channel-shaped device 26 provides a means for supporting the clamp 35, in such a position above the hinge 24 that it will engage the upper part of the back.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing there is illustrated a modified but preferred form of the invention in which the lower part 22 of the back is provided, at and adjacent its upper end, with preferably integral or welded flanges or walls 40 which extend forwardly therefrom and support a pin 24 about which the lower end of the upper part 20 of the back is hinged. Above the hinge connection and in a position to engage the side edges of the part 20 when the same is moved to its vertical position A between the walls 40, the walls 40 are oppositely indented inwardly, at 42, providing a narrowed part which frictionally end resiliently engages the side edges of the part 28 to releasably hold the same in vertical position.

Chairs formed in accordance with this invention find a particular field of usefulness in aircraft, being used there principally for bombardiers, who must at times operate guns. The invention provides a simple and effective way of removing the back of the chair from the path of gun operation, as is required, while still permitting it to be used' asa chair at any time. Another use will be to permit a chair to be entirely positioned beneath a desk or table when it is desirable that it be outof the way.

While We have described and illustrated cer tain embodiments of our invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be discovered or modifications made without departing in any way from the spirit or scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be had to the appended,

claims.

a What is claimed is:

ing a metal strip having a first part connected to the seat and a second part extending vertically upward at the rear of the seat, said second part secured to the upper end portion of the lower part seat, both said parts being formed of relatively thin'metal strips, said second part comprising an upper part and a lower part, means for hingedly connecting said upper and lower parts together whereby the upper part may be moved forwardly and downwardly to a lowered position substan-J tially parallel with said seat or to an upper position in substantial alignment with the lower part i so as 'to be in back-supporting position, said means comprising a channel-shaped clamp device having a rear wall of substantial length rigidly and flanges formed integrally with said wall and 1. A chair comprising a seat, a back comprisextending forwardly of said wall and said lower part, a hinge pin supported by said flanges forv wardly ofsaid'lower part and a substantial discomprising an upper part and a lower part,- flanges rigidly secured to the sides of the lower part at the upper end thereof and extending forwardly I V of the latter, a hinge pin supported by said flanges,

m'eans'for hingedly connecting the lower end of said upper part to said pin whereby the upper part may be moved to a lowered position or to an upper position to contact and be supported by the upper end of the lower part, and means asso-' ciated with said flanges to releasably hold said upper partin its upper position. 1 V i 2. A chair comprising a seat, supporting means for the seat, a back comprising a metal strip hav ing a first part connected to the seat and a second part extending substantially vertically up! ward at therear of the seat, said second part.

tion substantially aligned with said lower part,

' a substantialjportion' -Qf the lower end of the upper part contacting: and being supported by,

the upper endof the lower part when in said upper position, and resilient portions associated with the flanges and extending inwardly of the upper ends thereof for releasably maintaining the upper part in its upper position. 7

3; A chair comprising a seat, supporting means for the seat, aback comprising a' firs t part connected with the seat and a second part extending substantially vertically upward at the 'rear eithe her to'releasably hold tance below the upper edges of the flanges, the 7 lower end portion of the upper part when in its upper position contacting the upper end portion of the lower part throughout a substantial portion of its length and said last-named portion having a part extending forwardly'and being, hingedly connected with said pin, and means as-' sociated with the upper portions of said flanges to engage said upper-part when in its upperr posi tionto releasably hold it in such position. 1 g;

4. A chair comprising a seat; supporting means for the seat, a back comprising a lower member andan upper member, said lower member being l -shap edand having a first part connected with said seat and a second part extendingupwardly means for 'hingedlyf connecting said jmembers 1 together whereby the upper member may he I ,moved' to a lowered position substantially parallel with the seat'or to an upper position in substan-' tial alignment withzithe second part of the loweri member soas to'be in back-supporting position;-

said means including spaced-apart flanges rigidly secured to the upper 'end'portion of said second. part and extending forwardly thereof, a hinge pinsupportedby said flangesa substantial dis- I tance below the upper edges, thereof andforwardly of said second part, the upper memberextending downwardly between said flanges and having its lowerend portion hingedly connected with said pin-whereby a substantial portionof said lower end portion contacts and issupp'orted bysaid upper end. portion of the lower member when the upper'in'ember is moved to its upper position, and means associated with the upper portions of said flanges to engage the upper mem it in its upper position.

R.'A. CRAMER.g 7 HAROLD w. C R-LAMERZFF ;R ,O-Y A. QRAMER; J

Images