US2516712A - Reclining chair with stationary arms - Google Patents

Description

July 25, 1950 F. c. MAURER RECLINING CHAIR WITH STATIONARY ARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1947 Fred C May/"er".

(Ittorneu July 25, 1950 F. c. MAURER 2,516,712

RECLINING CHAIR WITH STATIONARY ARMS Filed Jan. 18, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnnentor kreo C Nearer! (Ittorneg July 25, 1950 F. c. MAURER RECLINING CHAIR WITH STATIONARY ARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 18, 1947 r w 8 m r W W a NW C Mm Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Fred C. Maurer, North Lima, Ohio, assignor to. The Kenmar Manufacturing Company, East Palestine, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 18, 1947, Serial No. 722,881

This invention relates to reclining chairs and more particularly to reclining chairs having stationary arm constructions.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a reclining chair having stationary arm constructions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined chair frame and arm construction supporting a chair seat and back unit for reclining movement with respect thereto.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reclining chair having fixed arms and means supporting the said reclining chair for movement between the said fixed arms.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reclining chair assembly having fixed arms and means engageable between the chair assembly and the arms for locking the chair assembly in fixed position.

The reclining chair shown and described herein has been designed to form a more comfortable and attractive form of reclining chair than has heretofore been known. It is well known that many reclining chairs have been made and marketed which comprised a complete chair assembly including seat, back and arm constructions formed in an integral unit and the whole of which was positioned on a base for movement with respect thereto and usually to permit tilting the chair backward from its usual upright position.

It is also known that reclining chairs have been formed in which fixed arms were employed and in which a fixed seat portion was positioned and the back of a chair so arranged as to be movable thereby permitting it to be tilted backwardly to form a reclining surface. These types of chairs known in the art have been uncomfortable and awkward in use and often of unsightly appearance.

These objections in this general type of chair construction have been overcomein the chair herein disclosed in that it presents an attractive over-all appearance in either upright or reclining position. It is so formed that the positioning of the seat and back portion of the chair may be changed without altering the positioning of the arms and for this reason the arms may be used by the person seated in the chair in tilting the chair to a desired position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and ar- 'rangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it'being understood that changes in the-precise embodi- 7 Claims. (Cl. 155-116) ment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the chair in upright position.

Figure. 2 is a front elevation of the chair in upright position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the chair in reclining position.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the chair in reclining position.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical section of the reclining chair taken on line 'I'I of Figure 4. The section is also indicated on line I'I of Figure 5.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that a chair has been disclosed which includes a pair of arms I0 and I I spaced apart and forming a base which is supported on legs I2 and I3. Seat and back portions I4 and I5, respectively, are integrally formed on a secondary base which is movably positioned with respect to the arms I0 and II.

In Figure 2 of the drawings the front portion of the secondary base is illustrated and indicated by the numeral I6. It will be observed that the upper portions of the arms I0 and II are curved as indicated by the numerals I1 and I8. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the seat portion I4 and the back portion I5 are ofinner spring upholstered construction and that the arms I0 and 'II are upholstered to present an attractive appearance.

By referring now to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the integrally formed seat and back units I4 and I5 are shown in tilted or reclining position with respect to the arms I0 and I I and the base which separates the arms Ill and I I and forms a unit therewith. In Figure 4 the base separating the arms I 0 and II may be seen and particularly a crosspiece thereof indicated by the numeral I9. It will be observed that thecross piece I 9 of the base is spaced inwardly with respect to the front portions of the arms I0 and II.

In order that the integrally formed seat and back portions I4 and I5 may be moved with respect to the arms Ill and II' and the base I9, means is provided for positioning the seat and back portions I4 and I 5 on the arm and base porings it will be seen that the arms In and l'i'each.

comprise a double walled structure, the inner walls being indicated by the numerals: WA and. HA, respectively, and the outer: walls bythe numerals IOB and HB, respectively; The diagonal slots 2! are formed in theinnerwalls. 10A; and HA, respectively. It will thus be seen that the outer walls IHB and B, respectively; serve to enclose the operating mechanism of the chair andrtherefore provide; suitable meansupon which upholstery materials may be positioned. as: in finishing. theouter sides: ofithe earnesit and i 1-.

By referring .to Figuresd and 17 of the drawings it will be observed that the.- rectangularly positioned slots: 25' are oppositely. disposed with respect to one another and so formed .t-hatiwhen the seatiand back portions: la. and E of the chair are in upright position, as shown in Figured, the rods Mia-re each in the foremost portions: of the slots 2! thereby limiting the forward movementrofi'the unit 'compr'ising the seat: and back portionjfland i5. lnsliigureflr of the-drawings: the unitforming the seat and back portion iii-and. ldislshownin positionz and it will be seen; thatvthe; transversely positioned rods 28 have moved to the rearmost portionsiof the slots.-:2-i thereby-limiting. the movement' in this direction. It-wilialso be; seen that the arms in and! i'remai-n stationary. atallrtimes a-nd that; apersonsitting in the chair: may push against the: arms in tilting the chair fbrward. This; makes-possible a. convenient chair" operating action as in mostrecliningv chairshereto fore known: in the: art the person sitting:- in; the chair has to operatetheschair by-foot pressure against the supporting surface. or floor upon which the chair was positioned; When theseat portions of such reclining. chairs tilted back: wardly and forwardly itwas oftenimpossible-for the user of the-chair to-reach: the-fioorand' was thereby-incapable of further operatingthechair or-reizurningi-t to normal upright position.

- B35 referring again' to Figures zandz iiof the drawings it-willbeseen that the constructionof the reelining chair; shown=and described herein isrsuch-thatranattractiveappearance-is presented at all times regardless of whether,- or nsrt the chair iszinwupright. or tilted position; This is exnphasizedintlie front appearance of thechair in-that theifront legs i2 remain stationary on the floor and thexarms Wand H remainstationary when thechair seat andbackportion i l-and i 5 is tilted. Wherr tlre tilting-action occurs, the front case it of the secondary. base rises with theseat portion M andexposes the cross piece is of the main base toiview, which cross piece i9 is preferably upholstered in the same material as that applied to the arms iii-and H and the chair seat il -and back 15. Thus, whether the chair istilted or in upright position, an attractive appearance is presentedfrom the front and the side as no portion of the chair seemingly leaves the floor and the normal horizontal lines of the base remain the same. This action is further'illustrated in Fig- 4 ures 6 and '7, and it will be noted by referring thereto that the secondary base [6 supporting the seat l4 and back I5 is slotted as indicated by the numeral 22 to enable it to pass downwardly over the upstanding cross piece I9 of the base. As this cross piece I9 is located only slightly inwardly from the front piece Hi, the raising or lowering of the frontapiece it is not particularly noticeable.

Thus the chair avoids the common fault of appearing to be unsupported when in tilted position.

Inassembling, the reclining chair, the seat M and-back l5 formed on the secondary base 16 is positioned between the arms it! and ii and within the area definedthereby, and the cross pieces spacing'the same, which form the main base of the chair, and the rods 20 are inserted transversely of the assembled unit by way of a pair of openings 23 formed in the outer wall NB. The openings 23 are covered when the chair is upholstered. For shipping purposes the chair may be made-and; the-rods so moved sidewardly so that the end'srthereof, ashes-t shown in Figure 5 -ofthe drawings, engage the openings 23- and thereby hold-the chair locked upright position.

It will thus be-seen that a. simply constructed, eificiently operating reclining chair: has: been disclosed in which; the-arm portions are used to; form partsof a stationary base which positions a unit forming seat and back portions. The seat and backportionis-moyably postioned on the arm-and base portion of the chairby reason of thetransversely positioned; rods 20=slidablyengaging-the diagonally. positioned slots 25 asheretofore de-, scribed which, provides a four-point supporting constructionefor the seat and back portion and thereby-equally and safely distributes, the weight ofithe chairrand' its user onthevmain baseandat the sametime'enablesthe user to tilt: the chair by pressure applied-to the arms ifiand- Hthereof. Inside elevationthe chair. presents an attractive, appearance in. either upright: or tilted position'ras the-mainsidearm portions of the-chair remain, stationary and in front view-the. provision of. the, upholstered. cross: piece l9.- lying immediately behind the seat and: back portion sec.- ondarybase ifi isexposed in direct ratioto-the upward-tilting ofithe-seatand back portionand thesecond-ary base- !6. therebyenabling-the'chair to retain itsnormarlow horizontal lineswithrespect to. the. supporting surface;

The-chair-comprises an improvement over that shown. the patent, to Olsohlager et 311i,,NQ. 2,137,923.issuedNovember 22, 1938.

Having; thus described my invention, what- I claim is:

1-. In a recliningchair a seat and backuni and means for supporting the same in tiltable relation to: a, supporting surface, the saidsupporting means comprising a base relatively wider than, the said seat and back unit and including vertical,- side; sectionshavingslots formed therein atan inclination and: in oppositelydisposed relation, andthesaidseat-and back unit having sidewardly projecting means engaging the. said slots, the said sidewa-rdly projecting means-being movable. transversely of the said seat. and.- back unit, and. the said vertical side sections having secondary openings therein. for registry witmthe said movable projectionsso asto-enablethesaid seat and back unitto belocked in stationary positiorr withrespectto the-said; base.

2. In. a reclining chair a. seat and backunit and means for supporting the same in tiltable relation to a1 supporting surface the said supportingmeans comprising abase relativelywider than the said seat and back unit and including vertical side sections having slots formed therein at an inclination and in oppositely disposed relation, and the said seat and back unit having sidewardly projecting means engaging the said slots, the said sidewardly projecting means being movable transversely of the said seat and back unit, and the said vertical side sections having secondary openings therein for registry with the said movable projections so as to enable the said seat and back unit to be locked in stationary position with respect to the said base, and chair arms formed on the said vertical side sections of the said base. I

3. A reclining chair comprising a base having stationary arm constructions at each side thereof, the said stationary arm constructions including doubled wall sections, the inner walls of the said doubled wall sections having two pairs of oppositely disposed inclined slots formed thereinfa seat and a back unit positioned between the said arms and movably mounted with respect thereto by means of two rods positioned through the said seat and back unit and extending beyond the sides thereof and engaging the said slots, openings formed in the outer walls in at least one of the said arms and in registry with the said slots and for the reception of the said rods for locking the said seat and back unit in stationary relation to the said base.

4. A reclining chair having stationary arms and comprising a base carrying said arms in spaced relation, a secondary base having side walls and carrying a, seat and back unit, means positioning the said secondary base for movement with respect to the said arms and base, said means comprising slots formed in the said arms at inclinations corresponding to spaced sections of a common convex radius, and rods positioned transversely in the said secondary base and extending beyond the side walls thereof and engaging the said slots whereby the said seat and back unit may be moved to simultaneously elevate the front thereof and lower the back thereof.

5. A reclining chair including a base having arms aflixed at its sides and oppositely disposed slots formed in the inner surfaces of the said arms at oppositely disposed inclinations corresponding to the spaced sections of a common convex radius, and a seat and back unit having side walls positioned between the said arms, transverse rods in the seat and back unit projecting beyond the walls on the seat and back unit engaging the slots for movement therein so 7 as to slideably mount the seat and back unit on the base and arms whereby the seat and back unit may be moved to simultaneously elevate the front thereof and lower the back thereof.

6. In a reclining chair a seat and back unit having side walls and means for supporting the same in tiltable relation to a supporting surface, the said supporting means comprising a base and arm unit relatively wider than the said seat and back unit and including spaced vertical side sections each having two slots formed therein in spaced relation and each slot inclined inwardly and upwardly in oppositely disposed relation, and the said seat and back unit having transverse rods projecting beyond the walls and engaging the said slots whereby the said seat and back unit may be moved to simultaneously elevate the front thereof and lower the back thereof.

7. In a reclining chair a seat and back unit having side walls and means for supporting the same in tiltable relation to a supporting surface, the said supporting means comprising a base relatively wider than the said seat and back unit and including spaced vertical side sections each having a pair of slots formed therein, the innermost adjacent ends of the slots lying on a horizontal plane higher than the horizontal plane of the outermost ends of the said slots, the said seat and back unit having transverse rods projecting beyond the walls and engaging the said slots whereby the said seat and back unit may be moved to simultaneously elevate the front thereof and lower the back thereof, and chair arms formed on the said vertical side sections of the said base.

FRED C. MAURER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 1,720,102 Streit July 9, 1929 2,137,923 Olschlager et a1. Nov. 22, 1938 2,148,933 Fox Feb. 28, 1939 2,245,713 Redmond June 17, 1941 2,459,269 Ellsworth Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 102,285 Australia Oct. 28, 1937

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