US2649139A - Child's auxiliary seat attachment - Google Patents

Description

. g- 8, 1953 A. E. SINGLETON CHILDS AUXILIARY SEAT ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 16, 1947 INVENTOR.

ARTHUR E. SINGLETON ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 CHILDS AUXILIARY SEAT ATTACHMENT Arthur E. Singleton, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to The Toidey Company, Gertrude A. Muller, Inc., a. corporation of Indiana Application October 16, 1947, Serial No. 780,171

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a childs auxiliary seat attachment for an adults toilet, in which an adjustable foot-rest is included together with locking means for securing the toot-rest in selected positions relative to the auxiliary seat.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a childs toilet seat with a foot-rest adjustably supported in connection therewith, and a locking means for the foot-rest concealed beneath the seat out of reach of the occupant but accessible for manipulation by the attendant.

Another object of the invention is to provide dual locking means for foot-rest supporting rods in a toilet seat adapted for simultaneous manipulation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a structure in which the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, parts being omitted; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing one of the locking devices.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists preferably of a molded form of plastic material shaped to provide a seat 5, armrests 6 and a back-rest I. The underside of the seat 5 is hollow in that it has an outer marginal downwardly extending flange 3 and an inner downwardly extending flange 9 surrounding the toilet opening It, and in connection with the seat is arranged a foot-rest I I supported on sliding rods l2 that have longitudinal movement through the outer marginal flange 8 and guides I3 and It conveniently located within the hollow seat, there being openings provided in said guides through which said rods extend, and stops I2 to limit movement thereof.

A locking mechanism is provided in the seat for each of the rods I2 whereby to prevent axial movement of the rods in either direction, one locking mechanism being the counterpart of the other. Each lockin mechanism consists of an operating lever I5 having a perforated angular portion I6 through which the corresponding supporting rod I2 extends, and a perforated locklever I1 mounted on said supporting rod I2 provided with an angular finger or abutment I8 that has engagement with the operating lever when the latter is moved into unlocking position. The guides I3 and It have opposing lugs I9 and between which the extension It and the locklever I I extend and are confined in operating position therebetween by staples 2| secured in said lugs. The lock-lever I'l bears against the lug I9 which constitutes a fulcrum therefor, and the outer end of the extension I6 rests upon a projection 22 of the guide I3 which constitutes a fulcrum for the operating lever.

Disposed loosely upon the rod 52, concentric therewith, is a compression spring 23 that bears oppositely against the opposing faces of the extension and lock-lever, and tends to move said extension and lock-lever into locking engagement with the corresponding rod I2. The openings in the extension and lock-lever are such as to permit freedom of movement of the rod therethrough when moved to positions at right angles thereto, and sufiiciently snug as to cause binding of the extension and lock-lever upon the rod when the lock-lever is released by the operator. Thus, the foot-rest may readily be moved into selected positions when the levers are depressed, and become locked in such positions due to the reaction of the springs, when the levers are released by the operator.

The seat is equipped with a downwardly extending spring hook 24 and stops 25 by which the appliance is secured to and centered upon an adult toilet seat (not shown) as in the usual manner.

In use, the foot-rest is adjusted by first press- 7 ing the operating levers I5 toward each other,

. of the springs 23 until said extensions and the corresponding lock-levers are disposed at right angles to the supporting rods I2, thus permitting the rods to be axially moved freely in either direction as may be desired while adjusting the foot-rest relative to the seat structure. Upon releasing the operating levers, the extensions thereon and the lock-levers reassume their normal locking positions by the reactionary force of the springs, thus securing the foot-rest sup ported on the rods in the position to which it has been adjusted.

A feature of the invention is the arrangement of the operatin levers and the lock-bars in the seat and their connections with the supporting rods for the foot-rest, whereby the rods are normally locked against axial movement in the seat in either direction, or unlocked simply by simultaneously pressing the operating levers thus to permit adjustment-of the foot-rest.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may be resorted to by the exercise of skill in the art. without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An infants toilet seat comprising a substantially flat base having spaced lateral sides, a pair of spaced guide; flanges supported by said base on each of said sides and having aligned openings therethrough, two parallel extending rods carried by said base, a foot-rest carried on:

the common ends of said rods, each rod recipro.-

cably received by the openings of a respectivepair of said flanges, two lock-ing levers. supported between each pair of spaced flanges and. having openings through which the respective rod is re ceived, a spring surrounding each rodbetween the respective levers tending to urge the levers apart, a fulcrum provided on one of each pair of flanges and engageable by one of each pair of levers whereby each spring will urge each said. one lever into lockingengagement with the respective rod, and two operating portions of the other levers extending inwardly from said base sides and conjointly operable toengage and pivot said one of each pair of levers about the. respective fulcrums to compress said springs and one look said rods for movement with. respect to. said base.

2. An infants toilet seat comprising a substantially fiat base having spaced lateral sides, a pair of spaced guide flanges. supported by said base on each of said sides and having aligned openings therethrough, two parallel extending rods carried by said base, a foot-rest carried on the common ends of said rods, each rod reciprocably received by the openings of a respective pair of said flanges, two locking levers supported between each pair of spaced flanges and having openings through which the respective rod is received, spring means carried by each rod be tween the respective levers tending to urge the levers apart, a fulcrum provided on one of. each pair of flanges and engageable by one of each pair of levers whereby each spring means will urge each said one lever into locking engagement with the respective rod, and two operatingv portions of the other levers extending. inwardly from said base sides and conjointly operable to engage and pivot said. one oi each pair of levers about the respective iulorums. to. release said spring means and unlocksaid rodsfor movement. with respect to said base.

3. An infants toilet seat comprising asubstantially flat base having spacedlateral sides, two parallel extending rods reciprocably carried by said base, a foot-rest supported by said rods, and locking means on said base arranged. to lock said rods in a selected position and comprising guide means for each rod adapted to limit the movement of each rod to longitudinal movement only, two locking levers associated with each guide means and adapted to grip the respective rod for looking it against movement with respect to said base, each guide means providing a fulcrum for one of said levers, and means supported with respect to said base and yieldably urging said one lever into gripping engagement with the respective rod, the other of said locking levers having portions extending inwardly of said base which may be simultaneously operated to engage with said one levers respectively whereby the latter are pivoted about the respective iulcrums against the force of said yieldable means to release said rods for movement.

4. The combination with a base member, of a rod slidably carried thereby and partially project-- ing therefrom, and gripping means for holding:

levers having each an opening therein in align-- ment with the first mentioned openings and said. rod extending through all of said openings, a. spring encircling the part of said rod between said. levers, one of said levers having an operating; handle portion andthe other lever having a projection thereon positioned to be engaged by said. one lever, said guide members having means formingfulcra, for said levers positioned to cause: movement of the levers by said spring to grip said. rod and to permitmovement of said one lever to engagev the projection on said other lever and. swing the latter about its fulcrum thereby overcoming the resistance of said spring and releasing; the grip of the levers on the rod.

5. The combination with a base member, of a: rodslidably carried thereby and partially pro-- jecting ther from, and gripping means for hold-- ing said rod in desired positions with respect to said base member; said means comprising a pair. of substantially parallel guide members on said base and having aligned openings therein, a pair of levers having each an opening therein in alignment with the first mentioned openings and said rod extending through all of said openings, a spring. encircling the part of said rod between said levers, one of said levers being operable to engage an abutment on the other of said levers, said guide members having means forming fulcra for said levers positioned to cause movement of the levers by said spring to grip said rod and to permit movement of said one lever to engage the abutment on said other lever and swing the latter about its fulcrum thereby overcoming the resistance of said spring and releasing the grip of the levers on the rod.

6. The combination with a base member, of a rod slidably carried thereby and partially projecting therefrom, and gripping means for holding said rod in desired positions with respect to said base member; said means comprising a pair of substantially parallel guide members on Said base and having aligned openings therein, a pair of levers having each an opening therein in alignment with the first mentioned openings and said rod extending through all of said openings, a spring encircling a part of said rod and compressed between said levers, one of said levers having an operating handle portion and the other lever having a projection thereon positioned to be engaged by said one lever, said guide members having means forming fulcra for said levers positioned to cause movement of the levers by said spring to grip said rod and to permit movement of said one lever to engage the projection on said other lever and swing the latter about its fulcrum thereby overcoming the resistance of said spring and releasing the grip of the levers on the rod.

'7. In combination, a base member, an axially movable rod carried by said base member, a pair of spaced guide elements on said base member transversely disposed with respect to said rod and receiving said rod, a lock-lever mounted on said base member and having a portion fulcrumed on one end portion of one of said elements and having another portion engaging said rod, an operating lever also mounted on said base member and having a portion fulcrumed on the other of said elements and having operative engagement with said lock-lever, the fulcruming portions of said levers lying on opposite lateral sides of said rod, and a compression spring disposed between said operating lever and said lock-lever arranged to urge yieldably said lock-lever into engagement with said rod, said operative engagement between said lock-lever and said operating lever occurring between abutting portions on both levers whereby movement of said operating lever in a predetermined direction will serve to move said lock-lever out of engagement with said rod, said rod thereby being movable axially on said base member.

ARTHUR E. ISINGLETO'N.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Eddy Mar. 4, 1902 Sweetland Dec. 10, 1907 Meath Apr. 1, 1930 Carlson Aug. 16, 1938 Baker Mar. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Aug. 2, 1927 Italy Feb. 7, 1931

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