US2892488A - Kneeling benches - Google Patents

Description

June 30, 1959 FROST 2,892,488

KNEEILING BENCHES Filed Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 4 #751? 5590.57

BY WW 2/ irroe/vsyr E. F. FROST KNEELING BENCHES June 30, 1959 Filed Jan. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- firm; nix

United States Patent memesnENcnEs Elmer LFIGS, d'atkRillB', Ill. pplication Jamala, 1958,;SefidlNo. 7065921 '1 Cla'lin. or; 155-166) My invention relates to improvements in kneeling benches.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in the supports for the end legs of the cushioned kneelers of the type which are almost universally used today. In designing and installing pew kneelers of the type referred to, certain desirable objects are to make the same light in weight, noiseless in use, and capable of easy movement to an out-of-the-way position when not in use, leaving more walking space between the pews or rows of seats.

Another advantage of my improved design is that the kneeler may be swung up and away from the floor, resulting in the removal of any obstruction by the kneeler to brooms or other floor cleaning equipment.

A further advantage is in the design and construction of the pivot brackets which support the end legs of the kneelers, the pivot brackets being so made that after their attachment to the vertical seat supports, the end legs of the kneelers are easily and quickly mounted thereon and the installation is complete.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the various features of my invention and its advantages, reference is had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, upon which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved kneeling bench shown fastened between the vertical supports of the usual church pew seat, and it is shown raised to its out-of-the-way position;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the cushioned kneeler;

Fig. 3 is a full size front view of the type of pivot bracket employed with the screen at the front of the church;

Fig. is a side view thereof showing a portion of the screen in cross-section;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of my improved kneeling bench shown fastened on pivot brackets connected to the facing sides of vertical supports of a church pew seat, the kneeling bench being broken to foreshorten the same;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof taken on the line 66, showing the kneeling pad in position for use, and in dotted lines when raised to the out-of-the-way position;

Fig. 7 is a full size front view of the pivot support bracket;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view thereof with parts broken in section to more clearly show other parts; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the removable pivot which I employ.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate and describe the same, in Fig. 1 I have shown the usual church pew seats 10 that have the back 12, the vertical end supports 14 and intermediate vertical seat supports 16 as shown.

The kneeling bench which I employ is preferably of the type shown in Fig. 2 and may include the similarly shaped end legs 20, the center support 22, and the cush- 2,892,488 Patented June 30,

' pad support 28 may rest, the ends of the padsupport also being fastenedthereto by the screw :members 30. The pad support may be formed as shown with the fiat edge portions 34 and a V-shaped medial portion 38 which forms a bracing therefor, the ends-of thew-shaped portion also @being received in V shaped recesses 40 inithe:

end legs 20.

The end legs 20 each have side arms 42 having a bore 44 adjacent the outer end for the reception of a pivot pin 46 as will be hereinafter described. The pad support 28 may support the kneeling pad 24 thereon, the kneeling pad being usually constructed of a /2" x 5" board of the desired length having one inch of compressible rubber thereon and the same being covered by a suitable leather or imitation leather covering.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the kneeling pad 24 is provided between the seat uprights 16, each of which have a pivot bracket 48 connected thereto by suitable screw members 50 which pass through openings 52 in the support bracket 48. The brackets are fastened against the facing walls of the support 16 in such position that when the kneeling bench is raised to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, the extended arms 42 of the end legs 20 will rest against a pair of stop shoulders 60 connected to the extended ends of the brackets 48. The stops 60 are preferably pin members 62 having a sponge rubber collar 64 thereon to effect the noiseless action and also to effect longer wear to the arm portions of the end legs 20. The pivot pins 46 are also preferably ex tended through nylon bushings 66 that are mounted in the bores 44 in the ends of the arms 42.

In order to assemble the kneeling bench as shown in Fig. 5 between the fixed vertical supports 16, I have provided the pivot 46 with a screw-threaded end 460 and an end slot 46b so that the same can be removed from the tapped opening 460 in the boss 48a on one end of the bracket 48. Thus, after the right-hand leg 20 has been fastened over a rigid pivot 45 on the upright 16, the other end leg 20 may be moved into alignment with the pivot pin boss 48a, the pivot pin 46 inserted and screwthreadedly fastened into the position shown in Fig. 8, and the assembly is thus completed.

For use in connection with the screen at the front of the church where no pivot bracket 48 can be employed, I provide a support bracket 70 which may be fastened to the screen S by means of a pair of screw members 72 that pass through the opening 74 in the bracket 70. The bracket also has a raised boss 76 having a tapped bore therethrough to receive the screw-threaded end 46a of the pivot pin 46 in the same manner as previously described in connection with the bracket 48.

From the above and foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided a construction of elongated kneeling bench which, together with the end legs that I provide, is capable of attachment to pivot brackets on the vertical supports of the church pew seats in a simple and easy manner. The use of a removable pivot pin in one of the pivot brackets permits the easy alignment and fastening of the kneeling bench in place.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown and I do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

The combination with the vertical supports of a church pew seat of an elongated kneeling bench pivotally con- 3 1:1 nected between said supports for use by worshippers o in an out-of-the-way position, said bench including a pair of end legs, a pad support connected therebetween and fastened at its end on the tops of said end legs, a kneeling pad extending the length of said support and connected to the top of said pad support, each of said legs being L-shaped and having a foot portion directly below the end of the pad support and an arm extending to one side of the same, abore through one end of eachv arm, elongated pivot brackets fastened on the sides of said vertical seat supports, each bracket having a resilient stop shoulder at one end of the same and each bracket having a pivot pin boss, a pivot pin secured thereon, one of said pivot pins removably secured in its boss for insertion after alignment of one of said end legs for recep- 15 tion of the sarhe, said step shouldersbeing'at the'other end of saidbracket, said stop shoulders being in the form of elongated cylindrical rubber washers fastened on a stem secured near the upper end of each bracket said brackets being mounted at a diagonal angle forward from said kneeling bench so that said bench may be raised when not in use past a vertical plane to rest by gravity against said stop shoulders in the outof-the-way position.

References Cited in the 'fileofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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