US3231308A

US3231308A - Adjustable headrest for barber chairs

Info

Publication number: US3231308A
Application number: US327921A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles L Redfield
Original assignee: EMIL J PAIDER CO
Current assignee: EMIL J PAIDER CO
Priority date: 1963-12-04
Filing date: 1963-12-04
Publication date: 1966-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-25

Description

Jan. 25, 1966 c. REDFIELD DJUSTABLE HEADREST FOR BARBER CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 R m w m CHARLEs L. Rznnzw I 3 BY 1966' c. L. REDFIELD 3 ,308

ADJUSTABLE HEADREST FOR BARBER CHAIRS Filed Dec. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES L. REDFIELD A T ORNE YS United States Patent M 3,231,308 ADJUSTABLE HEADREST FOR BARBER CHAIRS Charles L. Redfield, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to Emil J. Paider Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,921 11 Claims. (Cl. 297-410) The present invention relates to improvements in headrests and particularly to an improved chair headrest assembly of the type used in barber chairs.

In chair headrest assemblies of the type used in barber chairs a padded headrest is supported on the chair back for providing a support for the chair occupant especially when the chair is in the reclining position. In order to provide a comfortable and relaxing support for the occupant, particularly in the neck region and in the lower region of the back of the head,'the headrest should be adjustable so that optimum positioning can be provided over a wide range of sizes of occupants.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved chair headrest capable of being adjustably positioned to accommodate a wide range of sizes of chair occupants.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a chair headrest assembly wherein the headrest is pivotally mounted on a support member which is, in turn, pivotally and extensively mounted on the chair back for providing vertical, horizontal and angular positioning of the headrest relative to the chair back.

Another object of the present invention involves the provision of a single adjustable locking device for locking the headrest in suitable positions both vertically and horizontally relative to the chair back.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a headrest attachment assembly for attaching the headrest to the back of the chair in which the attachment assembly provides for both vertical and horizontal adjustable positioning of the headrest relative to the chair, is easily and quickly adjusted, requires only one adjustment mechanism, is simple in design and construction, can be easily installed on the chair back and requires little or no maintenance.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by Way of illustrative example.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a headrest assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and mounted on the back of a chair with a portion of an end wall of the headrest cut away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded isometric view of portions of the assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of an attachment assembly utilized in attaching the headrest assembly to the chair back; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIG- URE 3 in its attached position on the chair back.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring to FIGURE 1, a headrest assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is indicated generally at attached to a top surface 11 of a back 12 of a chair such as a barber chair, a dentist chair, or the like. The headrest assembly 10 is particularly characterized as comprising a headrest 13 pivotally mounted at one end of a headrest slat or support member 14- which is pivotally and extensibly mounted on a slat or support member attachment assembly indicated generally at 1 6, secured to the top surface 11 of the chair back 12 by means of a clamp assembly as at 17. In operation, the headrest 13 is adjustably positioned by means hereinafter described such that a padded portion 18 of the headrest 13 engages the neck region and the lower region of the back of the head of the chair occupant for providing comfort and support to the occupant. As will become apparent hereinafter, the present invention provides for optimum positioning of theheadrest 13 and the padded portion 18 thereof to accommodate" a wide range of occupant sizes particularly with respect to the length of the torso or trunk portion of the occupant.

The attachment assembly 16 comprises generally a headrest clamp 19 mounted for pivotal movement on the clamp assembly 17 and which slidably carries along one surface thereof the slat or support member 14. A headrest key or bracket 26) coacts with a key cover 21 and a headrest knob assembly 22 for maintaining the support member 14 and the headrest clamp 19 in connected and adjustably movable assembly.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the slat or support member 14- on which the headrest 13 is pivotally mounted comprises an elongated generally rectangularly shaped straight body member 23 having an axially extending interstice or groove 25 formed therein and defined by interfacing inner walls 24 and 26 and separating a pair of

bifurcate linger members

27 and 28.

At one end of the support member 14 an enlarged tu bularly shaped elongated slat head 29 is fixedly secured thereto by any suitable means, for example, by means of a weld or the like and extends essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the support member 14.

' An axially extending cylindrical shaped aperture 30 is formed centrally in the slat head 29 for rotatably journalling a bolt member 31. The bolt 31, in its assembled position, also extends through

apertures

32 and 33 formed respectively in end portions 34 and 36 of a pair of trunnions 37 and 38 In assembled position, the end portions 34 and 36 of the trunnions 37 and 38 overlie opposite ends of the slat head 29 such that

apertures

32 and 33 thereof are in registry with aperture 30. In addition, the end portions 34 and 36 are separated respectively from the slat head 29 by means of washer members 39 and 40. Washers 41 and 42 are mounted at opposite ends of the bolt 31 for separating respective. ly the end portion 34 from a head 43 of the bolt and for separating end portion 36 from a nut 44 which is threaded on the bolt '31 for maintaining the slat head, washer members 39 and 4t trunnions 37 and 33 and washers 41 and 42 in connected assembly.

The trunnions 37 and 38 are fixedly connected to a headrest crossbar 46 by means of a plurality of suitable fastening means, for example, threaded screws and lock washers 4'7 and 48 respectively. As best seen in FIG- URE 1, cross bar 46 is in turn fixedly secured to the headrest 13 by suitable means such as a plurality of bolts 47.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, the clamp assembly 17 comprises a pair of cl mp s pp rts 48 and 9 d p to be mounted in aligned'spaced relation on the top surface 11 of the chair back 12 by suitable fastening means, such as a plurality of screws (not shown). extending through apertures 5d and 51. A cylindrically shaped clamp shaft 52 having reduced diameter stub portions 53 and 54 at opposite ends thereof is mounted in clamp supports 48 and 49. The shaft 52 is 'nonrotatably fixedly secured to clamp supports 48 and 4-9 by means of a pair of lock pins (not shown) inserted into aligned apertures formed respectively in the clamp sup Patented an- .54

3

ports

48 and 49 and the stub portions 53 and 54 as indicated at reference numerals 56 and 57.

One aspect of the present invention resides in the provision and necessity of only a single locking mechanism for adjustably positioning both pivota'lly and extensibly the support member 14, and to this end the headrest clamp 19 is particularly characterized as comprising an axially elongated generally U-shaped member having a closed end or bight portion 58 and an open end portion as at 59. The bight portion 58 is cylindrically apertured complementarily to the shaft 52 as at 60. In addition, the clamp 19 is split axially by means of an interstice or groove 61 defined by a pair of parallel spaced interfacing inner surfaces 62 and 63 to form a pair of bifurcate finger members as at 64 and 66 extending radially outwardly from the aperture 60. It will be appreciated that the groove 61 is in open communication with the aperture 60 to provide for a degree of resiliency of the finger members such that a force acting on the finger members to press such members together will act to reduce the width of the groove 61 and likewise the diameter of the aperture 60, thereby providing a pressed state configuration of the clamp 19. A release of such force will cause the finger members 64 and 66 to resiliently separate to their nonpressed or free state configuration.

Aperture 60 is dimensioned such that when the clamp 19 is on its free state configuration, that is, when there is no force being applied to finger members 64 and 66 to urge them together, the clamp 19 can be pivoted or rotated about the shaft 52. However, when sufficient force is exerted on the finger members the diameter of aperture 60 will be reduced sufliciently such that the bight portion 58 of the clamp 19 will snuggly engage the shaft 52 to prevent rotation of the clamp 19 thereon.

It will be noted in FIGURE 3 the clamp 19 is also radially split by a pair of transversely extending

interfacing walls

67 and 68 to form a pair of

projections

69 and 70 in the open end 59 thereof. Situated between

walls

67 and 68 and extending substantially perpendicu larly to finger members 64 and 66 the headrest key or bracket comprises, as can best be seen in FIGURE 2, a generally rectangularly shaped body portion 71 having an extension portion 72 projecting from one end thereof to define a pair of shoulder surfaces as at 73 and '74. Parallel side walls 76 and 77 of the extension 72 are spaced to project into and be received by the groove defined by inner walls 24 and 26 of the support member 14. In its assembled position, the key 20 is moved upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 2 such that

shoulder surfaces

73 and 74 abuttingly engage a bottom surface 78 of the support member 23 adjacent the inner walls 24 and 26 thereof, and the side walls 76 and 77 are dimensioned such that a top surface 79 of the key 20 is situated coplanar with a top surface 79 of the support member 14.

The key cover 21 has a Width substantially equal to the width of the body portions 71 of the key 20 and is dimensioned to straddle the groove of the support member 14 similarly to the

shoulder surfaces

73 and 74 of the key 20. In its assembled position, the key cover 21 and the key 20 are maintained in connected but slidable assembly on the support member 14 by suitable fastening means such as a threaded screw 80 adapted to extend through an aperture 81 formed in the key cover 21 through the groove 25 and into a complementarily threaded aperture 82 formed in the top surface 79 of thekey 20. The screw 80 is not tightened completely into the aperture 82 but instead is backed off silghtly to permit the key 20 and the key cover 21 to slide axially along the groove 25 of the support member 14.

7 Referring again to FIGURE 1, it will be noted the finger members 64 and 66 comprise straight flat outlindrically shaped aperture 86 extending substantially/ transversely to the support member 14 and comprises an enlarged portion 87 adapted to slid-ingly receive a complementarily shaped knob stud 88 axially centrally apertured as at 89 and radially apertured as at 90, 90. The knob 22 comprises an elongated threaded stud 91 adapted to extend, in its assembled position, through an aperture 92 formed in the key cover 21, through the groove 25 of the support member 14 and into the aperture 86 of the key 20 to be received in a complementarily threaded portion 93 of the aperture 89 of the knob stud 88. An elongated cylindrically shaped roll pin 94 extends, in its assembled position, through the radially aligned apertures of the knob stud 88;

Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, it will be noted that the outer or bottom surface 84 of the clamp 19 is grooved as at 96 on a line parallel to the axis of the shaft 52 for receiving end portions 97 and 98 of the roll pin 94.

It will be appreciated that when the attachment as'-' sembly 16 is assembled, the threaded stud 91 of the knob 22 is adjusted such that the knob stud 88, or more particularly the

apertures

90, 90 thereof, are situated out-.

wardly of or below the outer surface 84 of the finger member 66 of the clamp 19. The roll pin 94 is then inserted in the groove 96 through

apertures

90, 90 and then the stud 91 of the knob 22 is threaded into the knob stud 88, which is held nonrotatable by means of the roll pin 94, such that the roll pin is forced into tight engagement with the finger member 66, thereby tending to squeeze the finger members together and also to urge the outer surface 83 of the finger member 64 into tight engagement with the lower surface 78 of the support member 14. It will be appreciated that-the force exerted by the roll pin 94, as it squeezes the finger members together, will tend to reduce the diameter of aperture 60 of the clamp 19 to snugly engage the shaft 52 and will cause the clamp 19 to 'be nonrotatable on the shaft 52, and also forces the engaging surfaces of the clamp 19 and the support member 14 into tight pressing relation, resulting in relatively fixed assembly of the clamp assembly 17, the clamp 19, the support member 14 and the key 20.

In operation, the knob 22 can be loosened sutficiently to provide both pivotal and extensible movement of the support member 14 for positioning the padded portion 18 5f the headrest 13 properly to accommodate the occupant of the chair. After the headrest 13 has been properly positioned, tightening of the knob 22 precludes both pivotal and extensible movement of the support member 14, and it will be appreciated that the headrest 13 may continue to pivot about the head 29 of the support member 14 to provide for minor movement of the occupant of the chair.

Accordingly, there has been provided a headrest assemble for a chair adapted to be adjustably positionable to accommodate and comfortably support a wide variety of chair occupants. In addition, locking of the horizontal, vertical and angular position of the headrest assembly relative to the chair is accomplished by actuating merely a single locking device. The headrest assembly of the present invention is simple in design, inexpensive in manufacture and assembly and reliable in operation.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by' those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications asreasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A headrest assembly for a chair comprising,

a headrest,

an elongated support member,

means connecting one portion of said support member to said headrest for providing pivotal movement therebetween, and

a support member attachment assembly for attaching another portion of said support member to the chair including means providing pivotal movement of said support member relative to said chair, and

means for selectively positioning said support member in both linear, horizontal and vertical directions relative to said chair, said last named means also locking said support member to prevent movement thereof relative to said chair.

2. A headrest assembly for the back of a chair comprising,

a headrest, and

mounting means connected to said headrest and connectable with said chair for mounting said headrest on the back of the chair, said mounting means com- P means for providing pivotal movement of said headrest relative to the chair back for angularly positioning said headrest relative to the back, and means for adjustably spacing said headrest in both a horizontal and a vertical direction relative to said chair back and at any predetermined angular position of said headrest.

3. A headrest assembly for the back of a chair comprising,

a headrest support member,

a headrest connected to one portion of said support member, and

mounting means connected to said support member and connectable with the chair back for mounting said support member on the chair back, said mounting means comprising,

means for providing pivotal movement of said support member relative to the chair back for angularly positioning said support member relative to the chair back, and

means for adjustably spacing said one portion of said support member from the chair back in both a horizontal and a vertical direction and at any predetermined angular position of said support member,

said last named means also adapted to selectively lock said one portion of said support member immovable in angular and spatial posti-on relative to said chair back.

4. A headrest assembly for mounting on the back of a chair comprising,

a headrest clamp,

a headrest support member slidably carried on said clamp,

a headrest mounted on said support member,

a pivotal mounting member connectable to the back of said chair and pivotally mounting said clamp for pivotal movement about an axis extending parallel to the front and rear surfaces of the chair back, and

means for tightly pressing said clamp against said support member to render said support member immovable relative to said clamp to position said headrest.

5. A headrest assembly for mounting on the back of a chair comprising,

a headrest clamp,

a headrest support member slidably carried on said clamp,

a headrest mounted on said support member,

a pivotal mounting member connectable to the back of said chair and pivotally mounting said clamp for 6 pivotal movement about an axis extending parallel to the front and rear surfaces of the chair back, and means for tightly pressing said clamp against said mounting member to render said mounting member immovble relative to said clamp to position said headrest.

6. A headrest assembly for mounting on the back of a chair comprising,

a headrest clamp,

a headrest support member slidably carried on said clamp,

a headrest mounted on said support member,

means for tightly pressing said clamp against said support member and said mounting member to render said members immovable relative to said clamp to position said headrest.

7. A headrest assembly for mounting on the back of a chair comprising,

a clamp assembly adapted to be connected to the back of the chair and having a cylindrical clamp shaft immovably mounted thereon and extending parallel to the front and rear surfaces of the chair back,

an axially split headrest clamp pivotally mounted on said shaft,

a support member carried on said clamp,

a headrest mounted on said support member, and

means for tightly squeezing said clamp on said shaft to render said clamp immovable relative to said clamp assembly for positioning said headrest.

8. A headrest assembly for mounting on the back of a chair comprising,

a clamp assembly adapted to be connected to the back of the chair and having a cylindrical clamp shaft immovablymounted thereon and extending parallel to the front and rear surfaces of the chair back, a headrest clamp mounted for pivotal movement on said shaft,

a support member slidably carried for translator-y movement on said clamp in a plane transverse to the front and rear surfaces of the chair back,

a headrest mounted on one portion of said support member and means for tightly squeezing and pressing said clamp against said shaft and said support member to render said clamp and said support member immovable relative to said clamp assembly for positioning said headrest.

9. A headrest assembly for a chair comprising,

a clamp assembly adapted to be mounted on a back of a chair and having a horizontal cylindrical shaft immovably mounted thereon,

a general U-shaped headrest clamp having a closed end portion and a pair of fingers extending from said closed end portion to an open end portion, said shaft extending loosely through the closed end portion of said clamp to provide pivotal movement of said clamp about said shaft,

a headrest support member slidably carried on one of said fingers of said clamp,

a headrest mounted on said support member, and

bracket means overlying the fingers of said clamp and said support member and being adjustably movable relative to said clamp and said support member to selectively squeeze the fingers around said shaft and said shaft support member against said one of said fingers to render said clamp assembly, said clamp and said support member relatively immovable to position said headrest.

10. A headrest assembly for a chair comprising,

a clamp assembly adapted to be mounted on a back of a horizontal cylindrical clamp the chair and having a cylindrical shaft immovably mounted thereon,

generally U-shaped clamp having a closed end portion and an open end portion comprising a pair of resiliently movable spaced fingers having a free state configuration and a pressed state configuration, said shaft extending between said fingers near said closed end of said clamp and being dimensioned to fit loosely between said fingers when the fingers are in a free state configuration and to fit tightly and immovably between said fingers when said fingers are pressed together in a pressed state configuration, headrest support member having one portion slidably engageable with one finger of said clamp, headrest mounted on a second portion of said support member,

bracket having one member overlying the other finger of said clamp and a second member overlying, said one portion of said support member, said bracket members being movable toward one another, and means for interconnecting said bracket members for drawing said members tightly together to press said fingers into said pressed state configuration to render said clamp immovable relative to said shaft and to press said one portion of said support member into tight engagement with said one finger of said clamp to render said support member immovable relative to said clamp to immovably position said second portion of said support member.

11. A headrest assembly for a chair comprising, a pair of clamp support members for mounting on a back of the chair,

shaft immovably mounted on said clamp support members,

a generally U-shaped clamp having a closed bight portion and an open end bifurcate portion comprising a pair of spaced resilient fingers, said fingers being radially aligned relative to said shaft and having interfacing inner surfaces and outer surfaces opposite said inner surfaces, said shaft extending between said fingers near said bight portion of said clamp and being dimensioned to fit loosely between said fingers when the fingers are in a free state configuration and to fit tightly and immovably between said fingers when said fingers are pressed together in a pressed state configuration,

an elongated headrest support member slidably engageable with an outer surface of one of said fingers,

a bracket having one member overlying said support member opposite said one finger and a second member fixedly connected to said one member and having a major axis extending transversely to said shaft adjacent said fingers, means defining an aperture extending through said second members substantially parallel to said major axis,

a tubular knob stud having one end thereof slidably carried in said aperture and having at opposite end thereof extending outwardly of said aperture to overlie the outer surface of the other of said fingers, said stud having a threaded aperture formed therein extending from said one end thereof, and

a knob assembly having a knob overlying said one member of said bracket and a threaded bolt extending from said knob into the complementarily threaded aperture of said stud, whereby turning said knob assembly to thread the bolt thereof into said aperture of said stud will press said fingers together in a pressed state configuration to render said clamp immovable relative to said shaft and also will draw said headrest support member into tight engagement with said one finger to render said support member immovable relative to said clamp for selectively positioning said second portion of said support member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 171,539 12/1875 Starr 297-407 236,212 1/ 1881 Cartwright 297402 535,783 3/1895 Archer 297408 1,930,867 10/1933 West 297403 2,666,476 1/ 1954 Lycan 297-404 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A HEADREST ASSEMBLY FOR A CHAIR COMPRISING, A HEADREST, AN ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBER, MEANS CONNECTING ONE PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID HEADREST FOR PROVIDING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, AND A SUPPORT MEMBER ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO THE CHAIR INCLUDING MEANS PROVIDING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID CHAIR, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY POSITIONING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER IN BOTH LINEAR, HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTIONS RELATIVE TO SAID CHAIR, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS ALSO LOCKING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO PREVENT MOVEMENT THEREOF RELATIVE TO SAID CHAIR.