US2342323A - Chair base - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22, 1944. T, H. ALFREDS 0mm BASE Filed Au 10, 1942 Patented Feb. 22, 1944 CHAIR BASE Torris H. Posture Research Cor corporation of Indiana Application August 10, 1942, Serial No. 454,255

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chair bases and it consists of the matters herein after described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The base with which the invention is more especially concerned is of the kind used in office chairs and which includes four legs, disposed non-radially with respect to center of the base and with the inner end portions of the legs grouped in encircling relation about the center of the base and each operatively secured to at least two of the other of the legs.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for the connection between the inner end portions of the legs, which though simple and inexpensive to produce, results in a strong and rigid chair base.

Another object of. the invention is to provide an improved construction for the connection between the inner end portions of the legs and in which each of the bolts for the spindle bearing plates are made to perform the added function of securing each two adjacent legs together.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a chair base embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the base.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a part of the base, on an enlarged scale, as taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of one of the legs of the base.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, the same includes a plurality of vertically edgewise disposed counterpart legs ilk-Ill each made of wood and each of which includes inner or hub end portion II and an outer or caster end portion I2. A shown in Fig. 1, there are four of such legs and the inner end portions IIII"of all of said legs are grouped in nonradial, encircling relation about the center of the base to there leave a rectangular space or chamber I3, see Fig. 1.

In this instance the inner end portion of each leg has flat sides and projecting from the top margin thereof is a tenon I4 having hrlzontal length approximating the thickness of the leg. This tenon, as shown in Fig. 4 may approximate in vertical height about one-half Alfreds, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to poration, Elkhart, Ind., a

that of the portion II of the leg, thus leaving a bottom margin corner recess I 5 with vertical and horizontal surfaces I6 and I I respectively, the surface I! forming the bottom edge of the tenon I4. In said top margin of the leg and spaced from the tenon, toward the caster end of the leg, is a mortice recess I8 having a width approximating the thickness or width of the leg and of a depth approximating the vertical height of the tenon l4. Below this recess the inner end portion II of the leg has a part I9 which has a vertical height approximating that of the recess I5. Centrally in the tenon I 4 and in the part I9 of the leg below the mortice-recess I 8 are bolt openings 20 and 2I respectively, all as best appears in Fig. 4.

In the assembly of the legs, the tenon 24 of one leg is engaged in the mortice recess I8 of another leg with the bottom edge I! of the tenon of the first leg engaging the bottom edge of the recess I8 in said another leg, and with the edge l6 of the recess I5 of the first leg engaged flatwise against one face of that part I9 below the recess I8 in said other leg. In this position the inner end portions I I of the legs are grouped in encircling relation and are disposed nonradially with respect to the center of the base, as best shown in Fig. 1, and the bolt holes 20 in the tenons I4 register with the holes 2I in the parts I9 of said legs. With this arrangement, the tenon of each leg is disposed on one side of the center of the base and mortice recess is disposed on the other side of said center and the inner end portions of all of the legs coact to produce a square hollow hub 22 for the base, which encloses the hollow space I 3 before referred to.

At the top and bottom of the hub are square, stiff metal plates 23 and 24 respectively, each having an area approximating that of the hub 22. Each plate has a center hole 25 adapted to receive the seat supporting spindle or post (not shown) of the chair. In each corner of said plates are holes 26 (see Fig. 3) which register with the aligned bolt holes 20 and 2|. Bolts 21 are inserted through said holes preferably from the top of the hub so that their threaded bottom ends may receive nuts 28. When the nuts are drawn up tight on the bolts, the legs are rigidly secured together in the proper base forming relation.

It is apparent from the above that each leg I0 is secured by the bolts 21 to two other legs of the group, against displacement or separation in both vertical and horizontal directions. Thus a strong and rigid light-weight base is provided for the chair, which cannot rack or warp out of shape and in which looseness and resultant.

cept as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chair base embodying therein a plurality of counterpart legs, each including a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, the inner end portion of each leg having a tenon projecting horizontally from and having a vertical height less than that of said inner end portion and defining a part of a recess vertically in line therewith, the inner end portion of each leg also having a recess therein that opens laterally therethrough and is disposed in the horizontal plane and has the vertical depth of and is spaced inwardly from said tenon, there being a bridge vertically in-line with the last mentioned recess and which bridge is disposed in the horizontal plane and has the vertical depth of the first mentioned part recess, the said legs being arranged with their inner ends in a grouped relation to form a hollow hub for the base, with the tenon and bridge of each leg engaging in the recess and part recess of two adjacent legs and with the tenon of such leg supportingly engaged with the bridge of another leg, and means passing vertically through each set of engaged tenons and bridges.

2. A chair base embodying therein a plurality of counterpart legs, each includin a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, the inner end portion of each leg having a tenon projecting horizontally from and having a vertical height less than that of said inner end portion and defining a part of a recess vertically in line therewith, the inner end portion of each leg also having a recess therein that opens laterally therethrough and is disposed in the horizontal plane and has the vertical depth of and is spaced inwardly from said tenon, there being a bridge vertically in line with the last mentioned recess and which bridge is dis- 'tenon's and bridges of all of said legs, and fastening means passing through each set of engaged tenons and bridges of all of said legs and operatively engaged with said plate members.

3. As an article of manufacture, a leg for a chair base including a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, a tenon projecting horizontally from and having a vertical height less than that of said inner end portion and forming a part of a recess vertically in line therewith, there being a recess laterally through said inner end portion which is spaced longitudinally from and is disposed in the same horizontal plane as and coextensiv with said tenon.

4. As an article of manufacture, a leg for a chair base having a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, the inner end portion having upper and lower margins, a tenon projectin from the upper margin of said inner end portion and forming a part of a recess in said lower margin, there being a recess laterally through said upper margin of said inner end portion which is spaced longitudinall from and is disposed in the same horizontal plane and is coextensive with said tenon, a part of th lower margin below said recess being coextensive laterally with the first mentioned part recess.

TORRIS H. ALFREDS.

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