US2967565A - Stacking chair - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1961 M. R. SCHULTZ 2,967,565

STACKING CHAIR Filed Jan. 4, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z5 65 7 INVENTOR. 75 4 Warm flaw/e0 J'c/M rz 147 TUBA/1 M. R. SCHULTZ STACKING CHAIR Jan. 10, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 ATTOZA/f/ Jan. 10, 1961 M. R. SCHULTZ STACKING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 INVENTOR. M55; fiC/Mw iwaz Arrow [r Jan. 10, 1961 M. R. SCHULTZ STACKING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 INVENTOR. Maw //6fl4/Pfl 19m 72 BY Unite STACKING CHAIR Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 364

15 Claims. (Cl. 155-2) This invention relates to chairs and more especially to chairs capable of being disposed in compact relation to each other to form a stack of chairs. The invention particularly relates to chairs of the type in which the seat is mounted at the upper end of a pedestal or column supported by a base.

In auditoriums, assembly halls and the like it is frequently necessary or desirable to provide seating for a large number of people and on occasion to remove the seats or chairs so as to provide a clear floor space. The problem arises of disposing the seats or chairs removed from the floor in a storage or other temporary location in a compact arrangement requiring very much less floor space than that of the auditorium or assembly hall. To this end in many cases chairs and the like have been made collapsible or folding which are constructed so as to bring the seat into generally parallel relation to the back of the chair so that the collapsed chair may be placed in a vertical position and in close relation to other chairs, thus requiring little floor space for temporary storage.

Such chairs, however, in many cases arenot of such design as to be comfortable or to be artistic. It is usually necessary for comfort that both the back of the chair and the seat thereof shall have a contour of the surface to conform to the body. This may be the case even though the chair is provided with cushions of substantial depth for the seat and the back. Moreover, contours other than rectilinear lines in many cases may provide a more artistic chair in consideration of the proportions of the seat, the back, the height of the pedestal and the diameter of the base necessary to meet the conditions of comfort and of stability of the chair. Chairs having such contours ordinarily cannot be stacked readily in close relation one with respect to the other.

Moreover, in chairs of the pedestal type in which the seat is rigidly secured to the upper end of the pedestal, this pedestal being rigidly secured to a base of substantial diameter for stability, the seat and the column or the base and the column or both may interfere with bringing two chairs in close relation to each other so as to form a compact stack.

It is an object of the invention to provide a chair of the pedestal type which may be brought into closely stacked relation to other like chairs.

It is another object of the invention to provide a chair of the pedestal type which is of artistic design while being capable of being stacked with other similar chairs.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a chair of the pedestal type which will be strong and stable while providing for nesting of the seat and back portions of the chair without interference by the pedestal or column.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a chair of this type in which the base designed for stability also does not interfere with the nesting of the seat and back portions in the stack.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide States Patent ice a chair of simple and strong mechanical construction which will have the above mentioned characteristics.

The chair of the invention utilizes a substantially rigid seat securely mounted upon the upper end of a vertically disposed column or pedestal. This pedestal is securely supported by a base which may rest upon the floor. The base is of such rigid form and construction that it supports the column and the seat mounted thereon so as to afford the requisite stability of the chair, that is, the prevention of tipping forwardly or rearwardly or sidewise, by virtue of its substantial diametral dimensions. The column or pedestal, which may be made of any material suitable to provide a rigid column and preferably is made of metal, is of restricted diameter to serve the purposes of the invention while being of sufficient diameter, having regard to the vertical length of the column, to provide resistance to bending or buckling as well as to secure good design appearance.

While such constructive and design features heretofore have been provided in various ways in pedestal type chairs, the problem of nesting or stacking a plurality of such chairs has not been met satisfactorily. To accomplish this purpose in accordance with the invention the seat of the chair is provided with a notch open at the forward edge of the seat and extending rearwardly from this edge to an inner end of the notch adjacent the column of the chair. The base of the chair also is provided with a notch or open space disposed at the rearward side of the column and extending from the rearward edge or part of the base forwardly to a forward end of the space adjacent the column. Having regard to the requisite features of the column as above mentioned, the column is made of such thickness or dimension transverse to the forward and rearward direction of the chair, that is, transverse to the forward and rearward center line thereof, that the column of a chair which is to be nested with a chair standing on the floor may enter the seat notch of the standing chair, the under side of the seat and the back of the chair, if a back is provided, being disposed above the seat and the back of the standing chair. The column of the chair which is being nested with the standing chair may be moved rearwardly in the notch of the seat of the standing chair until the column reaches the inner or rearward end of this notch.

As this movement occurs the open space or notch provided in t e base, being disposed at the rearward side of the column of the chair being nested with the standing chair, permits the movement of the base of the chair being nested rearwardly with respect to the column of the standing chair, this latter column being received into the space of the chair being nested. As both the inner rearward end of the notch of the seat and the inner forward end of the notch or space of the base are disposed adjacent the column, the columns of the two chairs may be brought into closely adjacent relation to each other and the seats and backs may be disposed in nested rela-' tion to each other. The forward edge of the seat of the chair being nested in the standing chair becomes disposed only a short distance forwardly of the forward edge of the standing chair. Similarly the base of the chair being nested is disposed only a short distance forwardly of the base of the standing chair. In some cases, especially where deep cushions are provided at the back, the chair may not nest in such close relation that the columns of two adjacent chairs are close together. By providing the notch in the seat and the open space or notch in the base, however, the chairs are brought into the stacked relation with the seat and back portions as closely nested as possible. Depending upon the requisite diameter of the column, for constructional or design reasons, or depending upon the horizontal thickness of the back of the chair and its cushion, a greater or less numher of chairs may be stacked together in the relation described without risk of the stack tilting from the stable position in which the center of gravity of the stack falls within the base of the lowermost chair.

To stack the chairs a chair may be lifted somewhat from the floor and its column inserted in and moved to the inner end of the notch of the seat of a chair standing on the floor. Then a third chair may be lifted and its column inserted in the seat notch of the upper chair, these steps being repeated until a stack is built up. In order to avoid the condition that the base of the lifted chair strikes the base of the standing chair, the vertical dimension of the base is made somewhat less than the vertical dimension of the seat of the chair. Moreover by providing this dimensional relation, the bases of each of the chairs will be suspended by their columns since each seat structure will rest upon the seat of the chair next below. It will be understood that some particular maximum dimension as, for example, the hub of the base to which the column is secured with respect to the vertical dimension at some particular point on the seat or back or both, may determine the clearance between the bases of two vertically adjacent chairs in the stack. Ordinarily the depth of the cushions of the seat, in some cases of the seat and of the back, are great enough with respect to the vertical dimensions of the base requisite for strength and stability so that the desired clearance between tne base is secured for convenient stacking.

The invention includes certain details of mechanical construction which will be described in connection with the drawings. These details of construction, however, are such as to provide for the desired full length of the notch in the seat in the forward and rearward direction and of the open space or notch in the base, as will be understood in the following description of the drawings in which Fig. l is a front view of the chair in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chair;

Pig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a top view of a plate supporting the seat at the top of the pedestal;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the chair of the invention is provided with a seat and back structure or outer shell 1 which is of molded pla'tic, for example, of a polyester resin reinforced with a fiber such as sisal, glass or other suitable fibrous material. The shell 1 is molded as a whole to dimensions to provide the requisite strength and rigidity to support the weight of a person sitting in the chair and to resist the bending or torsional strains which are brought upon the seat and back of the chair in its ordinary use. By means to be described this outer shell 1 is secured to a pedestal or column at its upper end. The contours of the shell are such that the requirements of design and of comfort may be met, the seat portion of the shell 1 being of a concave form both in its forward and rearward dimension and in its transverse dimension to provide greater comfort than a flat surface. Similarly, the back of the chair may be made concave so as to conform to the back of a seated person.

As shown in Fig. 4, at the upper side of the seat portion 3 of the outer shell 1 and continuing over the forward face of the back portion 5 of the shell an inner shell '7 is disposed which may be made of paper pulp impregnated with asphalt. This inner shell may be held by adhesive of suitable type to the upper surface of the seat and the forward face of the back portion of the shell 1 and may extend, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, over the forward edge portion of the seat and the upper edge portion of the back and over .the side edge portions of the seat. These edge portions of the two shells are spaced from each other to provide a peripheral recess or groove 13 into which may be received the edge portions of the upholstery fabric 11 which covers the exposed face of the cushion 9 which is secured to the upper surface of the inner shell 7 by a suitable adhesive. The recess 13 is provided by forming a shoulder or rabbet 15 along all of the edge portions of the inner shell 7. The edge portions of the upholstery fabric may be brought down over edge portions of the cushion 9 and lapped upon the shoulder 15 of the inner shell 7 and tacked to the surface of this shoulder. Preferably the cushion 9 is made of foam rubber and the adhesive used is one which is capable of bonding the foam rubber to the asphalt impregnated inner shell 7. The assembly of the inner shell 7, the cushion 9 and the upholstery fabric 11 covering the cushion and tacked to the shoulder of the inner shell is first made and this assembly then is adhesively secured to the outer shell 1 after this outer shell has been mounted on the upper end of the pedestal by means about to be described. The contours of the cushion 9 and the thickness thereof at different portions of the area thereof may be such as will provide comfort as well as artistic design. The fabric 11 may be any conventional fabric suitable as upholstery or covering material for the purpose.

The outer shell 1 at the bottom surface thereof in the embodiment being described is provided with a shallow recess 17 having a flat surface 19 for engagement with a corresponding flat upper surface of a plate 21 mounted on the upper end of the pedestal or column 23. The column 23 in this embodiment is provided by a tube 25 extending between the lower face 27 of the plate 21 and the upper end 29 of the hub 31 of the base 33. Means further to be described are provided for drawing the lower face 27 of the plate 21 into engagement with the upper end of the tube 25 and the upper surface of the hub 31 into engagement with the lower end of the tube 25 securely to hold the plate and the hub in spaced relation and rigidly connected to the tube 25 as a strut or column.

The plate 21 as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is provided with a plurality of bosses 35 extending upwardly from the upper surface of the plate. These bosses are disposed about tlte axis of the tubular column 23 and in symmetrical relation to the forward and rearward center line of the chair, that is, the horizontal center line in Fig. 5. The outer shell 1, as shown in Fig' 4, is provided with a plurality of recesses 37 extending upwardly from the fiat surface 19 of the shallow recess 17 of the shell 1 for receiving the respective bosses 35. The plate 21 may be made of such material as to provide a rigid structure. For example, the plate may be cast of aluminum or an aluminum alloy so as to provide, without the necessity of machining, planar surfaces at the upper surface of the plate and also to provide smooth bottom and edge surfaces for this plate merging tangentially with the smooth bottom surface of the shell 1. In such a plate cast of aluminum or aluminum alloy the bosses may be sharply formed and closely to dimension and, as the shell 1 is preferably molded of a plastic, the recesses also may be sharply formed to dimension, so that the bosses 35 may fit snugly into the recesses 37, thereby to secure a tight connection between the shell 1 and the plate 21 to prevent movement of these two members with respect to each other either under the stress of tilting in any direction or of torsion about the axis of the column of the chair. Securely to hold the bosses 35 in place in the recesses 37 and the upper face of the plate 21 against the surface 19 of the shell 1, tap bolts 39 engage threads in the bosses 35, suitable washers being disposed beneath the heads of the tap bolts 39 for engagement with the upper surface of the seat portion of the shell 1.

For securely holding the plate 21 to the tube 25 at the upper end thereof, an upper stub shaft 41 is provided the .outer diameter of which is such as to fit snugly in the inner diameter of the tube 25. The upper stub shaft 41 may be made of a metal and may be machined to provide an inner space within which a nut 43 may be disposed. The lower end of the stub shaft 41 is provided with a threaded hole through which a bolt or rod 45 extends, the upper end of which is threaded to engage the threads of the stub shaft and to receive the nut 43. The lower end of the bolt 45 extends through an opening in the hub 31 of the base 33, and is provided with a hexagonal head 47. A washer 49 is disposed under the head 47 in a recess 51 formed in the bottom end of the hub 31 of the base. Upon tightening the nut 43 on the bolt 45, the hub 31 is drawn against the bottom end of the tube 25 and simultaneously the plate 21 is drawn against the upper end of the tube 25.

To hold the upper stub shaft 41 securely to the plate 21 the upper end of the stub shaft 41 is machined or otherwise formed with a flared portion 53 which may be embedded in the metal of the plate 21 as it is cast. The pull of the rod 45, therefore, is resisted by virtue of the secure hold of the flared portion 53 of the stub shaft 41 in the plate 21. The stub shaft 41 thus is secured rigidly to the plate 21 and is snugly fitted to the tubular column 25, so that a rigid connection is provided at the upper end of the column for the mounting of the plate and support of the seat thereon.

At the lower end of the tube 25 a lower stub shaft 55, which also may be of metal, is snugly fitted to the inner surface of the tube 25. The stub shaft 55 in the embodiment shown is provided at its lower portion with a plurality of annular grooves 57 separated by annular ridges 59 extending circumferentially about the stub shaft. The base 33 may be made of a suitable material, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, and the lower end of the stub shaft 55 may be dispo"ed in the mold so that the metal in the hub 31 is cast about the grooves and ridges so as rigidly to hold the stub shaft 55 in the hub 31 with the upper portion thereof extending upwardly into the tube 25. The stub shaft 51 is provided with a longitudinal hole 61 extending therethrough so that the rod 45 may extend therethrough and through the part of the hub 31 adjacent the washer 49 to provide the function of a draw rod as above described.

The base 33, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7 in the embodiment being described, provides four generally radially extending arms. Two of these arms 65 extend forwardly of the transverse center line of the column and are disposed in symmetrical relation to the forward and rearward center line of the chair. The other two arms 67 extend rearwardly of the transverse center line of the column and also are disposed in symmetrical relation to the forward and rearward center line of the chair. The arms 65 and 67 extend at angles to this forward and rearward center line. The arms 65 are of such radial length and extend at such an angle relative to the radial length and angle of the arms 67 that the forwardly disposed ends of the arms 65 are at a somewhat greater distance forwardly of the transverse center line of the column than are the rearward y disposed ends of the arms 67 rearwardly of this transverse center line. In this embodiment the angle between arms 65 is somewhat greater than the angle between arms 67. It will be noted further from Fig. 7 that the center lines of the arms 65 and 67 do not proceed precisely radially from the axis of the column but from points which respectively are offset transversely of the forward and rearward center line of the chair. The advantages of this arrangement will appear from further description but it may be noted here that, viewed in section through the axis of the column taken transversely of the forward and rearward center line of the chair, a substantial body of material is provided, so that the arms are rigidly connected together and to the hub 31 without disposing a large amount of the connecting material forwardly and rearwardly of the column 23.

As shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 7 the arms 1 6 65, 67 of the base 33 may be formed through most of their length with an inverted channel shape, having flanges extending downwardly from web portions 71 disposed at the upper side of the respective arms. web portions as well as the flanges are cast in one piece with the hub 31 to provide a rigid central structure rigidly holding the four arms extending at angles to each other and at angles to the forward and rearward center line of the chair. Reinforcing ribs 69 extend transverseiy of the arms 65, 67. A stable base rigidly supporting the column 23 and the seat and its plate 21 mounted thereon thus is secured. Suitable casters or the equivalent of conventional type, which may be in the form of resilient studs or glides 73 provided with metal covers 75 providing smooth lower surfaces, are disposed in sockets provided in bosses formed at the outer ends of the respective arms 65, 67.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, a notch is formed in the seat portion of the shell 1 of the chair. This notch extends from the forward edge 87 of the shell reawardly to an inner end 89 which is disposed adjacent the column 23. The plate 21 also is provided with a notch 91 which has a contour registering substantially with the contour of the inner portion of the notch 85 of the shell 1. As shown in Fig. 5 the notch 91 of the plate 21 extends at its inner end substantially to the periphery of the hub 93 of the plate 21 from which a plurality of ribs 95, 97 enxtend radially. Alternate ribs 95 are disposed on the radial center lines of the bosses 35 of the plate 21. Other ribs 97 are disposed on radial lines 'between the ribs 95. These ribs 95, 97 as shown in Fig. 6 extend from the upper surface 99 of the plate 21 to a web portion 101 which is of conical shape extending outwardly from the lower end of the hub 93. The hub 93 provides a portion of the plate 21 in which the upper flared end 53 of the upper stub shaft 41 is embedded as above described. By providing a plate 21 of this form the requisite rigidity thereof for mounting on the column 23 and for support of the shell 1 may be secured, even though the provision of the notch 91 requires the removal of a certain amount of material of the plate.

As shown in Fig. 5 the width of the notch is substantial with respect to the diameter of the plate. This is necessary in order that tubes 25 of the columns of the chairs being stacked above a particular plate 21 may enter the notch 91 from the forward edge of the plate. The tube 25 of the next chair above must move to the inner end of this notch 91, i.e., the right hand end as it appears in Fig. 5.

The number of chairs which may be placed in a single stack depends upon the relation between the seat thickness and the length of the column between seat and base. It is preferred to construct the chairs so that six may be placed in one stack. This limitation of the number of chairs in one stack provides a further improvement over prior stacking chairs where the number in a stack is not limited. With such prior art chairs, it sometimes happens that so many chairs are stacked together that the lower chairs are overloaded, and are thereby bent or broken.

It also will be noted in Figs. 2 and 5 that the notches 85, 91 are tapered in the direction from the forward edge 87 of the shell to the rearward end portions of the coincident notches, the radius of the inner end of the notch 85 being the same as that of the inner end of the notch 91. The inner shell 7, when made in one piece for the outer shell 1, also is provided with a notch 105 extending from the forward edge of this shell to an inner end which is adjacent the inner end 89 of the notch 85 of the outer shell. The notch 105 also may have a contour or outline substantially coincident with the tapering outline and circular end of the notch 85 of the shell 1. Preferably, however, the width of the notch of the inner shell may be somewhat wider along its extent in order to provide for the thickness of the cover- These ing fabric which, as above described, is brought down over the edge of the cushion and over the edge of the inner shell to be secured to the shoulder 15 formed along the edges of the inner shell. Where the inner shell 7 is formed in one piece for engagement with the upper surface of the shell 1, the shoulder may be formed also along the edge of the slot for this purpose. Similarly, where the cushion with its fabric cover is formed in'one piece for the full width of the chair, the fabric covered cushion is provided with a notch extending from the forward edge thereof and of such width and length as to correspond to the notches 85 and 105 of the outer and inner shells so as to permit entry therein of the column of a chair to be nested or stacked.

Preferably, however, and to facilitate the formation of the cushion and the upholstery with a deep central slot, the inner shell 7, as well as the cushion and its fabric covering, may be made in two pieces of such form as to be disposed at either side of and to substantially meet upon the forward and rearward vertical plane through the axis of the column 23 of the chair. When the inner shell 7 thus is made in two pieces, each of the pifces is provided with a shoulder along all of the edges thereof corresponding to the shoulder 15, as described in connection with Fig. 4, which forms the recess within which the edge portions of the fabric cover are disposed, this fabric covering being secured to the shoulder as by tacks or other fasteners. When the inner shell 7 and the cushion 9 and its covering 11 are thus formed in two pieces, they must be formed with right and left contours and the portions thereof which are adjacent the notch 85 of the shell 1 must be formed with right and left outlines so as approximately to conform to the outline of the notch 85 of the seat portion of the shell 1. Where, as is usually the case, the cushion is formed of a resilient material such as foam rubber, the outline of the notch portion of the cushion need not be precisely determined, since the portions of the cushions at either side of the notch 85 will yield when the column 23 of a superposed chair is inserted in the notch.

In Figs. 2 and 4 are shown in dotted lines the outlines of a chair disposed in stacked relation to and nested above the chair shown in full lines in these figures. The seat and back portions of the shell 1 of the upper of the two chairs engage the upper surface of the fabric covered cushion 9 of the lower supporting chair shown in full lines. The column 23 of the upper chair, shown as a dotdash circle in Fig. 2 and shown also vertically in dot-dash lines in Fig. 4, is disposed at the inner or rearward end 89 of the notch 85 of the shell 1 and at the inner or rearward end of the notch 91 of the plate 21 and forwardly of the column 23 of the lower chair. It will be apparent that the column 23 of the upper chair is closely adjacent the column of the lower supporting chair. It also will be seen from the dot-dash outlines in these two figures that the column 23 of the supporting chair shown in full lines is disposed closely adjacent and rearwardly of the hub 31 of the base 33 of the upper chair, the rearwardly extending arms 67 of the base 33 of the upper chair straddling the column 23 of the lower supporting chair shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 4.

Because of the form of the part of the base 33 which includes the hub 31 and the portions of the base adjacent thereto and disposed transversely of the forward and rearward center line, as above mentioned, the two columns are brought closely together without substantial interference of these hub portions of the bases 33. (See Fig. 7.) Having regard to the proximately of the inner end of the notches 85, 91 to the hub 93 of the plate 21, it will be apparent also that the columns 23 of the two chairs are brought into the closely adjacent relation to each other without substantial interference of the parts of the plate which are connected to the column.

It also will be seen in Fig. 2, because of the close relation of the columns just described, that the forward edge of the upper chair or of its cushion is disposed only slightly forward of the forward edge of the supporting chair or its cushion. The degree of this overhang and the limit of the proximity of the two columns in some cases may be determined by the thickness and contour of the cushions, particularly of the back cushion and the portion of the seat cushion adjacent to the back, but the form and length of the notches 85, 91 and the form and forwardrearward length of the space between the arms 67 of the base provide for as close disposition as possible.

It also will be seen in Fig. 4 that the clearance above referred to of the base of the upper chair with respect to the base of the lower supporting chair provided by making the vertical dimension of the seat and cushion structure greater than that of the base is sufficient so that, as the column of the upper chair is being moved rearrearwardly in the notch of the lower chair, the rearwardly extending arms 67 of the base of the upper chair will clear tne base of the lower chair. Thus, the stacking operation is simple and expeditious.

Within the scope of the invention modifications may be made of the form of the seat structure and of the shells while providing the notch extending from the forward edge of the chair. Modifications also may be made in the form and construction of the base which in some cases may provide merely a slot or notch extending from the rearward periphery of a disc such as is conventionally used in a pedestal type chair, this notch or slot extending to an inner forward end close to the hub of the base to which the column is secured. Other variations may be made in the form and outlines of the column and other parts of the chair for the purposes of mechanical construction or of ornamental design while embodying the features described. All such variations are intended to be included in the scope of the appended claims.

it claim:

1. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs which comprises a vertically disposed column, a seat supported on the upper end of said column, and a base connected to the lower end of said column for supporting said column and said seat, said seat having a notch open at the forward edge of the seat and extending rearwardly from said edge to an inner end of said notch adjacent said column, said base providing a rearwardly open space disposed at the rearward side of said column and extending forwardly to a forward end of said space adjacent said column, said column of said chair having a thickness tranverse to the forward and rearward direction such that said column of a given chair may be received in said space of the base of a chair in superposed stacked relation to said given chair concomitantly With the column of said superposed chair being received in said notch of said given chair.

2. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs which comprises a vertically disposed column, a seat supported on the upper end of said column, and a base connected to the lower end of said column for supporting said column and said seat, said seat having a notch open at the forward edge of the seat and extending rearwardly from said edge to an inner end of szid notch adjacent said column, the width of said notch transversely of the forward and rearward direction being restricted so as to provide portions of said seat of substantial seat area at either side of the notch, said base providing a rearwardly open space disposed at the rearward side of and extending forwardly to a forward end of said space adjacent said column, said column of said chair having a thickness transverse to the forward and rearward direction such that said column of a given chair may be received in said space of the base of a chair in superposed stacked relation to said given chair concomitantly with the column of said superposed chair being received in said notch of said given chair.

3. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with similar chairs as defined in claim 1 in which said notch tapers from said forward edge of the seat rearwardly to a width adjacent said inner end of said notch not substantially greater than said transverse dimension of the column.

4. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with similar chairs as defined in claim 1 in which said base comprises a hub secured to the lower end of said column, and at least two arms extending rearwardly from said hub and transversely of and in symmetrical relation to the center line of the chair which extends in the forward and rearward direction, said arms defining therebetween said rearwardly open space of said base.

5. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with similar chairs as defined in claim 1 in which said base comprises a hub secured to the lower end of said column, and four arms extending transversely of the center line of said column which extends in the forward and rearward direction, two of said arms extending forwardly of said column in symmetrical relation to said center line and the other two arms extending rearwardly of said col- 11mm in symmetrical relation to said center line, said rearwardly extending arms defining therebetween said rearwardly open space of said base.

6. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with similar chairs as defined in claim 5 in which said forwardly extending arms are disposed at an angle to said center line greater than the angle at which said rearwardly extending arms are disposed with respect to said center line.

7. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with similar chairs which comprises a vertically disposed column, a seat supporting plate having a diameter substantially larger than the column and mounted on the upper end of said column, said plate having an upper surface extending transverse to the vertical, a seat having a bottom surface transverse to the vertical for engagement with said upper surface of said plate, means for securing said seat to said plate with said surfaces in engagement with each other, said seat having a notch open at the forward edge thereof and extending rearwardly from said edge to an inner end of said notch adjacent the column, said plate having a notch disposed in register with said notch of said seat when said seat is secured to said plate, said notch of said plate extending from the forwardly disposed edge of said plate to an inner end thereof adjacent said inner end of said notch of said seat, a base connected to the lower end of said column for supporting said column and said seat, said base providing a rearwardly open space disposed at the rearward side of said column and extending forwardly to a forward end of said space adjacent said column, said column of said chair having a thickness transverse to the forward and rearward direction such that said column of a given chair may be received in said space of said base of a chair in superposed stacked relation to said given chair concomitantly with the column of said superposed chair being received in said notches of said seat and of said plate of said given chair.

8. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 7, in which said column is tubular, an upper stub shaft secured at its upper end to said plate and projecting downwardly at the lower side of said plate within and engaging the inner surface of said tubular column, said base providing a centrally disposed hub, a lower stub shaft secured in said hub and extending upwardly therefrom within and engaging the inner surface of said tubular column, and means connecting said stub shafts for holding said plate and said hub in engagement with said tubular column adjacent the respective ends of said column.

10 9. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs, as defined in claim 8, in which said means connecting said stub shafts is provided by a rod threaded 1y engaging one of said stub shafts at one end of said rod and extending through said tubular column and through and beyond said other stub shaft, and a nut threaded on one end of said rod for bearing on the adjacent stub shaft.

10. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 8, in which said plate is provided with a central hub and said upper stub shaft is provided at its upper end with an outwardly flared portion embedded in the central hub of said plate for securing said plate to said upper stub shaft.

11. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 8, in which said lower stub shaft is formed at its lower end with a plurality of circumferentially extending ridges defining grooves therebetween, the lower end of said lower stub shaft being embedded in said central hub of said base for securely holding said lower stub shaft to said base.

12. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 7, in which said plate is provided with a plurality of bosses extending upwardly from said upper surface thereof and disposed in spaced relation to each other about the axis of said column, said seat at said bottom surface thereof being provided with corresponding recesses for receiving the respective bosses of said plate, and fasteners passing through said seat and engaging said bosses for securing said seat to said plate.

13. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 7, in which said upper surface of said plate is inclined downwardly with respect to the horizontal in the direction from said forward edge of said plate toward the rearward edge thereof.

14. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 7, in which said plate is provided with a centrally disposed hub, a web portion extending outwardly from said hub to the peripheral portion of said plate, and a plurality of ribs extending generally radially from said hub to the peripheral portion of said plate for stiffening said web and said peripheral portion with respect to said hub.

15. A chair adapted to be stacked compactly with other similar chairs as defined in claim 14, in which the upper edges of said ribs are disposed in a common plane defining said upper surface of said plate, a plurality of bosses extending upwardly from selected ribs and disposed about the axis of said column in generally symmetrical relation with respect to the forward and rearward center line of the chair, said seat at said bottom surface thereof being provided with corresponding recesses for receiving the respective bosses of said plate, and fasteners extending through said seat and engaging said bosses for securing said seat to said upper surface ofsaid plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,135 Wilson Nov. 1, 1881 938,219 Crumb Oct. 26, 1909 1,626,832 Huckel May 3, 1927 1,802,279 Schmitt Apr. 21, 1931 2,315,608 Fergusson Apr. 6, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,250 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1952 738,152 France Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,967,565 January 10 1961 Moses R. Schultz Column 6, line 21, for "reawardly" read rearwardly column 7, line 68, for "proximately" read proximity t.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of May 1961a (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER I DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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