US3083051A - Folding chair - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1963 B. K. MILBOURNE FOLDING CHAIR Filed Oct. 18, 1961 March 26, 1963 B. K. MILBOURNE 3,083, 5

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Oct. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. BEN/WW A. M/LBUl/P/Vf United States Patent 3,683,651 FOLDING CHAIR Benjamin K. Milbourne, San Jose, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Robert S. Curtis Filed Get. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 145,867 2 Claims. (Cl. 297-19) This invention relates in general to a foldable or collapsable rocking chair.

It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsable rocking chair which is well braced and sturdy in use but which may be folded to occupy a minimum storage space.

Ancillary objects and advantages of this invention, if not specifically set forth, will become apparent during the course of the description which follows.

Generally, this invention comprises a collapsable rocking chair having a back and a seat member hinged together whereby the back may be folded directly over the seat, a pair of arcuate rocker members, a front pair of legs hinged at the top ends thereof to opposite sides of said backs, said front legs being hinged at the bottoms thereof adjacent the fronts of the said arcuate rocker members, a pair of rear legs each pivoted at one end thereof to an arcuate rocker member at a point spaced from the point of attachment of a front leg, each of said rear legs being pivoted adjacent the other end thereof to said back at a point intermediate the point of attachment of said seat and said point of attachment of a front leg, the front and rear legs being paired and each two elements constituting a pair lying in the same plane whereby each of the said front legs bears against an end of a rear leg when the chair is unfolded for use.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the collapsable rocker of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the rocker of this invention is folded.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation showing the rocker of this invention completely folded for storage.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the leftmost end of the folded chair of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the brackets which is conveniently used for attaching the back and seat members.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters refer to like parts throughout, there is shown a collapsable rocker having a back, generally 1t incorporating a pair of normally upright support members 12 and horizontal cross pieces 14, 16 and 18. The seat generally 20, is hinged to the back by means of brackets 22. Each bracket has a U-shaped receptacle 24 for a bracing member 26. The seat 20 consists of a pair of side frame elements 2% having a plurality of cross members 30, 32, 34 and 36. Each of the seat frame elements 28 is secured to the bracket 22 by means of pin 49 about which the seat pivots. The bracket is fixed, by means of a pair of pins 42 and 43 to the normally vertical back supporting members 12.

Pivotcd by means of pins 44 to front ends of each of the arcuate rocker members 46 are front legs 48. These legs are pivoted at the upper ends thereof by means of pins 59 to the upright back members 12. Each of the front legs 48 is provided with suitable cross bracing including brace 52 and brace 54. One of the advantageous features of this invention flows from the placement of the brace 54 sufficiently near the normally lowermost ends of the front legs 48 that the chair may be folded as shown 3,083,051 Patented Mar. 1963 2 in FIGURE 3 with the top of the back member 10 pass ing between the front legs of the rocker. As seen in FIGURE 4, the brace 54 also serves as a support for the frame members 28 of the seat 20.

The rocker is provided with a pair of rear legs 56 which are pivoted by means of pins 58 to points adjacent the rearmost ends of the arcuate rocker members 46 which legs have bracing 59. The normally uppermost ends of the legs 56 are pivoted about pins 43 which pass directly through brackets 22 and upright back support members 12. The pins 43 strike the legs 56 at points spaced somewhat from the uppermost ends of the legs as particularly shown in FIGURE 4. As each front leg lies in the plane of a rear leg, the boss 60 which has a shank, not shown, is threaded into the upper end of the leg and bear-s against a rearward side of one of front perpendicularity of the front legs 43 and thus the back member 10.

Optionally, the chair may be provided with arms 62 secured in position by means of pins 50 adjacent the uppermost ends of the front legs 48. Hinges 63 provide means for attachment of arms 64. Hole 65 drilled in each of the front legs 48 provide a receptacle for a dowel mounted on the end of each arm support 64.

To assemble the chair from the position shown in FIG- URE 3, one need only grasp the cross member 14 of the back :10 and lift it until the bosses 64 contact the undersides of front legs 48, as shown in FIGURE 2. As seen in FIGURE 5, friction reducing means such as Washers 66 may be positioned between any of the movable parts wherever required.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention hereinabove set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsable rocking chair comprising a back and a seat hinged together whereby said back may be folded directly over said seat, a pair of arcuate rocker members, a pair of front legs hinged at the topmost ends thereof to opposite sides of said back, said front legs being hinged at the bottommost ends thereof to said arcuate rocker members, said front legs having at least a single brace bridging the distance therebetween, said brace being so positioned that said back may pass between said front legs and the front portion of said seat may be supported on said brace when said chair is assembled, a pair of rear legs pivoted at the lowermost ends thereof to said arcuate rocker members at points spaced from the points of attachment of said front legs, said rear legs being pivoted adjacent the topmost ends thereof to opposite sides of said back at points intermediate the point of attachment of said seat thereto and points of attachment of said front legs thereto, one of said front legs lying in the same plane as one of said rear legs and the other of said front legs lying in the same plane as the other of said rear legs whereby each of said front legs bears against an end of a rear leg when the said chair is unfolded for use, said last-mentioned end of each of said rear legs having means for extending and retracting said end whereby to increase or decrease the effective length of said leg, said means being positioned on the said end of each of the said rear legs between the point whereat said leg is pivoted to said back member and said point where a front leg bears against said rear leg, said means consisting of a member threaded into said leg and being capable of being extended and retracted by rotation.

2. A collapsable rocking chair comprising a back and a seat hinged together whereby said back may be folded V directly over said seat, a pair of arcuate rocker members,

a pair'of front legs hinged at the topmost ends thereofto oppposite sides of said back, said front legs being hinged at the bottommost ends thereof to said arcuate rocker members, saidvfront legs'having at least a single being so positioned relative to the other end thereof that said back may pass between said front legs and the front portion of said seat may be supported on said brace when said chair is assembled, a pair of rear legs pivoted at the lowermost .ends thereof to said arcuate rocker members at pointsspaced from the points of attachment of said front legs,- said:rear legs being pivoted adjacent the topmost endsthereof to opposite sides of said back at points intermediate the point of attachment of said seat thereto and points of attachmentofsaid front legs .thereto, one of said front legs lying in the same plane as one of said rear legs-and the otherof said front legs lying in the same.

plane as the other of said rear legs whereby eachof said and said point where a front leg bears against said rear leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,725 Darin Oct. 11, 1875 215,581 Dann May 20, 1879 1,249,650 McPhee Dec. 11, 1917 1,774,190 Stannard Aug. 26, 1930 1,958,042 Hanson May 8, 1934 2,694,442" Nordrnark Nov. 16, 1954 2,865,437 Shwayder Dec. 23, 1958 2,877,829 Ferror et a1. Mar. 17, 1959 2,996,278 Iorio Aug. 15, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A COLLAPSABLE ROCKING CHAIR COMPRISING A BACK AND A SEAT HINGED TOGETHER WHEREBY SAID BACK MAY BE FOLDED DIRECTLY OVER SAID SEAT, A PAIR OF ARCUATE ROCKER MEMBERS, A PAIR OF FRONT LEGS HINGED AT THE TOPMOST ENDS THEREOF TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BACK, SAID FRONT LEGS BEING HINGED AT THE BOTTOMMOST ENDS THEREOF TO SAID ARCUATE ROCKER MEMBERS, SAID FRONT LEGS HAVING AT LEAST A SINGLE BRACE BRIDGING THE DISTANCE THEREBETWEEN, SAID BRACE BEING SO POSITIONED THAT SAID BACK MAY PASS BETWEEN SAID FRONT LEGS AND THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID SEAT MAY BE SUPPORTED ON SAID BRACE WHEN SAID CHAIR IS ASSEMBLED, A PAIR OF REAR LEGS PIVOTED AT THE LOWERMOST ENDS THEREOF TO SAID ARCUATE ROCKER MEMBERS AT POINTS SPACED FROM THE POINTS OF ATTACHMENT OF SAID FRONT LEGS, SAID REAR LEGS BEING PIVOTED ADJACENT THE TOPMOST ENDS THEREOF TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BACK AT POINTS INTERMEDIATE THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT OF SAID SEAT THERETO AND POINTS OF ATTACHMENT OF SAID FRONT LEGS THERETO, ONE OF SAID FRONT LEGS LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS ONE OF SAID REAR LEGS AND THE OTHER OF SAID FRONT LEGS LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE OTHER OF SAID REAR LEGS WHEREBY EACH OF SAID FRONT LEGS BEARS AGAINST AN END OF A REAR LEG WHEN THE SAID CHAIR IS UNFOLDED FOR USE, SAID LAST-MENTIONED END OF EACH OF SAID REAR LEGS HAVING MEANS FOR EXTENDING AND RETRACTING SAID END WHEREBY TO INCREASE OR DECREASE THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID LEG, SAID MEANS BEING POSITIONED ON THE SAID END OF EACH OF THE SAID REAR LEGS BETWEEN THE POINT WHEREAT SAID LEG IS PIVOTED TO SAID BACK MEMBER AND SAID POINT WHERE A FRONT LEG BEARS AGAINST SAID REAR LEG, SAID MEANS CONSISTING OF A MEMBER THREADED INTO SAID LEG AND BEING CAPABLE OF BEING EXTENDED AND RETRACTED BY ROTATION.

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