CA1155384A - Eccentrically rotatable chair - Google Patents
Eccentrically rotatable chairInfo
- Publication number
- CA1155384A CA1155384A CA000364805A CA364805A CA1155384A CA 1155384 A CA1155384 A CA 1155384A CA 000364805 A CA000364805 A CA 000364805A CA 364805 A CA364805 A CA 364805A CA 1155384 A CA1155384 A CA 1155384A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- ball
- bearing
- support member
- chair
- socket
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Abstract
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
ECCENTRICALLY ROTATABLE CHAIR
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
A chair for business or home use comprises a rotatable seat supported on a single leg at the bottom of which is a ball bearing caster. The leg is connected by a telescopically exten-sible arm to a pivot post which projects upwardly from the center of a circular base plate on which the ball bearing caster is adapted to roll as the chair swings around the pivot post. The chair may also have a back rest which is mounted for universal movement on a back support which extends rearwardly from an upper portion of the chair leg and then upwardly. The ball bearing caster comprises a larger ball retained in a socket and resting on a circle of smaller bearing balls so that the larger ball can rotate freely in all directions. Alternatively the ball bearing caster comprises a plurality of balls in a retainer.
ECCENTRICALLY ROTATABLE CHAIR
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
A chair for business or home use comprises a rotatable seat supported on a single leg at the bottom of which is a ball bearing caster. The leg is connected by a telescopically exten-sible arm to a pivot post which projects upwardly from the center of a circular base plate on which the ball bearing caster is adapted to roll as the chair swings around the pivot post. The chair may also have a back rest which is mounted for universal movement on a back support which extends rearwardly from an upper portion of the chair leg and then upwardly. The ball bearing caster comprises a larger ball retained in a socket and resting on a circle of smaller bearing balls so that the larger ball can rotate freely in all directions. Alternatively the ball bearing caster comprises a plurality of balls in a retainer.
Description
11553~4 rl~:LD OF INVI~NTIOt~: .
The presen~ invention relates to chairs for business and home use and particularly chairs which are mounted for movemcn~ eccentrically on a base. The term "chair" is herein used in a generic sense to include stools and other seating de-vices.
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B~CK~ROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Of~ice chairs are customarily supported on four casters each of which comprises a small wheeL mounted eccentrically on a :
spindle. When the chair is moved from one pos,ition to another,;
the caster wheels swing about the spindle axes into alignment with the direction of movement and roll along the floor. If the ' : . floor is carpeted,the chair is more difficult to move especially .
. , when someone is sitting in the chair and the repeated swinging and rolling movement of the casters soon wears through the floor ' . . covering. In order to protect the floor covering, boards of ~
fiber or plastic are provided underneath the chairs. However, these are unsightly and interfere with cleaning. Most stools such as those used for examplé in drafting offices and most chairs used in the home are not provided with casters. They henc~
must o~dinarily be lifted in order to be moved from one position to another.- They can be slid along the floor only with difficult.
and with resultant wear of the floor covering. For example when . . a person wishes to move up to or away from a table he usually moves his chair by a series of jerking,sliding movements. This is hard on the person, the chair and the floor.
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~ - -- 1 SU~II`I/\RY OI;' ~rlll, I~'Vl,NTION
I~ is an object of the present invention to provide a chair ~7hich is very comfortable and which is easily'movable from one position to another. In accordance with the invention' the chair seat is rotatably mounted on a single leg or column which is provided at its lower end with a special caster and -i is connected by a horizontal arm with a central pivot,post on ', a ci~cular base plate. The arm holds the leg upright and permits easy movement of the chair by swinging about the pivot post while the special caste~ rolls on the base plate. Moreover, the 'arm is telescopically extensible to permit movement of the chair , seat and the leg supporting it toward and away from the'pivot post. The special caster at the lower end of the leg comprises a single support ball which bears on a ring of small b'earing ball~
so that it can rotate freely,in any directi'on. '' ~ ' ,Moreover, the chair may be provided with a back rest which is mounted on a back support by a spring loaded ball and socket arrangement which permits universal movement of the chair back.~ The ball and socket arrangement by which the backrest is supported is similar to the caster at the lower end of the , chair leg in that it'comprises a larger ball which bears on a ' ball bearing comprising a ring of small bearing balls. : , ¦
Chairs in accordance with the present invention may ~take a,variety of forms. They may for example be office chairs with a seat and 'backrest 'and with or without arms. They may be stools provided with a footrest but without arms or back: j They may be chairs suitable for use in the home for example as dining chairs, easy chairs or occasional chairs. The chairs in accordance with the invention may thus be in many shapes and' sizes.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
The nature, objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of preferred embodiments shown by way of example in the accompanying S drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a full section elevational view of a chair in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. lA is a partial sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification;
Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view on a smaller scale illustrating how the chair moves in a circular motion;
Fig. 3 is a side view on a smaller scale of the chair sho~n, in Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a front view of the chair;
Fig. 5 is a rear view of the chiar;
Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the horizontal arm of the chair taken approximately on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1;
Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are cross sectional views taken approximately on the lines 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10 respectively in Fig. l;
Fig. 11 is a longitudinally section of a portion of the horizontal arm taken approximately on the line 11-11 in Fig. 6 and can be found on the same sheet as Fig. l;
Fig. 12 is a side view of a stool in accordance with the invention having a foot rest but no arms or back;
Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a chair having a back but no arms and usable for example as a dining chair;
Fig. 14 is a side elevation of an arm chair usable for example as an office desk chair;
Fig. 15 is a side elevation of a lounge chair also capable of office use;
Fig. 16 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the caster shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 17 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the caster construction shown in Fig. 16;
Fig. 18 is a side elevation of another chair having a back but no arms;
Fig. 19 is an enlarged vertical partial section taken on the line 19-19 in Fig. 20;
Fig. 20 is a plan view of a lower part of the chair of Fig. 18; and Fiy. 21 is a vertical section taken on the line 21-21 in Fig. 20 and can be found on the same sheet as Fig. 18.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:
A chair in accordance with the invention as shown by way of example in Figs. 1-11 comprises a seat 1 supported by a single leg or column 2 having at its lower end a caster 3. The leg 1 is connected by an arm 4 with a central pivot post 5 of a circular base plate 6 on which the caster 3 rests. The arm 4 is swingable about the pivot post 5 so that the chair seat 1 and leg 2 move in an orbital path about the axis of the pivot post while the caster 3 rolls on the base plate 6. The chair is shown as having a backrest 7 mounted for universal movement on a back support 8.
The leg or column 2 comprises a main portion 2a and an upper portion 2b having at its lower end a cup-shaped reduced portion 2c which is rotatably received in the upper end of the main portion 2a. A ball bearing 10 comprising a ring of bearing balls in a suitable retainer is interposed between the lower end of the cup-shaped portion 2c and an internal flange 2d in the màin portion 2a of the leg so as to support the upper leg portion 2b for free rotation. The upper portion 2b of the leg is retained .
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on the main portion 2a by a bolt ll having a pivot head lla below the flange and a washer and nut llb above an internal flange 2e in the upper leg portion 2b. The nut on the bolt 11 is tightened only sufficiently to hold the two leg portions in assembled relation without interfering with free rotation of the upper leg portion 2b on the main leg portion 2a.
. The seat 1 comprises a base plate la formed, for example of plywood, a cushion lb, for example of foam rubber or plas~tic, and a cover lc of fabric or flexible sheet plastic which covers the cushion lb and extends beneath the base plate la. The seat 1 rests on a f lange 2f provided at the upper end of the upper leg portion 2b and is secured in place by screws 12 which extend through holes in the flage 2f and are screwed into the base plate la of the seat A lower edge of the cover lc is clamped between the flange 2f and the base plate la of the seat thereby further holding the cover. It will be understood that by reason of the seat 1 being mounted on the upper leg portion 2b, it is freely .
rotatable about the axis of the leg, the load of the seat and an occupant being taken by the ball bearing 10.
The caster 3 at the lower end of the leg 2 comprises~
a ball 14 received in a socket comprising a generally cylindrical sleeve lS, the internally threaded upper end of which is screwed onto an externally threaded reduced lower end portion 2g of the leg. The sleeve 15 has a restricted lower end portion 15a which ¦retains the ball 14 in the sleeve while permitting a portion of the ball to project beyond the lower end of the sleeve as seen in ~ig. 1. The ball 14 is supported by a ball bearing 16 which seats on the lower end of a hollow cylindrical spacer 17 that is re-ceived in the tubular sleeve 15 and abuts the lower end of the leg.
rhe ball bearing 16 comprises a ring of small bearing balls re-ceived in a suitable retainer as seen in Fig. 8. The dimensions of the sleeve 15 and spacer 17 are selected so that the ball 14 5538~
protrudcs below tllc lowcr end o~ the slccve and is rotatable freely in all dircctions on the ball bearing 16 while being re- '.
~ained by ~he restricted low~r end 15a of the sleeve. The ball 14 has a diameter slightly less'than the inside diameter of the slceve lS and lS formed of suitable hard durable material, for , example metal,or plastic. It may be either solid or hollow. As .
the chair swings'about the central pivot post 5, the ball 14 rolls freel~ on the base plate 6. ' - ' '' The horizontal arm 4 comprises a tubular outer portion 4a which is fixed to the leg 2,for example by welding,and an inner portion 4b which is rotatably connected with the central pivot , , post 5 which projects up from the base plate 6' To provide such connection,the inner'portion 4b of the arm'4 is provided with a downwardly'proJecting cylindrical:,'portion 4c that ïs recëived in an upper portion of the pivot post 5. A ball bearing l8 com-prising ring of small bearing balls in a suitable retainer (Fig, 10) is interposed between the lower end of the,cylindrical portion 4c and an internal flange Sa in the pivot post 5. The ,, ball bearing 18 takes vertical loads of the arm~4 while permittinC
free rotation of the'arm about the'pivot post. The arm 4 is hei~ -in assembled relation with the base by a bolt 19 having a pivot headl~=
inside the arm and a nut l9b below the flange 5a. The nut is ightened suf~iciently t,o hold the arm in place while permitting free rotation on the ball bearing 1~
The horizontal arm 4 is extensible by virtue of a telescopical ,connection between the outer portion 4a and the inner portion 4b. As seen in Figs. 1, 6 and 11 such connection is rovided by a slide 20 ~hich is fixed at-one end in outer arm por-tion 4a and extends slidably into inner arm portion 4b. The slide , , ' ' ' -7-, ' ' ' ' '.
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20 is lon~itu~inally slotted to receive a trac~ ?.1 which is secur~
¦in inner arm portion 4b by scre~s 22. ~ plurali~y.of bearing balls 23 in the sides of ~he track 21 enga~e opposite sides of the ¦longitudinal slot 20a in slide 20 while other bearing balls 24 in la transverse portion of the track 21 enga~e a downwardly project- ;
¦ing rib portion 20b of the slide 20 to provide lateral and vertic~
¦guidance of the telescopic parts while permitting free movement ¦of the ou~er arm portion 4a inwardly and outwardly ~ith respect ¦to the inner arm portion 4b. Movement of the chair tot~ard and ¦away from the central pivot post 5 is thereby permitted. For ¦example a person seated at a desk can move backwardly away from ¦the desk and then swing to the side in order to get up ! Inward ¦movement toward the central pivot post is limited by abu~ment ¦of the end of outer arm portion 4a with the end o~ inner arm ,por-tion 4b. Outward movement is limited by engagement of an upwardl,~
¦projecting portion 21a o the track 21 with a shoulder 20c of the ¦slide 20 (see Figs. 1 and 11~. Further stability of the arm is ' Iprovided by longitudinally extending internal ribs 4d in the inner ¦arm portion 4b engaging opposite faces of an enlarged portion of the slot 20a in-the slide 20. ~ ~ f If desired,the horizontal arm 4 can be spring biased for extension or contraction. For example as illustrated in Fig. lA
. a light tension spring 25 is connected at one end to the slide 20 and is anchored at the other end by means of an eye or hook which receives the bolt 14 which anchors the arm 4 to the pivot post 5.
. In this case the bolt 14 is extended and screwed into an internall~
threaded lug 4e provided in the inner arm portion 4b. By virtue f the bias thus provided,the chair will automatically retract frc~
n outer position to an inner position closer to the pivot post when unoccupied. Conversely the spring 25 may be a compression -B-1 1~5384 ` t sprin~ so as to tcnd ~o hold the chair in its outer position.
~ s shown by way of example in Figs. l-5, thc backrest 7 is circular and comprises a circular base plate 7a, for example o pl~ood, a cushion 7b,for example of foam rubber or plastic, and a cover 7c of for example flexible plastic or fabric. As seen in Fig. 1 the covering material 7c coYers the front, edges and back of the backrest. The support 8 for the backrest is tubular and comprises a horizontal portion 8a which is fixed to the upper leg portion 2b, for example by welding, and extends rearwardly beyond the seat l and a genrally vertical portion 8b which extends upwardly from the horizontal portion 8a a suffi- ' cient distance to support the backrest at an appropriate height.
The backrest is mountedon thesupport 8 by a universal joint co~- j-prising a ball 26 received in a socket 27. The bal'l 26 has-an interna~ythreaded bore and is screwed'onto a threaded ,stem 28 which extends rearwardly ~rom a plate 29 sécured to the back plate 7a of the backrest 7 by means o'~ screws 30. While the :i plate 29 could be secured to the back of the backrest in a manner similar to the mounting of the seat l, a neater appearance is provided by securing the piate 29 to the inner ace of the '' back plate 7a before the cushion 7b and covering 7c are applied.' -The socket 27 comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve secured o~' the upper end of the back support 8, for example by welding.
At its forward end 27'a,the opening of the sleeve 27 is restricte~
so as to retain the ball 26 in the sleeve. A ball bearing 30 is pressed against the ball 26 by a washer 31 and spring 32 which acts between the washer and a plug 33 screwed into the internall;;
thrcaded rear end portion of the'sleeve.27. The ball 26 is there-by pressed into the restricted opening at the forward end of the sleeve 27 ~ith the result that the backrest 7 can be tilted in . ' '"' g . ~ ll ' i ' ' 1 ~ 5 5 38 ~ ' `, " ' - ' ' ' ' I
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any dil~ection to a dcsircd position and will ther~upon be rctain~d in that position by frictional engagemen~ of the ball 26 with ~he restricted end portion o~ the sleeve 27. ~Ioreover, l:he backrcst 7 can bc moved rear~ardly against the pressure of thc sprin~ 32. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the bearing 30 ' comprises a circle of smaIl bearing balls in a retainer which ' keeps the balls in proper circumferential position. The plug 'i 33 can be screwed into the sleeve 27 a variable amount to vary the spring pressure on the ball 26. Preferabl~, however, the plug 33 protrudes'slightly beyond the rear end of the sleeve 27 and is formed of plastic material, for example nylon so that it would not mar any wall surface which it may happen to engage.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, the seat l can be swung around the pivot post 5 to any desired position. Moreover, as described above the seat may be moved inwardly toward or out-wardly away from the pivot post 5 by an amount permitted by the telescopic interconnection of portions 4a and 4b of the horizon- j tal arm 4. In movement of the seat to different positions, the ball 14 of the caster 3 rolls freely on the'base plate~6 by ~ .
rea~on of the ball bearing 16 through which the supporting ball 14 carries the weight of the seat and.any occupant. Moreover, the seat 1 is freely rotatable on the leg 1 by virtue of the' ball bearing 10 and the backrest i is mounted on the back sup~ortj 8 in such manner as to permit universal movement of the backrest.
Chairs in accordance with the invention may assume different configurations according to the uses for which they are intended. Several different configurations are illustrated by way of example in Figs. 12 to 15. Thus for example in Fig. 1 there is shown a stool comprising a seat 1', leg 2, caster 3, . ' ' '' . ';
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I horizontal arm 4, pivot post 5 and base pl~te 6 as dcscrib~d above. How~ver, thcre is no baclc and hence no back support.
On the other hand ~he stool is provid~d with a T-shap~d foot-rest 35 comprising a tubular portion 35a which is affixed to and extends forwardly from the leg 2 and a transverse tubular portion 35b at the forward end of the portion 35a. As the foot- I
rest 35 is affixed to the leg 2, for example by welding, it is -¦
carried around with the seat 1 when swung about the pivot post 5. ~
. In Fig. 13 there is shown a chair which is suitable for use as a side chair or dining chair. As in Fig. 1 it has a seat 1, leg 2, caster 3, arm 4, pivot post 5 and base plate 6.
However, it will be noted that the seat l,instead of being round,;
is generally rectangular and is inclined slightly rearwardly.
Moreover, the chair has an upholstered back 37 which is..fixed to i the rear o the seat 1. Moreover, the arm 4 is shorter an~ ~he . base plate 6 is smaller than in Fig. 1. : ¦
Fig. 14 shows an arm chair for use as an office desk -chair or in the home. The chair shown in Fig. 14 is similar to that of Fig. 13 except that it has arms or sides 38 forming a unitary structure with the seat 1 and the back 37. Moreover, the arm 4 is somewhat longer and the base plate 6 corresponding . larger. - .
In Fig. 15 there is shown a lounge chair suitable for use in the home and also in certain office applications such as in a conference room. The chair shown in Fig, 15 is generally similar to that of Fig. 14 but somewhat more massive.
In Fig. 16 there i5 shown a variation of the caster . iLlustlated in Fig. 1. The caster 40 comprises a support ball . ' ~
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~F~3 41 rcccived in a soclcct 42 ~7hich is generally cylin~rical but has a restrictcd lowcr end portion 42a to retain the ball in the , sockct, A ball bearin~ 43 is interposed between the ball 41 and !
a bcaring pla~e 44 ~hich is screwed into the internally threaded !
upper end portion of the socket 42. The ball 41 has a diameter slightly less than the internal.diameter of the cylindrical portion of the socket 42 but greater than the restricted opening .
at ~he lower end of the socket so that the ball protrudes beyond j the socket and is supported by the bearing 43 for free rotation in all directions. The bearing 43 is similar to the bearing 16 shown in Figs. 1 and 8 and comprises a circle of small bearing , ' balls in a suitable retainer. The bearing plate 44 is provided with a central upwardly projecting stem 44a adapted to be re-ceived in a bore provided in the lower end of a leg 45 which is shown in broken lines and may for example be the leg'o~-a chair or table. The caster 40 can thus be mounted on furniture li~e an ordinary caster. Howeuer, the stem 44a does not rotate in the'bore of th~ leg since,unlike an ordinary caster, the caster of the present invention does not need to swivel. ~ovement in all directions is provided by rotation of the support ball 41 on the ball bearing 43. ' - '-' A variation is illustrated in Tig. 17 where the bearing i plate 44 does. not have a stem portion but is provided with re- ¦
'.' '-cessed screw holes so that it can be secured to a leg 45 or to the ba'se of an article to;be supported by means of screws 46.
Otherwise the caster is of the same construction as is illus*rated in Fig. 16. ' ' A variety of materials can be used in construction of chairs in accordance with the present invention. Tubular portionC
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' 1155384 ..~, such as the leg 2, arm 4, back suppor~ 8 and sleeves 15 and 27 are conveniently made of thin wall aluminium or magnesium tubing ~owever, alternatively, plastic tubing may also be used. The bearing balls are preferably steel while fittings such as bolts 11 and 19 may conveniently be steel or other metal. The support balls of the casters and ball 26 of the back mounting may be steel or other metal but are preferably high strength plastic, for example nylon. They are of sufficiently large diameter to take the loads imposed upon them without un~uly high stress concentration. For example the support balls of the caster may have a diameter of the order of 1 to 4 inches, or larger.
In Figs. 18-21 there is sho~ a chair of somewhat sim-plified construction having a seat and back rest but no arms., The chair comprises a main support member 50 having a lower horizontal arm portion 50a, an upright support portion 50b for supporting a seat 51 and an upper horizontal arm 50c and vertical portion 50d for supporting a back 52. The horizontal arm portion 50a is telescopically extendible and rotatable through 360~
with respect to a central pivot post 53 which defines a vertical axis of rotation. The central pivot post 53 comprises a strong threaded stud 54 which extends through a central hole in a fitting 55 and is screwed into a circular bearing plate 56. The fitting 55 is secured,to a base plate 57, for example by rivets 58. ~f it is not desired to move the chair from one location to another, the fitting 55 can be secured directly to the floor, for example by screws or bolts whereupon the floor serves as a base for the chair.
An elongated channel 59 secured to the lower side of the horizontal arm portion 50a of the main sup~ort member 50 has a ., . . 11S5384 horizontal web portion 59a, downwardly extending ~e~tical portion 59b and in-turned flange porticns 59c. The bearing plate 56 is received in the channel 59 between the web portion 59a and in-turned flange portions 59c as seen in Fig. 21, A ball bearing 60 comprising a plurality o~ balls 60a in an annular retainer 60b is interp,osed between the bearing plate 56 and the web por-tion 59a of the channel 59. A ball bearing 61 comprising a plu-rality of balls 61a in an annular retainer 61b is interposed be-tween the bearing plate 56 and the in-turned flange portions 59c' of the channel 59. The ball bearings 60 and 61 permit rotation of the main support member through 360 relative to the central ' pivot post.
Moreover, the elongate channel 59 permits movements of the main support member 50 relative to the central pivot post in ,. a direction longitudinal of the horizontal ar~ po~tion 50a 50 that the upright porticn 50b supporting the seat 51 can be moved closer to or farther away from the vertical axis of rotation.
Such longitudinal movement is limited by stop bars 62 which æ e inserted into end portions of the channel 59 and secured by screw 63 which also,secure channel 59 to the horizontal arm portion 5'0a of the main support member 50. Since the bearing plate 56 is rigid and is rigidly secured to the base, tilting or rocking of the arm portion 50a of the main support member 50 about a longi-tudinal axis is prevented. The support portion 50b of the main support member 50 is thereby held in an upright pOSition.
At the lower end of the upright support portion 50b.
the,re is provided a single rolling support which takes vertical loads and thereby supports the support portion 50b and seat 51 together with the load imposed by the person sitting on the seat.
The rolling support is shown a$ a ball bearing 65 comprising a plurality of balls 65a and an annular retainer 65b. The retainer 11553~4 is rotatably mounted on the lower side of the main support member S0 at,the foot of the upright support portion 50b by fittings 66 and'67 and a screw 68 which extend through a hole in the main support member, The balls 65a have rolling engagement with the lower face of the main support member 50 and with the base 57.
Hence the ret,ainer 65b does not take vertical loads but merely serves to position the balls. While the ball bearing 65 is~shown as h'aving eight balls, it will be understood that the number of balls can be varied.
' The seat 51 is padded and has a central post 70 mounted in a fixture 71 at the upper end of the vertical suppo,rt portion 50b of the main support member 50. If desired, the seat may be rotatable as for example in Fig. 1.' Alternatively, it may be, mounted non-rotatably since the entire chair is rotatable about the central axis defined by the pivot post 53.' ,Preferably, however, it is vertically adjustable,and can be fixed in selected .
vertical position by means of'a knob 72.
The'back 52 is padded and is'mounted on an upper end portion of the main support member 50 by a universal mounting~
fixture 73 which is like that shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, the upper end portion,of the main support member 50 is slotted as indicated at 50e to permit vertical adjustment of the back.
While the main support member 50 may be tubular, for example of rectangular cross'section, it is shown as being a solid bar. It must be torsionally rigid so the mounting of the main support member on the central pivot post as described,above keeps the chair upright. If the main support member is of suit-able channel cross section, the additional channel member 59 may be unnecessary.
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Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings and are herein particularly described, it will be understood that many variations, modifi- `
cations and adaptations of the invention are possible and that the invention is thus in no way limited to the illustrated e bod men ' "' , " ~ '-, ', ''.
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The presen~ invention relates to chairs for business and home use and particularly chairs which are mounted for movemcn~ eccentrically on a base. The term "chair" is herein used in a generic sense to include stools and other seating de-vices.
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B~CK~ROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Of~ice chairs are customarily supported on four casters each of which comprises a small wheeL mounted eccentrically on a :
spindle. When the chair is moved from one pos,ition to another,;
the caster wheels swing about the spindle axes into alignment with the direction of movement and roll along the floor. If the ' : . floor is carpeted,the chair is more difficult to move especially .
. , when someone is sitting in the chair and the repeated swinging and rolling movement of the casters soon wears through the floor ' . . covering. In order to protect the floor covering, boards of ~
fiber or plastic are provided underneath the chairs. However, these are unsightly and interfere with cleaning. Most stools such as those used for examplé in drafting offices and most chairs used in the home are not provided with casters. They henc~
must o~dinarily be lifted in order to be moved from one position to another.- They can be slid along the floor only with difficult.
and with resultant wear of the floor covering. For example when . . a person wishes to move up to or away from a table he usually moves his chair by a series of jerking,sliding movements. This is hard on the person, the chair and the floor.
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~ - -- 1 SU~II`I/\RY OI;' ~rlll, I~'Vl,NTION
I~ is an object of the present invention to provide a chair ~7hich is very comfortable and which is easily'movable from one position to another. In accordance with the invention' the chair seat is rotatably mounted on a single leg or column which is provided at its lower end with a special caster and -i is connected by a horizontal arm with a central pivot,post on ', a ci~cular base plate. The arm holds the leg upright and permits easy movement of the chair by swinging about the pivot post while the special caste~ rolls on the base plate. Moreover, the 'arm is telescopically extensible to permit movement of the chair , seat and the leg supporting it toward and away from the'pivot post. The special caster at the lower end of the leg comprises a single support ball which bears on a ring of small b'earing ball~
so that it can rotate freely,in any directi'on. '' ~ ' ,Moreover, the chair may be provided with a back rest which is mounted on a back support by a spring loaded ball and socket arrangement which permits universal movement of the chair back.~ The ball and socket arrangement by which the backrest is supported is similar to the caster at the lower end of the , chair leg in that it'comprises a larger ball which bears on a ' ball bearing comprising a ring of small bearing balls. : , ¦
Chairs in accordance with the present invention may ~take a,variety of forms. They may for example be office chairs with a seat and 'backrest 'and with or without arms. They may be stools provided with a footrest but without arms or back: j They may be chairs suitable for use in the home for example as dining chairs, easy chairs or occasional chairs. The chairs in accordance with the invention may thus be in many shapes and' sizes.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
The nature, objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of preferred embodiments shown by way of example in the accompanying S drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a full section elevational view of a chair in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. lA is a partial sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification;
Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view on a smaller scale illustrating how the chair moves in a circular motion;
Fig. 3 is a side view on a smaller scale of the chair sho~n, in Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a front view of the chair;
Fig. 5 is a rear view of the chiar;
Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the horizontal arm of the chair taken approximately on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1;
Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are cross sectional views taken approximately on the lines 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10 respectively in Fig. l;
Fig. 11 is a longitudinally section of a portion of the horizontal arm taken approximately on the line 11-11 in Fig. 6 and can be found on the same sheet as Fig. l;
Fig. 12 is a side view of a stool in accordance with the invention having a foot rest but no arms or back;
Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a chair having a back but no arms and usable for example as a dining chair;
Fig. 14 is a side elevation of an arm chair usable for example as an office desk chair;
Fig. 15 is a side elevation of a lounge chair also capable of office use;
Fig. 16 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the caster shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 17 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the caster construction shown in Fig. 16;
Fig. 18 is a side elevation of another chair having a back but no arms;
Fig. 19 is an enlarged vertical partial section taken on the line 19-19 in Fig. 20;
Fig. 20 is a plan view of a lower part of the chair of Fig. 18; and Fiy. 21 is a vertical section taken on the line 21-21 in Fig. 20 and can be found on the same sheet as Fig. 18.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:
A chair in accordance with the invention as shown by way of example in Figs. 1-11 comprises a seat 1 supported by a single leg or column 2 having at its lower end a caster 3. The leg 1 is connected by an arm 4 with a central pivot post 5 of a circular base plate 6 on which the caster 3 rests. The arm 4 is swingable about the pivot post 5 so that the chair seat 1 and leg 2 move in an orbital path about the axis of the pivot post while the caster 3 rolls on the base plate 6. The chair is shown as having a backrest 7 mounted for universal movement on a back support 8.
The leg or column 2 comprises a main portion 2a and an upper portion 2b having at its lower end a cup-shaped reduced portion 2c which is rotatably received in the upper end of the main portion 2a. A ball bearing 10 comprising a ring of bearing balls in a suitable retainer is interposed between the lower end of the cup-shaped portion 2c and an internal flange 2d in the màin portion 2a of the leg so as to support the upper leg portion 2b for free rotation. The upper portion 2b of the leg is retained .
,, ,~
. .
on the main portion 2a by a bolt ll having a pivot head lla below the flange and a washer and nut llb above an internal flange 2e in the upper leg portion 2b. The nut on the bolt 11 is tightened only sufficiently to hold the two leg portions in assembled relation without interfering with free rotation of the upper leg portion 2b on the main leg portion 2a.
. The seat 1 comprises a base plate la formed, for example of plywood, a cushion lb, for example of foam rubber or plas~tic, and a cover lc of fabric or flexible sheet plastic which covers the cushion lb and extends beneath the base plate la. The seat 1 rests on a f lange 2f provided at the upper end of the upper leg portion 2b and is secured in place by screws 12 which extend through holes in the flage 2f and are screwed into the base plate la of the seat A lower edge of the cover lc is clamped between the flange 2f and the base plate la of the seat thereby further holding the cover. It will be understood that by reason of the seat 1 being mounted on the upper leg portion 2b, it is freely .
rotatable about the axis of the leg, the load of the seat and an occupant being taken by the ball bearing 10.
The caster 3 at the lower end of the leg 2 comprises~
a ball 14 received in a socket comprising a generally cylindrical sleeve lS, the internally threaded upper end of which is screwed onto an externally threaded reduced lower end portion 2g of the leg. The sleeve 15 has a restricted lower end portion 15a which ¦retains the ball 14 in the sleeve while permitting a portion of the ball to project beyond the lower end of the sleeve as seen in ~ig. 1. The ball 14 is supported by a ball bearing 16 which seats on the lower end of a hollow cylindrical spacer 17 that is re-ceived in the tubular sleeve 15 and abuts the lower end of the leg.
rhe ball bearing 16 comprises a ring of small bearing balls re-ceived in a suitable retainer as seen in Fig. 8. The dimensions of the sleeve 15 and spacer 17 are selected so that the ball 14 5538~
protrudcs below tllc lowcr end o~ the slccve and is rotatable freely in all dircctions on the ball bearing 16 while being re- '.
~ained by ~he restricted low~r end 15a of the sleeve. The ball 14 has a diameter slightly less'than the inside diameter of the slceve lS and lS formed of suitable hard durable material, for , example metal,or plastic. It may be either solid or hollow. As .
the chair swings'about the central pivot post 5, the ball 14 rolls freel~ on the base plate 6. ' - ' '' The horizontal arm 4 comprises a tubular outer portion 4a which is fixed to the leg 2,for example by welding,and an inner portion 4b which is rotatably connected with the central pivot , , post 5 which projects up from the base plate 6' To provide such connection,the inner'portion 4b of the arm'4 is provided with a downwardly'proJecting cylindrical:,'portion 4c that ïs recëived in an upper portion of the pivot post 5. A ball bearing l8 com-prising ring of small bearing balls in a suitable retainer (Fig, 10) is interposed between the lower end of the,cylindrical portion 4c and an internal flange Sa in the pivot post 5. The ,, ball bearing 18 takes vertical loads of the arm~4 while permittinC
free rotation of the'arm about the'pivot post. The arm 4 is hei~ -in assembled relation with the base by a bolt 19 having a pivot headl~=
inside the arm and a nut l9b below the flange 5a. The nut is ightened suf~iciently t,o hold the arm in place while permitting free rotation on the ball bearing 1~
The horizontal arm 4 is extensible by virtue of a telescopical ,connection between the outer portion 4a and the inner portion 4b. As seen in Figs. 1, 6 and 11 such connection is rovided by a slide 20 ~hich is fixed at-one end in outer arm por-tion 4a and extends slidably into inner arm portion 4b. The slide , , ' ' ' -7-, ' ' ' ' '.
'' ' I ' 115~384 I
20 is lon~itu~inally slotted to receive a trac~ ?.1 which is secur~
¦in inner arm portion 4b by scre~s 22. ~ plurali~y.of bearing balls 23 in the sides of ~he track 21 enga~e opposite sides of the ¦longitudinal slot 20a in slide 20 while other bearing balls 24 in la transverse portion of the track 21 enga~e a downwardly project- ;
¦ing rib portion 20b of the slide 20 to provide lateral and vertic~
¦guidance of the telescopic parts while permitting free movement ¦of the ou~er arm portion 4a inwardly and outwardly ~ith respect ¦to the inner arm portion 4b. Movement of the chair tot~ard and ¦away from the central pivot post 5 is thereby permitted. For ¦example a person seated at a desk can move backwardly away from ¦the desk and then swing to the side in order to get up ! Inward ¦movement toward the central pivot post is limited by abu~ment ¦of the end of outer arm portion 4a with the end o~ inner arm ,por-tion 4b. Outward movement is limited by engagement of an upwardl,~
¦projecting portion 21a o the track 21 with a shoulder 20c of the ¦slide 20 (see Figs. 1 and 11~. Further stability of the arm is ' Iprovided by longitudinally extending internal ribs 4d in the inner ¦arm portion 4b engaging opposite faces of an enlarged portion of the slot 20a in-the slide 20. ~ ~ f If desired,the horizontal arm 4 can be spring biased for extension or contraction. For example as illustrated in Fig. lA
. a light tension spring 25 is connected at one end to the slide 20 and is anchored at the other end by means of an eye or hook which receives the bolt 14 which anchors the arm 4 to the pivot post 5.
. In this case the bolt 14 is extended and screwed into an internall~
threaded lug 4e provided in the inner arm portion 4b. By virtue f the bias thus provided,the chair will automatically retract frc~
n outer position to an inner position closer to the pivot post when unoccupied. Conversely the spring 25 may be a compression -B-1 1~5384 ` t sprin~ so as to tcnd ~o hold the chair in its outer position.
~ s shown by way of example in Figs. l-5, thc backrest 7 is circular and comprises a circular base plate 7a, for example o pl~ood, a cushion 7b,for example of foam rubber or plastic, and a cover 7c of for example flexible plastic or fabric. As seen in Fig. 1 the covering material 7c coYers the front, edges and back of the backrest. The support 8 for the backrest is tubular and comprises a horizontal portion 8a which is fixed to the upper leg portion 2b, for example by welding, and extends rearwardly beyond the seat l and a genrally vertical portion 8b which extends upwardly from the horizontal portion 8a a suffi- ' cient distance to support the backrest at an appropriate height.
The backrest is mountedon thesupport 8 by a universal joint co~- j-prising a ball 26 received in a socket 27. The bal'l 26 has-an interna~ythreaded bore and is screwed'onto a threaded ,stem 28 which extends rearwardly ~rom a plate 29 sécured to the back plate 7a of the backrest 7 by means o'~ screws 30. While the :i plate 29 could be secured to the back of the backrest in a manner similar to the mounting of the seat l, a neater appearance is provided by securing the piate 29 to the inner ace of the '' back plate 7a before the cushion 7b and covering 7c are applied.' -The socket 27 comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve secured o~' the upper end of the back support 8, for example by welding.
At its forward end 27'a,the opening of the sleeve 27 is restricte~
so as to retain the ball 26 in the sleeve. A ball bearing 30 is pressed against the ball 26 by a washer 31 and spring 32 which acts between the washer and a plug 33 screwed into the internall;;
thrcaded rear end portion of the'sleeve.27. The ball 26 is there-by pressed into the restricted opening at the forward end of the sleeve 27 ~ith the result that the backrest 7 can be tilted in . ' '"' g . ~ ll ' i ' ' 1 ~ 5 5 38 ~ ' `, " ' - ' ' ' ' I
. ~
. . .. . I
any dil~ection to a dcsircd position and will ther~upon be rctain~d in that position by frictional engagemen~ of the ball 26 with ~he restricted end portion o~ the sleeve 27. ~Ioreover, l:he backrcst 7 can bc moved rear~ardly against the pressure of thc sprin~ 32. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the bearing 30 ' comprises a circle of smaIl bearing balls in a retainer which ' keeps the balls in proper circumferential position. The plug 'i 33 can be screwed into the sleeve 27 a variable amount to vary the spring pressure on the ball 26. Preferabl~, however, the plug 33 protrudes'slightly beyond the rear end of the sleeve 27 and is formed of plastic material, for example nylon so that it would not mar any wall surface which it may happen to engage.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, the seat l can be swung around the pivot post 5 to any desired position. Moreover, as described above the seat may be moved inwardly toward or out-wardly away from the pivot post 5 by an amount permitted by the telescopic interconnection of portions 4a and 4b of the horizon- j tal arm 4. In movement of the seat to different positions, the ball 14 of the caster 3 rolls freely on the'base plate~6 by ~ .
rea~on of the ball bearing 16 through which the supporting ball 14 carries the weight of the seat and.any occupant. Moreover, the seat 1 is freely rotatable on the leg 1 by virtue of the' ball bearing 10 and the backrest i is mounted on the back sup~ortj 8 in such manner as to permit universal movement of the backrest.
Chairs in accordance with the invention may assume different configurations according to the uses for which they are intended. Several different configurations are illustrated by way of example in Figs. 12 to 15. Thus for example in Fig. 1 there is shown a stool comprising a seat 1', leg 2, caster 3, . ' ' '' . ';
'' -10- ., -., . ,.
: . I 11553~4 . '~
I horizontal arm 4, pivot post 5 and base pl~te 6 as dcscrib~d above. How~ver, thcre is no baclc and hence no back support.
On the other hand ~he stool is provid~d with a T-shap~d foot-rest 35 comprising a tubular portion 35a which is affixed to and extends forwardly from the leg 2 and a transverse tubular portion 35b at the forward end of the portion 35a. As the foot- I
rest 35 is affixed to the leg 2, for example by welding, it is -¦
carried around with the seat 1 when swung about the pivot post 5. ~
. In Fig. 13 there is shown a chair which is suitable for use as a side chair or dining chair. As in Fig. 1 it has a seat 1, leg 2, caster 3, arm 4, pivot post 5 and base plate 6.
However, it will be noted that the seat l,instead of being round,;
is generally rectangular and is inclined slightly rearwardly.
Moreover, the chair has an upholstered back 37 which is..fixed to i the rear o the seat 1. Moreover, the arm 4 is shorter an~ ~he . base plate 6 is smaller than in Fig. 1. : ¦
Fig. 14 shows an arm chair for use as an office desk -chair or in the home. The chair shown in Fig. 14 is similar to that of Fig. 13 except that it has arms or sides 38 forming a unitary structure with the seat 1 and the back 37. Moreover, the arm 4 is somewhat longer and the base plate 6 corresponding . larger. - .
In Fig. 15 there is shown a lounge chair suitable for use in the home and also in certain office applications such as in a conference room. The chair shown in Fig, 15 is generally similar to that of Fig. 14 but somewhat more massive.
In Fig. 16 there i5 shown a variation of the caster . iLlustlated in Fig. 1. The caster 40 comprises a support ball . ' ~
:.;
~F~3 41 rcccived in a soclcct 42 ~7hich is generally cylin~rical but has a restrictcd lowcr end portion 42a to retain the ball in the , sockct, A ball bearin~ 43 is interposed between the ball 41 and !
a bcaring pla~e 44 ~hich is screwed into the internally threaded !
upper end portion of the socket 42. The ball 41 has a diameter slightly less than the internal.diameter of the cylindrical portion of the socket 42 but greater than the restricted opening .
at ~he lower end of the socket so that the ball protrudes beyond j the socket and is supported by the bearing 43 for free rotation in all directions. The bearing 43 is similar to the bearing 16 shown in Figs. 1 and 8 and comprises a circle of small bearing , ' balls in a suitable retainer. The bearing plate 44 is provided with a central upwardly projecting stem 44a adapted to be re-ceived in a bore provided in the lower end of a leg 45 which is shown in broken lines and may for example be the leg'o~-a chair or table. The caster 40 can thus be mounted on furniture li~e an ordinary caster. Howeuer, the stem 44a does not rotate in the'bore of th~ leg since,unlike an ordinary caster, the caster of the present invention does not need to swivel. ~ovement in all directions is provided by rotation of the support ball 41 on the ball bearing 43. ' - '-' A variation is illustrated in Tig. 17 where the bearing i plate 44 does. not have a stem portion but is provided with re- ¦
'.' '-cessed screw holes so that it can be secured to a leg 45 or to the ba'se of an article to;be supported by means of screws 46.
Otherwise the caster is of the same construction as is illus*rated in Fig. 16. ' ' A variety of materials can be used in construction of chairs in accordance with the present invention. Tubular portionC
I . ' '~
l' -12-I .
' 1155384 ..~, such as the leg 2, arm 4, back suppor~ 8 and sleeves 15 and 27 are conveniently made of thin wall aluminium or magnesium tubing ~owever, alternatively, plastic tubing may also be used. The bearing balls are preferably steel while fittings such as bolts 11 and 19 may conveniently be steel or other metal. The support balls of the casters and ball 26 of the back mounting may be steel or other metal but are preferably high strength plastic, for example nylon. They are of sufficiently large diameter to take the loads imposed upon them without un~uly high stress concentration. For example the support balls of the caster may have a diameter of the order of 1 to 4 inches, or larger.
In Figs. 18-21 there is sho~ a chair of somewhat sim-plified construction having a seat and back rest but no arms., The chair comprises a main support member 50 having a lower horizontal arm portion 50a, an upright support portion 50b for supporting a seat 51 and an upper horizontal arm 50c and vertical portion 50d for supporting a back 52. The horizontal arm portion 50a is telescopically extendible and rotatable through 360~
with respect to a central pivot post 53 which defines a vertical axis of rotation. The central pivot post 53 comprises a strong threaded stud 54 which extends through a central hole in a fitting 55 and is screwed into a circular bearing plate 56. The fitting 55 is secured,to a base plate 57, for example by rivets 58. ~f it is not desired to move the chair from one location to another, the fitting 55 can be secured directly to the floor, for example by screws or bolts whereupon the floor serves as a base for the chair.
An elongated channel 59 secured to the lower side of the horizontal arm portion 50a of the main sup~ort member 50 has a ., . . 11S5384 horizontal web portion 59a, downwardly extending ~e~tical portion 59b and in-turned flange porticns 59c. The bearing plate 56 is received in the channel 59 between the web portion 59a and in-turned flange portions 59c as seen in Fig. 21, A ball bearing 60 comprising a plurality o~ balls 60a in an annular retainer 60b is interp,osed between the bearing plate 56 and the web por-tion 59a of the channel 59. A ball bearing 61 comprising a plu-rality of balls 61a in an annular retainer 61b is interposed be-tween the bearing plate 56 and the in-turned flange portions 59c' of the channel 59. The ball bearings 60 and 61 permit rotation of the main support member through 360 relative to the central ' pivot post.
Moreover, the elongate channel 59 permits movements of the main support member 50 relative to the central pivot post in ,. a direction longitudinal of the horizontal ar~ po~tion 50a 50 that the upright porticn 50b supporting the seat 51 can be moved closer to or farther away from the vertical axis of rotation.
Such longitudinal movement is limited by stop bars 62 which æ e inserted into end portions of the channel 59 and secured by screw 63 which also,secure channel 59 to the horizontal arm portion 5'0a of the main support member 50. Since the bearing plate 56 is rigid and is rigidly secured to the base, tilting or rocking of the arm portion 50a of the main support member 50 about a longi-tudinal axis is prevented. The support portion 50b of the main support member 50 is thereby held in an upright pOSition.
At the lower end of the upright support portion 50b.
the,re is provided a single rolling support which takes vertical loads and thereby supports the support portion 50b and seat 51 together with the load imposed by the person sitting on the seat.
The rolling support is shown a$ a ball bearing 65 comprising a plurality of balls 65a and an annular retainer 65b. The retainer 11553~4 is rotatably mounted on the lower side of the main support member S0 at,the foot of the upright support portion 50b by fittings 66 and'67 and a screw 68 which extend through a hole in the main support member, The balls 65a have rolling engagement with the lower face of the main support member 50 and with the base 57.
Hence the ret,ainer 65b does not take vertical loads but merely serves to position the balls. While the ball bearing 65 is~shown as h'aving eight balls, it will be understood that the number of balls can be varied.
' The seat 51 is padded and has a central post 70 mounted in a fixture 71 at the upper end of the vertical suppo,rt portion 50b of the main support member 50. If desired, the seat may be rotatable as for example in Fig. 1.' Alternatively, it may be, mounted non-rotatably since the entire chair is rotatable about the central axis defined by the pivot post 53.' ,Preferably, however, it is vertically adjustable,and can be fixed in selected .
vertical position by means of'a knob 72.
The'back 52 is padded and is'mounted on an upper end portion of the main support member 50 by a universal mounting~
fixture 73 which is like that shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, the upper end portion,of the main support member 50 is slotted as indicated at 50e to permit vertical adjustment of the back.
While the main support member 50 may be tubular, for example of rectangular cross'section, it is shown as being a solid bar. It must be torsionally rigid so the mounting of the main support member on the central pivot post as described,above keeps the chair upright. If the main support member is of suit-able channel cross section, the additional channel member 59 may be unnecessary.
., .
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings and are herein particularly described, it will be understood that many variations, modifi- `
cations and adaptations of the invention are possible and that the invention is thus in no way limited to the illustrated e bod men ' "' , " ~ '-, ', ''.
: '`"',' . ' ' ' '', "' ' ' .
.~ '',' .' .'' '.
., ',, ,'-.
.
.' ., , ' . ,
Claims (22)
1. A chair comprising a base, a central pivot means on said base defining a vertical axis of rotation, an upright support member spaced radially from said axis, telescopically extendible means coupling said upright support member with said central pivot means for rotation of said upright support member about said axis through an angle of 360° and for limited movement of said upright support member toward and away from said central pivot means while maintaining said up-right support member in an upright position, a seat mounted at the upper end of said upright member, and rolling support means at the lower end of said upright support member and and rolling on said base upon rotation of said upright support member about said central pivot and upon movement of said upright support member toward or away from said central pivot means, said rolling support means being capable of rolling in all directions on said base and comprising antifriction bearing means at the lower end of said upright support member to support said upright support member and said seat on said base, said upright support member being supported vertically by said rolling support means and being maintained in an up-right position by said telescopically extendibly coupling means.
2. A chair according to claim 1, in which said rolling support means comprises annular antifriction ball bearing means at the lower end of said upright support member with its axis vertical, a single support ball adapted to roll on said base and rotatably engaging said antifriction ball bearing means and means laterally engaging said ball to retain it in alignment with said axis of said antifriction ball bearing means.
3. A chair according to claim 1, in which said upright support member comprises a main tubular portion to which said telescopically extendable means is fixed and a tubular stem por-tion rotatably mounted at the upper end of said main tubular portion and forming an upward extension thereof, said seat being fixed on said stem portion.
4. A chair according to claim 3, in which said tubular stem portion has a lower end rotatably received in an upper end portion of said main tubular portion of said upright support member to maintain said stern portion in axial alignment with said main member portion, and in which an antifriction thrust bearing is interposed between said stem portion and said main tubular portion to take the vertical load of said seat.
5. A chair according to claim 3, further comprising a back support extending horizontally and then upwardly from said stem portion and a chair back mounted on an upper end portion of said back support.
6. A chair according to claim 5, in which said chair back is mounted on said back support by mounting means providing universal movement of said chair back relative to said back support.
7. A chair according to claim 6, in which said mounting means comprises a ball fixed on the back of said chair back, a socket at the upper end of said back support receiving said ball and having a restricted opening to retain said ball in said socket an antifriction bearing in said socket and spring means in said socket pressing said antifrication bearing against said ball to urge it toward said restricted opening of said socket.
8. A chair according to claim 1, in which said tele-scopically extendible means comprises an arm which is telescop-ically extendible within predetermined limits for movement of said upright support member and seat toward and away from said axis of rotation.
9. A chair according to claim 8, in which said arm comprises an outer portion fixed to said upright support member, an inner portion rotatably supported by said central pivot means, said inner and outer portions of said arm being telescopically movable relative to one another, and antifriction bearing means between said inner and outer portions of said arm providing for longitudinal movement of said arm portions relative to one another while preventing relative rotation of said outer and inner portions.
10. A chair according to claim 9, further comprising means for limiting longitudinal movement of said inner and outer portions of said arm relative to one another and spring means acting between said inner and outer portions of said arm to bias said inner and outer portions longitudinally relative to one another.
11. A chair according to claim 8, in which said central pivot means comprises a tubular pedestal projecting up from said base and in which said arm has at its inner end a cylindric-al portion extending down into and rotatably received in said tubular pedestal.
12. A chair according to claim 11, further comprising antifriction bearing means between said pedestal and said cylindrical portion at the inner end of said arm.
13 A chair according to claim 1, further comprising a back support extending upwardly from said upright support member to a position above and rearwardly of said seat, a chair back, and means for mounting said chair back on said back support for universal movement of said chair back, said mounting means comprising a ball fixed on the back of said chair back, a socket at the upper end of said back support receiving said ball and having a restricted opening for retaining said ball in said socket, an antifriction bearing in said socket and spring means in said socket pressing said anti-friction bearing against said ball to urge it toward said restricted opening of said socket.
14. A chair according to claim 13, further comprising a shaft supporting said seat for rotation about a vertical axis, said back support being fixed to said shaft below said seat.
15. A chair according to claim 13, in which said anti-friction bearing comprises a bearing seat against which said spring means acts and a ball bearing between said seat and said ball fixed to the back of said chair back, said ball bearing comprising a ring of bearing balls and means re-taining said bearing balls in a ring.
16. A chair according to claim 1, in which said rolling support means comprises a tubular socket on the lower end of said upright support member, said socket having at its lower end a restricted opening, a support ball rotatably received in said socket, said ball projecting partially out through said re-stricted opening but having a diameter larger than the diameter of said restricted opening so that said ball is retained in said socket, a bearing seat in said socket spaced from said re-restricted opening, said antifriction bearing means comprising a ball bearing interposed between said bearing seat and said support ball, said bearing seat and ball bearing being pos-itioned to hold said support ball in a position in which it projects partially out through said restricted opening of said socket, said ball bearing comprising a ring of bearing balls and means for retaining said bearing balls in a ring, and means for securing said socket to said upright support member, with said restricted opening facing downwardly and said support ball resting on said base, said support ball being rotatably supported by said ball bearing for free rotation in all directions.
17. A chair according to claim 16, in which said support ball is of hard plastic material.
18. A chair according to claim 16, in which an upper end portion of said socket is internally threaded and in which said bearing seat comprises a member which is externally threaded and is screwed into said internally threaded upper end portion of said socket, the resulting threaded inter-connection of said socket and bearing seat providing accurate positioning of said support ball with respect to said opening of said socket.
19. A chair according to claim 1, in which said base com-prises a base plate adapted to rest on a floor and to be mov-able laterally thereon, and said pivot means comprises a cen-tral pivot post projecting up from said base plate and de-fining said vertical axis of rotation, and in which said coupling means comprises a telescopically extendible arm connecting said upright support member with said central pivot post for rotation of said arm and upright suppport member as a unit through an angle of 360° about said vertical axis, said arm comprising an outer portion fixed to said upright support member and an inner portion connected with said central pivot post for rotation about said vertical axis but held against rotation about its longitud-inal axis, said inner and outer portions of said arm being telescopically movable longitudinally relative to one another within predetermined limits for movement of said upright support member and seat toward and away from said axis of rotation but being non-rotatable relative to one another so as to main-tain said support member upright, and said rolling support means being rollable in all directions on said base plate to permit said upright support member and seat to move orbitally about said axis and also to move toward and away from said axis, said upright support member being supported vertically solely by said rolling support means.
20. A chair according to claim 1, in which said coupling means comprises a horizontal lower arm portion at the lower end of said upright support member and means interconnecting said lower arm portions with said central pivot means for rotation through 360° about said vertical axis and for movement longitudin-ally of said lower arm portion, said interconnecting means com-prising means to prevent tilting of said lower arm portion about a longitudinal axis and thereby maintain said upright support member in an upright position.
21. A chair according to claim 20, in which said hor-izontal lower arm portion has an elongate downwardly opening channel, and in which said interconnecting means comprises a cir-cular bearing plate fixed to said base and received in said channel and bearing means between said bearing plate and said channel to permit rotation of said horizontal arm portion about a vertical axis and movement of said horizontal arm portion in a longitudinal direction while restraining tilting of said horizontal arm portion about a longitudinal axis.
22. A chair according to claim 20, further comprising an upper arm portion extending horizontally from an upper end of said upright support member, a back support portion extending up from an outer end of said upper arm portion and a chair back mounted on said back support portion.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/095,450 US4400032A (en) | 1978-04-05 | 1979-11-19 | Eccentrically rotatable chair |
| US095,450 | 1979-11-19 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1155384A true CA1155384A (en) | 1983-10-18 |
Family
ID=22252092
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000364805A Expired CA1155384A (en) | 1979-11-19 | 1980-11-17 | Eccentrically rotatable chair |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1155384A (en) |
-
1980
- 1980-11-17 CA CA000364805A patent/CA1155384A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |