US2951528A - Tilt-back rocking chair - Google Patents

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United States Patent 2,951,528 TILT-BACK ROCKING CHAIR `Herman W. Maurer, 3126 Scarborough Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Filed June 30,1955, Ser. No. 519,141

4 Claims. (Cl. 155--71) This invention pertains to a tilt-back rocking chair, to a lounge or to any of the tilt chairs with foot stool extensions wherein the occupant can assume one or more fixed, stable, nonrocking positions or he may, by shifting his weight, assume a rocking position while the chair is tilted backwardly; and it also applies to chairs, lounges or tilt chairs wherein the occupant may rock in a forward position and tilt back into one or more xed, stable, non-rocking positions.

An object of the invention is to provide a tilt-back rocking chair or lounge which can be changed from a forward stable position to a rearward rocking position by the occupant thereof merely shifting his weight rearwardly in the chair, or which can be changed from a forward rocking position to a rearward stable position by the occupant shifting his weight rearwardly in the chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tiltback rocking chair which can Ibe changed from one to another stable position and into a tilted rocking position by the occupant thereof shifting his weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair which will rock in a tilted-back position.

forwardly. This aspect is fulfilled by the provision of a seat portion which the occupant occupies, and means connected to the seat for supporting it above the oor. The supporting means include a rocker which is arcuate in shape at its rear end and which has at least one means forward of the arcuate portion which, when it is in engagement with the floor, maintains the chair and the occupant in a stable, non-rocking position.

One form of such a device is shown in Figure 1, where the seat portion is identified by reference character 15 and the means connected to the seat for supporting it above the oor is ya rocker identified by the reference character 16. The rocker 16 has a rear arcuate portion 17 and forward thereof are two at portions 18 and 19. When .the tilt-back rocking chair is resting on the flat portion 18 it occupies the position shown by dotted lines 18', and when it is resting on the flat portion 19 it occupies the position 19. Both of these forward positions are stable, non-rocking positions, but the occupant of the chair can, by leaning back in the seat, move the chair from position 19' to 18 and when the occupant leans back a little further the chair is then supported on the arcuate part 17 of the rocker and the occupant can then rock. It is within the scope of this invention to have the rocker portion forward of the stable portions and to have the occupant convert the chair to a rocker by moving his weight forward. i

As shown in Figure 2 the seat 15 may be supported on two spaced apart side rockers 20 which have an arcuate rear portion 17, as shown in Figure l. Forward of the arcuate portion, however, the support has several For a better understanding of the present invention,

Figure 3 is a side View of a portion of a friction type tilt-back chair showing still a third modification of the invention in one of its normal tilt and non-rocking positions.

Figure 4 is a side v iew of the chair shown in Fig. 3 but in rocking position.

Figure 5 is a-view similar to Fig. 4 but 'showing a modified one point rocking and spring suspension.

Figure 6 is an end View of the chair shown in Figs. 4 and 5 showing a frictional device holding the chair for fixed positions.

Figure 7 is a side View of still another modification of the invention.

Figure 8 shows the leg member of Figs. 3 and 4, and

Figure 9 shows a leg member for use in the device of Fig. 5.

An aspect of the present invention lies in the provision of a tilt-back chair, or lounge, which will maintain one or more fixed positions and which can easily be converted into a tilt-type rocking chair by the occupant shifting his weight in the chair; for example, the chair may have one or more xed forward positions and it may be changed into a tilt-back rocking chair by the occupant shifting his weight rearwardly, or it may have one or more fixed rearward positions and may be placed into its tilt position by the occupant shifting his weight spaced apart raised `portions 21. `When the chair is in a forward position the two adjacent raisedrportions engage thefloor and form a stable, non-rocking position, but when the occupant leans back in the seat the chair moves out of its stable position onto its rear arcuate section 17, and thereafter the chair can be rocked by the occupant.

`Figure 3 shows a rocking tilt-back chair which is mounted on a base rather than directly on the lloor. VThe seat 15 may be similar to the seats in Figures l and 2. The base is aframe 25 to which feet 26 are connected. One or more flat leaf springs 27 are connected at their rear ends to the frarne 25 by means of bolts 29 andare connected at their forward ends to one or more legs 28 by means of screws 22. Thus the legs 28 can rock on their arcuate portions.'with respect to the frame 25. Preferably two spaced-apart legs 28 are used, o-ne on each 'side of the chair, and each of the legs has a flat top portion 30. A pair of side plates 31 are secured to the seat 15, one on yeach side thereof, and the bottom edge of each of these side plates 3l is arcuate. Thus an occupant of the seat can shift his weight, causing the side plates 31 to roll along the top edge of the legs 28, for various frictionally controlled Xed tilt positions whose tilt may be controlled by means shown in Figure 6, or by additional means shown in my patent application Serial Number 297,450, led July 7, 1952, for a tilt-back chair. Additionally, if the occupant wants to tilt back he shifts his weight to the rear of the seat 15, causing the legs 28 to rock back freely to and fro on their arcuate lower edges 35 against the bias of the spring, or springs 27. Even in the tilted-back position achieved by relative motion between the side plates 31 and legs 28,V the occupant can continue his rocking motion. Thus by merely shifting the center of location of his weight in the chair the occupant can determine how far back he Iwants to tilt, and by an oscillatory shifting of his weight he can then rock his chair in such tilted position.

Figure 4 shows the chair of Figure 3 in its extreme rearwardly tilted. position with a fixed stop 36 which is connected to the frame of the chair in engagement with the iiat top portion of the legs 28 limiting the further tilt motion thereof. In this extreme tilt position the occupant can freely rock his chair, and by forward shifting of his weight he can reenter a controlled tilt position.

Figure shows a tilt-back rocking chair somewhat sim'- ilar to that shown in Figure 4 except that the at spring 27 therein is replaced by a coiled tension or compression spring 38 which performs in a manner similar to the spring 27. In this embodiment legs 48 have a rounded point 43 on which tilting backwards occurs instead of rocking as shown in Figure 3. A notch 69 is provided in the lower edge of the legs 48, and a raised portion 40 on the frame 25 extends into the notch to prevent the legs 48 from sliding forward or backward with respect to the frame of the chair.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5 an example of an adjustable frictional device is shown. This device, as well as other types, may be used to control the tilt-back position. Such a frictional device is further shown in Figure 6. This and other adjustable frictional devices are more completely shown, described and claimed in my previously mentioned patent application. Briefly it consists of a pair of frictional plates 50 which are interconnected by a double threaded screw device 51 having a turnbuckle 52. The frictional plates S0 engage the side faces of the legs 28 and the side plates 31 holding them from sliding with respect to each other, and as the turnbuckle 52 is turned in one direction increasing frictional forces are exerted against the legs 28 tending to hold them tighter with respect to the side plates 31. Upon the turnbuckle 52 being turned in the opposite direction the frictional forces are released making it easier for the occupant to adjust his tilt position. The frictional device does not alter the ease with which the chair may be rocked.

Figure 7 shows a chair of the tilt-back rocker type Whose construction is somewhat similar to that shown in Maurer Patent 2,604,141. However, the present chair is adapted to rock in a tilt-back position due to the arcuate portions of the frame 25.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A tilt-back rocking chair comprising, in combination; a base adapted to rest on a floor; a seat portion; means supporting said seat portion on said base including a pair of spaced apart legs mounted on said base for rocking motion with respect thereto and also having a stable position with respect to said base, said legs each having a top edge, a pair of side plates connected to either side of said seat portion and each having an underneath edge mounted respectively on the top edge of one of said legs, one of said edges being arcuate whereby van loccupant in said seat can tilt the seat and the side plates with respect to said base and the legs, and the .occupant by shifting his weight back. and forth in the .'seat can cause the side plates and the seat portion to rock in respect to the spaced apart legs and to the base, and means for selectively securing together said legs mounted on said base and said side plates whereby thereafter the rocking motion takes place between said spaced apart legs and said base.

2. A tilt-back rocking chair as set forth in clait 1, further characterized by at spring means mounted between said base and said pair of legs, means connecting the rearward end of said spring means to said base and means connecting the forward end of said spring to said legs.

3. A tilt-back rocking chair as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by a coil spring one end of which is connected to the front edge of one of said legs and the other end of which is connected to said base, and means for preventing the legs from sliding forward with respect to said base.

4. A tilt-back rocking chair as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by adjustable friction means exerting frictional forces on said side plates and on said legs for selectively securing them together.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 98,929 Crandall Ian. 18, 1870 1,154,021 Hunzinger Sept. 21, 1915 1,303,994 Ulmann May 20, 1919 2,008,611 Haug Sept. 20, 1935 2,244,614 Fox June 3, 1941 2,482,306 Waldheim July 16, 1949 2,560,963 Kornegay July 17, 1951 2,604,141 Maurer July 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 744,567 France Jan. 26, 1933

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