US3112953A - Folding and adjustable rocking chair - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1963 J. RAVER 3,112.953

FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKING CHAIR Filed D90. 20, 1960 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,1 ENTOR.

1 5. 5.2 By 6 WV /Qgim Hi5 ATTDRNEY Dec. 3, 1963 J. RAVER 3,112,953

FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKING CHAIR Filed Dec. 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 VENTOR.

HIE ATTEIRNEY Dec. 3, 1963 Filed Dec. 20, 1960 J. RAVER FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKING CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VEN TOR.

Hi5 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice Patented Dec. 3, 1963 3,112,953 FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKING CHAIR Jack Raver, 2400 Sedgwick Ave., New York, NY. Filed Dec. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 77,160 1 Claim. (Cl. 297-18) This invention relates to adjustable rocking chairs and especially to chairs of this type that are adjustable for different sitting and reclining postures and that are collapsible for easy portability.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved chair of the above-described character that is comfortable, easily and readily adjustable to diflferent sitting and reclining positions, and that can be easily collapsed or folded for hand-carrying.

A further object is a chair of the above-described character that has solidarity during use, is inexpensive, and simple and rugged in construction, and that is designed for use as either indoor or outdoor furniture.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the claim appended to and forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a chair embodying the present invention shown adjusted to a reclining position;

'FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the chair bracing and adjusting structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top sectional view of a modified form of the adjusting structure;

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly broken away, taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view in perspective, partly broken away, of another form of bracing and adjusting structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of the adjusting structure shown in FIG. 3 modified for telescopic adjustment; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a portion of the adjusting structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, modified for elastic action between the strut members.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the chair comprises essentially a pair of complementary generally rectangular frames 1 and 2 normally transversely arranged in X- form. The frame 2 is materially shorter than frame l1, and as shown, is narrower so as to fit freely within the larger frame 1. The upper transverse ends 1a and 2a of the frames respectively are interconnected by a sheet or web of suitable flexible material or fabric 7 to form the seat.

At each side, the corresponding frame members 10, 2c and 1d, 2d, respectively, are interconnected by a link 3 that is pivoted to the frames at 3a and 317. Thus the frames are restrained in relative angular movement, the transverse axes thereof remaining parallel.

A bracing and adjusting strut-like structure 4, hereinafter described, interconnects the lower transverse ends 1b and 2b of the frames at approximately the mid-points thereof. Variation in length of this structure changes the angular relationship of the frames and thereby adjusts the sitting posture; it also allows collapse of the frames to co-planar position.

Arm-rest structure at each side of the chair may comprise an arm bar 5 pivoted at one end to a side of the major frame 1 at 5a and at its other end to a link 6, that in turn is pivoted at 3a to the corresponding side of the minor frame 2. Thus the arm rest structure is adapted to fold and to conform to the angular position of the major and minor frames in accordance with both adjustment and collapse thereof.

One form of the bracing and adjusting structure 4 of FIG. 1 is shown in detail by FIG. 3. A strut 10 is rigidly connected at right-angles to the lower transverse end member 1b of the major frame. This end member is provided with pin extensions 1e so that the member is rotatably mounted within the frame sides. Alternatively, the strut .10 may be pivoted to the end member 1b which in turn would be rigid with the frame. A complementary strut 11 is pivotally connected, as by bracket 12 and pin 13, to the lower transverse end member 2b of the minor frame; or if desired the strut may be rigidly connected to the end member as in the manner of strut 10. The two struts are adapted to be coupled at pre-selected positions along the common longitudinal axis thereof to vary the over-all length and thus determine the angular relationship of the frames. The struts can be manually uncoupled and adjustable to a new position as desired.

To this end, the form shown by FIG. 3 uses a pin-andslot connection between the struts 10 and 11. The strut 16 has a longitudinal recess 14, open at the upper side and free end, into which the complementary strut 11 can be manually seated from the dotted-line position indicated. The side walls of the recess have a suitable number of spaced slots 15 extending from the top edge of the strut that are adapted to receive a detent or pin 16 carried by the strut 11. For ensuring pin retention, the slots may be inclined about 15 in counter-clockwise direction as indicated, the pin being positively seated by the force tending to cause frame spreading.

When the chair is to be adjusted to a new position, the strut 11 is lifted from the recess (as by a ring 17) about the pivot 13, the end members moved either towards or away from each other to obtain the desired posture angle (or folded position), and the strut then moved back into the recess with the pin 16 engaging the selected notch.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a variation of the above-described arrangement. In this form, the struts 10 and 11' are arranged for relative longitudinal sliding movement along the recess 14 formed in the strut 10'. Here, the detents carried by the strut 11' comprise spring-biased laterally extending latch members 19 that engage corresponding notches 18 formed laterally in the opposite side walls of the recess. Specifically, each latch 19 has an offset extension 19a that is engaged by a biasing spring 20 tending to urge the latch into notch engagement. The notches are formed to allow the strut 11' to move freely in a direction to shorten the bracing structure 4', while holding the struts against movement in the opposite direction, i.e. against spreading of the frames.

When adjustment (or folding) is desired the latches 19 are retracted from the respective notches by a rotatable cam 21 arranged to engage the latch extensions 1% and retract the latches. A cam handle 22, FIG. 5, is manually operable to turn the cam against the latch-spring bias as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

With the latches disengaged, the struts '10 and 11 can be manually moved in telescopic manner to a new position for frame adjustment.

In the form shown by FIGS. 4 and 5, the recess 14' may if desired be closed at the top, except for a narrow slit to accommodate the cam stem 21a. The struts are thereby restricted to relative longitudinal movement. The strut 11' would be pivotally connected to the frame end member 2b, as in FIG. 3, or if desired in the manner of strut 10.

FIG. 6 illustrates a somewhat more advanced form of bracing and adjusting structure 4 wherein the manual control and frame-angle adjustment are combined in a 3 single, simple operation. Moreover, this operation may if desired be performed without leaving the chair.

To this end, a modified major frame end-member 1b and the minor frame member 2b are interconnected by screw-gearing arranged so that the combined structure 4" is shortened or lengthened in accordance with rotatable adjustment of a control wheel or handle 33 mounted at the upper side of the frame member 1b. In the form shown, an elongated, internally threaded sleeve 29 is journalled within the strut 25, that in turn is rigidly connected to the member 1b. The sleeve extends within a recess 34 formed within the member 1b, the recess being open at its lower side, if desired, for accessibility. A gear 31 is secured to that end of the sleeve and a coacting worm gear 32 (all housed within the recess) is rotatable by the handle 33 for causing rotation of the sleeve according to the determined gear-ratio. The sleeve 29 may also have a collar 30 at its opposite end for restraining longitudinal movement of the sleeve within the strut.

The complementary strut member comprises a shaft 26 that is screw-threaded to engage the sleeve threading and thereby provide telescopic movement of the sleeve and shaft in accordance with adjustment of the gear handle 33. The shaft 26 is pivotally connected to the frame member 212, as by bracket 27 and pin 28, thus restraining rotation of the shaft and providing for conforming movement of the strut structure relative to the frames during angular adjustment thereof. The other frame member 1b is rotatably mounted in its frame by the extension pins la in the manner of FIG. 3.

The simpler and less expensive arrangements of FIGS. 3 to 5 may be modified by minor alteration of the main design in the manner shown by FIGS. 7 and 8 to provide improved and more convenient operation.

In FIG. 7, the strut 11 is slidable within the longitudinal recess 14a formed in the strut 10, the recess in this instance being open at the lower side and of suflicient height to permit lifting of the pin 16 out of its slot 15 and into the interconnecting longitudinal opening 15 for adjustment at another position as indicated. This arrangement simplifies adjustment as it precludes actual separation of the struts. If desired the upper side of the strut 10 may be slotted as previously indicated to receive a manual control element (knob, etc.) for lifting the strut out of its adjusted position to a new position.

FIG. 8 shows a further improvement, applicable either to FIGS. 4 and 5, or to FIG. 7. Here, the struts are elastically interconnected by a tension spring 35 that assists in manual adjustment of the chair. That is, the spring which interconnects the inner wall of the recess and the corresponding end of the strut 11" tends to prevent sudden collapse of the chair when the struts are unlatched or uncoupled during adjustment. The spring tension may be adjusted so that it materially assists in erecting the chair when the frames are angularly related.

The strut 10 is preferably slotted as shown at 22' to connect with the recess 14 so as to permit handle 22 to ride therein, while practically sheathing the strut 11" for telescopic movement within the strut 10".

It will be apparent that the tension spring 35 can, if desired, be applied to the arrangement of FIG. 7 in the same manner.

In the fully collapsed or folded position of the chair, the coacting struts in all the forms shown may be extended and/or separated in the ways above described to allow maximum spreading of the lower frame members; that is, depending on the proportionate length of the struts and the desired frame angles, the chair may be constructed so as to collapse the frames in co-planar position without actual separation of the complementary struts. As indicated by FIG. 1, the frames can be collapsed so as to lie practically fiat on the floor. The arm rests are likewise proportioned to collapse and lie flat on the frames, thereby greatly facilitating hand-carrying of the chair.

A significant feature of the invention from the standpoint of adaptability to either indoor or outdoor furniture is the arrangement of the adjusting structure, reference being made to FIG. 2. By connecting the mid-points of the lower transverse ends of the frames by a unitary strut structure, two important results are obtained, namely (1) use of a single structure rather than conspicuous duplicate adjusting means at opposite sides of the chair, and (2) control positioning of the adjusting structure beneath the seat where it is less conspicuous, and where by reason of its symmetrical relation to the frames it is compatible with the basic chair structure. These factors are determining in the case of indoor furniture.

It should be understood that this invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A folding rocking chair adjustable through a continuous range both for sitting and reclining postures and adapted for rocking in all said postures, comprising a generally rectangular main frame, a complementary rectangular frame materially shorter than said main frame and freely positioned therein for varying the angular relationships of the frames incident to rocking movement and frame adjustment, the lower ends of said frames in the operative position of the chair freely seating on the floor or ground notwithstanding non-planar variations thereof, an arm rest at each side of the chair automatically adjustable in accordance with angular change in frame positions to maintain a generally horizontal position for all chair postures, the arm rest pivotally interconnecting each side of the main frame at a mid-point thereof and the corresponding upper side of the complementary frame, flexible sheet-like material interconnecting the upper transverse ends of said frames respectively, to form a seat, and a twosection bracing and adjusting strut pivotally interconnecting the mid-portions of said frames at the lower transverse ends thereof, said strut sections being telescopically arranged so as to increase or decrease the strut length, one strut section having a substantially enclosed longitudinal slot and the other section being adapted to slide longitudinally within said slot, one of said sections having latch structure biased normally to engage the other section within the slot for fixing the relative positions of the strut sections, a spring within the slot interconnecting the two sections and tending to shorten the strut thereby to assist erection of the chair and prevent collapse during adjustment thereof, and manually operable means mounted on the strut for overcoming the latch bias to disengage the latch structure from the other strut section whereby the strut sections can move telescopically and the angular relationship of said frames can be readily varied from one latched position to another for adjusting the chair in rocking-sitting and rocking-reclining postures, or for folding the chair to a substantially fiat position, said seat, arm rests and springconnected strut sections solely constituting the interconnections between said frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 824,541 Hager et al. June 26, 1906 1,065,280 Stauger June 17, 1913 1,844,410 Schalk Feb. 9, 1932 2,073,155 Ivey Mar. 9, 1937 2,567,341 Martin Sept. 11, 1951 2,644,506 Pollack July 7, 1953 2,741,298 Roberts Apr. 10, 19 56 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,360 Netherlands Sept. 17, 1919 614,711 France Sept. 24, 1926

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