Adjustable standard for stools

Oct. 1, 1935. η. bergslien 2,016,132

ADJUSTABLE STANDARD FOR STOOLS

Filed Jan. 31, 1934

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Patented Oct. 1, 1935

2,016,132

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,016,132 ADJUSTABLE STANDARD FOR STOOLS Herman Bergslien, Anoka, Minn. Application January 31, 1934, Serial No. 709,142 5 Claims. (CI. 155—94)

My invention relates to stools and particularly to adjustable standards for swivel stools and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved adjustable standard for stools and the like wherein the height of the stool may be quickly and easily adjusted and wherein the seat of the stool is free for rotation with respect to the base.

Another object is to produce such a standard wherein substantially all parts of the adjusting mechanism are enclosed within a tubular standard for purposes of protection of the parts from damage and dust and concealment of the parts to provide improved external appearance of the stool.

Still another object is to provide such a standard wherein a given adjustment is reliably maintained regardless of the stool being moved about or lifted by means of the seat portion thereof.

A further object is to provide such a standard of simple, rugged and inexpensive construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:·—

Fig. 1 is a side view of my adjustable standard as applied to a swivel stool;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a broken cross-sectional view taken along the line 3—3 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4—4 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5—5 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, a swivel stool in which my adjustable standard is incorporated includes a seat S of conventional circular form and a base B from which the entire structure is supported and an adjustable vertical tubular column C supporting the seat S and supported by the base B.

The base B includes a relatively short tube 6 to which downwardly and outwardly extending legs 7 are secured. Braces 8 are attached to the legs 7 to improve the rigidity thereof. A flanged ferrule 9 is mounted on the exterior of the short tube 6 in such position that the depending flange portion thereof conceals the upper ends of the legs 7.

A pair of slidably telescoped tubes, of which the inner and smaller one is identified by the numeral 10 and the outer and larger one is identified by the numeral II, are included in the structure of the adjustable column C. The outer tube 11 is snugly fitted at its lower portion within the short tube 6 and its lower end rests 5 upon a heavy disk 12. The disk 12, in turn, is restrained from downward movement by a pin 13 which extends diametrically of the short tube 6 and is supported at its ends in apertured portions of the short tube 6. The disk 12 has a 10 diameter closely approaching the internal diameter of the short tube 6. The upper end of the inner tube 10 is provided with a flanged collar 14 mounted rigidly thereon and at its flange portion 14α secured to the lower side of the seat S 15 in concentric relation thereto by means of screws 15 and 16.

The lower end of the outer tube 11 has a short portion wherein the internal diameter is somewhat increased and wherein a disk 17 is disposed. ₂₀

A rack 18 is disposed within and lengthwise of the inner tube 10 facing inwardly and with its rear or straight side against a side of the inner tube. A turned portion or lug 18α on the lower end is swivelly attached to the disk 17 by a rivet _2g19 or the like extending through an aperture in the lug 18α and a centrally located aperture in the disk 17. The disk 12 is recessed as shown to receive the head of the rivet 19. The rack 18 has dovetail shaped recesses 18b in its inward- ₃₀ly facing side and carries a transversely extending pin 18c in an apertured portion at its upper end.

A guide block 28, of generally circular shape and having a notch in one side thereof to receive _3gthe rack 18, is anchored in the inner tube 10 by means of a pin 20α extending through apertured portions of the guide block 20 and the tube 10 and terminating at its respective ends flush with the exterior surface of the tube 10. 40

A dog 21 is swingably mounted in a forked depending portion 20b of the guide block 20 by means of a pin 21α extending through apertured portions of the upper end of the dog 21 and the forked portion 20b. A fiat spring 21b ₄₅is arranged to urge the lower end of the dog 21 toward the rack 18. The free end portion 21c of the dog 21 is of dovetail shape, as shown, the maximum width thereof being slightly less than the minimum width of the dovetail shaped re- ₅₀cesses in the rack 18, in which the dovetailshaped lower end 21c of the dog is arranged to engage.

A control or operating rod 22, having a tapered lower end 22α located to engage the side of the _sg

2,016,132 dog 2 ( toward the rack 18 in wedging or camming relation thereto, is disposed within the inner tube 10 in coaxial relation thereto. The rod 22 extends through a centrally located aper5 ture in the guide block 20 to a point a short distance below the center of the lower side of the seat S.

The rack !8 and the rod 22 are so proportioned relative to the internal diameter of the inner 10 tube 22 that the notch in the guide block 20 which confines the rack 18 is tangent at its inner side with the circular aperture in which the rod 22 is guided with the result that one side of the rod 22 is in contact with the inner face of the 15 rack 18 throughout the common portions of the lengths of the rack 18 and the rod 22. The rod 22 and rack 18 hence serve mutually as guides for each other and are held in mutually guiding relation by the guide block 20. The rack 18 20 and the rod 22 are hence both limited to rectilinear movement longitudinally of the inner tube IS and are restrained from any lateral movement relative to the inner tube. Also, the tapered lower end portion 22α of the rod 22 is braced by 25 contact of the rod 22 with the rack 18 so that no cantilever stresses are applied to the rod 22 when the tapered lower end thereof is wedging the dog 21 out of engagement with the rack 18 and so that this wedging action is always posi30 tive.

A control or operating lever 23, of the medially fulcrumed, double armed type, has a medially located, longitudinally disposed, elongated slot 23e therethrough by means of which the lever 35 is fulcrumed on a pin 24 carried by apertured portions of a U-shaped yoke 25. The yoke 25 has apertured ears 25α formed at its upper end by which it is secured to the lower side of the flange !4a by means of the screws IS which extend 40 through the apertured portions of the ears.

The inwardly extending arm 23α of the lever 23 extends through aligned apertures 2S and 27, respectively formed in the collar 14 and the inner tube 10, to the interior of the tube (0 wherein 45 its free end is disposed in a slot in the upper end of the rod 22 and is pivotally connected to the upper end of The rod 22 by a pin 28 extending through apertures in the arm 23 and in the slot defining upper end portion of the rod 22.

The outwardly extending arm 23b is twisted through a right angle adjacent its free end and bent upon itself at its free end, as shown, to form a control or operating handle 23c.

Adjacent and inwardly of the twisted portion 55 of the arm. 23b, the upper edge portion of the arm 23b is twice slotted to define a spring anchoring element 23d. The lower end of a helical compression spring 29 is sleeved about the anchoring element 23d and the upper end is dis60 posed in a cylindrical recess formed in the lower side of the seat S.

The dog 2 1 may be engaged at its dovetailshaped free end portion in any of the dovetail shaped recesses in the rack i8 and, since it is 65 anchored to the inner tube ID, will impose the weight of the inner tube (0, the seat S and any person sitting on the seat S on the rack 18, which in turn is supported from the base B through the pin 13 and the disks 12 and 17. The 70 spring 2ib yieldingly holds the dog in engagement with the rack 18. The weight supported from the rack 18 through the dog 21, due to the dovetail shapes of the recesses in the rack and of the free end portion 21c of the dog acts to 75 urge the free end portion 21c of the dog toward its fully engaged position. If the stool is lifted off the floor as by the seat S, the weight of the lower portions of the stool structure, then supported from the seat S through the rack 18 and the dog 21, similarly act to· urge the dog into 5 full engagement with the rack 18. It is obvious that the stool may be carried about as well as sat upon with no chance of losing its adjustment.

To alter the adjustment of the height of the stool, the handle 23c may be moved toward the 10 bottom of the seat by placing the fingers under the handle 23c and the thumb upon the top of the seat S and applying squeezing action of the hand. The remaining hand of an operator may grip a diametrically opposite portion of the seat 15 S and hence the handle 23c may be operated with the hands in suitable position for raising or lowering the seat S. The above described operation of the handle 23c will lower both the opposite end 23α of the lever 23 20 and the rod 22 thus causing the tapered lower end of the rod 22 to wedge or cam the dog 21 out of engagement with the rack I 8 to release the stool for adjustment. The seat S may then be raised or lowered to approximately its de- 25 sired position, after which the handle 23c is released to permit the spring 29 to return the lever 23 to its. normal position and hence raise the lower end 22α out of engagement with the dog 21. The spring 21b then swings the dog 21 So against the face of the rack 18. The seat is then moved a slight distance upwardly or downwardly whereby the dog will register with one of the recesses in the rack 18 and will be swung .into engagement with that recess by the spring 2 lb. 35 The above adjusting action, while requiring relatively considerable explanation can obviously be effected very rapidly and easily.

Since the inner tube 18 is rotatably associated with the outer tube 11 and the rack 18 is ro- 40 tatably connected.to the base B, these parts and the seat supported thereon may be freely rotated as desired with respect to· the base B and the outer tube I I. It is to· be noted that the seat S, the inner tube 10, the rack 18, the dog 21, and all 45 of the elements for operating the dog 21 all rotate as a unit with respect to the base B and the outer tube 11.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel, rugged, easily operated and inexpensive form of 50 adjustable standard for stools.and the like wherein free rotation of the upper portion thereof is provided and wherein a given adjustment will be positively maintained until a new adjustment is purposely made regardless of the manner in 65 which the device may be tipped, carried or otherwise disposed or handled.

It is apparent that my improved adjustable standard, though shown as incorporated in a swivel stool structure, is well adapted for use 60 in many other structures.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the scope of my invention, which, 65 generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.