Tilting chair

June 8, 1943.

W. F. HEROLD

TILTING CHAIRS

Filed June 16, 1941

2,321,385

Sheets-Sheet 1

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^ινυιΜ-ι-ίοτJune 8,1943. w. f. herold 2,321,385

TILTING CHAIRS

Filed June 16, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Filed June 16, 1941

Sheets-Sheet 3

W. F. HEROLD

TILTING CHAIRS

2,321,385

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Patented June 8, 1943

2,321,385

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,321,385

TILTING CHAIR

Walter K Herold, Easton, Conn., assignor to The Sikes Company, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware

Application June 16, 1941, Serial No. 398,178

Claims.

This invention relates to tilting chairs and more especially to office chairs of the type known as posture chairs.

More particularly my invention relates to chairs of the kind shown in the Sengpiel Patent No. 1,909,018, of May 16, 1933, in which the chair seat has a fixed supporting pivot located at or near the front edge of the seat and in which, when a person leans back in the chair, the rear part of the seat is lowered against the action of a spring or other resilient member, the rear portion of the seat being connected to a chair back member with which the seat swings concurrently.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simplified and improved chair iron for a chair of this kind.

Another object which I have in view is to provide improved means whereby the rear portion of the chair seat is resiliently supported, and improved means for connecting the rear portion of the chair seat to the frame or support located at the top of the screw post.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view of an office chair embodying my improvements, showing the parts as they appear when the chair is unoccupied;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with certain parts omitted, showing a tilted position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3—3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing certain parts illustrated in Fig. 3, the chair being in the position of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4A is a section on line SA—SA of Fig. 4; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are somewhat diagrammatic views, Fig. 5 showing the seat without load and Fig. 6 showing the back and seat tilted.

In the drawings, I have shown a chair of the general type disclosed in the Sengpiel Patent No. 1,909,018, having a supporting pedestal or base iO, a screw post or spindle I i, a chair iron generally indicated at 12, a chair seat 13, and a chair back 14 of the so-called posture type. As disclosed in the patent referred to, the seat 13 has a pivot i 3^a beneath and closely adjacent the front edge of the seat, and the rear part of the seat drops down when the seat is occupied and the chair back 14 is moved backward. The construction of the chair iron, however, is substantially different from that shown in the patent referred (Cl. 155—77) to, as will be apparent from the following description.

-In the new construction, the chair iron 12 comprises a frame member 15 rigid with the upper end of the screw post 11 and having side members 16 which are parts of a yoke that can be cast integrally with the frame. To the upper side portions of the yoke are applied, as by rivets 17, strap members 18 having forwardly projecting portions 19 with which the pivotal connection I3^apreviously mentioned is associated. This pivotal connection 13^a preferably comprises a rod 20 connected at its ends, as by shouldered and riveted end portions 21, with the forward extremities 22 of parts 19, and with fixed lugs 23 projecting down from the seat 13 adjacent the forward edge thereof. There is thus provided at the forward extremities of the arm portions 19, which are a part of the frame, pivot means on which the seat 13 can swing up and down.

Within the yoke-like main portion of the frame is provided a leaf member or abutment 24 provided at the front with a spring seat 25 adapted to receive the rear end of a resilient member such as a coil spring 26, this spring being located around a tension rod 27. The forward end of the tension rod 27 is threaded, as indicated at 28, and this threaded portion is engaged by a tension-adjusting nut 29, and between the nut 29 and the forward end of the spring, a metal cup 30 is interposed.

The leaf or abutment 24 previously mentioned is preferably located slightly forwardly of the screw post, and preferably has a slight upward and forward inclination, and this part is provided with a central clearance opening 31 for the tension rod so that the rear end portion of the tension rod can be continued upwardly and rearwardly to engage the upper portion of a swinging link member 32. The point of engagement between the tension rod and the link member 32 is indicated generally at 33 in Fig. 1. The link member 32 is pivoted to swing up and down, and for this purpose it has pivotal connection with the frame member 15, as generally indicated at 34, this pivotal connection being at the front end of the link member.

Link member 32 is preferably constructed of sheet metal, the same being of inverted U shape in cross section, as appears in Fig. 4A. Thus there is created a lateral link member having side walls 35 and a top wall 36. The pivotal connection 34 above mentioned is provided at the forward lower ends of the side walls 35, in which location a pivot rod 37 is mounted in lugs 38 on

1,385 and to the rear of the corresponding head 66, and with a bent-up stop 68 located forwardly of the corresponding head 66.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shoAvn the previously 5 described chair construction in a diagrammatic manner for the purpose of showing more clearly the action of the principal chair parts. In these views the principal parts have been reduced to simpler forms, this being especially true with 10 reference to the frame, the rearwardly extending link member, the chair back, and the spring and its tension rod. In these views, the frame is indicated at I5^a, the rearwardly extending link member at 32^a, the chair back at I4^a, and the 15 connection between I4^a and 32^a at I4^b. The spring is shoAvn at 26^a, the tension rod at 27^a, and the connection between the rear end of the tension rod and the upper portion of the link 32^a, at 33^a. Now it will be seen from these vieAVs 20 that in the normal unoccupied position, the chair seat 13 is substantially horizontal, the link 32^a also being substantially horizontal, and the chair back I4^a being substantially vertical. When a person sits down in the chair and leans back, the result is that the back swings rearwardly and the chair seat is swung relatively to pivot 13^a, the rear part of the seat moving downwardly to a position such as shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that through the back I4^a, link 32^a is swung 30 downwardly with member 34 acting as a pivot, and it AVill be seen further that the relative positions of the seat and chair back have been changed, in that the chair back is no longer substantially at right angles to the seat but has been 35 tilted backwardly therefrom to a small angle, as shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that the action described is resisted by the spring 26, and that this resistance is overcome by the shift of the center of weight of the occupant of the chair, 10 the tension rod 27^a being pulled rearwardly, its rear end moving in an arc of which pivot 34 is the center. It will be evident that when the chair is vacated the spring 26 will restore the parts to the initial positions.

It is important to note that as the rear portion of the link member 32^a swings through a relatively short radius while the rear portion of the seat swings on a relatively long radius, com_r pensation is necessary. This is effectively pro•⁾⁰ vided by the short connecting link 46, which is SAVung from the position of Fig. 5 to the position of Fig. 6, asstuning a different inclination.

It will be evident that the action of the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4A will be similar to that ^5a of the diagrammatic structure just described.

It will be noted that in the position of Figs. 1 and 4 the stops 67 will engage the under parts of the stop members 66, thus limiting the upward movement of the link member 32. As the rear 60 portion of the chair seat is depressed to the desired maximum, the stops 68 act against the upper forward parts of the stops 66.

It will be observed that the mounting for the spring and tension rod is very simple and com⁰⁵ pact, it merely being necessary to provide the frame with an abutment or leaf against AVhich the rear end of the spring acts and through which the tension rod extends with clearance, the upper ₇₀ rear end of the tension rod being connected in a simple manner to the link 32. In installing, the tension rod can be readily threaded through lug 40 and abutment 24 from the rear. There are relatively few parts and these are quite accessible for purposes of inspection, repair or replacement,

2,32 the frame, the ends of said pivot rod extending through holes in the walls 35 and being riveted over against said walls as shown at 39.

The connection of the rear end of the tension rod to the link 32 at point 33, as previously mentioned, may be provided by striking up out of the upper wall 36 of the link member a lug 40 which projects upwardly from wall 36 and is provided with a slot 4 i (extending into the body of wall 36), with which slot the rear end portion of the tension rod is engaged, said rear end being provided with a crosshead 42. The crosshead 42 is provided with a forward beveled edge portion 43 adapted to engage in the angle between lug 40 and wall 36 in such a manner that the tension rod can swing in a vertical plane to a certain extent.

At its upper rear portion, the link member 32 is provided with upwardly extending lug portions 44 formed as parts of the Avails 35, and between these lug portions extends a pivot rod 45. The pivot rod 45 serves to connect to the rear part of the link member 32 a short generally upright link member 46. This short link member 46 is connected to the seat 13 adjacent the rear edge of the seat by means including a pivot rod 47. The pivot rod 47 extends between depending lugs 48 fastened as by screws or the like to the loAver surface of the chair seat. Between these lugs, lugs 49 carried at and by the respective sides of the short link 46 surround the rod 47.

The pivot rod 45 at the lower end of link 4G not only serves to pivot the link member 32 but also to pivot an angular adjusting member 50 for the chair back i 4. This angular adjusting member 50 and the link member 32 are adapted to be adjusted relatively to. each other with the pivot rod 45 acting as the pivot. The member 50 is preferably constructed of sheet metal in substantially U form, and has side walls 5i and a rear or back wall 52. The side walls 51 are arranged outside of the side walls of the link member 32, in overlapping relation, and the ends of the pivot rod, which are engaged by lugs at the respective sides of the short link member 46, are continued through the walls 35 and through the walls 51 and are provided at the respective extremities with headed retaining means.

For holding the angular adjusting member 50 in the adjusted position, a so-called scissors slot adjustment is provided, including arcuate slots 55 in the link member 32 and straight slots 56 in member 58. The slots 55 and S6 are engaged by a rod 57 having a tightening head 58.

Vertically adjustable on adjusting member 50 is a U shaped height-adjusting member 59 for the chair back,, said member carrying a crossbar 60 to which is connected the uprights 61 of the chair back. For clamping the member 59 in the adjusted position, a rod 62 extends betAveen the side members of member 59, and this rod is engaged by portions of member 59 having slots 63, a head 64 being provided on rod 62 for clamping purposes.

A small stop 65 may be provided on the short link 46 to cooperate with each of the lugs 48. For the purpose of limiting swinging movement of link member 32 in opposite directions, suitable stops may be provided. In the present case, the innermost rivets 17 previously referred to are continued past the yoke arms to provide round projecting heads 66 which are adjacent the side walls 35 of the link member. Each of these side walls 35 is provided with a bent-up stop 67 below

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The short link 46 provides an effective means for interconnecting and controlling the lateral link and the chair seat.

While I have shown in Figs. 1 to 4A a preferred embodiment of the chair structure, it is to be understood that various changes can be made in the details without departure from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.