Untitled record

Feb. 21, 1956 τ. e. mead 2,735,480

SEAT AND LEG REST

Filed March 22, 1954

<img file="US2735480A_D0001.tif" />

2,735,480

Patented Feb. 21, 1956

United States Patent Office

2,735,480

SEAT AND EEG REST

Theodore E. Mead, Wilmette, Hl., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lifegard Sign Corporation, Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois

Application March 22, 1954, Serial No. 417,720

Claims. (CI. 155—182)

This invention relates to a seat and leg. rest, and more particularly to a rest that may be employed with a chair or seat for shifting the weight of the body into more restful positions.

Various suggestions have been made for supporting the legs while one is sitting in a chair. While such arrangements serve as a foot support or leg support, they, do not provide means for shifting the weight of: the: body so that the back bears a substantial portion of the body weight. If a support can be provided, which permits the body to be so adjusted upon a chair or seat, that considerable weight is thrown against the back, it is found that a very restful sensation is provided and/beneficial results are obtained Which are very similar to those obtained as when the body reclines at full length. There has long been a need for such a structure for use in connection with railway chairs having straight, horizontal seats and for other vehicle seats and for household chairs, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a support structure which is effective not merely for supporting the lower portion of the legs in a comfortable, inclined position, but which is also effective for shifting the weight of the body through changing the angular position of the seat of the chair, etc. so that a substantial portion of the body weight is carried by the back. A further object is to provide in such a structure means for changing the angle of the seat of the chair through the use of simple mechanism. Yet another object is to provide a structure of extremely light and simple construction which may be readily set in a desired angular arrangement to allow the body to be rested through a plurality of partially reclined positions. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat and leg rest embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the parts thereof folded for carrying, etc.; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the fabric cover which may be employed in the forming of the rest structure; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the frame structure adapted to be inserted within the cover shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a broken top plan view of the rest structure; Fig. 6, a longitudinal sectional view of the rest structure in folded position; and Fig. 7, a broken, enlarged, sectional view showing the method of releasably locking the rest parts together in different angular positions.

In the illustration given, I provide a tubular U-shaped seat frame 10 which may be formed from aluminum alloy tubular stock, the inner ends of the tube being flattened to provide latching disks 11 having serrations 12 on their outer edges. Similarly, the tubes 13 have their upper ends flattened to provide latch disks 14 having serrations 15 at their inner edges. The sawtooth serrations 15 and 12 shown tend to fit into each other and to rigidly secure the disks 11 and 14 together when clamping means are provided. The clamping means, in the illustration given, comprises a rod 16 having at one end a roughened surface 17 engaging a tubular portion 18 of the outer disk 14, as shown more clearly in Fig. 7. The other end of the rod 16 is threaded at 19 to receive the wingnut 20. A tube 21 extending between the disks 11 of the member 10 serves to maintain the disks 11 in spaced-apart relation and to support them during the clamping action produced by the rod 16 and wingnut 20. It will be understood that any suitable means for releasably uniting the ends of the tubes 10 and 13 may be employed. I have found, however, that the specific arrangement shown, in which integral portions of the tubes form the disks 11 and 14, is unusually effective in providing a sturdy locking means for uniting, the parts 13. and 10 in different angular positions.

The tubes 13 may be also united at their lower ends with a U-shaped integral portion so as to thus resemble the part 10 which has been described. I prefer, however, to reduce the length of the latter members by providing a hinge and connecting the members 13 to a lower Ushaped member 22. In. the illustration given, the lower ends of the tubes 13 and the upper ends of the U-shaped member 22 are flattened and apertured to receive a bolt 23 and a nut 24 for thus frictionally, but hingedly, uniting these parts. Thus, for convenience in folding, the bolt and nut connections, may be loosened to permit the parts to be swung to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, or, if desired, the bolt and nut connections may be such as to permit frictional swinging of the part 22 without requiring an adjustment of the nut and bolt connections. In order to prevent the member 22 from swinging to a position above the horizontal plane of the tube 13, I provide the hinge portion of the lower member 22 with a locking shoulder 25, which shoulder engages a shoulder 26 on the tube 13 to prevent further upward swinging of the member 22, all as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

It is not necessary, in order to utilize the invention herein, to employ the tubular structure shown. If desired, the parts may be formed of boards in the shape of the structures described and the boards may be united by releasable locking means and hinge connections to bring about the same results. I prefer, however, to employ the tubular structure illustrated and to cover the frame thus formed with a fabric cover formed of canvas, plastic, or any other suitable material. In the illustration given, the cover portion 27 is folded upon itself and stitched along the sides 28 and 29 to form a bag closed at all sides except the top thereof and adapted to receive the members 22 and 13 of the-frame structure. The bag portions thus formed are preferably provided with extensions 30 and 31 at their upper ends, and the extensions are provided with eyelets 32 so that the two portions 30 and 31 may be secured about the upper U-shaped member 10 by employing a tie element for lacing together the portions 30 and 31, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1.

To provide a cushion about the tube 21, I prefer to stitch to the bag member 27 on the under side thereof a sponge rubber pad 33 and to cover the pad structure with a fabric strip 34, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

Operation

In the operation of the structure, the seat element 10 is placed upon the normally horizontal seat of a chair, etc. and the wingnut 20 is loosened to bring the seat portion 30 of the leg rest upwardly to a desired angular position. At the same time, the lower leg rest element (consisting of the parts 13 and 22) may be brought into any desired angular position. The wingnut 20 is then clamped in position to seat the parts in the selected arrangement. With the seat portion 10 thus tilted upwardly, it is found

2,735,480 that the seat of the chair or car seat, which is normally horizontal, may now be extended rather sharply upwardly so as to cause the weight of the person to be shifted rearwardly. Great comfort is felt by thus causing the weight of the body to be shifted to the back, the comfort resembling very much that experienced when one is fully reclining. Later, when one wishes to sit in a truly vertical position, the wingnut 20 may be released and the seat 10 may be allowed to fall down into a position on the seat of the chair (in a horizontal plane) and in this position the leg rest, consisting of the parts 13 and 22, serves to support the legs at an inclination. During a long train trip or trip in other vehicles, it is found that the structure described, by changing the angle of the seat of the chair or vehicle seat, enables one to make the journey with considerable comfort by shifting the weight periodically to the back, etc.

To facilitate the hinge operation of the part 22, I prefer to cut out the cover member 27 at the points 35, thus facilitating the swinging movement of the members 13 and 22 upon their connecting hinges.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.