USRE18913E - Chair back ob rest - Google Patents

Description

W, J. JOHNSON El' AL Aug. s, 1933. CHAIR Bm OR'REST Re. 18,913 s sheets-sheet 1 Original Filed July 14. 1927 WaZErC/ w. J. AJol-mscnl Er A1.

v(HiAIR BACK 0R REST Re. 18,913 Original Filed July 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mil!!! Aug. s, 1933.

y w. J. JOHNSON Erm.

CHAIR BACK 0R REST Original Filed July 14, 1927- :5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Au@ s, 1933.

UNITEDQSTATES"PATIENT orifice CHAIR BACK OR REST .Walter J. Johnson, Evanston, and Arthur L.

f Johllsh, Oak Park, Ill.

Original No. 1,769,294, dated Jllly 1, 1930, Serial No. 205,701, July 14, 1927. v Application for lreissue May 5,1932. Serial No. '609,542

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-15'1) This invention relates to chairs in general and particularly to a chair back or rest. More specifically the invention is directed to a chair back or support for use in connection with a stenog raphers chair in which there is arranged a lumbar support for the small of the back.

In chairs as heretofore constructed', it is the `usual practice to adjustably mount the forked arms or uprights at the back of the chair butl the back pad or back member carried by these uprights does not accurately iit the back of th user and when the uprights are adjusted, th

angularity of the back is altered in` such a ma ner as to cause discomfort. I

This invention is designed to`overcome the defects noted above and objects of such invention are to provide a novel 'form of chair back which is s o made that although thepuprights maybe adjusted, as required, that nevertheless, the chair back will automatically adjust itself to the exact needs of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair having a back support which is tiltable rearwardly relative to the chair seat and which has a lumbar back rest pivotally connected to -the back support so as to bring the back support intmproper supporting positionrelative to the small of theback of a user during occupancy of the chair. l/

Another object is to provide a lumbar back support or rest whichis pivotally lconnected to a supporting member, the lumbar support or rest being bowed or curved outwardly toward the front of the seat in a vertical plane and curved or wed outwardly away from the seat in a horizotal plane. A.

'Still another object is to provide a lumbar back rest which is movable verticallyA relative to the chair seat so as to be adjusted in height `to fit the small of the back of a user and which is pivotally connected to an upright supporting vertical position when the operator leaves hisl seat, and which instantly adjusts itself to his exf ac t requirements when the chair is again occupied.

Further objects rare Vto .provide a novel form of chair back in which contactwith any bony portion of the body is wholly avoided and the chair back is so contoured and formed that it fits around the back of the user' without binding against any portion of the back bone, but furnishes the requisite port for the back at the small of the back. W r 't ismost needed, and which although provided with a rigid frame, may be so padded and formed that a yielding cushionlike structure is attained. i

' Embodiments of the invention are the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the chair back. Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 vis a sectional view on the Figure l.

Figure 4 is ,a view from the front of the chair back with the cover and padding removed and with parts broken away.v

Figure is a sectional view oifikthe line 5-.-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Figure'4.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a chairequipped with the back.

shown lin line 3-3 of Figure 8 is a front view of the upper portion of members '1, a top 2, and a bottom member 3. It

isto be noted particularly from Figure 2, that the bottom member is materially larger and heavier than the top member and thatthe side' members 1 taper towards the bottom a gradual manner. This latter construction is shown most clearly in Figure 5, from which it will also be seen that the members are curved, particularly the side members 1, so that they arch outwardly ,or forwardly, as shown.

It is to be noted also thatthe top and bottom members are inwardly curved, or in other words; are arched rearwardly; for example, thebottom member`3v has been shown in Figure 6 to bring out this construction. vlllpair of cross straps 4 and 5 of marginal frame members, just described, and

member in inelastic material may be secured to the front face of the' these inelastic 'strap members are covered by an inelastic member 6, positioned in front of the inelastic straps,' as shown in Figure 4. These inelastic members are freely yielding and when l tures 10 @d is carried by aback support comlin Figures 2 and 3.

as measured along a vertical line and shown in, Figure 2. The rearward 'bowing of ,the inelastic members 4, 5, and 6 prevents any further sagging of these members, as the component of their pull is forwardly and thus a further deflection of them is prevented. In other words, the padding is not interposed with the cover bowed very far outwardly and the back members straight, but is so positioned that the back members are bowed rearwardly and the cover is substantially straight except for a slight bowing as measured along a vertical line and described above.

It is to be noted particularly that the padding 7 or lling, extends between the marginal frame and the cover and gradually tapers outwardly or thins as the side edges of the marginal frame are approached, as is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.Y The thickest. portion of the padding located centrally where, it is most needed. A

It is to be noted particularly that the bottom member 3 arches upwardly adjacent its center,

as indicated by the reference character-9 in Figure 4, so that the back is provided with an upwardly cut bottom edge and with downwardly extending corners. shown in Figures 1 and 8, and it is to be noted that the construction Vis such that the corner portions extend a slightv distance around the sides of the operator at the fleshy portion of his back and removed from the spinal column. At

the spinal column the back is cut upwardly, as

described above, so as to avoid any cutting at this point. In addition to the padding interposed between vthe marginal frame and the cover guards agamst this undesirable effect.

The net result of this construction is that there is no uncomfortable cutting or binding of the 'back of the seat against the back of the user,

'tomportiom bringing the center of gravity at a. point spaced" a materiai' distance below the axis of the apertures 10.v A pivot bar or rod 11, Figures 7 and8, is passed through these aperprising the spaced uprights or upwardly extending arms 12. Thus, the back is pivoted about an VLaxisuspaced above its center of gravity and is consequently. a full oating back which freely adjusts itself Vtogthe Aexact requirements of the user. always aztomatically returning to approxi-V mately vertical position when the chair is not This form of'the back is alsoY occupied, so that it is in a position adapted for instant use without any adjustment on the part of the operator.

Various means may be employed for supporting the end of the rod 11. In the form shown in Figure 8, a pair of knobs or sleeves 13 are screwed upon the threaded outer ends of the rod 11, it being noted that such threaded ends are reduced to provide shoulders 14 adjacent" the edges of the back of the seat.V Furthenit is to be noted that a lock nut in the form of a washer 15 is screwed tightly against these shoulders and the sleeve of the bearing member 13 is screwed tightly 'against the lock nut. Thus, the spacing between the enlaiged head of the sleeve or bearing member 13 and the lock nut 15 is xed and this spacing is slightly greater than the thickness of the uprights 12. Thus, there can be no binding at this portion of the structure and the bearing members 13 freely turn within the apertured portions of the uprights12. It is preferable to provide each headed portion of the bearing members 13 with a screw driver receiving slot, as shown in Figure 7.

The uprights 12 are adjustable and yieldingly held in anydesired position relatively to the seat 16 in any usual or customary manner. The details of this construction have not been shown as it may be conventional. Further, it is desirable to pivotally and yieldingly mount the seat upon the head 17 of the screw 18 in the customary manner.

The uprights 12 are arched rearwardly at the point indicated by the reference character 19- .sc as to comfortably accommodate the user without any chance of binding against his body, s0 that the entire forward thrust against the body of the user is borne by the full floating completely padded back. Thus, users of widely differing builds or physiques are accommodatedby this' self-adjusting type of chair and the utmost comfort is attained.

Referring to the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11, it will be' of the screws 23, see Figure 10. Y

Further, it is to be noted .that the clip is provided with a pair of vforwardly projecting apertured tongues 24 which receive the horizontal pivot rod 25. 'I'his rod 25 may be either pivotalLv carried by the tongues 24 or else may be socketed within the bearing members 26 securedl to the sides 27 of the chair back. It is to be noted that the upright 20 is curved, Figure 10, to provide room foi the swinging ofthe bottom 28 of the frame for the back. The top 29 of the frame can swing over the upper end of the upright 20. It is apparent that by having the rod 20 rigidly carried by the tongues 24 that lateral shifting of the back cannot occur. The members 26 are inset in apertures formed in the sides 27, as shown; and are provided with projecting feet through which screws or tacks pass, as shown in Figure 10. The back or lumbar rest, Figures 9 and 10, comprises a frame having spaced side members 27 and bottom and top members 28 and 29Y respectively. The bottom 4and top members are curi-'ed Quixtar-5, hat is, away rozn the seat, in a horizontal plane but bow inwardly toward the chair seat in a vertical plane. The side members 27 conform with the general contour of the bottom and top, that is, the side members at their upper and lower ends merge with or become ush with these two members and bow inwardly toward the seat, as clearly shown in Figure 10.

It will be seen that a full oating automaticalf 1y adjusting back has been provided which is formed in a novel manner and which wholly avoids any possibility of cutting or other discomfort to the user.

The invention provides an exceedingly comfortable chair having an upright back supportto which a lumbar back rest is pivotally connected. The back support, whether it constitutes the spaced uprights 12 or a single upright 20, is tiltable rearwardly relative to the seat, that is, the back support moves away from the seat when pressure is applied thereagainst and returns to normal vertical position by springs. The back l rest is bowed outwardly in a horizontal plane and bowed 'inwardly in a verticalplane so as to t the small of the back of an occupant. 'I'his back rest is pivotally connected to thev back support and pivots about a horizontal axis, thereby adjusting itself tothe position of the occupant.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without de` parting from the spirit of the inventionY or sacriiicing any oi'A its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

'I'he invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A back construction for a chair comprising a rigid marginal frame having a top, side members, and an upwardly and rearwardly curved bottom member, said bottom member being larger than said top, said side members being tapered y and being forwardly arched, an inelastic backingv member secured to said frame on its front face and being rearwardly bowed, a exible front cover wrapped around the edges of said frame and secured thereto, and a yielding padding interposed between said backing member and said cover and between said frame and said cover, said padding being thickest adjacent the center of the back and gradually thinning atthe edges of said frame, the said cover being substantially straight along horizontal lines adjacent its center and being slightly bowed forwardly along vertical lines.

2. In chair construction,a back comprising a rigid marginal frame Vhaving a top, side members and bottom member, said side members being tapered and forwardly arched, means for pivotally mounting the frame with its pivoted axis located above its center of gravity, an inelastic backing member secured to said frame on it front face and being rearwardly bowed, a ilexible front cover wrapped around the edges of said frame and secured thereto and a yielding padding interposed between said backing member and said cover and between said frame and said cover, said padding being thickest adjacent the center of the back and gradually thinning out the edges of said frame, the said cover being substantially straight along lines adjacent its center and being slightly bowed along vertical lines.

3. The combination of a chair having a seat, a support fastened to the underside of the seat, upright supporting means fastened to the support by a pivot beneath the seat whereby the supporting means is pivotally mounted in respect to the seat and yieldingly mounted relative to the seat so as to yield rearwardly with respect to said seat, and a lumbar back rest pivoted about a horizontal axis and connected to the upright supporting means, said back rest being free to pivot on its axis in a vertical arc on each side of a plane perpendicular to the seat whereby to provide a bating back for said chair adapted to support the back of a person sitting in said chair in all sitting postures.

' WALTER J. JOHNSON. ARTHUR L. JOHNSON.-

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