US2499112A - Retracting type theater chair - Google Patents

Description

J. J. ROMAN RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Feb. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1946 INVENTOR Jbhn I ROmau BY Momma Feb. 28, 1950 Y J. J. ROMAN 2,499,112 RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Jalzu .7; Roman ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1950 RETRACTING TYPE THE E CHAIR .IolmJ. Roman, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating. Company," GrandsI tapids Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 2,1946, Seridl-Noz'6873936 The: present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to' chairs o'f'the retracting type for installation in theaters, auditoriums and the like.

The primary objects: of the invention are to provide an improved chair of the retracting type wherein the chair occupant may move rearwardly in a sitting position inorder topermit-other theater patrons to passin front of him; to provide such a chair which is of simple construction and which comprises few moving parts; to provide such a chair which may be easily and comfortably retracted an returned to forward position by the chair occupant; and in general to provide a retracting chair which is efficient in operation, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a retracting chair in its forward position of occupancy;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 22 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the right hand side of the chair;

Figure 4 is a perspective View similar to Figure 1 and showing the chair in its rearwardly retracted position; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 I and showing the parts of the chair in their rearwardly moved positiona Referring now in detail to these drawings, the retracting chair there shown is mounted upon a frame which comprises spaced, upright standards H) which may be secured to the floor in any conventional manner and which are desirably connected by a suitable cross-tie ll. Arm rests l2 are mounted atop each standard It and secured thereto in any conventional manner.

The chair proper generally comprises aseat and back assembly in which the chair seat 13 and thei'chair back M are pivotally connected for relative movement. The cha'irback I4 is provided with brackets I5 secured to the opposite sides thereof as by screws I6 and having forwardly extending, arms I! pivotally connected to upward extensions or horns l8 on the standards Ill. The chair seat I3 is mounted on spaced seat carriers l9 at opposite sides thereof by means of seat mounting brackets 20 secured to the seat I3 as by rivets 2| and which brackets 29 are pivotally connected at 22 to the seat carriers IS.

The rearward ends of the seat carriers I! are pivotally connected at 23 to downwardly and forwardly extending arms 24 secured to the op- 2 Claims. (01. -116),

posite sides of the? chair back [4: as by screws 25; thus connecting the seat and back in pivoted assembly and providing a rea-rsu-pport for the seat carriers l9: The seat carriers are supported in thefront by means of links 26 swingably depending: fromv the standards i0, said links 26 having theirrupper ends pivota-lly connected -to-the stand.- ards' Mr and: having: their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower ends of depending legs 21 on the seat carriers I9. It will be seen that the pivotal connections between the seat carriers 19 and the back M are a considerable distance below the pivotal connections of the brackets I! to the standards I0, and that the pivotal connections of the links 26 to the standards are located at an intermediate level and forwardly of the former connections. The pivotal connections of the links 26 to the back carrier is forwardly of and below the pivotal connections of the back carriers and the back. By this arrangement of connections, the seat is moved rearwardly in a substantially horizontal path when the chair is retracted by its occupant from its position shown in Figure 2 to its position shown in Figure 5, while the back is moved rearwardly in its lower portion and slightly forwardly in its upper portion and thus caused to assume a near-vertical position. The space to the rear of the chair required for retraction is thus kept to a minimum.

Rearward retracting movement of the chair is stopped by contact of the links 26 with stops or bumpers 28 secured to the standards, while forward returning movement of the chair is stopped by contact of said links 26 with similar stops or bumpers 29. I

The chair seat 29 may be folded upwardly to facilitate sweeping under the chair independently of its retracting and returning-movements, by reason of its pivotal mountings on the seat carriers l9, andthe seat is supported in its lowered, substantially horizontal position for occupancy by'cooperating stops 3!! on the brackets 20, and 3| on the seat carriers |9-.

It will be understood that numerousdetails of construction of the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims:

and rearwardly-of the arm rests. a back, means for mounting said back on the standards comprising brackets secured to the upper part of the back and having forwardly extending arms pivotally connected to the horns on the standards, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the back at its opposite sides below the pivotal connections of said brackets to the standards, said seat carriers having leg portions depending from their forward ends to points near the bottom of the standards, a seat mounted on the seat carriers, and links swin'gably depending from the upper and forward portions of the standards and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower ends of the seat carriers depending leg portions.

2. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, arm rests on said standards, horns on the standards extending upwardly therefrom and rearwardly of the arm rests, a back, means for mounting said back on the standards comprising brackets secured to the upper part of the back and having forwardly extending arms pivotally connected to the horns on the standards, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the back at its opposite sides below the pivotal connections of said brackets to the standards, said seat carriers having leg portions depending from their forward ends to points near the bottom of the standards, a. seat mounted on the seat carriers turnably about a. horizontal axis, cooperating stops on the seat and the seat f"-carriers for supporting the forward portion of the seat when the same is in a substantially hori- JOHN J. ROMAN.

REFERENCE S CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 320,265 Maddox June 16, 1885 766,836 Miller et a1. Aug. 9, 1904 1,802,318 Hanson Apr. 21, 1931 2,336,031 Orton Dec. '7, 1943 2,346,629 Travers Apr. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 105,744 Austria Nov. 17, 1938

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