Adjustable Foot Rests

Abstract

A foot rest includes a platform for receiving a person's feet and the platform has legs which are adjustable to vary the height and inclination of the platform. The legs can be fixed in any selected position by U-shaped pivotal members which engage in one of a selected number of grooves.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to a foot rest which can be readily adjusted for height and slope, and primarily intended for use at office desks.

2. Summary of the Prior Art

There are some foot rests in which the rest proper is a narrow board, which is pivoted in a tubular stirrup-shaped member and can be set at various heights with the aid of springy pins inserted into various holes in the tubular member. In others, a roomy foot-board is secured by bolts between two wooden cheeks or forked tubular members and can be adjusted for height and slope by the loosening of two handwheels.

The disadvantage of such previously proposed foot rests is that the height and slope adjustments are very awkward to operate and sometimes entail considerable exertion. Ease of adjustment, however, is a prime requirement if the best use is to be made of them at any desk and by any person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a foot rest comprising a casing open at the bottom and made of plastics or deep-drawn steel sheet, the top face of which is arranged to support the user's feet said casing having two leg members pivoted within the interior of the casing so that they can be pivoted independently out of the casing to selected positions to produce various height and slope settings of the top face, and means for locking the leg members independently of one another in any one of said selected positions. This foot rest is conducive to the adoption of a healthy, non-tiring posture by those sitting at desks and office machines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of foot rests in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a foot rest in its lowest position, various adjustment positions being indicated in chain lines;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the foot rest of FIG. 1 adjusted for an intermediate height;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the foot rest of FIG. 1 with the upper surface thereof substantially horizontal;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the casing of the foot rest;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a foot rest casing with a recess for the accommodation of the foot switch (not shown) and a cover for closing the recess;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the foot rest of FIG. 1 with a cross-bar mounted on the front edge; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the foot rest of FIG. 7 with the cross-bar in a different position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The foot rest shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 consists of a casing 1, open at the bottom, preferably made of plastics or deep-drawn sheet steel, within which two support leg members, 2 and 3, are pivoted at points 4 and 5 so that the foot ends 6 and 7 can be positioned externally of the casing 1 independently of each other and can be locked to give the casing 1 various heights. Locking can be effected by U-shaped members 8 and 9, mounted at points 10 and 11 respectively, so that they can pivot in relation to the legs 2 and 3. These U-shaped members 8 and 9 can be engaged selectively in one of a plurality of grooves 12 and 13, which are provided in parts rigid with or integral with the casing 1. These independently adjustable legs 2 and 3 provide a wide range of adjustment for the casing 1, the top face of which supports the feet of the user.

The foot ends 6 and 7 are preferably made of a non-slip material such as, for example, rubber or soft P.V.C. A return spring 18 ensures that the legs 2 and 3 are always biased towards the interior of the casing so that the members 8 and 9 cannot disengage of their own accord when the foot rest is in any of its set positions. The advantages of this form of adjustment lie in its simplicity of operation. There are no screws, locking levers, hand-wheels or the like to manipulate; it is merely necessary to pivot the leg concerned 2 or 3 out of the casing 1, in opposition to the spring 18, until the associated member 8 or 9 engages in the selected groove, and then release the leg 2 or 3.

The top face 14 of the casing 1, which serves to support the feet of the user is preferably covered with a non-slip facing 20, made of rubber or soft P.V.C., for example, and preferably provided with a patterned tread, to give the user a firm grip. Moreover, the top face 14 and its facing 20 have openings, such as slots 15, to convey to the user's feet warmth from an optional electric heater that can be fitted inside the casing 1.

In addition to the simple height adjustment, the foot rest described above also offers the advantage of complete foot freedom. That is to say that the freedom of movement of the user's feet is unhindered by any leg members or cheeks at the sides.

For dictating machines, there are various types of foot switches, with which the machines can be run forwards or backwards. The shallower they are, the easier such switches are to operate. In the case of the foot rest shown in FIG. 5, the top face 14 has been provided with a recess 16, to accommodate a foot switch when required.

When this foot rest is to be used without any foot switch, the recess 16 is closed by an insert 19, as shown in FIG. 5, making the top face 14 continuous. This insert makes the foot rest universally applicable, irrespective of whether it is to be used with or without a foot switch.

A cross-bar, 17, on which the arch of the user's foot or shoe can rest (FIGS. 6 and 7), may be fitted to the top face 14 to facilitate the operation of a foot switch, for which purpose the cross-bar 17 serves as a fulcrum for the foot. The cross-bar 17 is preferably adjustable, so that, in the case of wearers of low heels, for example, it can be moved closer to the foot switch (FIG. 7). In this way, feet or shoes of different sizes can also be brought into the most favorable position in relation to the switch. Alternatively, in the case of wearers of very high heels, for example, the cross-bar can be adjusted to lie right at the edge of the foot rest, as shown in FIG. 6.

Claims

We claim:

1. A foot rest comprising

a sheet-material casing open at the bottom, the top face of which is arranged to support the user's feet,

two leg members pivoted within the interior of the casing so that they can be pivoted independently out of the casing to selected positions to produce various height and slope settings of the top face,

two pivotal members, one pivoted to each said leg,

means rigid with the casing defining two sets of grooves, each said pivotal member being engageable with a selected groove of a corresponding said set, and

means biasing each said leg member towards the interior of the casing so that the pivotal members cannot become dislodged from a selected one of the respective grooves. pg,8

2. A foot rest according to claim 1 in which the top face of the casing has a recess,

said rest further comprising

an insert member for closing the recess so as to provide an unbroken surface for the user's feet.

3. A foot rest according to claim 1 comprising a cross-bar which can be set to various positions on the top face of the casing.