U.S. patent number 3,622,198 [Application Number 04/884,187] was granted by the patent office on 1971-11-23 for rocker/recliner chair.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dual Manufacturing and Engineering, Incorporated. Invention is credited to Frank M. Re.
United States Patent |
3,622,198 |
Re |
November 23, 1971 |
ROCKER/RECLINER CHAIR
Abstract
A rocker/recliner chair inclusive of a rocker base, a chassis
rockably connected to the base, a body-supporting unit (i.e. a seat
and a back) connected to the chassis, a leg rest, and mechanism
interconnecting the body-supporting unit and leg rest and chassis
for coordinated rocking and reclining motions of the
body-supporting unit and extending or retracting of the leg rest
and incorporating arresting means engageable with the base in
manner such that: (A) the arresting means permit rocking of the
chassis and seat and back and leg rest with respect to the base
when the chair is in upright position or moving into intermediate
reclined position; and (B) the arresting means preclude rocking as
the chair assumes intermediate reclined position or is in the
intermediate or fully reclined positions or positions therebetween;
and (C) the leg rest is variably adjustable in a multiplicity of
positions of angularization in the fully reclined position without
concomitant movements of the seat and back.
Inventors: |
Re; Frank M. (Holyoke, MA) |
Assignee: |
Dual Manufacturing and Engineering,
Incorporated (Holyoke, MA)
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Family
ID: |
50391566 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/884,187 |
Filed: |
December 11, 1969 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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724143 |
Apr 25, 1968 |
3493264 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/94; 297/84;
297/DIG.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
3/027 (20130101); A47C 1/0355 (20130101); Y10S
297/07 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
3/02 (20060101); A47C 3/029 (20060101); A47c
001/035 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/83,84,85,86,87,88,317,319,258,261 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McCall; James T.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of copending application, Ser. No.
724,143, filed Apr. 25, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,264.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a rocker-recliner chair comprising a stationary rocker base
and a chassis rockably mounted on the base and a body supporting
unit including a back rest and a seat supported on the chassis, and
means mounting the body supporting unit for movement relative to
the chassis between an upright sitting position and reclining
positions, and a leg rest movable between retracted position and
extended position, the improvement in actuating means connecting
the body supporting unit and chassis and leg rest for automatically
moving the leg rest responsively to movement of the body supporting
unit and for moving the seat forwardly and upwardly as the body
supporting unit is reclined and the leg rest is extended and
including: forward- and rearward-arresting means operatively
connected to the actuating means and movable into position of
engagement with the rocker base for arresting rocking movement of
the chassis when the body supporting unit is reclined.
2. A rocker-recliner chair comprising: a stationary rocker base, a
chassis rockably mounted on said base, a body-supporting unit
including a backrest and a seat pivotal relative to the chassis,
means mounting the body-supporting unit for movements relative to
the chassis successively between an upright sitting position and an
intermediate reclined position and a fully reclined position, a leg
rest movable between retracted position wherein it is disposed
beneath the seat and extended position wherein it is disposed
forwardly of the seat, actuating means connecting the
body-supporting unit and chassis and leg rest for automatically
moving the leg rest responsively to movement of the body-supporting
unit, the actuating means moving the seat forwardly and upwardly as
the body-supporting unit is reclined and the leg rest extended, and
arresting means operatively connected to the actuating means and
movable into engagement with the rocker base when the
body-supporting unit is reclined for precluding rocking of the
chassis, the arresting means comprising link means engageable with
the rocker base, and means fixed to the link means and slidable
along and relative to the rocker base.
3. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 2, the
arresting means comprising forward and rearward links, each
engageable with the rocker base, the rearward link being spring
loaded for allowing the leg rest to be extended while rocking
rearwardly.
4. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 3, including a
roller rotatably mounted on each of the blocking links and
rotatably engageable with the rocker base.
5. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 3, including a
shoe fixed to each of the blocking links and slidable along and
relative to the rocker base.
6. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 3, including
stop means for limiting the range of movement of the leg rest and
body-supporting unit.
7. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 6, wherein one
of the plural stop means is constituted by the rearward link.
8. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 3, including
guide means for guiding the blocking means in its movements.
9. A rocker-recliner chair comprising a stationary rocker base, a
chassis rockably mounted on said base, a body-supporting unit
including a backrest and a seat supported on said chassis, means
mounting the body-supporting unit for movement relative to the
chassis between an upright sitting position and a reclining
position, a leg rest movable between retracted position and
extended position, actuating means connecting the body-supporting
unit and chassis and leg rest for automatically moving the leg rest
responsively to movement of the body-supporting unit, the actuating
means moving the seat forwardly and upwardly as the body-supporting
unit is reclined and the leg rest is extended, and arresting means
operatively connected to the actuating means and movable into
position to arrest rocking movement when the body-supporting unit
is reclined, the arresting means comprising forward and rearward
links, each engageable with the rocker base, the rearward link
being spring loaded for allowing the leg rest to be extended while
rocking rearwardly.
10. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 9, including a
roller rotatably mounted on each of the blocking links and
rotatably engageable with the rocker base.
11. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 9, including a
shoe fixed to each of the blocking links and slidable along and
relative to the rocker base.
12. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 9, including
stop means for limiting the range of movement of the leg rest and
body-supporting unit.
13. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 12, wherein
one of the plural stop means is constituted by the rearward
link.
14. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 9, including
guide means for guiding the blocking means in its movements.
15. In a rocker-recliner chair as set forth in claim 9, including
means fixed to the link means and slidable along and relative to
the rocker base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a three-position chair associated with a
rocker structure to define a rocker/recliner capable of serving
selectively as a rocker or as a recliner at the will of the
occupant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
"Three-position" refers to the three positions in which the
body-supporting components of a recliner are positioned with
reference to the chassis: i.e. (1) an upright or normal sitting
position in which the seat and the back are angularly disposed
relative to each other subtending a normal upright seating angle
and with the leg rest retracted to a beneath-the-seat position, (2)
an intermediate or semireclined or TV position in which the seat is
tilted slightly rearwardly from the horizontal, the back and seat
still subtending the normal seating angle, and with the leg rest
extended generally forwardly of the seat in a leg supporting
position, and (3) a fully reclined position in which the seat is
tilted rearwardly and the back is tilted rearwardly relative to the
seat to subtend a larger angle than in a normal seating position,
and with the leg rest projected further forwardly in a fully
extended leg supporting position.
Three-position rocker/recliners, increasingly popular in recent
years, are generally such that the occupant may adjust the
positions of the components with respect to the chassis by pressing
or pushing rearwardly on the back through the application of
pressure upon the chassis arms, this pressure serving to swing the
back rearwardly on the chassis and correspondingly to tilt the seat
and back rearwardly, while simultaneously driving the leg rest
upwardly and forwardly from a nonoperative, nesting position below
the seat to an operative, extended, leg-supporting position
distantly forwardly thereof. And, of course, the reverse is also
true wherein the occupant may move from the fully reclined to the
intermediate and/or the upright positions.
One particular type of chair which the invention is adapted for is
the so-called "T-cushion" type chair which is so designated because
the seat cushion employed therewith is in the shape of an inverted
T with a portion thereof being disposed forwardly of the arms of
the chair.
T-cushion recliners or T-cushion rocker/recliners of the prior art
all employ an independently actuated handle or lever means, usually
disposed at the chair side, for manually motivating the leg rest,
either before or after the seat and back are reclined. This is for
the reason that no one has been able to overcome the vexing problem
that the seat cushion consistently binds at the chair arms during
shifting between positions. Such handle or lever means is
unsightly, not to mention difficult and awkward to manipulate from
a chair-seated position. A need for a solution by way of the
complete elimination of the handle or lever means has long been
felt since such a chair is an accepted item in conventional living
room furniture and lends itself to better and more decorative chair
styling.
None has heretofore successfully incorporated, into a T-cushion
rocker/recliner, a convenient operating mechanism which will serve,
when desired, to preclude the rocking function and to extend the
leg rest as the seat and back are motivated for the reclining
function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Herein, a recliner chassis is uniquely combined and coordinated
with the rocker mechanism of a platform rocker, wherefore, when in
normal upright position, a comfortable rocking chair is defined,
and when actuated toward one of its reclining positions, the
natural shift in the occupant's weight is such as to call into
operational use arresting means wherefore rocking is precluded as
well as an operating mechanism wherefore the seat is automatically
shifted between upright sitting and various reclining positions
coincident with tilting of the back and extending of the leg
rest.
Significantly, all actuation and articulation of the chair
components are realizable with the occupant seated within the chair
and without the necessity for hand manipulating any handle or lever
means.
Associated with the operating mechanism is a toggle means which
serves to lock the components and to insure against unwanted
outward opening of the leg rest with respect to the main body
structure during rocking movements.
With the chair nonoccupied, the leg rest cannot be pulled outwardly
from its nested nonoperative position, the chair being locked in by
reason of the toggle. When the chair is occupied and until the
toggle is unlocked, by virtue of the occupant exerting pressure
upon the back through his body, the leg rest is similarly locked
in. The toggle feature overcomes the objectionable prior art
tendency of a leg rest to "pop out" as one is rocking.
To permit the body-supporting unit to be rocked while in upright
sitting position and without leg rest extension, spring means are
additionally provided for militating against reclining movements of
the seat and back from out of upright sitting position.
Arresting means are rendered nonoperative during rocking movements,
being normally biased out of engagement with the rocker base, and
are rendered operative so as automatically to lock the chair
against rocking movements as the chair is shifted into the
intermediate reclined or fully reclined positions. As the
body-supporting structure so shifts into the intermediate reclined
position, actuating means move the arresting means into a blocking
engagement with the rocker base so that the rocker member is
blocked relative to the rocker base.
With the chair in the intermediate reclined position (the leg rest
being extended forwardly and the back being reclined slightly to
the rear), the occupant may push rearwardly on the back to cause
the seat to move upwardly and forwardly. He thereby attains a
coordinated and balanced feeling as opposed to a falling sensation,
all the while maintaining the leg rest in leg-supporting
position.
Initiation of reclination while rocking is permitted, by virtue of
the fact that, as the occupant rocks rearwardly and as tilting of
the back and opening of the leg rest are commenced, the
rear-arresting means are released from their stored or biased
position so as to move downwardly into rocker-base-contacting
position. Upon contacting the base during the rearward rocking
portion of the cycle, the rear rollers are allowed to collapse by
virtue of a slot and spring arrangement. This allows unimpeded
rearward rocking. Immediately the rearward rocking motion is
reversed to a forward rocking motion, a dead center of the
arresting means is passed and links of the arresting means are in
blocking position. Withal, the components cannot be moved to a
fully reclined position until the mechanism is first locked against
rocking, all so as to assure that the chair is balanced, and the
possibility of tipping over due to rocking is eliminated.
Concurrently, the forward blocking means are actuated positively
and timed so that when the leg rest is fully extended, all blocking
means are effective.
Additionally, the occupant is allowed a certain freedom of variable
adjustment of the angular position of the leg rest while in the
fully reclined position, all independent of and without any
concomitant shifting of the seat and back.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a rocker/recliner chair of
the type embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, in top plan, of one of a pair of
linkage mechanisms of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, of the chair in
upright, sitting and/or rocking position, with the leg rest
retracted, portions of the chair being removed for purposes of
clarity;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, of the chair in
intermediate position, with the leg rest extended and the arresting
means lowered to preclude rocking;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, of the chair in
fully reclined position, with the leg rest extended and the
arresting means lowered to preclude rocking;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, in side elevation, of the
rear-arresting means in its lowered rocking-precluded position;
FIG. 7 is a view, in section, on line 7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a detail view, in side elevation, of a modified form of
arresting means;
FIG. 9 is a detail view, in side elevation, of another modified
form of arresting means; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the chair in fully
reclined position and a multiplicity of positions of adjustment of
the leg rest while in such position without concomitant movement of
the back.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The chair incorporates a seat 10, a back 12, a rockable chassis 14
inclusive of chair side arms 16, a two-part foldaway leg rest
generally indicated by 18 and having one of its parts 20 disposed
flush with the forward edge of the seat in the chair upright
position, and a rocker base 22 for supporting the chassis upwardly
of a floor. The seat shown is of the T-cushion type.
Whereas a two-part leg rest has been shown, a one-part leg rest
could be as well employed without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
At either side of the chair, an arcuate rocker 24 is secured to the
respective sidewall of rockable chassis 14 and is rockable upon the
upper planar surface of the adjacent rail of rocker base 22, each
such rocker being interassociated with the rocker base by a
double-compression spring mechanism, not shown, in the normal
platform-rocker manner.
Seat 10 and back 12 are pivotally secured relative to each other
and cooperantly constitute a body-supporting subassembly having a
pivotal relationship to rockable chassis 14.
The operating mechanism in a recliner normally consists of a pair
of so-called linkage mechanisms operating unisonly, one being
operative at each side of the chair. Alternatively, one such
linkage mechanism, operative centrally of the chair, can be
employed. In this disclosure, only one such linkage mechanism is
described, for purposes of clarity.
A provided linkage mechanism constitutes one of a pair, there being
one such mechanism at each side of the body-supporting subassembly
and inwardly of the respective adjacent side of the rockable
chassis so as to be concealed from view.
A vertically disposed mounting bracket 26 extends along the
front-to-rear chair dimension and is stationarily secured to the
coplanar-disposed adjacent sidewall of rockable chassis 14.
A seat bracket 28, also extending in a front-to-rear chair
direction, is stationarily secured to transversely extending front
and rear stretchers 29 and 31 respectively of seat 10, as seen in
FIGS. 2 and 3.
Leg rest 18 is mounted, through the linkage mechanism, relative to
the forward end of the seat for movements between a fully retracted
position, as in FIGS. 1-3, and extended positions, as in FIGS. 4
and 5.
In leg rest fully retracted position, which is also the fully
upright or rocking position, a major leg rest part 20 is disposed
vertically and substantially flush with the forwardly facing front
edge of the seat, while a cooperant minor leg rest part 21
pivotally connected thereto at 72 is disposed horizontally and
extends rearwardly from the lower end of the major leg rest part
and beneath the seat.
When major leg rest part 20 is elevated and advanced to any
extended position, cooperant minor leg rest part 21 is moved
therewith accordingly. When the major part is in fully extended
position, the minor part will have moved to a position forwardly of
and in generally axial alignment with the major part. When the
major part is forced downwardly to any degree, according to
pressure exerted by the legs of the occupant, the minor part is
depressed therewith.
Leg rest 18 is suspended relative to seat 10 by a primary actuator
link 30 and a secondary actuator link 32, the primary actuator link
being pivoted at 34 at its upper end to seat bracket 28 and at 35
at its lower end to the lower end of a primary drive link 36, and
the secondary actuator link being pivoted at 38 at its upper end to
seat bracket 28 and at 40 at its lower end to the lower end of a
secondary drive link 42.
Primary drive link 36 is pivoted at 44 at its upper end to the rear
end of a primary propeller link 46, which primary propeller link is
pivoted at 48 at its approximate midsection to the approximate
midsection of secondary drive link 42. The secondary drive link in
turn is pivoted at 50 at its upper end to the rearward end of a
secondary propeller link 52.
Primary propeller link 46 is pivoted at 54 at its forward end to
the lower end of a major leg rest drive link 56, which major leg
rest drive link in turn is pivoted at 58 at its approximate
midsection to the approximate midsection of secondary propeller
link 52 and at 60 at its upper end to one end of a major leg rest
support plate 62.
Secondary drive link 42 and major leg rest drive link 56 are
provided with stop surfaces for limiting the range of leg rest
retraction and extension. A first stop surface 43 on link 42
contacts a first stop surface 57 on link 56 to limit the range of
leg rest retraction, as shown in FIG. 3. A second stop surface 45
on link 42 contacts a second stop surface 59 on link 56 to limit
the range of leg rest extension, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
A minor leg rest drive link 64 is pivoted at 66 at its lower end to
the forward end of secondary propeller link 52 and is pivoted at 68
at its upper end to a minor leg rest support plate 70, which minor
leg rest support plate in turn is pivoted at 72 to major leg rest
support plate 62. See FIG. 3.
A connecting link 74 is pivoted at 76 at its upper end to major leg
rest support plate 62 and at 78 at its lower end to minor leg rest
drive link 64 adjacent the forward end of the latter.
Control means for regulating the ease and manner of leg rest
movement is in the form of a primary control link 80 pivoted at 82
adjacent one of its ends to primary actuator link 30 and to a rise
bar (to be described) and pivoted at 84 at its opposite end to the
rearward end of a secondary control link 86, which secondary
control link in turn is pivoted at 88 at its approximate midsection
to the approximate midsection of secondary actuator link 32.
Secondary control link 86 is pivoted at 44 at its forward end to
the rearward end of primary propeller link 46 and to primary drive
link 36, as aforesaid.
Primary control link 80 is springloaded by a tension spring 90
fixed at one end to a pin 92 on the inner free end of the primary
control link and at its opposite end to a pin 94 on seat bracket
28, all ensuring that the leg rest remains closed so long as the
chair is upright or an occupant is rocking therein.
As seen in FIG. 3, a stop surface 81 on primary control link 80
contacts a stop surface 33 on secondary actuator link 32 in the
upright position of the chair to limit the range of leg rest
retraction.
Coordinated movement of the seat and back, coincident with
extension of the leg rest, is ensured by a rise bar 96 pivoted at
82 at its forward end to both primary actuator link 30 and control
link 80 and pivoted at 97 at its rearward end to a platelike
coordinating link 98.
Coordinating link 98 is the focal point or hub for the operative
interconnections between chassis, leg rest, back, and seat, being
operatively connected to the chassis through pivotal connection 100
on mounting bracket 26, being operatively connected to the leg rest
through pivotal connection 97, being operatively connected to the
back by a short link 102 which is pivoted at 104 at its lower end
to the coordinating link and is pivoted at 106 at its upper end to
an L-shaped back link 108 which back link is fixed as by screws 110
to a side rail 112 of the back and is pivoted at 114 to mounting
bracket 26, and being operatively connected to the seat by a link
116 pivoted at 118 at its lower end to the coordinating link and
having a central slot 120 therein in which a pin 122 on seat
bracket 28 is slideable.
A connecting link 124 is pivoted on pin 122 at its upper end and at
126 at its lower end on rise bar 96 for achieving an operative
connection between seat and leg rest.
To raise seat bracket 28 and to move it and seat 10 forwardly so as
to clear the chair arms while counterbalancing the back to preclude
any objectionable falling sensation on the part of the occupant
during reclination, a seat link 128 is pivoted at 130 at its
rearward end to seat bracket 28 and is pivoted at 132 at its
opposite end to the upper end of a pivot link 134. The pivot link
in turn is pivoted at -36 at its approximate midsection to the
approximate midsection of a leg rest link 138 and is pivoted at 140
at its lower end to the upper end of a chassis link 142. The
chassis link in turn is pivoted at 144 at its lower end to mounting
bracket 26.
Leg rest link 138 is pivoted at 146 at its rearward end to mounting
bracket 26 and is pivoted at 148 at its forward end to the lower
end of a rise bar link 150. The rise bar link in turn is pivoted at
152 at its upper end to rise bar 96.
In the upright or chair closed position, secondary drive link 42
contacts major leg rest drive link 56 and secondary actuator link
32 contacts primary control link 80 as shown in FIG. 3.
Stop means, best seen in FIG. 6, comprises a stop 154 on
coordinating link 98 engageable with a lower surface 155 of back
link 108 for limiting the degree of angularization of the back,
when the chair is in the fully reclined position.
Means for precluding rocking movement, when the leg rest is
extended, comprises a pair of arresting means, one being disposed
forward adjacent the chair front, and the other being disposed
rearward adjacent the chair rear, and each being engageable with
rocker base 22.
Forward-arresting means, generally indicated by 160, comprises a
forward-arresting link 162 pivoted at 164 at its upper end to
mounting bracket 26 and having such as a roller 166 mounted on its
lower end and engageable with a wear plate 168 on rocker base 22 or
directly on the base. In the upright and intermediate reclining
positions, a stop 199 of leg rest link 138 rests upon an offset
flange 200 on mounting bracket 26, the flange acting as a stop for
precluding any drooping of the linkage mechanism. A forward
actuating link 170 is pivoted at 172 at its forward end to
forward-arresting link 162 and is pivoted at 174 at its opposite
end to coordinating link 98. The forward-actuating link is the
direct means for effecting movement of the forward-arresting link
into and out of contact with the rocker base to preclude or permit
rocking.
Rearward-arresting means, generally indicated by 180, comprises a
rearward-arresting link 182 pivoted at 184 at its upper end to
mounting bracket 26 and having such as a roller 186 mounted on its
lower end and engageable with a wear plate 188 on the upper surface
of rocker base 22, or directly on the upper surface of the base. A
rearward-actuating link 190 is pivoted at 192 at its lower end to
rearward-arresting link 182 and is pivoted, as by a pivot pin 194,
at its opposite end to coordinating link 98, as in FIG. 7. The
rearward-actuating link is the direct means for effecting movement
of the rearward-arresting link into and out of contact with the
rocker base to preclude or permit rocking.
Forward-arresting means alone, or rearward-arresting means alone,
could be employed, in which case the arresting link and its roller
are receivable in and ride relative to an arcuate slot in a plate
which extends upwardly from base 22.
In lieu of roller 166 of the forward-arresting means and roller 186
of the rearward-arresting means, a wear-resistant shoe 187 of the
type shown in FIG. 8 may be utilized. Such a shoe, preferably
formed from Nylon or Teflon or similar material, is fixed against
rotation relative to its pin 189 and is provided with a slight
radius 191 wherefore it is capable of sliding along the rocker
base.
Alternatively, the shoe could be formed by the end of the arresting
link itself, which extremity could be provided with a slight radius
to allow easy sliding along the rocker base with a runner of Nylon
or the like being fixed to the rocker base to accommodate same.
As still another alternative construction, as shown in FIG. 9, an
arcuate shoe or skid 287 may be substituted for the roller, in
which case a pivot pin 289 passes through an upstanding bracket 288
on the shoe or skid and through the lower portion of link 282.
Herein, also, wear plate 288 is omitted, wherefore the shoe or skid
rides directly upon the upper surface of rocker base 22.
A shank 196 of pivot pin 194 passes freely through a washer 200 and
is riveted to coordinating link 98 and through a slot 198 in the
upper end of rearward-actuating link 190. The shank is sleeved with
washer 200 for spacing actuating link 190 from coordinating link 98
so as to preclude any binding. The outer end of the shank is
provided with a head 202 to define a bearing surface about which a
U-shaped tension spring 204 is looped, the ends of the spring being
fixed to tabs 206 provided on the actuating link.
A guide pin 208 serves as a stop and extends inwardly from
rearward-arresting link 182 and has a flange 210 for spacing the
upper end of the rearward-arresting link from mounting bracket 26
to preclude binding. The side face of the flange 210 rides along on
the face of mounting bracket 26 and serves to guide the
rearward-arresting link in its movements between raised or
inoperative position and lowered or operative position. To limit
the motion or angularization of rearward-arresting link 182, stop
means, comprising a stop 308, on guide pin 208 is engageable with
an upper surface 309 of mounting bracket 26.
When the chair occupant rocks forwardly, guide pin 208 limits the
motion of the rearward-arresting link as the latter swings
rearwardly, same being propelled rearwardly by spring 204.
In addition to stop 154 on coordinating link 98 for limiting the
degree of angularization of the back, the upper end of the
rearward-arresting link 182 constitutes a stop 212 which, when
engaged by a curbed portion 214 of back link 108, precludes further
angularization of the back.
When the chair is in upright position, each arresting means is in a
raised position, out of contact with the rocker base, whereby the
chassis may be rocked at will. However, when the body-supporting
unit is moved as the leg rest is being extended, the arresting
means move into contact with the rocker base to preclude
rocking.
Since each arresting means is operatively connected to coordinating
link 98, each swings as the coordinating link rotates when the
body-supporting unit is reclined, moving into engagement with the
rocker base to provide dual positive arresting means to preclude
rocking, when the chair is in intermediate or fully reclined
positions.
The spring loading of actuating link 190 by spring 204 effects a
tension on rearward-arresting link 182 to pull the
rearward-arresting link past dead center in its movement from
raised to lowered position.
The spring is there to permit the rearward-arresting link 182 to
collapse while rocking rearwardly and to pull it into blocking
position on rocking forwardly, thus allowing the leg rest to
function while the rocking motion yet continues.
Slotted link 116 precludes reclining of the body-supporting unit
without concomitant leg rest extension and conversely precludes the
closing of the leg rest without a concomitant return of the seat
back.
The T-cushion type of seat is especially employable because the
seat does not move rearwardly, as is common in reclining chairs
when the back is tilted, but rather moves forwardly with its rear
end moving slightly downwardly, so that the seat cannot bind on the
arms of the chair to hamper or preclude reclining movements or
extension of the leg rest.
As shown in FIG. 10, while in the fully reclined position, the
chair occupant can effect movement of the leg rest, generally
designated L, within a certain range or radius denoted by r without
effecting any movement of either the seat S or back B.
Thus, if he desires to move the leg rest downwardly several inches
while retaining the body-supporting unit in the fully reclined
position and thus without changing the relative positions of the
seat and back, he need only exert a slight downward pressure of his
heels on the leg rest so as to move it downwardly the desired
distance.
He can also return the leg rest to its fully extended position by
raising his legs slightly to relieve the leg rest of such weight,
at which time the leg rest will automatically swing upwardly and
return to fully extended position.
Once having reached the aforementioned maximum range or radius of
movement of the leg rest, if the chair occupant continues to exert
a downward pressure of the heels on the leg rest, the chair will be
returned to the fully upright position with the leg rest fully
retracted.
The occupant soon learns from experience how far he can move the
leg rest while maintaining the body-supporting unit fully
reclined.
* * * * *