Furniture Construction

Abstract

A pair of inverted U-shaped end pieces joined by upper and lower back beams and a front beam form the skeleton of a sofa that employs a tensioned system of leather straps to support seat and back cushions. Back straps generally are vertically strung between the upper back beam and a floating beam. Seat straps are generally horizontally strung between the front beam and the floating beam. Adjustable tensioning straps stretch from the lower back beam to the floating beam. Unique, self-tightening attachments of the straps to the beams use novel H-shaped, cast aluminum fasteners.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Furniture using an arrangement of straps for a suspension system to support the seat and back cushions are well known to the art. Such a construction can be very lightweight and relatively inexpensive, inasmuch as the resilience of the straps may be relied upon to provide the spring action for the cushions, replacing the heavier spring and frame construction.

However, the use of strap suspension arrangements is limited by inherent characteristics in known structures. For example, in usage the straps tend to stretch with the resulting loss of resilience and sag of the furniture. Also known types of attachments of the straps to one another and to the supporting framework tend to loosen in usage and come apart before the other portions of the furniture wear out.

All types of furniture, whether they employ a strap-type suspension system or a more conventional spring support have been characterized by certain, seemingly insoluable problems. The furniture must be completely constructed at the factory. Hence, a complete display of alternative designs and color schemes would require such a larger inventory of items, many of which might not be salable, that in most instances a complete display is, for practical purposes, impossible. Since such furniture must be ordered from the factory, extensive delays, sometimes many months long, occur before delivery, and the furniture is bulky to ship, handle and store so that the expenses for each can become quite large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an article of furniture, and more specifically the invention resides in an article of furniture comprising the combination of a pair of end frames joined by at least two fixed beams, and a strap suspension system employing a plurality of supporting straps that have loops fitting around said fixed beams to attach the straps to said beams to span the distance between said beams. The invention also resides in a construction for an article of furniture that includes a pair of end frames joined by at least two fixed beams with a floating beam parallel to the fixed beams and that has the supporting straps attached to the floating beam as well as the fixed beam, and in which adjustable tensioning straps anchor the floating beam to the end frames. The invention also resides in an attachment for securing a strap about a bar segment according to which the strap forms a loop about a bar segment, adjacent portions of the strap on opposite ends of the loop have aligned slots through them through which a fastener is inserted, and the fastener is made up of a pair of plates spaced apart to be located on opposite outside surfaces of the adjacent strap portions with a link that passes through the aligned slots joining the plates.

Furniture embodying the above-described invention is readily assembled and disassembled into interchangeable component parts. This allows the furniture to be shipped, handled and stored in convenient, compact units of disassembled component parts, with resulting economies of space, effort and inventory investment.

Also as a result of the above described tension, the strap tension can be readily adjusted to maintain the desired stiffness and to correct sag that may develop after long usage due to stretching of the straps. When many years of normal usage finally exacts its toll, or unanticipated abuse damages a portion of an article of furniture embodying the present invention, a repair can be made easily, quickly and inexpensively by simply replacing the worn or broken component part or parts. Any replacement or adjustment can be made by a wholesaler, retailer, or even the consumer.

Finally, the strap attachment employing the unique, H-shaped fastener is self-tightening and supports the strap at the point of attachment. Because the attachment is self-tightening it grows tighter with usage, rather than loosening as prior art attachments do. In addition the configuration of the H-shaped fastener prevents creasing of the strap at the attachment so that the weakening that would result from a crease is avoided. Additionally, the H-shaped fastener cooperates with the strap at the attachment to support and thus strengthen the strap, by contrast to the prior art attachments which tended to weaken the strap attachment making it a point of vulnerability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view in perspective of a sofa, partially in section, and embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevation in section of the sofa in FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an elevation in section of a portion of the sofa in FIG. 1 taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a bottom view in perspective of a strap fastener embodying the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a top view in perspective of the strap fastener shown in FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is view partially in section of a strap and a strap fastener taken along the line 6--6 taken in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The sofa embodying the present invention is made up of a pair of inverted, U-shaped end frames 1 and 2. The end frames 1 and 2 are laminated wood structures having generally rectangular configurations to effect a desired modern Scandinavian design concept. However, the end frames 1 and 2 could be of any shape or design consistent with the particular furniture style desired. The lower ends of the end frames 1 and 2 form two pairs of legs 4 and 5 of the sofa, but if, for example, a cantilevered end design were desired, separate legs could be made and located inside of the ends.

The vertical end frames 1 and 2 are joined by several horizontal poles or beams 7, 8 and 9 to complete the skeleton of the sofa. One of the horizontal poles 7 is the upper back beam 7, which also serves as the top support for the back of the sofa. Another of the horizontal poles 8 is the lower back beam 8, which is parallel to but beneath the upper back beam 8. The third horizontal pole 9 is the front beam 9 which is located, vertically, between the lower back beams 7 and 8 but which joins the front portions of the end frames 1 and 2 and serves as the front support for the seat of the sofa. The three beams or poles 7, 8 and 9 are nickel plated steel tubes having circular cross sections as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, which material and shape give them durability and good strength and resilience with minimum weight. Other materials and shapes might be selected to achieve the same results with a different appearance or greater economy, for example, wood, bamboo, laminates, glass fiber impregnated with plastic and other such material, fabricated or synthetic materials, solid or hollow, and round or polygonal in cross-sectional configuration.

The ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9 are partially plugged with tubular sleeve plugs 10, one of which is shown in section in the end of the upper back beam 7 in FIG. 3. The plugs 10 fit tightly in the ends of the tubular poles 7-9 are secured in place by pins 11, which pass through the plugs 10 and holes in the walls of the beams 7, 8 and 9. Threaded screws 12, one of which can be seen in FIG. 3, are also pinned in the plugs 10 by the pins 11 which pass through the screws 12, so that the screws 12 extend from the ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9, a precalculated distance. These threaded screws 12 provide convenient, secure and strong means for fastening the opposite ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9 to the end frames 1 and 2. If the plugs 10 were internally threaded, the screws 12 might be turned into the plugs 10 instead of being pinned, and both the plugs and the screws 12 could be welded in place economically.

At the desired location for the end mountings the beams 7, 8 and 9 in the end frames 1 and 2, holes 6 are bored through the end frames 1 and 2 to receive the screws 12, and these holes 6 are countersunk at both ends. The inside ends of the holes 5 are countersunk to receive the ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9 respectively, and the outside ends of the holes 5 are countersunk to receive assembly nuts 13, which are internally threaded and turned on to the screws 12. The assembly nuts 13 are cylindrical, nickel plates, cast aluminum nuts with a pair of wrench holes 14 in each to receive a special wrench, which discourages vandalism when such furniture is used in a public place or a place of business. The assembly nuts 13 are also designed so that their external surfaces will be flush with the exterior surfaces of the end frames 1 and 2 when the sofa is assembled, and they are plated to provide a decorative appearance. Assembly nuts could alternatively, be embedded in the hole 6 in end frames 1 and 2 so as to be externally visible, or decorative caps might be provided to cover the nuts 13, or the nuts could be given a different shape or finish to produce different decorative effects. Of course the screws 12 could be fastened into the end frames 1 and 2 and turned into the plugs 10 to assemble the skeleton. Other types of fastenings appropriate for this use could be substituted for the nut and screw fastening of the preferred embodiment.

The sofa has as upholstery a seat cushion 18, a back cushion 19 and two arm cushions 20, only one of which is shown. Further standardization can be achieved by using several, three for example, seat and back cushions for a sofa, one for a chair and two for a loveseat. The seat cushion 18 is supported on a plurality of leather seat straps 21 which are stretched between the front beam 9 and a floating beam 22, which is located to the rear of the front beam 9, somewhat ahead of the back beams 7 and 8 and is vertically positioned between the back beams 7 and 8, slightly below the front beam 9. The back cushion 19 rests against a plurality of leather back straps 23, which are stretched between the upper back beam 7 and the floating beam 22. A pair of adjustable tensioning straps 24 are strung between the floating beam 22 and the lower back beam 8 to stabilize the floating beam 22 and to adjustably tension the seat straps 21 and back straps 23. In the preferred embodiment, the seat straps 21 and back straps 23 are segments of a single composite strap 25 which terminates at the upper back beam 7 and the front beam 9 and is attached to the floating beam 22 intermediate it ends. An important aspect of the present invention is the unique attachment of the straps 21 and 23 to the beams 7, 9 and 22.

Longitudinally oriented elongated slots 26 and 27 are cut in opposite ends of single composite strap 25 and a longitudinally oriented slot 28 is cut intermediate the ends of the composite strap 25 to be located at the attachment of the strap 25 to the floating beam 22. (If, instead of a single composite strap 25, separate seat and back straps were used they would have slots only in their ends since such separate straps would have one end attached to the floating beam 22). The slotted end portions of the composite strap are folded around the upper back beam 7 and the front beam 9, respectively, to form loops 29 and 30 respectively, about the upper back 7 and front beam 9. The center slotted portion of the composite strap is likewise folded about the floating beam 22 to form a loop 31 about the floating beam 22. In the preferred embodiment each of the loops 29-31 is a single wrap surrounding the respective beams 7, 9 and 22, but the loops 29-31 could also be multiple wraps of strap 25. Each of the loops 29, 30 and 31 is so formed that slotted positions on opposite ends of each loop 29, 30 and 42 are adjacent to one another and the opposite ends of the slots 26, 27 and 28 aligned.

A fastener 32 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 slides into the respective aligned slots 26, 27 and 28 to hold the ends of the respective loops 28, 30 and 31 together before the loops 29, 30 and 42 are slid onto the respective poles 7, 9 and 22. The fastener 32 is made up of a pair of rectangular plates 33 and 34 joined by a central link 35 and in this embodiment it is a unitary cast aluminum member, though other materials such as injection molded plastic, or steel are being considered. The plates 33 and 34 are approximately one-and-one-half inches long for use with straps 25 that are approximately one-and-three quarters inches wide and that have centered slots, 26, 27 and 28 one-half inch wide. The plates 33 and 34 of the same fastener are approximately one-half inch wide and five-thirty-seconds inches thick at the top, with the central link 35 being seven-sixteenths inches wide, three-eighths inches deep and five-sixteenths inches long from the plate 33 to the plate 34. Because the plates 33 and 34 are substantially wider than the slots 26, 27 and 28, the fastener can not become dislodged accidentally. The link 35 between the plates 33 and 34 is slightly longer than two thicknesses of the 10 ounce leather strap 25 so that the fastener 32 can be assembled easily in the slots 26, 27 and 28 and still fit snugly. The interior corners bearing against the strap 25, but the link 35 is shaped to fit the slots 26-28 so that the fastener will seat properly with the plates 33 and 34 extending transverally across the strap 25 and will not twist in the slot. The interior surfaces of the plates 33 and 34 flare outwardly downwardly about 5.degree. to facilitate assembly and to accommodate divergent forces on the strap portions adjacent to the attachment.

The tensioning straps 24 have a row of holes punched in them at each end to receive shanks 36 and 37, respectively, of T-shaped ends 38 and 39, of a turn buckle 40 which may be retracted or extended to increase or decrease the tension in the strap segments 21 and 23. The row of holes (not shown) allows the shanks 36 and 37 of the turn buckle 40 to be placed through different holes to provide a greater range of adjustment. To distinguish the tensioning straps 24, the seat and back straps 21 and 23 and the composite strap 25 of which the other are segments, may be referred to as supporting straps. Because the fasteners must be slipped on first they cannot be removed by vandalism.

The first step in the assembly of the sofa is the formation of the loops 26-28 in the composite strap 25. The loops 26-28 might be formed by riveting or sewing the free ends of the loops together, but the fasteners 32 are preferred. When the slotted portions of the straps 25 are folded approximately in half, the slots 26-28 viewed from the outside folded surface present an outwardly opening U-shaped configuration. The links 35 of fasteners 32 are inserted in the outwardly opening U-shaped folded slots 26-28 with the plates 33 and 34 on opposite outside surfaces of the folded strap 25. The loops 29-30 of the heavy leather straps 25 hold the fasteners 32 in place when the link 35 rests against the ends of the slots 26-28 until the loops 29-30 can be assembled on to the respective poles 7, 9 and 22.

After formation of the loops 29-30 is completed, the loops 29-30 of the straps 25 may be consecutively slid on to the respective poles or beams 7, 9 and 22. Next the end frames 1 and 2 are assembled with the beams 7, 8 and 9 by inserting the screws 12 projecting from the ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9 through the countersunk holes 6 in the end frames 1 and 2. Then the nuts 13 are turned tightly onto the ends of the screws 12 in the countersunk holes 6 until the nuts 13 are flush with the outside surfaces of the end frames 1 and 2 and the ends of the beams 7, 8 and 9 are drawn tightly into the countersunk inside ends of the holes 6 in the end frames. Finally, the tensioning straps 24 are assembled with the turn buckles 40 to anchor the floating beams 22 to the end frames 1 and 2 by passing the tensioning straps 24 around the lower back beam 8. Then the turn buckles 40 can be tightened until the desired tension is imparted to the seat straps 21 and the back straps 23.

When the tensioning straps 24 are tightened by the turn buckles 40, they tighten or tension the seat and back straps 21 and 23 respectively by drawing the floating beam downwardly and rearwardly. When the back strap 23 and seat straps 21 are tensioned, the loops 29-31 are drawn tightly about the respective beams 7, 9 and 22 as if the loops were formed with slip knots. Also, the tensioning of the supporting straps 25 and resulting tightening of the loops 29-31 draws the fasteners 32 against the beams 7, 9 and 22. If some or all of the straps 25 of a particular embodiment require further stabilization, the beams 7, 9 and 22 and the links 35 of the fasteners can be drilled and screws (not shown) can be used to fasten the fasteners 32 to the beams 7, 9 and 22.

The dimensions, configuration and materials for the beams 7-9 and 22 are selected to ensure the optimism flexibility and resilience. If a heavy person drops into the center of the sofa, a great deal of stress would be placed on the end mountings of the beams 7-9 in the end frames 1 and 2. By proper selection of the beams 7-9 and 22, the flexibility and resilience of the beams 7-9 and 22 along with the straps 24 and 25 can absorb the shock.

If, after some use the straps 25 stretch, it is only necessary to tighten the turn buckles 40 to take up any slack thus created. When any of these straps 25 break, or when the straps wear out as ultimately happens, it is a simple matter to disassemble and replace the worn out straps 25 with new ones. Similarly, if any of the beams 7, 8, 9 or 22 or the end frames 1 or 2 should be damaged, the damaged members can be replaced easily. The ease of repair becomes particularly important to the public or commercial consumer who use such an article of furniture in a waiting room, or an office, or a corridor or the like where it could be exposed to careless treatment.

The invention is not, of course, confined to sofas. By using shorter beams 7, 8, 9 and 22 and correspondingly shorter seat back cushions 18 and 19, the sofa is readily converted to a love seat or to a chair. An equally obvious modification can produce a chaise lounge, a cot or an ottoman. Although the straps 25 in the preferred embodiment are leather, and the end frames 1 and 2 are wood, the beams 7, 8, 9 and 22 are steel and the fastener 32 are cast aluminum it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that any of the available and well known substitute materials, synthetic or natural may also be used. Manifestly, the end frames 1 and 2 and beams 7, 8, 9 and 22 make up a rigid framework and require corresponding rigidity of any substitute material to be used; similarly each of the fasteners 32, being a rigid cast member, can be made from any material of similar rigidity; while the straps 25, which are supported by the rigid framework and fastened by the rigid fasteners, should be made of a relatively supple material having the properties of or similar to leather. The fastener 32 may be constructed from several parts rather than integrally cast as a single member.

In addition to the ease of adjustment and repair of furniture made according to the present invention, a number of other advantages likewise result from it. A high degree of standardization of parts can be employed and the articles of furniture can be shipped and stored in component parts. With a minimum amount of inventory on hand, a retailer or wholesaler may successively display a wide variety of design, styles and color combinations. Minimal shipping and storage space is required to accommodate a relatively large inventory of furniture made according to the present invention, because that furniture may remain in disassembled, component parts until display or final delivery is to be made. Not only may the customers see all of the designs, styles and color schemes available before deciding on the one to be purchased, but due to the extended standardization of components, even retailers can safely maintain sufficient inventory so that delivery can be made immediately without backordering to the factory as is customary with other types of furniture. All of these various advantages combine to provide, not only greater convenience, but greater efficiency and hence cost savings to the ultimate consumer.

Various specific alternative structures and materials have been described throughout the foregoing description of the various component parts, and those alternatives were suggested merely by way of example with no intent to be exhaustive. In other words, what has been disclosed here is the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out this invention so that the invention itself could be described and the manner of making it could be set forth in clear and concise terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same. However, the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention is to be found in the claims that follow.

Claims

I claim:

1. An attachment for securing a strap under tension about a pole segment comprising the combination of

a pole segment;

a strap folded about said pole segment to form a wrap circumscribing said pole segment;

two juxtaposed portions of said strap at opposite ends of said wrap mated together adjacent to said pole segment and each of said portions having a longitudinally oriented elongated slot through it, said longitudinally oriented elongated slots being aligned;

and a fastener having two rigid plates spaced apart and joined intermediate their ends by a link transversely oriented with respect to said rigid plates, said link being mounted through said aligned slot with said rigid plates located adjacent opposite outside surfaces of said two juxtaposed portions of said strap, said rigid plates being larger than said aligned slots and extending transversely of said slots and having facing surfaces against said opposite outside surfaces of said strap portions flared outwardly toward said pole segment.

2. A fastener for joining juxtaposed portions of a strap wrapped about a bar segment through aligned elongated slots penetrating both of said portions, said fastener comprising the combination of

a pair of rigid plates spaced apart more than the thickness of said strap portions to be joined, having transverse dimensions greater than the width of said aligned slots through said portions and oriented transversely of said slot and said strap portions, and having inside surfaces adjacent said strap portions flared outwardly;

and a link oriented transversely of said rigid plates and rigidly joining said rigid plates, said link being shaped to fit through said slot and fastened to said plates at laterally central locations and at edges of said plates closest to said bar segment.