U.S. patent number 3,698,766 [Application Number 04/875,077] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-17 for sling type upholstered furniture.
Invention is credited to Martin Borenstein.
United States Patent |
3,698,766 |
Borenstein |
October 17, 1972 |
SLING TYPE UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
Abstract
Furniture construction where the back and seat portions are a
unitary fabric or other suitable flexible material loosely hung or
slung between a top back rail and a front rail with no other
support. However, the loose hanging of the back and seat is
restrained by a piece of fabric or the like, secured at one side to
a lower back rail and at its opposite side to the slung fabric
adjacent a point which would otherwise be the juncture of the back
with the seat, straightening the back portion of the fabric under
vertical pressure on the seat portion while retaining the slung
comfort of the seat portion. The slung portions are covered by
unified upholstered seat and back elements which altogether
simulate a piece of upholstered furniture.
Inventors: |
Borenstein; Martin (Oakland,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
25365169 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/875,077 |
Filed: |
November 10, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/452.56;
D6/371; 297/450.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
4/028 (20130101); A47C 4/02 (20130101); A47C
7/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
4/02 (20060101); A47C 4/00 (20060101); A47C
7/02 (20060101); A47C 7/22 (20060101); A47c
007/00 (); A47c 007/20 (); A47c 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/307-309,382,440,441,445,454-456 ;182/212-218,228 ;85/41 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nunberg; Casmir A.
Claims
I claim:
1. A frame for sling type furniture comprising in combination a
pair of matching end pieces, joined together by a top rail, a front
rail, and a lower back rail, being secured thereto, a freely
movable web between said end pieces with the upper marginal edge
thereof wrapped over and secured to said top rail and the lower
marginal edge wrapped over and secured to the said front rail
permitting the web to free fall naturally into a supportive loop,
and a second web between said end pieces with its outer marginal
edge wrapped over and secured to said lower back rail and the inner
marginal edge thereof secured to the loop of said first web at a
point between the upper and lower marginal edges to define a seat
portion and a back portion and to limit somewhat the free movement
of said loop.
2. The furniture frame of claim 1 wherein the two webs are a woven
fabric.
3. The furniture frame of claim 1 wherein the two webs are a
nonwoven flexible free moving material.
4. The furniture frame of claim 1 wherein the rails are mortised
into and secured through the end pieces, with the securing means
covered by a corresponding plug on the exterior side of said end
pieces.
5. Simulated upholstered furniture comprising in combination, a
pair of matching end pieces, said end pieces being joined by a top
rail, a front rail, and a lower back rail, secured to and between
said end pieces, a web between said end pieces with the upper
marginal edge wrapped over and secured to said top rail with the
lower marginal edge wrapped over and secured to the said front rail
permitting the web to free fall into a natural loop, a second web
between said end pieces with its outer marginal edge wrapped over
and secured to said lower back rail and the inner marginal edge
thereof secured to the loop of said first web at a point between
the upper and lower marginal edges to define a seat portion and a
back portion and limit the free movement of said first web, and a
pair of upholstered pillows forming a back and a seat for said web
support joined at their juncture to prevent separation caused by
movement of the said first web.
6. The simulated upholstered furniture of claim 5 wherein the first
and second webs are a woven fabric.
7. The simulated upholstered furniture of claim 5 wherein the first
and second webs are a nonwoven flexible free moving material.
8. The simulated upholstered furniture of claim 5 wherein the rails
are mortised into and secured through the end pieces, with the
securing means covered by a corresponding plug on the exterior side
of said end pieces.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a type of simulated upholstered
furniture with a flexible support which is restrained under
pressure of use to provide a more vertical back without destroying
the sling comfort of the seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throughout the course of history sling type furniture has been used
with skins and fabric, sometimes in the seat portions alone,
sometimes in the seat portion and back portion but separated from
each other, and sometimes in a continuous piece forming the back
and seat. The very nature of the structure includes some
uncomfortable consequences in each form of use. So far as is
presently known there has been no attempt to upholster sling type
furniture and this may be attributed to the fact that the support
is constantly in motion when in use, which motion varies according
to the weight on the seat portion and the positioning of the weight
thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide sling type
furniture that is made comfortable by restraining the movement so
that when a force or weight is placed on the seat portion, the back
portion will straighten to make the seated position comfortable and
still provide the benefits of loosely slung material.
It is also an object of the invention to provide upholstery for
this type of furniture which adds the upholstered comfort to the
loosely slung yielding fabric of the support.
It is also an object to provide upholstery for sling type furniture
which will not separate, leaving an opening in use between the seat
portion and the back portion and will at all times adjust and adapt
to the curvature permitted by the fabric support.
Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum
simplicity, economy and ease of assembly and disassembly, also such
further objects, advantages and capabilities as will fully appear
and as are inherently possessed by the device and invention
described herein.
The invention further resides in the combination, construction and
arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and
while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is
to be understood that the same is illustrative of the invention and
that the invention is capable of modification and change and
comprehends other details of construction without departing from
the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an occasional chair
constructed and upholstered in the manner and form of the present
invention,
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line II--II of
FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale taken on the line
III--III of FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a fragment on an enlarged
scale, showing the juncture of the top rail and the side
members.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Regardless of the kind of the furniture piece, i.e., lounge chair,
love seat or davenport, each essentially has the same structural
characteristics. The end pieces 11 are preferably uniform for all
of the pieces and are countersunk on both sides with uniform
rectangular countersinking 12 to receive the but ends of the front
rail 14, the restraining rail 15 and the top rail 16. The rails 14,
15 and 16 are secured to the end pieces 11 to form a rigid
structure by means of hanger bolts 17. The hanger bolts 17 project
through holes 19 in the countersunk portions and are drawn up tight
therein by Allenuts 29. The heads of nuts 29 are covered by
rectangular plugs 18 which are countersunk on their inner surface
to receive the Allenut heads 29. The blocks 18 are positioned with
a press fit and do not need any other means for holding them in
position. It will be observed that the frame for the furniture
consists of two side pieces and the three rails. This is extremely
simple and easy to ship in knock-down form.
The furniture requires no springs but is dependent for comfort and
support upon its sling type of suspension. A heavy double piece of
vinyl or other suitable flexible material 20 is wrapped around the
upper rail 16 and secured thereto as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The
material 20 is brought down over the top in front and extends in a
suspended loose loop with its lower edge wrapped around the rail
14, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and secured thereto in any suitable
manner. The natural assumed curve of the loop with no weight to
support is shown at 27 in FIG. 2. If the suspension was merely a
loose sling from the top rail 16 to the front rail 14, it would
have the same discomforts and inconveniences encountered in trying
to sit in a hammock, for example. In order to provide the necessary
control and back support, and to limit the movement of the back
portion 20A, while at the same time permitting the seat portion 20B
to adapt to the shape and weight of the occupant, another web 21 of
material is wrapped around and secured to the restraining rail 15
and sewed at 22 to the material 20 to divide the areas into a back
portion 20A and the seat portion 20B. It will be observed that as
the weight is applied to the seat in the direction of the arrow 23,
the seat portion 20B being longer than the back portion 20A is free
to adapt itself to the form of the occupant in a comfortable loop
or sling. The back portion 20A does not have this same freedom of
movement as it is restrained by the material 21 and the sling 22.
As the weight indicated by arrow 23 is applied, the back portion
20A straightens thus giving the occupant a more comfortable
position with suitable back support which is not obtainable by any
other type of sling suspension. The curve of the material 20 under
useful weight is shown by the broken line 28 in FIG. 2.
The upholstery is indicated by a back pillow-like member 24 and a
seat pillow-like member 25. These are joined together by a web of
the same material, or sewing if preferred, at 26. If the two
pillows 24 and 25 were not joined as is the usual practice, the
seat pillow would be free to move, and would almost invariably move
forward, separating itself from the back pillow 24 leaving an
uncomfortable space and an improper back support due to the gap
between the seat pillow and the back pillow. When pressure is
applied to the seat pillow, as shown by the arrow 23, invariably
the back pillow would remain in place thereby causing the gap. The
juncture 26 of the two pillows 24 and 25 in combination, eliminates
the possibility of a gap between the two, and further assures that
the back pillow will always be in the supporting position for the
body, with no possibility of gaps. In a davenport, there would be
three sets of upholstered pillows 24 and 25. In a love seat there
would be two sets, and in an ordinary occasional chair, there would
be only one set. In each instance the sets would be joined as at
26.
Having the upholstery only in the joined pillows, it is obvious
that the upholstery can be changed by merely changing the seats so
that it is possible to have one set of pillows 24 and 25 of vinyl
for young children which can be readily replaced by a more
sophisticated set of upholstered pillows of fabric and the like,
before company arrives. Also, it is not necessary to send the
pieces to an upholstery shop when one set of pillows is worn or
otherwise rendered undesirable. All that is necessary is to reorder
a new set of upholstered pillows and the main piece itself does not
have to be either discarded or changed in any manner.
Another feature of this type of furniture is that by removing the
plugs 18 and unbolting the bolts 17, the piece of furniture can be
shipped in `knocked down` form, which is a great saving in
shipping, weight and handling, as well as space.
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