Chair Assembly for an Incremental Plating Having a Telescoping Sleeve-Like Construction

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an assembly arrangement for efficient, inexpensive and easy plating of chair frame components independently. The invention further provides for easy and efficient assembly of said frame providing a stable permanent base and support for a chair. The invention is characterized by utilizing two identical frame components having welded studs affixed thereon in a mirror image fashion to receive reciprocal stretchers by telescoping engagement.

2. Prior Art

In order to plate chair frames and structures, it is generally necessary in the art to plate individually each chair support base as an assembled unit. Because of the geometry, this method requires a production line generally designated to handle individual assembled frame units. These plating techniques prove costly and inefficient since it requires individual effort to plate each frame unit separately, and the time for plating is independent of the number of units if such are treated simultaneously. However, to process a greater number of standard frame units would require a costly change in the already existing production lines.

The prior art is replete with assembled chairs, however, on careful review, it fails to teach an assembly for chairs such as and for purposes contemplated by the present invention.

Cable U.S. Pat. No. 1,950,226 issued in 1934 on a chair, generally, teaches a continuous tubular metal frame structure for a chair.

The patent, however, does not teach a tubular sleeve-like construction having a weldable insert for purposes of joining a complementary member as contemplated by the present invention. In view of such disclosure, Cable U.S. Pat. No. 1,950,226 is distinguishable and would not be considered a prior art reference.

Melder U.S. Pat. No. 1,960,022 is another very early expired patent which teaches a unitary metal tube construction bent to form a rectangular frame wherein one end of said frame is bent up vertically to form the rear support for said chair, and the opposite end of said frame being bent up vertically and horizontally to form the base and seating portions for the chair. Melder U.S. Pat. No. 1,960,022 is clearly distinguishable and not considered a prior art reference.

Generally, Kehoe U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,136 teaches a chair structure having a single standard resiliently supporting a seat and a back rest independently of one another. It provides a simplified chair structure having a single standard resiliently mounting a back rest and a seat for limited resiliently resisted movement and including arm rest mounted for movement with the seat and for limited resiliently resisted movement with respect to said seat. The resilient base structure does not comprise a tubular sleeve-like construction having an insert for joining complementary members as contemplated by the present invention, and in view of such would not be considered a prior art reference.

Gibilterra U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,955 teaches a chair comprising a pair of spaced, flexible side frames wherein each of said frames is formed from a single elongated member and includes a back supporting portion adjacent one end of the elongated member, a rear leg portion connected to the back supporting portion and extending downwardly therefrom, a base portion connected to the rear leg portion and extending forwardly substantially horizontally therefrom, and a front leg portion connected to the base portion and extending upwardly therefrom. In addition, an arm-supporting portion is connected to the front leg portion and curves rearwardly toward the back-supporting portion, and a seat-receiving portion, situated adjacent to the other end of said elongated member, is connected to the arm-supporting portion and curves downwardly therefrom and from the back-supporting portion, and also extends forwardly toward the front leg portion. A back means is positioned between the aforesaid back-supporting portions of the side frames and is secured thereto, and a seat means is positioned between the seat-receiving portions of the side frames and is secured thereto. Gibilterra 3,815,955 teaches, by preference, the utility of a tubular construction. However, it does not teach a tubular sleeve-like construction having a weldable insert for purposes of joining a series of complementary members as contemplated by the present application. Eberle U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,250 generally teaches a knockdown chair having side frame members of tubular construction adapted to flex in a manner such as to allow resiliently restrained downward movement of the seat. The knockdown chair provides a removable seat and/or back and depends for its structure and rigidity on those points of assembly. In view of such the present invention is also distinguishable over Eberle U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,250.

Holmes U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,205 is a patent which expired in 1970 and which relates to a chair comprising a frame assembled of tubular material. As best seen at FIG. 4 and further disclosed at page 2 of the embodiment, the patent teaches an embodiment comprising a joint connecting a series of complementary members. This joint comprises a short, solid, round rod 7 having an outer diameter to snugly fit in the tubular material. One end of this rod 7 is permanently fastened into the end of the U-shaped connecting member 5 and the other end telescoped into the end of the section 1. To prevent any separation of the rod from the end of section 1, a screw 8 is provided which extends through an opening in said section 1 and is screwed into a threaded hole in rod 7.

Holmes U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,205, however, differs in its means, method and function determined structure from the present invention. Holmes U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,205 fails to teach an assembly for chair having tubular studs welded to side frames of tubular construction to receive the back and front stretcher members by telescoping engagement and set screws for ease in plating and assembly as contemplated by the present invention.

The object of this invention is to provide a frame assembly for articles of furniture such as chairs which is composed of complimentary tubular end frames with crimped tubular support studs projecting laterally therefrom into the ends of tubular stretchers abutting the frames and hiding the studs.

The overall object is achieved by a novel chair frame design and the method of its assembly which allows several of said disassembled frame components to be plated simultaneously on a conventional production line. Each of said frame components is identical in every respect with the exception of the location of a support stud secured thereon for assembling the frame. The location of the studs dictates whether said frame components are a left or right members. A pair of studs are secured by means of a permanent weld to each of said frame components in a front-back orientation. Another pair of studs are similarly secured to a complementary component in a mirror image fashion having the same orientation for assembling both of said left and right components by means of a connecting stretcher which extends therebetween and set screws.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting the assembled chair in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a chair depicting the numerous elements and their relationship for assembly in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view depicting the means for mounting a seating portion in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view depicting the stretcher members receiving the mating studs in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view depicting the interface of the mechanically crimped stud telescoped into connecting stretcher member and a set screw in accordance with the principles of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view depicting the assembly line for said chair in accordance with the principles of the invention.

A chair frame assembly 1 generally comprising a tubular frame base 2, a seating portion 3 and a back rest portion 4 is shown at FIG. 1. The base 1 preferentially comprises an annular cross-sectional profile as best seen at FIG. 3. A pair of connecting stretcher members 5, disclosed in a front and back predetermined orientation 5a, 5b respectively extend from one side to the other of said chair assembly 1.

A pair of support studs 6a, 6b as best seen at FIG. 2 are secured to an inside face of a right frame base member 2a in a front-back orientation. A complementary pair of support studs 7 a, 7b are secured on an inside face of a left frame base member 2b. Except for this mirror image orientation of said studs, said left and right frame members are identical. Said complementary support studs 6a, 7a are each secured at substantially identical vertical and horizontal coordinates on their respective base members 2a, 2b. The complementary support studs 6b, 7b are also secured at substantially identical coordinates. This predetermined orientation allows easy and efficient connecting points for said stretcher members 5a, 5b respectively.

The above disclosed invention lends itself to an easy and efficient means for the assembly of each of the individual components. As best seen at FIG. 2, the chair is assembled by connecting said base members 2a and 2b by means of said stretcher members 5a, 5b and seat and back portions 3, 4 respectively.

The support studs 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b each comprise a short segment of oval tubing of same stock as that which is utilized for the main frame base members 2a, 2b and stretcher members 5a, 5b. At one end 20 each of said studs are welded to the respective base members. At the other end, as best seen at FIG. 5, said studs are mechanically crimped bringing their front and rear sides together and having their top and bottom ends in their original arcuate shapes to offer a telescoping joint as a connecting means for snugly receiving said respective stretcher members. The stretcher members 5a, 5b each comprise a straight oval tubing segment of annular cross section opened at each end.

Once mounted, said stretcher members are permanently secured thus providing overall stability for the assembled chair.

The invention as described in detail above further lends itself to efficient and inexpensive plating operation. Because each of said base members 2 are identical, no problems are thus encountered in the selection of said components during the production line process. Because only disassembled base members are moved along the production line, large numbers of support members may be moved simultaneously and randomly, increasing production efficiency. In operation, as best seen at FIG. 6, a plurality of said disassembled identical base members 2 are randomly arranged on each of overhead article carriers 30. A conveyor system 31 moves said base members to a designated work area 32 where a pair of studs are secured on each base member in a predetermined front back and side orientation. Said base members are then returned randomly to the stream of production and are further subjected to a plating process as indicated at station 33, still in random fashion. The connecting stretcher members are similarly plated. Once said components are plated, the chair is permanently assembled at station 34 by interfacing a pair of said complementary frame base members 2a, 2b by means of said stretcher members, said seat members by means of a flanging element 9 depending from each of said frame base members and mated with said seat portion by means of a set screw 10, and said back support member, as best seen at FIG. 2 and 3. As best seen at FIG. 4, each of said complementary studs on the respective base members 2a, 2b are telescoped into the respective receiving ends of said stretcher members. Each joint is then welded and further secured by means of set screws 8 mounted on the back side of said stretcher member and threaded through both abutting walls of the crimped stud 6a, as best seen at FIG. 5, for a permanent connection. The front abutting wall is crimped rearwardly more than the back wall is crimped forwardly so that the screw 8 can project through both walls without piercing the front wall of the stretcher 5a.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the following claims.