Adjustable Stacking Chair

The present invention relates to a chair, more particularly intended for use as an orchestra chair. However, it may also be used for other purposes when approximately the same conditions exist.

The seating accomodation which has to be provided for the members of a large orchestra has to satisfy the different requirements based on the instruments to be played. Thus, for fatigue-proof sitting, the wind section of the orchestra for example requires seating accomodation which does not correspond to that most suitable for the strings section. In addition, within the latter group, due to the nature in which he plays his instrument, a cellist for example requires a different seating accomodation than a violinist.

It is an object of the invention to provide a chair which can be adapted without difficulty to these different conditions. In addition, the chair must satisfy the requirements for good stability. Since large orchestras do not always find suitable seating accomodation when on tour, it is also advantageous if they can take seats with them. Therefore, the chair must also be suitable for stacking.

The novel chair in accordance with the invention has a frame, a back and seat connected to the back, and the seat and back are together height-adjustable. In its down position the seat can be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly horizontally.

In particular due to the horizontal adjustability, individualized seating accomodation is provided with optimum adaptation to the particular activity.

FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of a chair in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the chair of FIG. 1 with the seat in the upright position.

FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned view of a fragment of the chair of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing in more detail the mechanical supporting elements for the seat.

FIG. 4 is a separate sectional view of one of the supporting elements of FIG. 3 taken horizontally.

FIG. 5 is partially sectioned view of an adjusting turnbuckle of the chair of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a separate end view of another supporting element of the chair of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a chair in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The chair comprises a tubular frame 1 which is substantially U-shaped and has a cross member 1a resting on the floor. The ends of two side member 1e receive a back 2 between holders 3 attached to them. Cross member 1a, together with the adjacent portions of the side members 1b, is bent rearwardly out of the plane of the frame (FIG. 2). A further U-shaped frame member 1c is provided a little above the point at which this bending out begins. Frame member 1c extends forwardly, and its cross member is somewhat wider than cross member 1a. Therefore, the ends of the frame must be bent inwardly a little (see FIG. 1) to permit a fitting to frame 1. This bending in of frame member 1c makes it possible to easily stack a number of chairs upon one another. If the horizontal spacing of the cross member 1a from the connecting point 1d of the two frames 1 and 1c is designated as dimension d (FIG. 2), then the horizontal spacing of the cross member of frame member 1c from the connecting point is advantageously approximately 2d. This leads to a good stability of the chair.

A further tube 1e forming a part of a height adjusting mechanism for the back 2 is mounted above the upper part of each side member 1b. One height adjusting mechanism is provided for each frame side member 1b, and each mechanism has, among other things, an approximately L-shaped casing 4, which in the cross-section as shown in FIG. 4 is constructed in a forked and slotted manner. It has a circular opening 4a, a longitudinal slot 4b emanating from the latter and two forked pronglike projections 4c. A not shown screw can be inserted into a first tapped hole 4d which passes through the slot 4b in the transverse direction. By means of this screw, the two prongs of the casing 4 can be drawn together, so that they firmly secure the tube 1e passing through the opening 4a. In this way, the casing 4 is fixed to the outer tube 1e. In the portion which runs parallel to tube 1e, there is a depression 4e and a further hole 4 f which serves to receive a hinge pin 5, by means of which the seat 6 can be swung upward.

A latch 8, which is held in the position indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by a leaf spring 9, is inserted in the depression 4e so that it pivots about an axis 7. To one end of latch 8 there is fitted a locking pin 8b, which is passed through holes in casing 4 and tube 1e and terminates in one of a plurality of adjustment holes 1o in tube 1b to fix the height position of back 2. Thus, operating of the latch 8 at the position indicated by arrow 11 rotates it about its axis 7, so that the pin 8b is drawn out of the hole 10. The height of back 2 can now be adjusted until pin 8b which, after a releasing of the latch 8, is indirectly only under the pressure of leaf spring 9, snaps into alignment with one of the holes 10. The horizontal adjustment of seat 6 is carried out by means of the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. For this purpose, two telescoping seat support tubes 12a, 12b are provided on each side of seat 6. The outer tube 12b is fitted to the seat, while the inner tube has a flat extension 12c which can be pivoted on the above-mentioned hinge pin 5. Extension 12c also has two stop faces 12d, 12e cooperating with corresponding surfaces 4f, 4g of the casing in the horizontal and/or vertical position of seat 6.

The two extensions 12c are interconnected by a transverse cross-piece 13 (FIG. 6), which is preferably in the form of a flat oval tube. To the ends thereof are fitted spacers 13a, 13b permitting the fixing thereof to the extension. In the centre thereof is provided a horizontal threaded spindle 14 located in the vertical median plane of the chair. The spindle 14 cooperates with an adjusting turnbuckle 15. The latter is essentially a tube having at its one end a first disk 16 with a tapped hole 16a and at its other end a second disk 17 with a swivel pivot 17a, provided with an annular groove 17b. These two disks are placed in the tube and then crimped in place. An angle plate 18 is mounted on pivot 17a so as to be rotatable relative to the latter, but non-displaceable axially. Relative axial displacement of the angle plate 18 is prevented by a snap-ring seated in the annular groove 17b.

As can be gathered from FIG. 3, angle plate 18 is rigidly connected to the bottom of the shell-shaped portion 6a of the seat. If the turnbuckle 15 is now rotated manually, and to this end its outer face is knurled, it moves axially on threaded spindle 14 and draws the angle plate 18 with it, so that the seat is axially adjusted on the tubes 12a.

Both seat 6 and back 2 can be provided with a cushion 6b or 2b secured in an appropriate manner to the shell-shaped portion 6a or the shell-shaped portion 2a of the back. Advantageously, the two shell-shaped portions are extruded plastic.