US2168810A - Chair base - Google Patents

Description

g- 8, 1939- H. w. SCHELDRICK 2,168,810

CHAIR BASE Filed Jan. 12, 19 38 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAIR BASE Application January 12, 1938, Serial No. 184,633

2 Claims.

This invention relates to chair bases of the type commonly employed for ofiice chairs wherein the base is provided with a hub for supporting the chair spindle and legs radiating from 5 the hub. Heretofore, particularly where a metal hub and wood legs have been employed, much difficulty has been experienced from a development of lost motion between the spindle-carrying sleeve or hub and the legs, and this in spite of the use of wood filler blocks between adjacent legs at the hub. The chief object of this invention is to prevent this diiiiculty, and in general the invention relates to a method of securing the metal hub parts together in such a manner that this lost motion is prevented.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the metal portion of a chair hub made in accordance with this invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal sections through the chair hub on section lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, but showing portions of the legs and filler blocks in position.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the metal portion of the hub on line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, at I is indicated a tubular member for receiving the spindle (not shown) of the chair iron in the usual manner. This tube I has secured thereto near its upper end a plate 2 which is shown as provided with a central bore portion 3 about which the metal is dished upwardly, this dished portion being held between an annular rib 4 projecting outwardly from the tube I and a flanged ring member 5 secured in position by the outwardly flared upper end 6 of the tube I. Arrangad around the axis of the tube I are a series of leg-receiving sockets It, each socket being formed channelshaped in cross section with the sides of the channel inclined toward each other as at II, thus forming an outwardly tapered opening to receive the matingly tapered end portion I2 of the chair leg [3. Not only is each socket I tapered outwardly, but it is also tapered upwardly, its narrower end being positioned at its top so that the weight of the chair and of the occupant tends to tighten the legs in the sockets. The upper edges of the side walls II are shown as extended as at I4 through openings I in the plate or disk 2, these extensions being riveted over as at It on the top of the plate 2 so as to secure the upper ends of the sockets firmly in position. The lower ends of the socket members are provided with extensions 29 from their central web portions 2| and theseextensions are clamped in position against the outer face of the tube I as by means of a clamping collar 25 which is retained on the lower end portion of the tube I by spinning or otherwise forming an outwardly directed flange 26 thereon. The parts are so disposed, however, that when the ring 25 is in position, not only are the extensions 2B firmly clamped to the outer face of the tube I, but the adjacent apices 21 between the webs 2| and the sides II of the sockets are each forced into tight engagement with the adjacent lower apex of the neighboring socket. Between the legs I3 carried by the socket members may be placed the filler blocks such, for example, as those shown at 30 in Figures 2 and 3. It has been found in practice that filler blocks alone do not prevent the working loose of the leg members due to shrinkage of the wood parts or otherwise, but by forcing the lower ends of the socket members into tight engagement with each other at their lower ends, it has been found that this liability of the leg members to develop play with relation to the hub member is effectively prevented so long as the leg members tightly engage in the socket members, even without the use of the filler blocks 3% which may, however, be employed in order to improve the appearance of the chair base and to cover the metallic portions thereof, except at the top and lower face of the chair base. A metal cover plate screwed to the lower faces of the legs and bridging the filler blocks such as is commonly employed but which is not shown herein, may be used if desired, as an additional means of securment of the parts together. By the construction heretofore described, the socket members are firmly held in position at their upper ends by the riveting over of the extensions It in the top plate 2 and at their lower edge by the forcing of adjacent socket members against each other and against the outer face of the tube I under stress.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A chair base comprising a tubular member, a plurality of channel shaped leg-receiving sockets arranged with their webs toward said member and surrounding the same, and means for holding adjacent end portions of said sockets forced against each other under stress and secured to said tubular member.

2. A chair base comprising a central tubular member, a plate secured to the upper portion of said member, a plurality of channel shaped legreceiving sockets arranged about said tubular member and secured at their upper ends to said plate, said sockets having extensions at their low er ends, and a ring surrounding and clamping said extensions to said tubular member with the lower end of each socket forcibly pressed against the next adjacent sockets.

HENRY W. SHELDRICK.

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