US3601446A

US3601446A - Piece of furniture

Info

Publication number: US3601446A
Application number: US860745A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eric Sigfrid Persson; Signe Persson-Melin
Original assignee: Expo Nord AB
Current assignee: Expo Nord AB
Priority date: 1968-11-21
Filing date: 1969-09-24
Publication date: 1971-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-24
Also published as: DE1945583A1; FI49239B; FI49239C; ES179751Y; NL162829C; DE1945583C3; DE1945583B2; FR2023772A1; GB1281707A; AT295077B; DK127674B; NL162829B; NL6916647A; CA931675A; CH502800A; NO128941B; ES179751U

Abstract

In a piece of furniture a body-supporting material has two opposed parallel marginal portions which are anchored in channels in two frame bars extending along said marginal portions.

Description

nited States Patent 1 1 3,601,446

[72] Inventors Eric Sigirid Persson [50] Field of Search 297/445, y? 446.449.452.455.459: 5/82 Sign: Persson-Melin, Mallno, both of, Sweden [56] References Cited [2! Appl. No. 860,745 UNITED STATES PATENTS I PM 14, 1969 3,041,109 6/l962 Earnes et al. 297 449 1 Palsmed s- 24, 3,223,450 12/1965 297/457 x Asslsnee ExwNflrd AB 3,298,743 1/1967 297 452 X Horby, Sweden 3,310,343 3/1967 Schultz 297/445 Pnomy 2 21, 1968' 21, 1969 3,431,022 3/1969 Poppe et al. 297/458 x w en 3.348.882 [0/1967 Chassalgnac 297/440 [3| limo/68 and 3343/69 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-John Lezdey [54] PIECE OF FURNITURE 8 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 297/445, ABSTRACT: In a piece of furniture a body-supporting materi- 297/457 al has two opposed parallel marginal portions which are [51] Int. Cl A47c 5/00, anchored in channels in two frame bars extending along said A47c 1/12, A47c ll/OO marginal portions.

PATENIEH M1824 my:

sum U10F 13 PATENTEB AUB24 l9?! SHEET 03 UP 13 PATENTEU AUB24I97| 3,601,44

" sum 05 DF 13 PATENTED AUG24I97I 3,601,446

sum 08 UP 13 FIG. 10

PATENTEU AUB24 I97:

sum 12 0F Pmmimzw SHEET 130F13 PIECE OF FURNITURE This invention relates to a piece of furniture comprising a body-supporting support means, two opposed, substantially parallel marginal portions of the support means, and two frame bar means each extending along one of the marginal portions.

The invention has for its object to simplify the manufacture of such furniture thus making it less expensive, and to permit unskilled persons readily to assembly the furniture details to a finished piece of furniture, which implies that the furniture details can be shipped and sold in a compact package. To this end, the piece of furniture according to the invention is characterized in that each frame bar is provided with one or more channels running throughout the length of the frame bars and opening at the bar ends, each of said channels having a lateral mouth leading into a lateral surface of the bars, the material forming the body-supporting support means being anchored in said channels and movable along the bars in said channels.

The invention will be more fully described in the following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate some embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation ofa piece of lounging furniture according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a chair according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is part ofa section on line IIIIII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is asection corresponding to FIG. 3 of an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross section of a leg when using frame bar sections according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section of an alternative body-supporting support means;

FIG. 7 is a section of still another embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of a channel end portion with a wire wedged therein;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views corresponding to FIGS. 4 and 5 but of further modifications;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment;

FIGS. 12-14 are views of still further embodiments.

In F IG. 1 there is shown a piece of lounging furniture having a body-supporting support means, with two opposed, substantially parallel marginal portions connected to frame bars 2 of metal or plastic, each extending along one of the marginal portions. One frame bar only is visible in FIG. 1 since the other frame bar lies concealed behind the first one. Each frame bar 2 is provided between its ends with two legs 3 supporting the piece of furniture on a base. Each frame bar 2 is composed of a main section 4 which extends throughout the length of the adjoining marginal portion of the body-supporting support means I, and three

auxiliary sections

5, 6, 7 each of which runs along one longitudinal portion of the main section 4. In the leg regions the auxiliary sections are gently curved away from the main section 4 for the formation of the legs 3. Thus one leg is formed by two adjoining extensions of the

auxiliary sections

5 and 6 while the other leg is formed in the same'way by the extensions of the

auxiliary sections

6 and 7.

As will appear from FIG. 3, the main section 4 of each frame bar is approximately U-shaped. In the upper side of the web of the main section 4 of U-shaped cross section there are provided two longitudinally extending channels 8, 9. These channels have approximately circular cross-sectional shape with a constricted lateral mouth leading to the upper side of the main section 4. Extending between the channels 8 of the two main sections 4 (only one is visible in FIG. 3) is a web material 10 the lateral margins of which are doubled and sewn together by means of a seam 11. The web material 10 runs throughout the length of the main sections 4. The sidewalls of the web material 10 are inserted in the channels 8 of the main sections 4, and a flexible wire 12 is introduced throughout the length of the respective main section 4 into the fold of the web material lying in the channel 8. The wire 12 has a cross-sectional dimension larger than the width of the channel mouth so that the fold of the web material 10 is safely retained in the channel 8. The web 10 constitutes a supporting surface for the body-supporting support means 1 of the piece of furniture. In a corresponding manner the lateral folds of a web 14 constituting a carrying means for the web 10 are anchored in the channels 9 of the main sections 4 by means of wires 13. Inserted between the two webs 10 and 14 is an upholstery cushion 14. Instead of designing the carrying means as a web 14 which extends throughout the length of the main sections 4, spaced transverse supporting bands can be anchored along the main sections 4 by means of the channels 9.

The ends of the wires 12, 13 can be provided at the ends of the channels 8, 9 with wedge means for jamming the wires at the channel ends to prevent them from sliding into the channels. An example of this is shown in FIG. 8 where the end of the wire 12 at the end of the channel 8 is surrounded by an annular wedge 16 for instance of resilient plastic which when driven into the end of the channel 8 is forced against the wire 12 for retaining it.

It is obvious that the folds of the webs 10, 14 and the wires 12, 13 can be introduced into the channels 8, 9 from either end of the main sections 4, where the channels are open.

To keep the two frame bars together to form a rigid frame and to stretch the web 14 snugly between the main sections 4 of the frame bars, said main sections are interconnected by means of crossbars of adjustable length, which are distributed over the length of the main sections 4. These crossbars of adjustable length can be designed in many different ways, but a particularly advantageous embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. Here, coaxial holes are formed in the two downwardly directed flanges 17 of each main section 4 and one end of a cylindrical rod 18 is inserted in each of said coaxial holes, while the other end of the rod has screw threads for engagement with a nut 19. A spring clip 20 is inserted in a groove in the rod 18 and bears against one flange 17 of the adjacent main section 4. Opposite each of the rods 18 mounted in one main section 4 there is disposed a corresponding rod in the other main section 4. A tube 21 is passed onto the opposed, threaded ends of two such opposed rods 18, and the nuts 19 of the two rods 18 bear against the ends of said tube 21. By turning the nuts 19 the two main sections 4 can be positively moved apart while stretching the web 14. Of course, one of the rods 18 inserted in the tube 21 may have no screw threads and no nut screwed thereonto, in which case the tube on the rod 18 in question will bear directly against the spring clip 20 instead of a nut 19. By causing the rods 18 to engage in fitting holes in the two flanges 17 of each main section 4 the two frame bars will be kept together to form a warp-proof construction without need for any other transverse connection between the frame bars than the transverse struts 18, 21 and the material constituting the body-supporting support means.

The

auxiliary sections

5, 6, 7 employed in the piece of furniture of FIGS. 1 and 3 have within the region of the main section 4 the cross-sectional shape appearing from FIG. 3, which shows the auxiliary section 6 in cross section. The auxiliary section has two flanges 22 which are engaged between, and lie in immediate proximity to, the flanges 17 of the main section 4. Moreover, the flanges 22 have holes for receiving the rods 18 by which the auxiliary sections are anchored to the main section 4. Besides, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the auxiliary section has outer flanges 23 which grasp the end portions of the flanges 17 of the main section 4. The flanges 22 are preferably removed from the leg-forming extensions of the

auxiliary sections

5, 6, 7 so that these extensions bear against each other by means of the flanges 23 as indicated in FIG. 1. It is also shown here that the leg-forming extensions of the auxiliary sections can be kept together at the lower ends by cupshaped foot pieces 24 which are passed onto said lower ends.

A chair of the same construction as the piece of lounging furniture according to FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2. Thus there is provided in the chair a support means 1 which forms the seat and the back rest and is carried by two frame bars 2 (only the front bar is visible in FIG. 2). Each frame bar is partly formed by a main section 4 of the type already described, which extends along the backrest portion and the seat portion and also constitutes part of the front legs 27 of the chair. in addition, two

auxiliary sections

25 and 26 of the same kind as the earlier described

auxiliary sections

5, 6, 7 are associated with each main section 4. The auxiliary section 25 follows the main section 4 along the front leg 27 and the seat portion, and at the transition between the seat portion and the backrest portion an extension of the auxiliary section 25 curves gently away from the main section 4 to constitute part of each of the rear legs 28 of the chair. The auxiliary section 26 follows the main section 4 along the backrest portion of the chair, and at the transition between the backrest portion and the seat portion an extension of the auxiliary section 26 curves gently away from the main section 4 to constitute part of each of the rear legs 28 of the chair in the manner apparent from FIG. 2. The two frame bars 2 are interconnected on one hand by the support means 1 and on the other hand by crossbars of the kind illustrated in FIG. 3. The ends 18 of the crossbars are visible in FIG. 2. i

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 4 and the main section 40 of the frame bar has two substantially parallel flanges 17a which are provided with V-shaped grooves 29 in their facing sides. The associated auxiliary section 30 has outer flanges 23 of the same kind as in FIG. 3, and an inner flange 31 provided with a rib 32 of V-shaped cross section. When the auxiliary section 30 is moved towards the main section 4a with the flange 31 close to one flange 17a of the main section the two flanges will flex slightly apart when the main section and the auxiliary section are brought together, until the rib 32 reaches and snaps into the groove 29 while the flanges 17a and 31 flex back into normal position for detachably holdingtogether the sections 4a and 30. The auxiliary section 30 may be provided with a second flange 31 adjacent the second flange 17a of the main section 411, as is indicatcd by dash and dot lines, to further improve the locking together of the sections by snap action. When two auxiliary sections 30 each having but one flange 31 shall be curved away from the main section 40 to constitute a leg for the piece of furniture the flanges 31 need not be removed from the legforming extensions of the auxiliary sections 30 if the arrangement is made in accordance with FIG. 5 which shows a cross section of the leg. Here, one auxiliary section 30 has been connected to the main section 4a (not shown) with the flange 31 lying in immediate proximity to one flange 17a of the main section, while the flange 31 of the other auxiliary section 30 has been connected to the main section with the flange 31 in immediate proximity to the other flange 17a of the main section, so that the two flanges 31 can run beside one another within the leg portion, as will appear from FIG. 5. To improve the appearance of the leg two panels 33 can be inserted in the rabbets formed by the flanges 23 of the auxiliary section 30, as is indicated by dash and dot lines in FIG. 5.

One drawback of the arrangements according to FIGS. 3 and 4 resides in that it may be difficult for technical reasons of manufacture to have the holes bored in the flanges 22, 31 of the auxiliary sections for receiving the crossbars 18 lie in register with the corresponding holes in the

flanges

17, 17a of the main section, when the piece of furniture is assembled. This drawback can be avoided by the construction shown in FIG. 9 where the auxiliary section 34 fully corresponds to the auxiliary section 30 in FIG. 4 except that the inner flanges 35 have only been given the same height as the outer flanges 23. At the ends the flanges 35 have ribs 32 of V-shaped cross section for snap engagement in corresponding grooves of V- shaped cross section in the flanges 17b of the main section 4b. The rods 18 of the crossbars not shown in FIG. 9 can then be received in holes formed in the flanges 17b outside the region of the auxiliary section 34 which is thus retained to the main section 412 only by the snap engagement of the ribs 32 with the flanges 17b. As extensions of auxiliary sections 34 are curved away-from the main section 4b to constitute furniture legs there is also realized an advantageous leg construction, as will appear from FIG. 10 which shows a cross section of a leg formed by the extensions of two auxiliary sections 34. The outer and

inner flanges

23, 35 of the two extensions bear against each other, and in the channel formed by these flanges there are inserted from the leg ends bars 36 which have a cross-sectional shape conforming to the channel cross section and thus keep the two auxiliary sections 34 together to provide a rigid leg.

The main section 4a in FIG. 4 has but one channel 37 for anchoring the body-supporting support means 1a. The later consists of a tubular web material which at each margin of the support means is sewn together by means of a seam 38 to form a fold in which an edge wire 39 is inserted. The restricted mouth of the channel 37 in this case is defined on one side by a bar or strip 40 detachable from the main section 40. To permit the fold of the support means 10 with the wire 39 therein to be readily mounted in the channel 37 the strip 40 is removed and, after introduction of said fold, secured in position again to prevent the fold with the wire therein from sliding out of the channel. Between the seams 38 adjacent each main section 40 the tube of the support means 1a is filled with an upholstery material 41. The tube wall portion 42 forming the supporting surface for the body ofa person reclining in the piece of furniture is of a larger width between the seams 38 than the tube wall portion 43 located on the opposite side of the upholstery material. When the main sections 4a are moved apart by means of the crossbars not shown in FIG. 4 the wall portion 43 is thus stretched or straightened while the wall portion 42 extends from the main sections 4a curving away from the wall portion 43 according to the shape of the upholstery 41.

FIG. 6 illustrates a main section 40 which like the main section 4a in FIG. 4 has a single channel 37 and strip 40 for anchoring a marginal bead 44 of the support means lb to the main section. The support means 1b is formed by a tube 45 of air-impermeable material which is integral with marginal flanges 46 which in turn are integral with the marginal beads 44 for engagement with the respective main section 4a of the frame bars of the piece of furniture. The tube may be closed at the ends and provided with means for inflating the tube.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment that with regard to the support means 1c and the anchoring thereof to the main sections approximately corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. However, the main section 4d in FIG. 7 is tubular, and an auxiliary section 47 of l-shaped cross section is inserted in the tubular space of the main section. In order that a leg-forming extension (not shown in FIG. 7) may be caused to curve away from the main section 4d a wall 48 of the main section must be removed within the leg area for permitting the auxiliary section 47 to emerge from the tubular space.

FIG. 11 illustrates a lounging chair with a superstructure A loosely mounted on a subframe B. The superstructure has a body-supporting support means 1 which is carried by frame bars 4 extending along and connected to the margins of the support means which is kept stretched between the frame bars by means of crossbars in the manner earlier described. Only the ends 18 of the crossbars are visible in this Figure. Since the superstructure A cannot have any legs of its own the frame bars 4 must be supplemented with some auxiliary sections, as has been described in connection with the previous embodiments. A rack 60 having a row of teeth or abutments is, however, mounted on each frame bar 4 within the backrest area for a purppse to be described in the following. The toothed racks can be secured to the frame bars 4 by means of the crossbars. The subframe B can comprise two lateral bars 61 and interconnecting crossbars 62 which need not, however, be of adjustable length. The crossbars 62 are fixedly, but detachably connected to the lateral bars 61 in any suitable way. The crossbars 62 may be of the same design as the frame bars 4 or can have any other cross-sectional shape. The lateral bars 61 are bent in the manner apparent from FIG. 11 so as to constitute front legs 63, armrests and rear legs 64; the latter may be provided with wheels 65. The superstructure A rests on two crossbars 62 of the subframe B at the upper ends of the front legs 63 and the rear legs 64. The frame bars 4 are slidably supported on the crossbar 62 at the upper ends of the front legs 63, and by means ofthe toothed racks 60 engage the crossbar 62 at the upper ends of the rear legs 64. The superstructure A can be caused to take different positions of inclination on the subframe B in that the crossbar 62 is engaged with different pairs of teeth on the tooth racks 60.

FIG. 12 shows a section of a frame bar or main section 4e having a single channel 50.

FIG. 13 illustrates in cross section an embodiment in which use is made ofa frame bar 4fhaving a single channel 5] which opens into a lateral surface of the frame bar, and the upper side of the bar may be covered with a neat molding 52, e.g. of plastic. A single web 53 is doubled along a longitudinal fold and sewn together at the margins into a flat tube whose lateral folds are anchored with the aid of flexible wires 54 in the earlier described manner respectively in the channel 51 of the frame bar 4f illustrated in FIG. 13 and in the channel of a corresponding frame bar at the other margin of the tube. An upholstery material 55 is inserted in the tube between the frame bars. The tube may be air impermeable and inflated with air instead of containing upholstery material.

The use of an inflatable tube in connection with frame rods having two channels has proved particularly advantageous. This is shown in FIG. 14. Here, the frame bar 4 is of the same construction as that in FIG. 3 which has two channels 8 and 9. A web 56 of the same design as in FIG. 3 is anchored in the channel 8 by means of a wire 12. A fold of an air-impermeable web 57 in the form of a flat tube is anchored in the channel 9 by means of a wire 13. The web 56 is stretched between the frame bars by inflation of the tube. This makes it possible to use crossbars of invariable length between the frame bars, if this is desired. By letting the air escape from the tube the webs 56, 57 can readily be removed without it being necessary to dismount the crossbars or to shorten their length.

The flanges 170 of the frame bars illustrated in FIGS. 1244 as well as the corresponding flanges in the above-described other embodiments of the frame bars can be utilized to mount fumiture-supporting legs in fixed or adjustable position. What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I I. A piece of furniture comprising a flexible body-supporting support means, two opposed substantially parallel mar" ginal portions of said support means, elongated bead means on Q and extending along said marginal portions, two elongated frame bar means, each of said bar means extending along one of said marginal portions, means on each of said bar means forming a number of channels, each one extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said bar means, said bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of channels and being inserted into said channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said support means in said channels, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, and means for changing the efl'ective length of said crossbar means to stretch said support means between said frame bar means.

2. A piece of furniture comprising a flexible supporting sur face means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions of said supporting surface means, first elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions of said supporting surface means, a flexible carrying means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said carrying means, second elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions of said carrying means, two elongated substantially parallel frame bar means, means on each of said bar means forming a first and a second channel, each of said channels extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral surface of said bar means, said first bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said first channels and being inserted into said first channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said supporting surface means in said first channel in each of said bar means, and said second bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said second channels and being inserted into said second channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said carrying means in said second channel in each of said bar means, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, and means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means to stretch said supporting surface means and said carrying means between said frame bar means.

3. A piece of furniture according to claim 2 in which said carrying means is formed by an inflatable tube.

4. A piece of furniture comprising two elongated substantially parallel frame bar means, means on each of said bar means forming a first and a second channel, each extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said bar means, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and forming the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, length control means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means, a flexible carrying means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said carrying means, first bead means having a larger crosssectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said first channels and being inserted into said first channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said carrying means in said first channel in each of said bar means, said length control means serving to tighten said carrying means between said bar means, a flexible supporting surface means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions of said supporting surface means, second bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said second channels and being inserted into said second channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said supporting surface means in said second channel in each of said bar means, said supporting surface means extending along a curve away from said carrying means from one of said bar means to the other when said carrying means is tightened by said length control means.

5. A piece of furniture comprising aflexible body-support- ,ing support means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said support means, elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions, two elongated main frame bar means, each of said main bar means extending along one of said marginal portions, means on each of said main bar means forming a number of channels, each one extending along the whole length of said main bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said main bar means, said bead means having a larger crosssectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said channels and being introduced into said channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said support means in said channels, elongated crossbar means connecting said main frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said main frame bar means, means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means to stretch said support means between said main frame bar means, and auxiliary frame bar means extending along at least part of the length of each of said main bar means and being connected thereto.

6. A piece of furniture according to claim 5 comprising at least two substantially parallel flanges, extending in the same direction from each of said main bar means, and at least one flange on said auxiliary bar means engaging between and connected with said two flanges of said main bar means.

7. A piece of furniture according to claim 6 comprising snap detent means on said flanges of said main and auxiliary bar means for locking said main and auxiliary bar means together.

8. A piece of furniture according to claim 6 comprising extensions of said auxiliary bar means being bent away from said main bar means for forming legs of the piece of furniture.

Claims

1. A piece of furniture comprising a flexible body-supporting support means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions of said support means, elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions, two elongated frame bar means, each of said bar means extending along one of said marginal portions, means on each of said bar means forming a number of channels, each one extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said bar means, said bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of channels and being inserted into said channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said support means in said channels, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, and means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means to stretch said support means between said frame bar means.

2. A piece of furniture comprising a flexible supporting surface means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions of said supporting surface means, first elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions of said supporting surface means, a flexible carrying means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said carrying means, second elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions of said carrying means, two elongated substantially parallel frame bar means, means on each of said bar means forming a first and a second channel, each of said channels extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral surface of said bar means, said first bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said first channels and being inserted into said first channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said supporting surface means in said first channel in each of said bar means, and said second bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said second channels and being inserted into said second channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said carrying means in said second channel in each of said bar means, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, and means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means to stretch said supporting surface means and said carrying means between said frame bar means.

4. A piece of furniture comprising two elongated substantially parallel frame bar means, means on each of said bar means forming a first and a second channel, each extending along the whole length of said bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said bar means, elongated crossbar means connecting said frame bar means and forming the sole rigid connecting means between said frame bar means, length control means for changing The effective length of said crossbar means, a flexible carrying means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said carrying means, first bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said first channels and being inserted into said first channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said carrying means in said first channel in each of said bar means, said length control means serving to tighten said carrying means between said bar means, a flexible supporting surface means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions of said supporting surface means, second bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said second channels and being inserted into said second channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said supporting surface means in said second channel in each of said bar means, said supporting surface means extending along a curve away from said carrying means from one of said bar means to the other when said carrying means is tightened by said length control means.

5. A piece of furniture comprising a flexible body-supporting support means, two opposed substantially parallel marginal portions on said support means, elongated bead means on and extending along said marginal portions, two elongated main frame bar means, each of said main bar means extending along one of said marginal portions, means on each of said main bar means forming a number of channels, each one extending along the whole length of said main bar means and each having a constricted lateral mouth in a lateral surface of said main bar means, said bead means having a larger cross-sectional area than the width of said constricted mouths of said channels and being introduced into said channels from one end thereof for anchoring said marginal portions of said support means in said channels, elongated crossbar means connecting said main frame bar means and being the sole rigid connecting means between said main frame bar means, means for changing the effective length of said crossbar means to stretch said support means between said main frame bar means, and auxiliary frame bar means extending along at least part of the length of each of said main bar means and being connected thereto.