US2095411A - Folding wheel chair - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12, 1937. H.v A. EVEREST ETAL. 2,095,411

FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR y Filed Feb. 11, 195s 3 Sheets-sheet 1 /m/emors H. Everest H f1/elm 1729.9,

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Oct. 12, 1937- 4 H. A.EVEREST ET AL.

FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR Filed Feb. 11, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 12, 1937. H. A. Evi-:REST Er A1. 2,095,411

` FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR Filed Feb. 11.*, 1936 -3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Cil Patented Oct. 12,-1937! PATENT oFFlcE A 2,095,411 FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR Herbert A. Everest and Harry C. Jennings,

Los Angeles, Calif'.

Application February 11, 1936, Serial No. 63,340

9 Claims.

Our invention relates to a folding wheel chair, this beingA of a type in which the leg framework carrying the wheels may be collapsed or folded inwardly to make a narrow and compact folded chair for either storage in a room or for carrying in an automobile.

In this type of chair, our invention comprehends as one of its main objects a simplification of the folding framework, using preferably metal rods and tubes. Hence, by our construction, one of the features of the frame is that it provides on each side of the chair a front and a rear ieg.

The front and rear leg on each side are con-- nected by a pivoted or hinged member, from which diagonal intersecting braces extend` upwardly'to a sliding horizontal member, this being mounted to slide and be guided in the upper portion of the front and rear legs. `With this construction' the seat is formed of fabric looped between the vertically sliding members, such seat folding when the twoside legs are shifted together, asalso does a foot rest or step which is connected to the front to rear bottom member.

f .A fabric back connected to an upward extension of the rear legs mayl also thus be extended or folded, Athereby enabling the sides of the chair to be spread apart for use of the chair, or to be collapsed together. l

- Another object and feature of our invention is forming the frame with certain loose connections, especially at the bottom front to'rear member, so that when the chair is provided with four wheels,

that is, two propelling wheels at the front 'and two caster wheels at the back, this exlble connection allows a certain warping or twisting of -the side members of the chair frame to accommodate the passage of wheels over bumps or 'depressions in a road or other surface on which the vehicle is used. One of the vobjects of. this f flexible construction is to maintain both driving wheels always in contact with the oor or ground and thus enable the occupant of the chair to propel it.

l In wheel chairs of the typen which the occupant may propel the chair by actuating the driving wheels,.it is anobjectionable feature in most `of the designs that there are large driving wheels.

The periphery of such wheels extends so 'far forward of the front leg, and hence of the rfront of the chair, that it is dicult for an occupant to wheel the chair close to a table, a desk.' a vehicle, or other chair or couch towhich he may desire'to move.

A further object and feature of our inventioxnA therefore. is forming the driving wheels ofthe chair of smalldiameter, preferably about the same size as the caster wheels.

The form of drive is by means of a flexible chain or belt operating over a sprocket or pulley directly connected to each driving wheel. The 5 belt then operates over a horizontal guide 1ocated immediately below the arm rest of the chair, the guide having inturned ends so that the occupant of the chair may manipulate the belt along the guide frames on each side and thus l0 transmit motion to the. driving wheels for propeiling the wheel chair.

A further detail feature of our invention relates to the construction of this driving belt, such being made of rubber with a fabric incorporated there- 15 in, and being channel shaped in -cross-section to loop over the horizontal guides. This construction prevents the occupant, ofthe chair from having the fingers caught between the beit and the guide. As an alternative construction the 20 belt may be formed with a sprocket chain, generally incorporated'therein; Another detail feature of improvement is in having the back rest, which is formed of fabric, readily disconnectible from the back posts of the' 25 chair to enable a person to enter and leave the chair from the rear. That is, on entering the chair a person progresses foot first over the seat from a bed, couch, or the like, and in leaving the chair the occupant may move rearwardly from 30 the seat through the open back lof the chair, drawing his feet over the seat of the chair.

Our irvention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings in which, Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the metalA 35 frame of the chair when in its expanded position for use;

Figure 2 is aside elevation of a completed chair when expanded in position for use; l

Figure 3 is a front elevation taken in thedirec- 40 tion of the arrow 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4-is`a view similar toFigure 3 but showing the chair collapsed in its folded position Figure 5 is Va horizontal section on the line 5--5 fol Figure 3 in the direction of the arrows 45 with parts omitted to show the attachment of the line 6--6 1-1 of Fig. 2 withlparts omitted showing the upper guide or emble wheel driving chain.

Referringrst to the construction of the frame of the chair, such frame being .designated generally by the numeral II: This frame is conably vertical.

structed of two similar side frames I2 and each side frame has a front leg I3, this being prefer- There is also a rear leg I4 having an upper section I5 parallel to the upper portion I6 of the front leg. Each rear leg has a rearwardly Adiverging lower portion I 6. and a lower projecting vertical end I1 having a collar I8 at the bottom. These leg members are preferably all made of metal tubing. There is an arm rest bar I9 on each side which is formed integral with the front leg, having a right angularbend 20 at the front. Rear chair posts 2| extend upwardly from the rear legs and preferably incline slightly rearwardly as shown in Figure 2. The rear end 22 of the arm rest has a curved end cut to partly encircle the tube forming the integral rear legs and the integral posts 2|, the arm rests being secured by welding, brazing or the like to the combined rear legs and posts. The bottom bar or rail construction 25 employs a Atube 26 at the forward portion, such tube being rigidly secured by Welding or the like to the lower end of the front leg I3, this lower end being cut in a partial circle to encircle the tube 26, which tube is closed with a cap 28. A pintle .rod 29 fits in tube 26 and also ln a rear tube section 30. The rear bar assemblyA has a rear curved tube 3| connected at 32 to the short rear tube 30 and at 33 to the lower portion of the rear leg I4 preferably adjacent the junction point of the vertical section I1 and the rearwardly extending portion I6. T'his tube 3| preferably forms a bend developing a right angular turn that is for the purpose of accommodating the rear caster' wheels of the chair, the assembly of which is described hereunder.

An improved feature of our chairis that we employ only two diagonal braces 35. Each of these braces has a lower portion 36 and an upper portion 31 connected together by a longitudinal hinge pin or a bolt 38. These intersecting braces are preferably formed of tubes. The` bottomv of the lower portion 36 of each brace is rigidly connected to a sleeve 39, such sleeve being fitted over the rod 29 connecting the tubes 26 and 30. This sleeve is shorter in length than the exposed portion of the rod 29, leaving a ring clearance indicated at 4|! and 4|. wise movement of the sleeve 39 on the rod 29.

The seat bar 45 comprises two short end bars 46 and 41 each having a rounded cut-out end 48, such end being adapted to partly encircle the upper portion I6 of the front leg I3 for the tube 46 and the upper portion I5 of the rear leg I4 for the short tube 41. Each of these short bars 46 and 41 has a pivot pin 49 and a swivel sleeve 50 ls iltted over the pivot pins. Such swivel sleeve is rigidly connected at 5| to the upper portion 31 of each cross bar. There is a snug t at the joint 52 ofthe sleeve 50 and the short bars 46 and 41. Thisconstruction permits the side frames of the chair to be spread apart, as shown in Figure l. or folded or collapsed as shown in Figure 4. In this manipulation of the frame the lower sleeve 39 swivelson the rod 29 of the bottom rail 25. The sleeve 50 also has a swivel action on the pins 49, but causes anup and down movement of the short bars 46 and 41, and thus of the seat bars 45, this sliding motion being on the parallel sections I6 of the front leg I3, and I5A of the rea leg I4.

The chair is provided with a fabric seat 5,5% which is preferably made with upper and lower This allows a slight lengthfabric sections 56 and 51 looped over the seat bars 45, and havingla split 58 in the lower fold of the 'I'he removable seat back 60 has two upright metal strips 6I, and to each strip adjacent the bottom there is a hook 62, such hook engaging the rear leg I4l at the upper section I5 preferably immediately below theconnection point 22 of the arm rest I9 allowing a suiilcient distance on the portion I5 for the upward movement of the seat bar 45 when folding the chair. A removable plug 63 is fitted in the upper end of each back post 2| of the chair. This plug fits through an eye 64. such eye beingattached to the top of the metal strips 6I as indicated at 65.v A fabric back 66 is secured to the metal strips and is thus stretched to a desired tension between the two posts of the back whenI the chair` is in its expanded position. When it is desired to remove the fabric seat back, the plug 63 may be removed, the eye 64 being disconnected from the plugs. This disconnects the upper portion of the fabric. The lower hooks 62 may be disconnected either by stretching the fabric 66 of the seat back, or slightly collapsing the chair. This allows entire removal of the fabric back of the seat, leaving the chair unobstructed between the posts and the arm rests so that a person may move into the chair, for instance, from a couch or bed, by having the back of the chair wheeled adjacent said bed, the person moving into the chair feet foremost into the seat. The flexible seat back may then be reattached to the post 2|.'

'I'he foot rest or step 10 employs preferably two rigid boards 1I, each having `hinged straps 12 secured at the outer longitudinal edge. These straps t over the tube 26 in front of the front legs I3. These straps with the side edge of the boards 1I thus form in effect apair of hinge eyes which may be inserted on the tube 26 after removal of the cap 28, which cap may then be replaced. The step boards are connected by a center hinge 13 allowing the boards to occupy the horizontal position of. Figure' 3 with the chair extended, or to fold upwardly as shown in Figure 4 when the chair is collapsed.

The chair is mounted on wheels, in which the front wheels 15 are the driving wheels and the -rear wheels 16 the caster wheels. 'I'hese latter are of the usual type and fitted in the vertical section I1 of the lower end of the rear legs I4. The wheels may swivel .to occupy the position shown in Figure 2 or to t underneath the rear curved tubes 3|.

The driving connection for the front wheels employs an axle 11 secured to the front legs I3 preferably slightly above the bottom rail or bar 25. The axle hub 18 is elongated and has a pneumatic tire Wheel 13 on the outside and preferably a sprocket or pulley on the inside, that is between the wheel and the side frame of the chair. .A guide bar 8| has downwardly curved ends 82 and 83, these ends being secured as indicated at 84 to the front leg I3 at the I4. The point of attachment must be so located that the seat bars 45 may. slide up and 75 down.y The bar 8l is spaced from the side frame by horizontal portions .85 so thatthere is a horizontal section 86 of the bar located slightly below each arm rest I9v and on the outside of such bar.

A sprocket chain 81 is preferably of the roller type and is. imbedded in a resilient rubberband 88, such band having a deep slot 89 sumcient to form van adequate cover for the sprocket chain and also to extend over the sides of the horizontal section 86 of the guide bar 3|. The sprocket chain with the rubber covering -band thus has a horizontal section 9|, a downward lead 92, and an upward lead 93, the sprocket chain and the band engaging the sprocket whe 80 and each of the driving wheels. f

Themanner of propelling the chair is by the occupant 'of-the' chair grasping the horizontal section 9i of the rubberband and thrusting this in the direction of the arrow 9d. This rotates the driving wheels in 'the proper direction to move the wheel chair forward. The reverse movement is by pulling on the upper horizontal band section, :which causes the chair to move rearwardly. The steering is accomplished by moving one of the propelling wheels faster than the other, or by moving oneI in a forward di.- rection and the other in a rearward direction. It will be noted by this construction that the front driving wheels are quite small, and hence the chair may be moved close to a table, desk, couch or a bed.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim: V

1. A folding chair having two side frames, each frame having a bottom rod forming at least part of a connectionbetween the front and rear ends of its frame, a vsleeve rotatably mountedV on each rod, a single diagonal brace extending upwardly from each sleeve, the said braces intersecting and being connected by a single hinge pin, the upper endof each diagonal brace being connected to a seat bar, each seat bar having a guiding connection at its ends with parallel portions of the upper part of each side frame, the point ofconnection of the upper part of each brace to the seat bar being substantially midway between the said parallel portions of the frame.

2. A folding chair as claimed in claim 1, a wheel connected to the forward portion of each frame, one or more wheels connected to the rear parts of the frames, means to confine each sleeve on the rod on which it is mounted whereby each sleeve independent of the other may have a slight sliding movement longitudinal of the rod to permit a slight twisting of, one frame relative to the other to maintain both of the front wheels in contact with the ground.

3. A folding `chair having two side frames each with a front and a rear leg, the upper portions of said legs. being cylindrical and parallel, a bottom rod forming at least part of the connection between the front and rear legs of each frame, a single diagonal brace having a pivotal connection at its bottom to the said rod, said braces intersecting and being connected by a portions'of the front and rear legs, whereby on folding and extending the chair each sleeve connected to a brace rotates on the short bars and said bars have a vertical sliding movement onthe front and rear legs of each frame.

4. A folding chair as claimed in claim 3, a front wheel connected to the front leg of each side iframe, one or more wheels connected to the rear legs of the frames, the pivotal connection i of the lower end oi each brace to the bottom rod comprising a second sleeve rotatable on said rod, means to conne eachsecond sleeve to a slight sliding motion on the rod, the said rod having a forward extensionv beyond" thev front legs of each frame, a foot rest hingedly connected to each extension, the .foot rest being formed in two parts hinged together whereby when the chair is extended the portions of the foot rest operate to hold the sideV frames of the chair apart, and the sliding movement 'of the second sleeve connected to the lower part of each brace permits a slight twisting of the frame to main- Vtain both of the front wheels incontact with the ground.` t

5. A wheel chair having two side with a front and a, rear leg connected by an arm rest, each front leg being verticalfan axle attached to each front leg and having a wheel thereon, each rear leg having a rear wheel connectedl thereto, each side frame having a rod forming part of a Vconnection between the front Y and rear legs, a. .sleeve rotatably and slidably movable on said rod, a. cross brace extending upwardly from each sleeve, the cross braces being pivoted together, a. seat bar slidably mounted on each frame, the upper end of each cross brace being connected to a seat bar, the said seat bars forming a support for the seat whereby the chair may be collapsed with the side frames movable towards each other, the sliding movement of the said vsleevefon the said rod permitting a. slight twisting of the frame to maintain both driving wheels-on the ground when the chair is in itsv extended position. v

6. A folding wheel chair having two side frames, each frame having a. bottom assembly including a front' straight portion and a rear frames, each upwardly curved portion, a sleeve rotatably l mounted on a straight portion of each bottom assembly, a single diagonal Vbrace extending upwardly from each sleeve, the said bracesintersecting and being connected by a single hinge pin, the upper end of each diagonal brace being connectedto a seat bar, each seat bar having a 'guide connection at its ends with parallel portions of the upper parts of each side frame, the point of connection of the upper part of each brace to the seat bar being substantially midway between the said parallel portions of the frame, a front wheel connected to the front portion of each side frame and a rear caster wheel con--V nected to the rear portion of each side frame', the upwardly curved part of each bottom assembly being adapted to accommodate the swivelling of the caster wheel connected to its frame.

'1. A folding wheel chair as claimed in claim 6, the single hinge pin' forming a center relative to which the two side frames may twist as to each other whereby both -of the front wheels may be retained on the ground if one of the four wheels engages an elevation or is over a depression in a road.

8. A folding wheel chair as claimed in claim 6, means to conne each sleevevon its lower frame assembly whereby each sleeve may have a slight sliding movement longitudinally to permit a slight twisting of one frame relative to the other, the

single hinge pin forming a, center of twist of' one frame relative to the other to maintain both of the front wheels in contact with the ground should the ground be irregular.

' 9. A Wheeled chair having two side frames, each frame having a. bottom assembly including a straight portion, a seat connecting the side frames, a spacing device securing said frames in spaced relation, said device having a sliding part thereof mounted on the straight portion of the bottom assembly of each side frame with means providing for a limited longitudinal sliding movement thereof along the said straight portion, a pair of front wheels connected one to each of the s'ideframes, one or more Wheels HERBERT A. EVEREST. HARRY C. JENN'INGS.

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