US3606458A

US3606458A - Leg supporting stool

Info

Publication number: US3606458A
Application number: US831339A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin J Attinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-06-09
Filing date: 1969-06-09
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

A STOOL FOR SUPPORTING THE LEGS OF A PERSON SITTING IN A CHAIR, HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED FOOTED SIDE MEMBERS JOINED TOGETHER BY CROSS BARS, THERE BEING A VERTICAL GROOVE AND A SERIES OF DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FINGER EXTENSIONS FROM THE GROOVE ON THE FORWARD AND REARWARD PORTIONS OF THE INNER FACE OF EACH SIDE MEMBER, A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL LEG RECEIVING CUSHION OF L SHAPE IN LONGI-

TUDINAL CROSS SECTION WITH THE BASE OF THE L SHAPE DIRECTED UPWARDLY TO PROVIDE A FOOT ABUTTING SURFACE, PINS EXTENDING TOWARDLY AND LATERALLY FROM THE LOWER EDGES OF THE CUSHION NEAR THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID PINS BEING ADAPTED TO ENTER SELECTED FINGERS OF THE GROOVES FOR HOLDING THE CUSHION AT THE DESIRED HEIGHT AND ANGLE.

Description

P 0, 1971 A.J.ATTINGER I 3,606,453

- LEG SUPPORTVING'STOOL Filed June 9, 1969 U 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

INVENTOR. ALVlN d. HTHNGER.

v BY

ALP. Qww

Sept. 20, 1971 A. J. ATTINGER LEG SUPPORTING STOOL Filed June 9,

2 S heets$heet 1 INVENTOR. ALVIN dAmNeER Lu. F? 4w PHTCRNEQ 3,606,458 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,458 LEG SUPPORTING STOOL Alvin J. Attinger, 749 W. State Line Road, Toledo, Ohio 43612 Filed June 9, 1969, Ser. No. 831,339 Int. Cl. A47c 7/50, 9/12 US. Cl. 297439 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stool for supporting the legs of a person sitting in a chair, having a pair of opposed footed side members joined together by cross bars, there being a vertical groove and a series of downwardly inclined finger extensions from the groove on the forward and rearward portions of the inner face of each side member, a generally horizontal leg receiving cushion of L shape in longitudinal cross section with the base of the L shape directed upwardly to provide a foot abutting surface, pins extending outwardly and laterally from the lower edges of the cushion near the ends thereof, said pins being adapted to enter selected fingers of the grooves for holding th cushion at the desired height and angle. I

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to stools for supporting the legs of a person, sitting in a chair, in a raised and restful position.

Ithas been well established that elevation and extended positioning of the legs is beneficial in retarding the progress and in alleviating the discomfort and pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. As well as being a treatment for such joint diseases, elevation of the legs promotes improved circulation therein. This is generally healthful but is of special importance to persons inclined to have swollen feet or varicose veins due to aging, occupational or physical causes.

Armless ottomans and stools usually with four rigid corner legs and a fixed height have been utilized throughout historic times for simple seating furniture and foot rests. Folding stools were also an early development. More recently the design of foot stools has been supplemented by means for adjusting the height and angle of the leg supporting area.

The addition of such refinements have too frequently reduced the strength and firmness of the stools, their ease of use and overall efficacy. Further, the adjusting means have generally failed to provide the full scope of desirable variations in the position of the leg supporting area.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to devise a leg supporting stool which is sturdy, easy to adjust, conveniently receptive of the legs of the user, and one that olfers a broad range of heights and angles of the receiving surface to accommodate the particular physical characteristics of the person utilizing the stool and the particular design of chair on which he may be seated.

The objects and advantages of the invention are attained at least in part through a pair of opposed, vertically positioned, footed side members joined by cross rods, a generally horizontal, preferably cushioned leg receiving member with a foot supporting upright back portion, a laterally projecting pin adjacent each corner of the leg receiving member, vertical grooves on the iiiner faces of the side members adapted to lockingly receive the pins, and a vertical series of downwardly inclined finger branches of each groove for selective reception of the pins and establishment of the height and angle of the leg receiving member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a leg supporting stool embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a like view of the leg receiving cushioned member of the stool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective showing of the lower supporting standard of the stool with the cushioned member removed;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the stool with the cushioned member in a different position than that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the stool; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the stool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in more detail the stool 10 illustrated therein includes two major components, a cushion member 12 and a base assembly 14. The cushion member has a main generally horizontal leg receiving portion 16 and a rearwardly placed upright foot support 18.

Attached to the bottom of the cushion member 12 are two laterally extending carrying

rods

20 and 22 with reduced ends forming projecting

pins

23 and 24.

The stool base assembly 14 has vertically extending

sides

26 and 28. Cut into the forward inner face of side member 26 in the upwardly extending portion 32 is a vertical groove 30 with an upper open end and a closed lower end. Inclined downwardly from one side of the groove 30 is a series of blind fingers or branches 30].

A similar vertical groove 34 with blind branches 34) are cut into the inner face of the rearwardly positioned upwardly extending section 36 of the base side member 26.

Comparable grooves

38 and 42 with lateral branches or

fingers

38 and 42 are present in the opposite base side member 28.

Cross rods 46, 4-8, 50, S2 and 54 firmly secure the

base side members

26 and 28 together to form the base unit 14.

In the assembling of the stool the gushion section 12 is brought down upon the base 14 with the

pins

23 and 24 entering the upper open ends of

grooves

30, 34, 38 and 42. Once so entered into the grooves the cushion section 12 is not laterally displaceable.

With the height and angle desired for the cushion section 12 determined, the projecting

pins

23 and 24 are laterally introduced into the appropriate blind branch grooves 30 .341, 38 and 42] whereby the cushion section 12 is firmly positioned. Due to the locked engagement of the pins and the grooves no dislodgement is possible, and a wide range of heights and angles is provided through the choice of branch grooves at both ends of the base unit 14.

The depressed middle portions of the side members of the base assembly conform in a general manner with the usual position of the support area of the cushion and lateral entry of the legs of the occupant is thus facilitated.

With legs stretched out in relaxed position feet tend to turn outwardly twisting the legs unnaturally. The reception of the feet by the upright 18 helps keep the feet perpendicular. Also the upward projection of the

back extensions

36 and 44 of the

sides

26 and 28 helps to prevent such turning of the feet especially when the legs are spread apart.

T hefingers or

branches

30 and 34f, -38f-and 42f are angled downwardly toward the back end of the stool. As the thrust and weight of the legs positioned on the stool are rather backwardly directed, the cushion 12 is pressed thereby with its pins 23 and 24'more positively maintained at the bottom of the selected groove fingers.

A preferred structure of the sides of the base mem-{ ber is a lamination in which one lamina is cut crosswise to form the side walls of thegroove and an adjacent lamina forms the base of the grooves.

In summary, the features of the invention include the single top entrance for the cushion pins into the vertical grooves and the resulting locking engagement whereby the cushion may notbe accidentally dislodged from the stool base 14. At the same time variations in the height and angle of the cushion are easily attained by raising or lowering of the ends of the cushion and resetting the pins into different branches of the grooves; also the medially depressed contours of the sides of the stool base facilitate swinging the legs upon the cushion, and the foot receiving upright helps rest the feet and to hold the legs in untwisted position.

Modifications in the design of the stool may be envisioned by those familiar with the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A leg supporting stool having a base member composed of two vertical, opposed sides, cross members rigidly securing the sides together, a leg receiving member, pins rigidly fixed to and projecting laterally from the corner portions of the leg receiving member, vertical, substantially straight, grooves adapted to receive the pins on the inner surfaces of the sides of the base member near the ends thereof, said grooves being open at their upper ends for free entry of the pins, and a vertical series of downwardly inclined blind fingers or short branches extending laterally from each groove for selectivtly receiving the pins and holding the leg receiving member at a desired height and angle, an upright portion located -at the rear end-of-the leg receiving-member adapted for abutting the bottom of the feet placed on the leg receiving member and in which the fingers extend rearwardly from tht grooves, whereby'the pressure of feet against the upright portion tends to hold the pins in the fingers.

2. A leg supporting stool according to claim 1 in which the ends of the sides offthe base member extend upwardly above the middle portions of the sides and the openings therebetween are deeper adjacent the rear end of the leg receiving member for passage of feet being placed thereon. 1' I 3. A leg supporting stool according to claim. 1 in which the top fingerof each forwardly placed groove is open along itsupper longitudinal boundary."

4. A leg supporting stool according to claim 1 in which said grooves are substantially wider than the pins to accommodate the varying horizontal distances between the pins with different angling of the leg receiving member.

5. A leg supporting stool according to claim .1 in which the blind fingers extend more horizontally than vertically from the generally vertical grooves toaccommodate the varying horizontal distances between the pins 'with different angling of the leg receiving member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,246 2/ 1917 Wallace 297439 1,540,616 6/1925 Hagopian- 108-444 2,912,046 11/1959 Fuerst 2.97439 2,017,433 10/1935 Carrington 297439UX 1,985,807 12/1934 Steigerwald et al. 297-439 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,374 4/ 1918 Great Britain 297-439 1,193,215 4/1960 Germany 297439 PAUL R. GILLIAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.