US3743350A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hinge support mechanism for a folding bench
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-01-06
•
Granted: 1973-07-03
•
Expires: 1992-01-06
Abstract
Abstract A hinge support for a folding bench having seat and back portions arranged to tilt, lay flat in a horizontal bed-forming plane, and reverse directions, with the hinge support formed of two flat arms secured respectively to the ends of the seat and back portions, with the adjacent arm portion ends overlapping, and pivotally connected together and to a link whose opposite end is pivotally connected to a rail located beneath the arms. The end of one arm is formed as a cam rested upon the rail. The end portion of the other arm is pivotally connected to the rail by another link. The arms are releasably locked to each other by a pin slipped through aligned holes formed in their overlapped end portions. The seat portion is normally arranged at an inclined seating angle and the back portion may be arranged upright or tilted backwardly at an angle. The seat and back portion may be moved into reverse positions, facing in an opposite direction, and still supported upon the cam.
Inventors
- 👤 J Allen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 21:06
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C17/00; A47C17/04; A47C17/16; A47C17/17; A47C17/175; A47C17/1756; B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/02; B60N2/0292; B60N2/20; B60N2/203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
372 words
A support hinge mechanism for a folding bench having a roughly horizontally arranged seat forming portion and a roughly vertically arranged back forming portion, comprising: an elongated base rail arranged beneath and aligned with one end of the seat and back portions; a pair of elongated, thin, flat metal hinge arms arranged above and approximately coplanar with the rail, with one arm secured to the end of the seat portion and the other secured to the end of the back portion; said seat portion arm having its back end portion arranged in overlapping relationship with the lower portion of the back portion arm, and having its lower back edge curved into a cam formation which is rested and supported upon the upper edge of said rail in all fixed positions of said seat portion; each of said arms being connected to the rail by means of a respective link having one end pivotally connected to its respective arm and its opposite end pivotally connected to the rail, with the same pivot connecting the seat portion arm to its link also connecting the back portion arm to the seat portion arm; and means for releasably locking the overlapped portions of the arms together in predetermined angularly related positions; whereby upon releasing said locking means, the back portion may be selectively moved to either an upright position or a slightly tilted position relative to the seat portion for seating in a first direction, or alternatively, said seat portion arm with the seat portion may be slid forwardly in said first direction with the upper surface of the seat portion arranged in a horizontal plane and the back portion correspondingly pivoted downwardly into a horizontal position aligned edge to edge with its upper surface coplanar with the seat portion and with its arm rested upon the rail, or the forward edge of said seat portion may be pivoted upwardly from its forwardly slid position and supported upon its cam formation in a generally upright position to assume the function of the seat portion, for thereby reversing the seating direction of the bench; with said cam portion thus supporting the seat portion arm when the seat portion functions either as a seat or as a back.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
372 words
A support hinge mechanism for a folding bench having a roughly horizontally arranged seat forming portion and a roughly vertically arranged back forming portion, comprising: an elongated base rail arranged beneath and aligned with one end of the seat and back portions; a pair of elongated, thin, flat metal hinge arms arranged above and approximately coplanar with the rail, with one arm secured to the end of the seat portion and the other secured to the end of the back portion; said seat portion arm having its back end portion arranged in overlapping relationship with the lower portion of the back portion arm, and having its lower back edge curved into a cam formation which is rested and supported upon the upper edge of said rail in all fixed positions of said seat portion; each of said arms being connected to the rail by means of a respective link having one end pivotally connected to its respective arm and its opposite end pivotally connected to the rail, with the same pivot connecting the seat portion arm to its link also connecting the back portion arm to the seat portion arm; and means for releasably locking the overlapped portions of the arms together in predetermined angularly related positions; whereby upon releasing said locking means, the back portion may be selectively moved to either an upright position or a slightly tilted position relative to the seat portion for seating in a first direction, or alternatively, said seat portion arm with the seat portion may be slid forwardly in said first direction with the upper surface of the seat portion arranged in a horizontal plane and the back portion correspondingly pivoted downwardly into a horizontal position aligned edge to edge with its upper surface coplanar with the seat portion and with its arm rested upon the rail, or the forward edge of said seat portion may be pivoted upwardly from its forwardly slid position and supported upon its cam formation in a generally upright position to assume the function of the seat portion, for thereby reversing the seating direction of the bench; with said cam portion thus supporting the seat portion arm when the seat portion functions either as a seat or as a back.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A construction as defined in claim 1, and said locking means being arranged to lock the two arms together at a relative angle for holding the seat portion and alternatively, the back portion when it functions as a seat portion, in an upward incline from back to front thereof for comfortable seating position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A construction as defined in claim 2, and including upright support members formed upon the opposite ends of the rail for additionally supporting the forward edge of the portion functioning as the seat portion above the level of its rear edge, for cooperating with said locking means in maintaining said seat forming portion inclined.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
A construction as defined in claim 3, and said back portion arm being of a length to fit between the space between said upright supports when resting upon said rail, and said seat portion arm having a vertically arranged notch formed in its lower edge between its opposite ends for receiving the forward upright support of the rail and positioning the seat portion arm, with its seat portion, horizontally, rather than inclined.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
A construction as defined in claim 1, and said links each being curved between their ends, with the pivoted connection between the upper end of the link connected to the back portion arm having a lost motion type connection movable in the vertical plane for swinging and slight endwise movement of the back portion arm relative to the seat portion arm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
A construction as defined in claim 1, and said locking means comprising a number of holes formed through the back edge portion and the overlapping lower edge portion of said arms, the holes in each said arm portions being spaced so that at least one hole in one portion is horizontally aligned with one hole in the other portion, and a pin slidably movable into and out of such aligned holes for releasably locking the arms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
A construction as defined in Claim 1, and wherein the link pivotally connecting the seat portion arm to the rail is formed with an elongated slot receiving a pin secured to the rail, with the pin being axially normal to said link and to the plane of the seat portion arm, so that said link may pivot about its pivotal connection to both of said arms and both slide and pivot relative to said pin secured to the rail.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US831877A
Cited
US2352375A
Cited
US2738829A
Cited
US2736367A
Cited
US3107363A
Cited
US3247527A
Cited
US3313570A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-02 | 1977-01-01 | 1977-07-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-02 | 1981-01-01 | 1981-07-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-02 | 1985-01-01 | 1985-07-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |