Retractable footrest mechanism

Claim 2

A footrest extension mechanism for a reclining chair comprising a footrest pivoted to the ends of a pair of parallel rails supported on the chair for essentially endwise movement forwardly and rearwardly of the chair for extending and retracting the footrest, drive means connected to said rails to cause said movement, and means connected to said footrest to alter the angularity of the footrest relative to said rails as an incident to said endwise movement between a retracted position with its supporting surface in the front plane of the chair and a forward position facing upwardly to support the occupant''s legs, said angularity-altering means being operable as aforesaid by connection with a portion of the chair with respect to which said rails are movable upon extension of the footrest to said forward position and being also thereby movable relative to said rails, said rails being shaped to provide protective masking of said angularity-altering means during movement thereof relative to said rails.

Claim 3

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said rails are tubular and said angularity-altering means is a link enclosed within and movable longitudinally of at least one of said rails.

Claim 4

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the downward load of the weight of the occupant''s legs upon said footrest when extended is borne by said rails substantially independently of said drive means and said angularity-altering means.

Claim 5

The mechanism of claim 1 in accordance with claim 2 wherein said link means is connected to said drive means, and the downward load of the weight of the legs of the occupant upon said footrest when extended is borne by said rails substantially independently of said drive means and said link means, but wherein a torque applied to said extended footrest by flexure of the occupant''s knees will operate said drive and link means in reverse and retract the footrest.

Claim 6

In a footrest extension mechanism for a reclining chair in which the footrest is supported on the ends of a pair of parallel rails supported for endwise movement forwardly and rearwardly of the chair for extending and retracting the footrest, the improvement which comprises a motion multiplying drive linkage for each of said rails for moving the same forwardly and rearwardly, said linkage including a drive link pivoted to the chair for movement of one of its ends forward and back relative to the chair, a rock lever pivoted medially thereof to said drive link and having one of its ends restrained relative to its medial pivot and having its length apportioned relative to said medial pivot to move its end opposite said restrained end forwardly and rearwardly of the chair at a faster rate than the rate of movement of said drive link, and means connecting said rock lever to its associated rail to propel the same upon movement of said drive link; means connecting said linkages for unison movement; and means for applying a driving effort to said drive link to rotate the same to extend said footrest.

Claim 7

In a footrest extension mechanism for a reclining chair in which the footrest is supported on the ends of a pair of parallel rails supported for endwise movement forwardly and rearwardly of the chair for extending and retracting the footrest, the improvement which comprises a motion multiplying drive linkage for each of said rails for moving the same forwardly and rearwardly, said linkage including a drive link pivoted to the chair for movement of one of its ends forward and back relative to the chair, a rock lever pivoted medially thereof to said drive link and having one of its ends restrained relative to its medial pivot and having its length apportioned relative to said medial pivot to move its end opposite said restrained end forwardly and rearwardly of the chair at a faster rate than the rate of movement of said drive link, and means connecting said rock lever to its associated rail to propel the same upon movement of said drive link; means connecting said linkages for unison movement; and means for applying a driving effort to said drive link to rotate the same to extend said footrest.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 5 wherein the footrest when retracted has its supporting surface in the front plane of the chair, wherein the support of the footrest upon said rails is a pivotal support and wherein said footrest is connected by link means to the rock lever of at least one of said drive linkages to rotate the footrest on its pivots to turn its supporting surface upwardly as the footrest is extended.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 5 in accordance with claim 6, and wherein said rails are tubular and said link means connecting said footrest and rock lever is housed within the tubular rail.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said linkage also includes a second drive link, a connecting link pivoted to both of said drive links to cause them to rotate in unison, and a restraining link pivoted to said second drive link and to said one end of said rock lever to restrain the same and thereby to multiply the throw of the end of said rock lever connected to propel said associAted rail.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 5 in accordance with claim 8 wherein both rails and both drive linkages are supported on the underside of the chair seat adjacent the sides thereof and the means connecting said linkages for unison movement is a cross shaft extending from side to side of its chair beneath the seat between and secured to corresponding ones of said drive links.

Claim 12

In a reclining chair, a footrest mounted upon the ends of a pair of parallel rails, means for supporting said rails for endwise movement on the chair to extend the footrest from a stowed position on the chair body to a forward leg-supporting position, said supporting means guiding the rearward ends of the rails in a predetermined path and including at the front of the chair a bearing fulcrum engaging the rails to provide the forward support for said rails as the same move forward and back relative to said fulcrum to extend and retract the footrest, said fulcrum being supported on the chair for movement as an incident to reclining movement of the chair to lower the footrest relative to the front of the chair seat as the chair reclines.

Claim 13

In a reclining chair, a footrest mounted upon the ends of a pair of parallel rails, means for supporting said rails for endwise movement on the chair to extend the footrest from a stowed position on the chair body to a forward leg-supporting position, said supporting means guiding the rearward ends of the rails in a predetermined path and including at the front of the chair a bearing fulcrum engaging the rails to provide the forward support for said rails as the same move forward and back relative to said fulcrum to extend and retract the footrest, said fulcrum being supported on the chair for movement as an incident to reclining movement of the chair to lower the footrest relative to the front of the chair seat as the chair reclines.

Claim 14

A chair in accordance with claim 10 in which said bearing fulcrum at the front of the chair comprises a roller supporting an undersurface of each rail, and the footrest is lowered by shifting the roller axis by the relative movement of the chair parts in the reclining movement.

Claim 15

A chair in accordance with claim 11 wherein each rail is supported by its own fulcrum roller which in turn is supported on the chair by a shiftable link connected by yet another link to one of the chair parts movable relative to the swing axis of said shiftable roller-support link by the reclining movement of the chair.

Claim 16

A chair in accordance with claim 10 wherein said supporting means are separately provided for each rail and are secured to the chair seat, each said supporting means also comprising a guide track secured to the seat and a roller mounted at the rear of each rail and confined in said track, said bearing fulcrum comprising a flanged roller journalled on link means suspended from the forward portion of the seat, said link means also having a flanged guide roller journalled thereon above said rail, the flanges of said rollers engaging the rails to provide lateral stability thereto during said endwise movement and when extended, said suspension link means normally extending forwardly as well as downwardly from the seat, and an adjusting link connecting said suspension link means to a portion of the chair movable relative to the seat and drawing said suspension link means rearwardly upon recline of the seat to lower the footrest as aforesaid.

Claim 17

A chair in accordance with claim 13 wherein said suspension link means is a pair of links flanking the fulcrum roller and upper guide roller, the chair seat upon recline of the back is movable forwardly and upwardly relative to the chair base by an overslung link pivoted between the base and the seat, and wherein said connecting link is connected between said roller-flanking suspension links and said overslung seat support link.