Metal chair

Claim 2

A metal chair comrising: a seat frame forming a seat portion of the chair, said seat frame including a front portion, a back portion, and side portions interconnecting said front and back portions, a plurality of support legs depending from said frame, and countering means connected directly to one of said frame portions for resisting flexture of said frame in response to the application of a load thereupon, said countering means including a tensile rod whose ends terminate short of said support legs, and plural spacer portions for connecting said tensile rod directly to said one frame portion exclusive of connection to said support legs to space said tensile rod below said one frame portion in the region of maximum bending thereof, so that downward flexure of said front frame portion develops tensile forces in said tensile rod which resist such downward flexure.

Claim 3

A chair according to claim 1 wherein said one seat frame portion comprises said front frame portion; said tensile rod extending parallel to said seat front frame portion.

Claim 4

A chair according to claim 2 wherein said spacer portions are formed by integral curved extensions of said tensile rod.

Claim 5

A chair according to claim 3 wherein each of said integral curved extensions comprises: a first section that curves upwardly from an end of said tensile rod into welded connection with said front frame portion; a second section which extends downwardly toward said tensile rod, and a third section which curves upwardly into welded connection with said front frame portion.

Claim 6

A chair according to claim 4 wherein said third sections of said spacer portions are welded to one another.

Claim 7

A chair according to claim 1 wherein said front, back, and side frame portions are formed from angle members having leg sections forming a generally right angle in cross section, one leg section being directed horizontally inward toward the interior of said seat frame and the other leg section being directed vertically downward; said angle members being arranged to form a rectangle having four corners; a plurality of gusseting means disposed at each corner for connecting each support leg to a pair of intersecting ones of said frame portions; said gusseting means comprising: a pair of generally vertical gusset plate portions extending transversely to one another and intersecting to form a vertical interior angle, a pair of horizontal top flanges mounted at upper ends of said vertical plate portions and extending across segments of said horizontal leg sections of said pair of intersecting frame portions, a pair of bottom flanges connected to said vertical plate portions; said bottom flanges including: generally horizontal support portions disposed below said horizontal flanges in supporting engagement with the vertical leg sectIons of said pair of frame portions, and generally vertical support portions extending downwardly from said horizontal support portion and being spaced from one another to receive a support leg therebetween and to support said support leg with said support leg being rigidly coupled to said gusset means and nestingly seated within said vertical interior angle defined by said vertical plate portions.

Claim 8

A metal chair comprising: a rectangular first frame having front, side, and back frame portions formed from angle members each having leg sections forming a generally right angle in cross section, one leg section being directed vertically downward; said angle members being arranged to form a rectangle having four corners; a plurality of support legs extending downwardly from and supporting said first frame at the corners thereof; and a plurality of gusseting means disposed at each corner for connecting each support leg to a pair of intersecting ones of said frame portions, said gusseting means comprising: a pair of generally vertical gusset plate portions extending transversely to one another and intersecting to form a vertical interior angle, a pair of horizontal top flanges mounted at upper ends of said vertical plate portions and extending across segments of said horizontal leg sections of said pair of intersecting frame portions; a pair of bottom flanges connected to said vertical plate portions, said bottom flanges including: generally horizontal support portions disposed below said horizontal flanges in supporting engagement with the vertical leg sections of said pair of frame portions, and generally vertical support portions extending downwardly from said horizontal support portions and being spaced from one another to receive a support leg therebetween and to support said support leg with said support leg being rigidly coupled to said gusset means and nestingly seated within said vertical interior angle defined by said vertical plate portions.

Claim 9

A metal chair comprising: a rectangular first frame having front, side, and back frame portions formed from angle members each having leg sections forming a generally right angle in cross section, one leg section being directed vertically downward; said angle members being arranged to form a rectangle having four corners; a plurality of support legs extending downwardly from and supporting said first frame at the corners thereof; and a plurality of gusseting means disposed at each corner for connecting each support leg to a pair of intersecting ones of said frame portions, said gusseting means comprising: a pair of generally vertical gusset plate portions extending transversely to one another and intersecting to form a vertical interior angle, a pair of horizontal top flanges mounted at upper ends of said vertical plate portions and extending across segments of said horizontal leg sections of said pair of intersecting frame portions; a pair of bottom flanges connected to said vertical plate portions, said bottom flanges including: generally horizontal support portions disposed below said horizontal flanges in supporting engagement with the vertical leg sections of said pair of frame portions, and generally vertical support portions extending downwardly from said horizontal support portions and being spaced from one another to receive a support leg therebetween and to support said support leg with said support leg being rigidly coupled to said gusset means and nestingly seated within said vertical interior angle defined by said vertical plate portions.

Claim 10

A metal chair according to claim 7 wherein said gusset means is secured to said pair of intersecting frame portions by a pair of threaded fasteners extending through said vertical plate portions and said vertical leg sections of said frame portions; said support leg being rectangular in cross section and including a corner being conformably configured to said vertical interior angle in which it is nestingly seated.

Claim 11

A metal chair according to claim 7 wherein said bottom flanges each comprise generally arcuate shaped members, with the upper ends of said arcuate members curving generally horizontally to define said horizontal support portions, and with the lower ends of said arcuate members curving generally vertically to define said vertical support portions.

Claim 12

A chair as defined in claim 1 wherein: said first spacing means interconnect said tensile rod and said front portion of said seat frame to form a rigid, essentially triangular lattice therebetween, said lattice being symmetrical about a generally vertical axis passing through the midpoint of said front portion of said seat frame.

Claim 13

A chair as defined in claim 1 wherein: said first spacing means interconnect said tensile rod and said front portion of said seat frame to form a rigid, essentially rectilinear lattice therebetween, said lattice being symmetrical about a generally vertical axis passing through the midpoint of said front portion of said seat frame.

Claim 14

A chair as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a second frame forming a back of said chair against which an occupant may recline while seated on said seat frame, said second frame including generally upright members connected to said back portion of said seat frame and interconnected at the upper ends thereof by an elongated, top member; and a plurality of suspending means interconnecting said upright members, said elongated top members, and said back portion of said seat frame for suspending said back portion oF said seat frame and transferring at least a portion of the loads exerted on said back portion of said seat frame, incident to said loading of said chair, into those of said legs connected to said back portion of said seat frame, said suspending means comprising: a first hanger bar interconnected between one of said upright members and said back portion of said seat frame; a second hanger bar interconnected between another of said upright members and said back portion of said seat frame; a third hanger bar interconnected between said one upright member and said top member, and a fourth hanger bar interconnected between said other upright member and said top member.

Claim 15

A chair as defined in claim 12 wherein: said plurality of suspending bars interconnect said upright members, said elongated top member, and said back portion of said seat frame to form a triangular lattice symmetrical about a generally vertical axis passing through the midpoint of said second frame.

Claim 16

A chair as defined in claim 13 wherein said upright members include: terminal upright members each comprising a lateral end of said second frame and operable to flexurally resist loads imposed on said second frame; and intermediate upright members each located between said terminal uprights and operable to at least partially suspend said back portion of said first frame when subject to said loading.

Claim 17

A chair as defined in claim 13 further comprising: at least a pair of rigid arms each extending generally upwardly from a side portion of said first frame to a point intermediate the ends of a terminal upright member of said second frame.

Claim 18

A chair as defined in claim 4 further comprising: a slot in said top flange of each of said gusseting means supporting the intersection of back and side frame portions of said seat frame, said slot extending diagonally into the angle formed thereby; a solid, cylindrical pin rigidly connected to the interior of the intersection of said vertical leg sections of each pair of said intersecting side and back portions of said seat frame and extending upwardly through said slot of each of said gusseting means; and a rectangular, second frame forming a back of said chair against which an occupant may recline while seated on said seat frame, said second frame including a generally upright members each having a lower portion telescopable over one of said cylindrical pins to connect said seat and second frames.

Claim 19

A chair as defined in claim 7 wherein: each support leg supporting said first frame is bent about diagonal axes to diagonally splay said support leg relative to said gusseting means and said first frame.

Claim 20

A chair as defined in claim 7 further comprising: a slot in said top flange of each of said gusseting means supporting the intersection of back and side frame portions of said first frame, said, slot extending diagonally into said right angle formed thereby; a solid, cylindrical pin rigidly connected to the interior of the intersection of said vertical leg sections of each pair of said intersecting side and back frame portions of said first frame and extending upwardly through said slot of each of said gusseting means; and a rectangular, second frame forming a back of said chair against which an occupant may recline while seated on said first frame, said second frame including generally upright members each having a lower portion telescopable over one of said cylindrical pins to connect said first and second frames.