Rocking couch, chaise, lounge, recliner, chair or relaxer

Claim 1

A reclining, rocking article of furniture comprising: a frame member including a back rest portion and a seat rest portion, said portions being integrally jointed to form a continuous curved back and bottom surface upon which the article may rock and recline and further forming a top and front surface adapted to support a human body in a sitting position, either upright or reclined; a first enclosed cavity situated within the interior of said seat rest portion of the frame member; a second enclosed cavity situated within the interior of said back rest portion of the frame member; a tube means situated within the interior of the frame interconnecting the first and second enclosed cavities; a flowable ballast of relatively high density filling some but significantly less than all of the combined volumes of the first enclosed cavity, the ballast flowing through the tube means between the cavities under the force of gravity; and valve means situated within the tube means so as to fill a segment of the tube means for controlling the relative distribution of the ballast between the first enclosed cavity and the second enclosed cavity, the valve means including an open condition under which the ballast freely flows through the tube means and under which the distribution of ballast may be adjusted by altering the relative heights of the first and second enclosed cavities and a closed condition under which no ballast may flow in either direction through the valve means or the tube means, and valve control means for selecting said open condition or said closed condition, said valve control means being accessible from the exterior of the frame.