Adjustable support devices for swivel chairs

Claim 1

In an adjustable support device for a swivel chair, of the type comprising inner and outer telescopic tubes having an axis arranged, in use, to extend vertically with the seat part of the chair mounted at the upper end of one of said tubes, said one tube being rotatable and the other tube being stationary, bearing means, a screw rotatably mounted within the inner and outer tubes on the axis of the tubes by said bearing means which permits the screw to rotate about a vertical axis, a nut rigid with the said one tube and engaged with the screw, said screw being mounted for vertical movement, spring means biasing said screw into an upper limit position, and friction clutch means comprising a first friction member carried by the screw, and a second, stationary, friction member, said first friction member engaging said second friction member in the upper limit position of the screw in order to prevent the screw from rotating whereby rotation of the nut relative to the screw in this position effects adjustment of the seat height, and said clutch means being released by downwards movement of the screw from its upper limit position by a vertical load applied when the chair is occupied, the improvement comprising a drag-applying member mounted on the screw and resiliently engaging the interior surface of the said one tube to apply a continuous but limited frictional drag between the screw and the nut, said drag being less than the force exerted by the engaged friction members of the clutch means to prevent rotation of the screw in the upper limit position, but said drag being sufficient to ensure that the screw and the nut rotate as a unit when the said one tube is swivelled with the chair occupied, the drag-applying member being of annular section and being interposed between the screw and the said one tube, and being split axially to provide the resilient bias.