US2654421A - Wheeled base for chairs - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1953 R. G. NEFF 2,654,421

WHEELED BASE FOR CHAIRS Filed June 9, 1949 C"). Ca 34 1 32 2a /0 F ig.

man 30 nmll i him Inventor Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEELED BASE FOR CHAIRS Roy G. Neil, Burlington, Iowa Application June 9, 1949, Serial No. 98,047

2 Claims. (01. 155188) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in chairs, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate wheeling of any conventional chair along the floor so that any such chair may be used by invalids as a wheel chair, or that any such chair may be easily moved along the floor Without scraping or scratching, as though it were especially equipped with Wheels or casters.

The above mentioned object is achieved by the provision of a wheeled base which is adapted to be attached to the lower ends of the legs of any conventional chair, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of means for adjusting the base members so as to accommodate diiferent chairs having legs spaced differently, both in the front-to-back and side-to-side directions.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of chair leg attaching brackets on the base, these brackets being so arranged that they readily accommodate chair legs having a circular or a polygonal cross-section.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one of the base members;

Figure 3 is an under side plan View of a base member;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective detail showing the attachment of a chair leg to one of the base member brackets; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 6-45 in Figure 5.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a wheeled base for chairs, this being designated generally by the reference character Iii and consisting of a pair of base members I2, Hi disposed in X- shaped formation, as is best shown in Figure 1.

The base members [2, i i are similar in construction, so that a description of one will suflice for both.

Each of these base members consists of a pair of overlapped and longitudinally adjustable sections It, 52!, the section [3 being provided with a longitudinal slot 2!! to accommodate a plurality of bolts 22 provided on the section it, so that the sections l6, It may be slid together or apart, so as to correspondingly decrease or increase the overall length of the base member, whereby longitudinal adjustment of the base member is facilitated. Needless to say, the bolts 22 are equipped with suitable wing nuts 26, for obvious reasons.

The outer end portions of the sections l6, l8 are flattened, as at 28, and are provided with substantially U-shaped bumper strips or guards 28 so that the invention does not damage other articles of furniture or walls with which it may come into contact, and it is to be noted that a suitable swivel caster assembly 30 is mountedon the under side of each of the portions 26 of the base member sections l6, 18, as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawings.

The portions 26 are also provided, on the upper surfaces thereof, with upwardly extending brackets in the form of angles 32, these being adapted to accommodate a chair leg, either of a circular cross-section as indicated at 34, or of a polygonal cross-section as shown at 36. To this end, the webs of the angles 32 are formed with apertures 38 and the portion of the angle at the junction of the webs is also provided with an additional aperture 49, these apertures being adapted to selectively receive a fastening bolt 42 which is preferably inserted in the apertures so when the invention is applied to a chair having round legs, or in either of the apertures 38 when the invention is applied to a chair having square egs.

In any event, the brackets or angles 32 and the bolt 42 facilitate secure attachment of the base members l2, Hi to the legs of the chair, regardless of the spacing of the legs in front-'to-back and side-to-side direction, it being understood that the members IE, it merely cross each other but are not actually secured together.

The only major distinction between the base members I2, Hi is that the outer end portions of the sections of the base member it are downwardly offset as indicated at 44 in Figure 1, so that the chair leg attaching brackets of the 3 base are disposed at the same level when the several casters rest on the floor.

Finally, it is to be noted that the angles 32 are secured to the members l2, M at points spaced inwardly from the casters 3!], so that the casters are disposed outside the legs to assure proper stability of the chair.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with a chair including four legs, a Wheeled base comprising a pair Gf'il'lr dependent and disconnected base members, disposed in overlying X-shaped formation by virtue of their attachment to diagonally opposed chair legs, the upper of said members being provided with a downwardly offset portion adjacent eachend thereof whereby the portion intermediatethe offsets will clear the lowermember, chair leg mounting brackets provided onthe upper surfaces of said members at points spaced inwardly from the ends of the latter, elements securing the chair legs to the respective brackets whereby end portions of said members project outwardly beyond the chair legs, and casters provided on the under side of the-projecting end portionsof said members.

2. A wheeled base for chairs comprising a. pair. of independent and disconnected base. members 4 disposed in overlying X-shaped formation by virtue of their attachment to diagonally opposed chair legs, the upper of said members being provided with a downwardly offset portion adjacent each end thereof whereby the portion intermediate the ofisets will clear the lower member, each of said members including a first and second section, means longitudinally adjustably attaching said sections of each member to each other adjacent" the ends thereof; a caster carried by the underside ofeach of said sections adjacent the outer ends thereof, an L-shaped member attached to the upper surfaces of each of said sectionsinwardly of said casters, and means carried by said L-shaped members for detachably securing the" legs of a chair thereto.

ROY G. NEFF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 175,259 Selman et a1. Mar; 28, 1876- 226,997 Green et al. Apr. 27, 1880' 849,999 Hendricks Apr. 9, 1907' 1,178,527 'Lernan Apr. 11, 1916' 1,322,719 Nelson Nov. 25, 1919 2,558,144 McComi-e June 26, 1951 2,578,488 Placerean Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date 6%, 192 Germany. Aug. 2, 19.40.

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