Foldable caster chair for the handicapped
OwnerJoseph A. Gagliardiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rigid, generally rectangular seat has front and rear leg assemblies pivotally connected thereto, so that the seat can be folded upwardly toward the rear leg assembly, and the front leg assembly can be folded beneath the seat. A pair of L-shaped arms is pivotally mounted on the rear leg assembly, one on each side, and the lower ends of the generally vertical portions of said arms are alignable with the front leg assembly when the chair is erect, and carry locking means thereon engageable with a locking means carried by the upper ends of the front legs. The L-shaped arms hold the chair in its erect position, but either can be released and swung aside to allow sideways movement of a person entering or leaving the seat.
Claims10
A foldable caster chair for use by the handicapped, comprising:
- a rigid, generally rectangular seat member having first bearing means on each of its opposite front corners, and second bearing means on each of its opposite rear corners;
- a front leg assembly, including a pair of front legs each having third bearing means thereon near their upper end, said third bearing means being engaged with said first bearing means to pivotally mount said front leg assembly to the front corners of said seat member, so that said front leg assembly can be folded backwardly beneath said seat member;
- a rear leg assembly, including a pair of rear legs, said rear legs being substantially longer than said front legs and each having fourth bearing means centrally thereon, said fourth bearing means being engaged with said second bearing means to pivotally mount said rear leg assembly to the rear corners of said seat member, so that said seat member can be folded upwardly toward said rear leg assembly;
- a pair of L-shaped arms, each including a generally horizontal portion and a generally vertical portion;
- means pivotally mounting the outer end of the generally horizontal portion of each of said L-shaped arms on the upper portion of one of said rear legs, said L-shaped arms being of a length so that the lower ends of the generally vertical portions thereof are alignable with said front legs when both of said front leg assembly and said rear leg assembly are in an erect position relative to said seat member, and said L-shaped arms being pivotally mounted to swing in a generally horizontal plane when said front and rear leg assemblies are in said erect position, from a position wherein said generally vertical portions of said L-shaped arms are generally aligned with their respective front legs to a position wherein said L-shaped arms present no obstacle to the sideways movement of a person entering or leaving said seat member;
- first locking means on the upper ends of said front legs;
- second locking means on the lower ends of said generally vertical portions of said L-shaped arms, releasably engageable with said first locking means to releasably secure said rigid seat member, said front leg assembly and said rear leg assembly in said erect position;
- and
- caster wheels mounted on the lower ends of each of said front legs and said rear legs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.