US 5,288,128 AGranted

Reclining theater seating

AssigneeHussey Seating Company

InventorsKenneth E. Smith, David L. Sutter

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Abstract

A reclining chair suitable for use in theaters or the like is provided wherein the backrest and seat are mounted upon spaced-apart wings having a substantially inverted, truncated, right triangular shape. The wings are respectively pivotally mounted to the inner sides of a pair of spaced-apart stanchions such that in the upright position of the chair the axis upon which the seat is mounted to the wings is located close to and substantially directly vertically above the axis upon which the wings are pivotally mounted to the respective stanchions. Stops are provided on the stanchions which interact with stop engaging surfaces on the wings to limit the forward and the downward and rearward travel of the backrest and seat. The attachment of the wings to the stanchions also is spring loaded in a manner which assures the return of the backrest and seat to their upright position when the chair is unoccupied and provides maximum spring resistance to the rotation of the wing about its pivotal attachment to the wing upon an individual occupying the chair and leaning back against the backrest. The chair thereby avoids the tendency of prior chairs to move backwardly and downwardly immediately upon being occupied by the provision of a simple, safe and easily repaired structure.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A reclining chair suitable for use in theaters and the like comprising:

a pair of spaced-apart stanchions;
a backrest;
a seat;
and,
a pair of spaced-apart mounting wings;
each of said stanchions comprising an inner side facing the other of said stanchions and stop means projecting inwardly from said inner side;
each of said mounting wings comprising a substantially flat element having a substantially inverted, truncated, right triangular shape including an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge extending substantially normally between said upper and lower edges, and a second side edge extending at an angle between said upper and lower edges, and first and second stop engagement means;
one of said mounting wings being pivotally attached in spring loaded relation to a corresponding location on said inner side of each of said stanchions, said pivotal attachments being made at corresponding first points on said wings located substantially adjacent the corner formed by said lower edge and said first side edge and at a preselected distance normally from said first side edge such that each of said wings is correspondingly rotatable relative to its associated stanchion between (i) a first, normal position wherein said stop means engages said first stop engagement means and said first side edge is disposed substantially vertically, and (ii) a second, reclined position wherein said stop means engages said second stop engagement means and said first side edge is tilted at an angle to the vertical;
said backrest being supported between said second side edges of said wings;
and,
said seat being supported on an axis extending between corresponding second points on said wings located substantially immediately above said first points and a normal distance from said first side edges substantially equal to said preselected distance.

8 more elements

An array of reclining chairs suitable for use in theaters and the like comprising a plurality of rows of chairs extending between aisles, each said row including a pair of aisle end stanchions and a plurality of spaced-apart center stanchions therebetween, each said chair comprising:

a pair of spaced-apart stanchions;
a backrest;
a seat;
and,
a pair of spaced-apart mounting wings;
each of said stanchions comprising an inner side facing the other of said stanchions and stop means projecting inwardly from said inner side;
each of said mounting wings comprising a substantially flat element having a substantially inverted, truncated, right triangular shape including an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge extending substantially normally between said upper and lower edges, and a second side edge extending at an angle between said upper and lower edges, and first and second stop engagement means;
one of said mounting wings being pivotally attached in spring loaded relation to a corresponding location on said inner side of each of said stanchions, said pivotal attachments being made at corresponding first points on said wings located substantially adjacent the corner formed by said lower edge and said first side edge and at a preselected distance normally from said first side edge such that each of said wings is correspondingly rotatable relative to its associated stanchion between (i) a first, normal position wherein said stop means engages said first stop engagement means and said first side edge is disposed substantially vertically, and (ii) a second, reclined position wherein said stop means engages said second stop engagement means and said first side edge is tilted at an angle to the vertical;
said backrest being supported between said second side edges of said wings;
and,
said seat being supported on an axis extending between corresponding second points on said wings located substantially immediately above said fist points and a normal distance from said first side edges substantially equal to said preselected distance.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.