Convertible seating apparatus and stretcher

Abstract

 A fold-up seat including a seat frame (18) and a backrest frame (10) which are pivotally connected to one another. The seat proper and the backrest are constituted by canvas or fabric (34,38) extending between side members (12,20) of the frame. Shoulder straps (46) are provided to enable the folded-up seat to be carried on the back of the user and a bag (48) is suspended from a bar (28) of one of the frames. Also disclosed is a fold-up stretcher having shoulder straps and a bag.

Description

[0001] THIS INVENTION relates to conbrtible seating and sleeping apparatus.

[0002] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat comprising a seat frame including side members with a seat clement extending therebetween, a backrest frame including side members with a backrest element extending therebetween, assemblies pivotally connecting the backrest frame to the seat frame so that the backrest frame can pivot between an operative position in which it extends upwardly from the seat frame and an inoperative position in which it overlies the seat frame, and shoulder straps for enabling the seat to be carried while in its inoperative condition.

[0003] A container can be releasably secured to one of said frames.

[0004] Said container can be in the form of an upwardly open bag having handles which permit it to be carried once it has been detached from the seat frame or the backrest frame.

[0005] The bag may include means for closing the mouth thereof.

[0006] The seal frame preferably includes front and rear legs depending from the side members thereof, and cross bars connecting the lower ends of the two front jegs and the lower ends of the two rear legs. Said container can be connected to said cross bar which connects the rear legs. Said shoulder straps can be secured to the last mentioned cross bar and to attachments secured to the seat frame in the region where the side members of the seat frame and said front legs merge.

[0007] The backrest frame can comprise a cross bar joining said side members at the ends thereof which, in the operative condition of the seat, are uppermost.

[0008] The backrest element and the seat element can both be pieces of fabric such as canvas.

[0009] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a stretcher comprising two end frames and a central frame between the two end frames, the central frame comprising two laterally spaced side members, a leg depending from each end of each side member, and a piece of fabric extending between said side members, and each end frame including side members and a piece of fabric extending between said side members, there being assemblies pivotally connecting each end frame to the central frame in such manner that said end frames are pivotable between operative positions in which they extend in oppcsite directions from said central frame and inoperative positions in which they both overlie said central frame and shoulder straps for enabling said stretcher to be carried when in its inoperative position.

[0010] A container can be releasably secured to one of the frames of the stretcher.

[0011] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a backrest frame,

Figure 2 is a pictorial view of a seat frame,

Figure 3 is a pictorial view of a seat constructed from the frames of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 3 also showing a bag,

Figure 4 is a pictorial view of the seat of Figure 3 in a carrying condition, Figure 4 also showing the bag,

Figure illustrates one of the arrangements which closes the bag,

Figure 6 is a pictorial view of a stretcher,

Figure 7 is an 'exploded' view of the stretcher of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 shows the stretcher in collapsed form.

[0012] The backrest frame 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises a pair of side members 12 and a cross bar 14 which joins the members 12. At the free end of each of the members 12 there is a member 16 which includes a sleeve 16.1 and a fork 16.2. The members 12 are received in the sleeves 16.1 and secured therein by means of headed cross pins 16.3 which are burred-over after insertion.

[0013] The seat frame 18 illustrated in Figure 2 comprises two side members 20 with legs 22 and 24 extending downwardly from each end thereof. The members 20 have a slight downward slope from front to rear and the legs 22 are normal to the members 20. Thus these legs are at a slight angle with rc:s_Pecc to vertical. The legs 24 are at approximately 45 degrees with respect to vertical and it will be seen from Figure 2 that the legs 24 slope rearwardly and downwardly from the members 20. A cross bar 26 joins the lower ends of the legs 22 and a further cross bar 28 joins the lower ends of the legs 24.

[0014] The frames 10 and 18 are each constituted by a single piece of tubing bent to the desired shape. The two ends of the length of tubing forming the frame 18 abut at the centre of the cross bar 28. A connector 30 of cylindrical form, and which may be tubular or solid, is entered in the abutting ends of the length of tubing. This element prevents the abutting ends moving laterally with respect to one another. To prevent the abutting ends moving apart, an arch-like link 32 is riveted to each tube end. The link 32 has a further function which will be described hereinafter.

[0015] A rectangular piece of material 34 (Figure 1) such as canvas has its vertical edges turned over on themselves and stitched at 36 to form two sleeves. The members 12 pass through these sleeves and the material 34 extends from adjacent the cross bar 14 to adjacent the members 16. Similarly, a rectangular piece of material 38 (Figure 2) has its longitudinal edges turned over on themselves and stitched as shown at 40 to form two sleeves. The side members 20 pass through these sleeves. The material. 38 extends from adjacent the legs 24 to the upper portions of the legs 22. Thus the front edge of the material 38 is curved downwardly. This avoids the creation of an edge which could cut into the thighs of a person sitting on the seat.

[0016] The frames 10 and 18 arc pivotally connected together by means of two headed pins 42 (Figure 2). The side members 20 are received between the tines of the forks 16.2 and the pins 42 pass through the tines and through the frame 18 just forwardly of the regions where the side members 20 merge with the legs 24.

[0017] The frame 10 can be displaced, about the common axes of the pins 42, from an operative position to a collapsed position. In the operative position (Figure 3), the lower ends of the sleeves 16.1 bear against the top faces of the members 20, and the members 12 are substantially at right angles with respect to the members 20. In the inoperative position (Figure 4), the members 12 lie substantially parallel to the members 20. The legs 22 and 24 project, in this condition, to one side of the composite structure constituted by the members 12 and 20 and the material 34 and 38.

[0018] Attachments 44 (not shown in Figure 2) are riveted to the members 20 adjacent the legs 22. A shoulder strap 46 is releasably secured to each attachment 44. In the preferred form, each attachment 44 comprises a pair of base members superposed on one another and riveted to the member 20. Each base member comprises a piece of sheet metal which is bent over on itself. The bend in the material is not flattened but instead forms a sleeve through which a ring is passed. The rings are pivotally displaceable in their sleeves with respect to the base members and with respect to each other. The strap passes through each ring and then back on itself to pass outsjde one of the rings and through the other ring. While the strap can readily be unthreaded to remove it, a force exerted thereon tends to pull one ring against the other and prevent the strap being detached.

[0019] The end of each strap 46 remote from the attachment 44 is turned back on itself and sewn to form a loop. The cross bar 28 passes through these loops and the loops themselves pass between the cross bar 28 and the arch-like link 32. This arrangement prevents motion of the straps along the cross bar 28 away from the central position.

[0020] When the frame 10 is in its collapsed condition as described above, the user can put his arms between the straps 46 and the composite structure referred to and can carry the entire unit on his back. The piece of material 34 is against the wearer's back and the legs 22 and 24 project away from the wearer.

[0021] A gusset bag 48 (Figures 3, 4 and 5) is formed with two carrying handles 50 each of which projects upwardly from one of the major walls of the bag. These handles lie one on each side of the upwardly open mouth of the bag. Sewn to one of the major walls of the bag arc two loops 52 and sewn to the other major wall of the bag arc two further loops 54. Only one loop 52 and one loop 54 are illustrated in Figure 5. Each loop 54 passes through a slot in a toggle 56 of synthetic plastics material. The toggles 56, when pushed through the loops 52, serve not only to close the mouth of the bag but also to suspend the bag from the crossbar 28. It will be noted that, in the condition illustrated in Figure 4, the suspended bag lies in the space bounded, at its upper end, by the cross bar 28 and legs 24 and, at its lower end, by the cross bar 26 and legs 22.

[0022] A relatively stiff insert of cardboard or the like can be provided at the lower end of the bag. This rests on the cross bar 26 and legs 22 and enables the bag to contain heavy objects without the entire mass being applied to the toggles and loops which are supporting the bag on the upper cross bar 28.

[0023] The stretcher illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 comprises two end frames 64 and 66 and a central frame 68. The central frame 68 is similar to the frame 18 and includes side members 20.1, legs 22.1 and 24.1, and cross bars 26.1 and 28.1. A piece of material 38.1 extends between the side members 20.1.

[0024] Each frame 64 and 66 is similar to the frame 10 and comprises side members 12.1 and 12.2 respectively with pieces of material 34.1 extending between the side members 12.1 and 12.2.

[0025] The frame 66 has legs 66.1 joined by a cross bar 66.2, and the frame 64 has legs 64.1 but no cross bar.

[0026] Two members 16.4 serve pivotally to connect the frame 64 to the central frame 68. The sleeves of the members 16.4 (which members are the same as the members 16 described above) receive the side members 12.1 and the side members 20.1 are entered between the tines of the forks of the members 16.4. The side members 12.2 of the frame 66 each have an aperture 70 therein (Figure 7) and the frame 68 has two apertures 72 where the legs 24.1 join the side members 20.1. The members 12.2 are sufficiently far apart to receive the side members 20.1 therebetween and pins or bolts 74 passed through the aligned apertures 70 and 72 serve pivotally to connect the frames 66 and 68.

[0027] Shoulder straps 46.1 are shown extending between attachments 44.1 on the members 20.1, these being a quick release mechanism or buckle at 76.

[0028] The arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be collapsed to the form shown in Figure 8 by swinging the end frames 64 and 66 about the members 16.4 and the pins or bolts 74 so that they overlie the central frame 68. The straps 46.1 must be disconnected from one another before the frames 64 and 68 can be moved and would, of course, remain dangling from the frame 68 while the stretcher was being used as a bed. A bag (not shown) can be suspended from the cross bar 26.1. This bag can be of the form described above.

[0029] When being carried, as shown in Figure 8, the bar 66.2 projects above the wearer's head and the legs 64.1 project forwardly on each side of his thighs.

Claims

1. A seat comprising a seat frame including side members with a seat element extending therebetween, a backrest frame including side members with a backrest element extending therebetween, assemblies pivotally connecting the backrest frame to the seat frame so that the backrest frame can pivot between an operative position in which it extends upwardly from the seat frame and an inoperative position in which it overlies the seat frame, and shoulder straps for enabling the scat to be carried while in its inoperative condition.

2. A seat according to claim 1, in which a container is releasably secured to one of said frames.

3. A seat according to claim 2, in which said container is in the form of an upwardly open bag having handles which permit it to be carried once it has been detached from the seat frame or the backrest frame.

4. A seat according to claim 3, in which the bag includes means for closing the mouth thereof.

5. A seat according to claim 2, in which the seat frame includes front and rear legs depending from the side members thereof, and cross bars connecting the lower ends of the two front legs and the lower ends of the two rear legs.

6. A seat as claimed in claim 5, wherein said container is connected to said cross bar which connects the rear legs.

7. A seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shoulder straps are secured to the last mentioned cross bar and to attachments secured to the seat frame in the region where the side members of the seat frame and said front legs merge.

8. A seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said backrest frame comprises a cross bar joining said side members at the ends thereof which, in the operative condition of the seat, are uppermost.

9. A stretcher comprising two end frames and a central frame between the two end frames, the central frame comprising two laterally spaced side members, a leg depending from each end of each side member, and a piece of fabric extending between said side members, and each end frame including side members and a piece of fabric extending between said side members, there being assemblies pivotally connecting each end frame to the central frame in such manner that said end frames are pivotable between operative positions in which they extend in opposite directions from said central frame and inoperative positions in which they both overlie said central frame, and shoulder straps for enabling said stretcher to be carried when in its inoperative position.

10. A stretcher as claimed in claim 9, wherein a container is releasably secured to one of said frames.

Drawing