Auditorium chair

Abstract

A chair particularly useful for an auditorium utilizes spherical bearings to mount the bottom of the chair to upright standards. The spherical bearing includes a base portion and a top portion that are secured to the chair bottom to hold the spherical bearing roller. An axle extends through each standard to engage the bearings to support adjacent chairs. The axles are threaded to receive a nut to secure the axles to the standards.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A chair comprising a seat portion and a back portion, said seat portion being supported between opposed standards for vertical rotational motion and said back portion being supported between said opposed standards with selective angular adjustment of the vertical angle of the back portion, said back portion having a lower edge that is engaged by a rear edge of said seat portion when said seat portion is in a use position and the vertical position of said lower edge being a function of said vertical angle, whereby the orientation of said seat portion is determined by said vertical angle of said back portion.  
     
     
         2 . A chair according to  claim 1  wherein said seat portion includes a counterweight that tends to rotate said seat portion to a generally vertical orientation when no user is present in said chair.  
     
     
         3 . A chair according to  claim 2  wherein said seat portion is supported on horizontal shafts extending from said standards, said shafts engaging spherical bearings on said seat portion.  
     
     
         4 . A row of chairs comprising a plurality of chairs and a plurality of standards wherein each of said chairs comprises a seat portion and a back portion and adjacent chairs are separated by a said standard having an axle extending through said standard and extending outward from each side of the standard to engage a spherical bearing on each respective seat portion of each adjacent chair.  
     
     
         5 . A row of chairs according to  claim 4  wherein said axle comprises a rod having a threaded central portion to receive a nut such that said rod can be inserted through a said standard and secured thereto by said nut.  
     
     
         6 . A row of chairs according to  claim 4  wherein said spherical bearing comprises a bearing base, a bearing top, and a substantially spherical bearing roller, said bearing base forming a portion of a spherical race for said bearing roller and said bearing top forming a portion of said spherical race, said bearing base being received in said bearing top to form said spherical race.  
     
     
         7 . A row of chairs according to  claim 6  wherein said seat portion includes a bottom surface and said bearing top secures said bearing base to said bottom surface so that the forces applied to said seat portion are applied directly to said bearing base through said bottom surface.  
     
     
         8 . The row of chairs of  claim 4 , wherein each back portion of each chair includes opposed brackets and each bracket is mounted to an adjacent standard for angular adjustment and a bottom of the back portion engages a rear part of the chair bottom.  
     
     
         9 . The row of chairs of  claim 4 , wherein the row is curved such that said axles standards are not parallel.  
     
     
         10 . A row of chairs according to  claim 4  wherein each said axle includes a central threaded portion and at least one nut for securing said axle to a said standard.  
     
     
         11 . A row of chairs according to  claim 4  further comprising a retaining clip engaging said axle and maintaining the position of a spherical bearing on said axle.  
     
     
         12 . A row of chairs according to  claim 4  further comprising compression spring means between a standard and a seat bottom.  
     
     
         13 . A row of chairs according to  claim 12  further comprising a spacer between said standard and said seat bottom.  
     
     
         14 . A bearing comprising a bearing base, a bearing top and a bearing roller, wherein said bearing roller is generally spherical, said bearing base includes a portion of a generally spherical race and a bottom surface and said beating top includes a portion of a generally spherical race for cooperating with said bearing base to form a generally spherical race for receiving said bearing roller, and wherein said bearing top is configured to secure said bottom surface to a cooperating surface of an object to be supported.  
     
     
         15 . A bearing according to  claim 14  wherein said bearing base and said bearing top are of molded plastic and said bearing base fits into said bearing top such that said bearing top is forced to deform when securing said bearing base to said cooperating surface.