Retractable leg rest for a chair

A retractible leg rest for an aircraft chair which is stowed beneath the seat when not in use. The leg rest is mounted on a platform attached to an articulated frame mounted beneath the chair. The reticulated frame includes two quadrant plates which are pivoted at their centers about a horizontal bar extended beneath the front of the seat. The platform quadrant plates are connected by linkage arms and link members so that when the platform is drawn outward from beneath the chair, the quadrant members are swung upward by the link members and the linkage arms elevate the rear of the platform along an arcuate path which passes clear of the front of the seat of the chair so that the leg rest is brought into leg-support relationship with the seal of the chair. The angle of the leg rest to the seat is adjustable by means of an array of notches with quadrant members.

BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION 
Hitherto, leg rests for chairs have been of such shape and configuration 
that they could not be successfully used with aircraft chairs because of 
the limited space available in an aircraft. Moreover, there has been no 
solution to the problem that the leg rest must be clear of the chair when 
not in use. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a leg rest for a chair such as 
an aircraft chair which connected to an articulated frame so designed that 
the leg rest when not in use is stowed beneath the seat but which may be 
readily and simply drawn forward and upward for use. 
According to the invention there is provided a leg rest for a chair of the 
kind having a framework defining a pair of spaced apart support legs and a 
base for a seat, the base and the support legs forming a storage space 
beneath the seat which is accessible from the front of the chair, said leg 
rest comprising: 
(i) a pair of mounting brackets spaced apart by at least the width of the 
leg rest and adapted to be secured to the framework of the chair, 
(ii) a platform for supporting a leg rest cushion adapted to be stowed in 
the storage space beneath the seat when not in use and to be moved into 
adjustable leg-supporting relationship with the seat of the chair by an 
articulating frame which includes: 
(a) an off-set linkage arm at each side of the platform each linkage arm 
being pivotally connected at one end to one of the mounting brackets and 
at the other end to the rear of the platform, 
(b) a quadrant member on each side of the platform, each quadrant member 
being pivotally connected at its centre to any of the mounting brackets 
forward of the connection of the respective linkage arm, each quadrant 
member being located in the storage space when the platform is stowed 
there, 
(c) a link member connecting each linkage arm to the adjacent quadrant 
member so that movement of the linkage arms is transmitted as arcuate 
movement of the quadrant members, 
(d) a platform support roller extending inwardly from the forward arcuate 
extremity of each quadrant member and slidably engaged in a slot formed in 
the respective side of the platform, 
(e) a locking bar extending between the mounting brackets and beneath the 
arcuate periphery of the quadrant members and adapted to engage a 
corresponding pair of locking notches on the rear portion of the arcuate 
periphery of each quadrant member, and, 
(f) release means for disengaging the locking bar, 
the arrangement being such that when the platform is drawn forward from the 
storage space, the quadrant members are swung forward by the link members 
with the support rollers running rearward in the platform slots and the 
linkage arms elevate the rear of the platform along an arcuate path which 
passes clear of the front of the chair base so that the leg rest is 
brought into leg-support relationship with the seat of the chair, the 
angle of the platform to the seat being determined by the location of the 
locking notches on the quadrant members.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the leg rest 10 is used with a 
double aircraft chair in which each chair 11 has a framework 12 and panels 
13 defining a pair of spaced apart support legs 14, a base 15 for a seat 
16 and conventional side arms 17 and reclining back 18. The base 15 and 
the support legs 14 form a storage space 19 beneath the seat 16 which is 
accessible from the front of the chair. 
A pair of elongate mounting brackets 20 spaced apart by at least the width 
of the leg rest are secured together by channel 21 adapted to engage the 
framework of the chair 11. A platform 22 supports a leg rest cushion 23 
which is stowed in the storage space 19 beneath the seat when not in use 
(see FIG. 1) and moved into adjustable leg-supporting relationship with 
the seat 16 of the chair 11 by an articulated frame 24 when required. 
The articulated frame 24 includes an off-set linkage arm 25 at each side of 
the platform 22, each linkage arm being pivotally connected at one end 26 
to one of the mounting brackets 20 and at the other end 27 to the rear 28 
of the platform 22 by means of a rod 44. A quadrant member 29 is provided 
on each side of the platform 22 and each quadrant member 29 is pivotally 
connected at its centre 30 to one of the mounting brackets 20 forward of 
the connection 26 of the respective linkage arm by means of rod 31. Each 
quadrant member 29 is located in the storage space 19 when the platform 22 
is stowed there. 
A link member 32 connects each linkage arm 25 to the adjacent quadrant 
member 29 so that movement of the linkage arms 25 is transmitted as 
arcuate movement of the quadrant members 29. 
In this instance, each link member 32 is pivotally connected at one end 33 
to the linkage arm 25 and the other end 34 has a roller 35 which is 
engaged in an arcuate slot 36 in the upper portion of each quadrant member 
29. The roller 35 and slot 36 provide a measure of lost motion in the 
operation of the articulated frame 24 which ensures that the quadrant 
members 29 are fully located in the storage space 19 and allows sufficient 
clearance of the rear 28 of the platform 22 during movement of the rear of 
the platform adjacent the bottom front edge 37 of the base 15. 
A platform support roller 38 extends inwardly from the forward arcuate 
extremity 39 of each quadrant member 29 and slidably engages in a slot 40 
formed in the respective sides of the platform 22. A locking bar 41 
extends between the mounting brackets 20 and beneath the arcuate periphery 
42 of the quadrant members 29 and is adapted to engage a corresponding 
pair of a plurality of locking notches 43 on the rear portion 44 of the 
arcuate periphery 42 of each quadrant member 29. 
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the locking bar 41 is mounted on cross bar 48 
which projects through the lower portion of each mounting bracket 20 to 
provide support for bracket means 49 used to secure the leg rest to the 
framework of the chair 11. 
A release lever 50 is provided at each end of the locking bar 41 which is 
biased upwardly by the spring 51 (see FIG. 3). 
To operate the leg rest, the platform 22 and cushion 23 are drawn forward 
from the storage space 19 whereupon the quadrant members 29 are swung 
forward by the link members 32 with the support rollers 38 running 
rearward in the platform slots 40. The linkage arms 25 elevate the rear 28 
of the platform 22 along an arcuate path which passes clear of the front 
edge 37 of the chair base 15 so that the leg rest 10 is brought into 
leg-support relationship with the seat of the chair, the angle of the 
platform to the seat being determined by the location of the locking bar 
in the locking notches on the quadrant members. To stow the leg rest, the 
release levers 50 are pressed forward.