A doctor-patient seating arrangement as might for example be used by a chiropractor during examination of a patient's back is disclosed in a form having a single base or pedestal from which a pair of upright seat support members extend with each upright member providing a degree of vertical adjustability to its respective supported seat. The seats themselves are of the backless variety, i.e., stools with the patient's stool being swivelable centrally about its upright support member while the doctor's stool is supported on an obliquely extending arm so as to be movable in an arc around the other upright support member. The other upright support member is located near the patient's back so that the doctor may move in an arc about the patient examining the sides as well as the central portion of the patient's back. The adjustment range of the patient's stool is elevated somewhat above the adjustment range of the doctor's stool so that the doctor is properly positioned to examine the patient regardless of the particular physical traits of doctor or patient.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to adjustable height stool 
arrangements and more particularly to a dual stool configuration for the 
tandem seating of a doctor and patient. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The conventional technique for patient examination in a chiropractic office 
is for the patient to lay on a conventional chiropractor's table with the 
doctor straddling that table during examination. Such a technique is both 
awkward and tiring for the doctor particularly when the doctor examines a 
large number of patients each day. Examination techniques with the patient 
in a vertical attitude have not met with widespread acceptance since this 
technique requires that the patient's head be elevated somewhat above that 
of the doctor resulting in an inconvenient or uncomfortable position for 
one or the other. Further, neither the conventional chiropractor's table 
nor the heretofore attempted vertical attitude examination schemes allowed 
the doctor to maintain an unawkward and comfortable position while at the 
same time providing him with the requisite mobility for a complete 
examination. It would be highly desirable to provide a relatively 
economical yet extremely sturdy tandem seating examination arrangement and 
particularly such an arrangement which was adjustable independently for 
doctor and patient and capable of comfortably locating the doctor relative 
to the patient in an easily selectable relative position. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the 
achievement of the aforementioned goals and avoidance of the 
aforementioned deficiencies; the provision of a tandem examination 
arrangement which comfortably accommodates both doctor and patient while 
facilitating the doctor's examination of the patient; the provision of a 
doctor-patient seating arrangement which allows the doctor to pivot about 
an axis closely adjacent the patient's back; and the provision of a dual 
stool doctor-patient examination arrangement wherein the patient's head is 
elevated somewhat above that of the doctor and the doctor may freely move 
around a limited arc to inspect the sides as well as the center of the 
patient's back while both remain seated. These as well as other objects 
and advantageous features of the present invention will be in part 
apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
In general, a tandem examination stool arrangement includes a pair of 
adjustable elevation stools supported on a common pedestal with the 
patient's stool being fixed relative to a central axis and the doctor's 
stool being pivotable about a vertical axis which lies intermediate the 
doctor and patient seating positions. 
Also in general and in one form of the invention, a seating arrangement 
includes a unitary base with first and second upright seat support members 
affixed thereto with one stool supported in vertical alignment with the 
first support and another stool laterally spaced from the second support 
with an oblique seat support arm interconnecting the second stool and 
second upright support member in a pivotal arrangement about the axis of 
the support member. Preferably the vertical seat support member allow 
independent adjustment of the elevations of the two stools within ranges 
with the maximum elevation of the stool to receive a patient exceeding a 
maximum elevation of the doctor's stool.

The exemplifications set out herein illustrate a preferred embodiment of 
the invention in one form thereof and such exemplifications are not to be 
construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure or the scope of the 
invention in any manner. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings generally, the doctor-patient seating arrangement 
of the present invention includes a first padded backless seat or stool 11 
for seating a patient and a second stool 13 for seating a doctor during 
examination of the patient. The two stools 11 and 13 are supported on a 
common pedestal which includes an "H" shaped base 15, upright seat support 
members 17 and 19 and an oblique seat support arm 21. Stool 11 is fixed 
with respect to the axis of the upright member 17 while stool 13 is free 
to execute an arc about the axis of the upright support member 19 with 
both stools being vertically adjustable as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 
1 and 4. In use, the doctor would be seated on stool 13 while the patient 
is seated on stool 11, both facing toward the left as viewed in FIG. 1, 
and preferably with the patient's head elevated somewhat above that of the 
examining doctor. The mechanisms employed to vertically adjust the stools 
11 and 13, diagonal bracing and other features of the dual stool pedestal 
arrangement are perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 2. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, the upright support member 17 for supporting the 
patient's stool 11 may be of the type which provides a continuous 
adjustment throughout its range, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 2,872,223 and 2,961,260. Briefly, this arrangement allows the stool 
11 to be raised to a desired height and then a slight downward pressure 
thereon causes a clutching mechanism 22 to engage the inner side walls of 
an outer post or tube 20 of the telescoped pair of tubes 20 and 23 holding 
post 23 at the desired elevation. Raising to stool to its upper extreme 
causes release of the clutching mechanism 22 and the stool may be lowered 
to its lower extreme and the process repeated. On the other hand, upright 
support member 19, which supports the doctor's stools 13, may be of the 
variety providing selectable discrete steps of adjustment, as for example 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,236. Briefly, this adjusting arrangement 
employs inner and outer telescopically nested posts 25 and 27 with a 
series of cross-openings 29 for receiving a locking pin or plunger 31. In 
one preferred form, the openings 29 include a lip 30 and the locking pin 
31 includes a protrusion 32 to insure that the release handle 33 is not 
accidentally actuated when the stool is in use. Guide rings 35 within the 
outer post or tube 25 are helpful in stabilizing the post 27. 
The upright seat support member 17 and 19 are interconnected by diagonal 
brace members 37 and 39 with a further member 41 directly behind member 39 
as viewed in FIG. 2. The diagonal braces 39 and 41 are welded to the "H" 
shaped pedestal base as better seen in FIG. 3 and extend diagonally 
upwardly to engage an upper portion of the post 25. Diagonal brace 37 
extends further upwardly from the point of attachment of the diagonals 39 
and 41 to engage an upper portion of the patient's support post 21. These 
diagonal members provide enhanced rigidity to the examination stool. 
A swiveling or pivotal motion for the patient's stool 11 is provided by a 
washer 43 resting on an enlarged portion of the post 23 with a similar 
washer 45 supporting bracket 47 which is attached as by bolts or screws 49 
to a portion 51 of the stool 11. Sandwiched between the washers 43 and 45 
is a bearing ring 53 or, for example, a nylon material to provide a smooth 
low friction pivotal motion to the stool 11. A conventional snap ring 55 
or similar arrangement may be provided to prevent the inadvertent removal 
of the stool 11 from post 23. 
A somewhat similar pivotal motion is provided to the flange 57 which 
supports obliquely extending arm 21 extending toward the doctor's seat 13. 
Thus, a nylon bearing ring 59 is sandwiched between the washers 61 and 63 
and the flange 57 held down on post 27 by a snap ring 65 or similar 
arrangement. The details of the base 15 of the pedestal arrangement are 
better understood by reference to FIG. 3. 
In FIG. 3, the base 15 is seen to include a generally "H" shaped frame of, 
for example, square tubular portions 67 and 69 having free ends and 
spanned near their middle portions by a further tubular portion 71. Floor 
engaging feet such as 73 and 75 are positioned one each near the "H" free 
ends and one near the center of the cross-member 71. 
The upper extremes of adjustments of the stools 11 and 13 as illustrated in 
FIG. 4 with the inner posts 23 and 27 visible as compared to FIG. 1. For 
example, the stool 11 may have a range of adjustment of around eight (8) 
inches while stool 13 has an adjustment range of around six (6) inches in, 
for example, six discrete steps. From FIG. 4 it will be apparent that the 
head of a patient seated on stool 11 will be elevated above that of the 
doctor seated on stool 13, and referring to FIG. 5, it will be noted that 
the doctor's stool 13 pivots about the axis of the posts 27 and 25, 
allowing the doctor to examine the sides of a patient's back as well as 
the central portion thereof. The doctor's stool 13 could also be made to 
pivot about its own central axis, however, this has been found to 
typically be unnecessary and accordingly the stool 13 is fixed to the 
obliquely extending arm 21 and may include an upright brace member 77 if 
desired. 
From the foregoing it is now apparent that a novel dual stool examination 
arrangement allowing the tandem seating of a doctor and patient and a wide 
range of adjustments to suit the doctor as well as allowing him to move 
freely about the patient has been disclosed meeting the objects and 
advantageous features set out hereinbefore as well as others, and that 
modifications as to the precise configurations, shapes and details may be 
made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the 
spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as set out by the claims 
which follow.