Folding chair
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A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size, and can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart.
It can be combined with a folding table.
Uses
Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as
Folding chairs are also used in the home for any situation requiring extra seating. This includes parties, card games, and temporary seating at the dinner table. It can be combined with a folding table.
History
Folding chairs or stools were used as seating in the Mediterranean area in the 15th–13th century BC.
Folding chairs were already used in the Nordic Bronze Age, Ancient Egypt, Minoan Greece and Ancient Rome. The frame was mostly made of wood, and seldom made of metal. The wood was inlaid with artistic carvings, gilded, and decorated with ivory. In Northern Europe, the remains of more than 18 folding chairs are known dating back to the Nordic Bronze Age such as the Daensen folding chair and the Guldhøj chair, found near Vamdrup, Denmark.[3]
The folding chair became widespread during the Middle Ages. Folding chairs called faldstools were treasured as liturgical furniture pieces, used by bishops when not residing at their own cathedral. Since the 15th and 16th centuries folding chairs often had arm and head rests.[citation needed]
In the United States, an early patent for a folding chair was by John Cram in 1855.[4] On July 7, 1911, Nathaniel Alexander patented a folding chair[5] whose main innovation was including a book rest.[6] In 1947, Fredric Arnold created the first aluminum folding chair with fabric strapping for the seat and back. By 1957, the Fredric Arnold Company of Brooklyn, New York, was manufacturing more than 14,000 chairs per day. Today, folding chairs are mostly made of hard plastic, metal, or wood.
Design
Folding chairs typically weigh from 2 to 5 kilograms (4.4 to 11.0 pounds) and are produced in a variety of styles, folding mechanisms, and materials.
Lawn chair
A common form of folding chair is often referred to as a lawn chair. It typically consists of a collapsible frame with a fabric covering. They are often used outdoors at sporting events and parks.
Leg pivoting
Folding chair legs can pivot to fold either under the seat, or at the seat.
Most folding chairs pivot at the seat level. The seat aligns between the back supports. The back support and the front legs are the same part. There are, however, several designs that fold under the seat. Side-X stools consist of two X-shaped pieces with a sheet of cloth between them that becomes the seat. Front-X chairs are similar to side-X stools, but have the addition of a backrest. Side-X chairs are unique because the support for the backrest and front foot is the same part. The seat is collapsed to align between the sidebars, either down between the front legs, or up to align between back-sidebars. Mechanisms vary, but the supports for the back and the front feet are invariably the same part.