Abstract: A vehicle seat has a seat back mounted for walkover movement from one end of the seat to the other end. Associated with the seat back is an inertial latching system which is normally inoperative so as to allow walkover movement of the seat back. During deceleration of the vehicle above a preselected magnitude, the latching system is actuated to restrain walkover movement of the seat back and to progressively absorb any impact into the seat back from behind, as would occur during a sudden stop or crash. The latching system automatically deactuates itself upon cessation of any tendency by the seat back to undergo walkover movement.

Abstract: A longitudinal seat assembly for three or more occupants and comprising a plurality of seats mounted on a unitary supporting and seat frame. The unitary frame has horizontally and vertically disposed portions, and the vertically disposed portion terminates substantially below the seat tops.

Abstract: A seat is attached atop a trunnion member rotatably mounted within an intermediate tubular member vertically slidable within a tubular base member. Structure is provided for reducing wear between rubbing surfaces on the trunnion member and the intermediate member, and this same structure functions as part of the elevating mechanism for the intermediate member.

Abstract: A walk-over seat has a base with a pair of side members and a seat back which may be moved between the front and rear ends of the seat. The seat back is connected to the upper ends of two elongated links on each side of the seat back. Each link has a lower end mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between frontwardly and rearwardly extending positions. Each link is engaged by a respective latching member when the link is in one of its positions. Structure is provided to transfer to the side members of the seat the load exerted against a latching member by the link when the seat back is impacted or hit from behind, to prevent the latching member from being sprung or bent out of position. The latching member has a special configuration to accommodate differing dispositions and mountings of the latching member and the link it engages.

Abstract: A seat having a back frame pivotally mounted on a seat frame for tilting the back frame relative to the seat frame and latching structure for locking the back frame in any one of several tilted positions. The latching structure comprises a notched plate pivotally mounted below the seat frame and notch-engaging means connected to and pivotable with the back frame.

Abstract: A restraining apparatus in a vehicle, such as a bus, comprises a post movable from a depressed, horizontally extending position to an upright position. A U-shaped clamp on the upright post engages the front of a wheelchair wheel the back of which is engaged by another U-shaped clamp attached to the vehicle, to hold the wheelchair wheel in compression. A padded arm attached to the top of the post is movable from a retracted position, hanging down alongside the post, to a horizontally extending non-restraining position and then to a restraining position extending across the chest of the wheelchair occupant.

Abstract: A seat has a frame including a back portion. A seat cushion, a back cushion and a back shroud are all mounted on the frame. Attached to the rear of the back cushion, near the bottom thereof, are a pair of clips which hookingly engage a pair of tabs on the frame and mount the back cushion for vertical sliding movement on the tabs. Attached to the rear of the back cushion, near the top thereof, is a bracket which is attached by a fastener to a cross member at the top of the frame's back portion. The operation of fastening the bracket to the cross member raises the back cushion in vertical sliding movement on the tabs.

Abstract: A seat for a mass transit vehicle has a metal frame with a back portion including side bars and a top bar. A back shroud for the seat is slidably mounted on the side bars. Hook-shaped marginal portions on the shroud engage the bars and hold the shroud against movement in upward, sideward, frontward and rearward directions. Movement of the shroud in a downward direction is prevented by a pair of fasteners, located in recesses in a downwardly depending portion of the shroud, and engaging a lower bar of the seat frame.

Abstract: A seat for a vehicle operator includes an occupant-supporting portion, a back and an armrest. The armrest is pivotable through a vertical plane between a horizontally extending, arm-supporting position and an upwardly extending position alongside the seat back. The armrest is also pivotable, in response to a predetermined outwardly directed force against the armrest, through a horizontal plane, between the above-described arm-supporting position and a position in which the armrest extends rearwardly from the seat back. Structure is provided which normally urges the armrest from its rearwardly extending position to a downwardly extending position alongside the seat.

Abstract: A shield for covering an elongated, horizontally extending gap between the bottom of the front end of a seat cushion and a frame member therebelow. The shield includes a body portion for embracing the frame member, a hook portion extending upwardly and frontwardly over the frame member and a flap portion extending upwardly and rearwardly over the frame member to close the gap. The shield is composed of resilient material. The flap portion has an upper terminal edge engaged by the bottom of the seat cushion to resiliently deform the flap portion.

Abstract: A wheelchair wheel is received and restrained in a device mounted on the support for a folding seat in a mass transit vehicle. The wheel is held in a restrained position by a pair of pivotal jaws normally urged to an open position but actuated to a closed position in response to the entry of a wheelchair wheel into the space between the open jaws. The jaws are opened to face the wheel by manipulation of a manually operated handle.

Abstract: A seat having a metal frame covered with decorative, exterior plastic parts mounted on the frame with plastic securing elements extending through openings in the metal frame and adhesively secured to the exterior plastic parts.

Abstract: A seat in a mass transit vehicle, such as a bus or subway car, extends lengthwise from the vehicle wall toward the aisle. The seat is supported from below by a cantilevered supporting shell comprising a trough-shaped structural skin and a tubular frame without diagonal bracing. The trough-shaped skin has an open top and an open end at the vehicle wall.

Abstract: A seat in a mass transit vehicle is supported by a shell cantilevered from a side wall of the vehicle interior. The shell comprises a pair of horizontally extending frame members and a trough-shaped structural skin. A blower is mounted within the housing defined by the skin to blow conditioned air through an opening in the bottom of the skin. A deflector is rotatably mounted on the outside of the skin. Vanes on the deflector deflect air blown through the opening in a direction determined by the position to which the deflector has been rotated.

Abstract: A torsion bar suspension system for a seat. Structure is provided for twisting the torsion bar to preload it. Structure is also provided for adjusting the height of the seat without changing the preload in the torsion bar, and this is accomplished by pivoting the preloading structure, with the torsion bar, about the axis of the torsion bar.

Abstract: A seat cushion is readily installed onto and removed from a seat frame utilizing structure which disengages the seat cushion from the frame upon manually flexing the cushion and engages the cushion with the frame upon unflexing the cushion.

Abstract: A seat for a mass transit vehicle such as a bus. The seat has a cushioned grab bar at the top of the seat back. The grab bar comprises a round inner tubular member of steel and an outer layer of resilient cushioning material such as polyvinyl chloride integrally bonded to the inner member to prevent slippage of the outer layer relative to the inner member. Where the grab bar is joined to the seat, any exposed edges on the frame or shell of the seat are covered by the cushioning material of the grab bar.

Abstract: A seat frame carries a serpentine spring which carriers a cushion comprising a foam slab enclosed within a fabric cover having a zipper for removing the slab from within the cover. The cushion is attached to the front of the seat frame with threaded fasteners engaging a rigid strip within the cushion at the bottom front portion thereof. The cushion is attached to the rear of the seat frame with snap fasteners. A back panel member cooperates with the fasteners to prevent pilferage of the seat cushion.

Abstract: A pedestal supports a base frame above which is a seat frame resiliently mounted on the base frame with four energy absorbing devices constituting the sole connection between the base frame and the seat frame. Each energy absorbing device comprises a block of rubber bonded to upper and lower metal plates extending from the block in opposite directions and connected by respective brackets to the seat frame and the base frame respectively. Each block has a bending or flexing surface inclined upwardly and outwardly toward the seat frame.

Abstract: A seat in a mass transit vehicle, such as a bus or subway car, extends lengthwise from the vehicle wall toward the aisle. The seat is supported from below by a cantilevered supporting shell comprising a trough-shaped structural skin and a tubular frame without diagonal bracing. The trough-shaped skin has an open top and an open end at the vehicle wall.