Claims. 

This invention relates to furniture constructions. More particularly it pertains to a combination of elements, and means for resiliently mounting panels such as the backs and seats of chairs on supporting frames or substructures. The invention applies more particularly where these panels are formed from thin sheet material having a decorative surface, such for example as molded plywood or thin metal. 

There have heretofore been various attempts made to utilize plywood, thin metal and other decorative panel materials in quality furniture. In general, these efforts have resulted in failures for the reason, among others, that no satisfactory construction was known whereby an artistically molded plywood seat, for example, could be supported to withstand normal use without disfiguring the decorative surface of the plywood. For appearance and lightness plywood, and other decorative thin panel materials, are admirably suited to use in furniture, but these materials (even metals) do not withstand satisfactorily concentrated strains and stresses necessarily created in use around a. supporting screw or bolt passing therethrough to hold panels securely to supporting members. The thinness of the material, its relatively low localized comp-ressive strength, as compared with that of the bolts or screws, the slight flexing which it continually experiences in use, the relative expansions and contractions caused by temperature and moisture changes invariably tend to reduce the portions surrounding any screw head to an ever spreading detritus. Thus, in most plywood seat and back panel constructions which have gone into commercial use the otherwise ornamental wood surfaces thereof have been marred by the presence of broad headed metal bolt or screw heads, grommets, washers, and other expedients intended to prevent the various holding means from loosening, being drawn completely through, or otherwise splintering, or destroying, the portions of the plywood sheets or panels surrounding the clamped portions. 

I have devised. a practicable arrangement whereby a plywood or thin metal panel may be secured to a supporting substructure without resort to cutting holes or openings through the panel or of screwing into it. Such an arrangement tends to secure the panel against shock and against the destructive efiects of expansion due to temperature and moisture, is free of localized strains and stresses, and may be made resilient and yielding within a wide range. 

It is an object of my invention to provide a resilient furniture mount construction which can be secured to the rear or bottom face of a slightly flexible decorative seat or back panel without in any way changing or impairing the appearance of the front or exposed surface of the panel. Another object is the provision of a practicable resilient shock mount assembly which overcomes disadvantages inherent in mount assemblies heretofore known to the art. Other objects will be in part pointed out as the description proceeds, and will in part become apparent therefrom. 

The invention accordingly resides in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplifled in the structures hereinafter indicated and the scope of the application of which will be set forth in the claims. 

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention and various modifications thereof; but it is to be understood that these are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention, but on the contrary are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify and adapt it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.