Topic: What is a standard issue chair?

[8ullfrog]

Is a standard issue chair like one of those metal folding ones you have to sit on outside at weddings and graduations and poo?

I have no idea why my mind is fixated on this, but google image search has failed me. They showed one of those stupid "productivity" office chairs where they're slightly uncomfortable and itchy to keep you productive, a standard roller, and some fancy dining room poo.

I'm just wondering what a standard issue chair is.

[6pairsofshoes]

Do you mean are there average standard measurements regarding the various chair components:  distance of seat from floor, width of seat, back height, angle at which seat meets back?  Those sorts of ergonomic measurements?

Most designers use Henry Dreyfuss's The Measure of Man and Woman.  I don't know if the book is available freely, but here's a link:
http://www.idsa.org/measure-man-and-woman-human-factors-design-alvin-r-tilley-and-henry-dreyfuss-associates

[8ullfrog]

And of course you have to take it to the next level

Now it's educational!  I was just looking for the alpha-chair and you're dropping elegance on me.

I think ergonomics is overstating things a bit though, I'm looking for your standard basic issue chair, not some Kanye West louis the 14th level swag chair.

I imagine the standard issue chair would be fairly uncomfortable, like the interrogation chairs in police procedural tv shows where the backrest is a stamped metal inverted U.

Just went through a couple hundred google image searches for that chair. I was wrong. The style is called "Military interrogation chair." But that's off of an action figure site.

My memory was wrong though, it isn't an inverted U, it's three slats.

[6pairsofshoes]

This what you mean?

http://www.emeco.net/products/navy-chair-brushed

[8ullfrog]

Four hundred and seventy dollars, holy poo!

I spent $190 on this office chair, and I've slowly learned it isn't as good as I thought it was. Kinda neat bit of trivia you found about those being submarine chairs. A lot of crap like that went into BSG, like the hatches.

I wonder why I thought the backrest was a bent U shape on the inside?

[6pairsofshoes]

It's funny you brought this up.  About 10 years ago I picked up one of those chairs at a thrift shop for $10.  Good Form is the name of the company.  It's aluminum with a naugahyde upholstered seat.  A thin upholstery pad of foam rubber; and the color is bright orange.  I now think this was original as the tags under the chair indicate a 1972 vintage, although the chairs were in production since the 1930's.

Apparently these are collectible.  I'd only read about the Emeco versions, which seem a little more solid.  But the chair I have is lightweight but strong.  I use it to hang clothes on and as a step stool.  Not so great for sitting but the foam rubber is shot.  Given I hate the color of the vinyl, maybe I should reupholster it with a better color and some more comfortable padding.  Or I could leave it as is, since it's uncomfortable enough to make it useful for interrogations.  Here's a link to a similar chair.
http://blog.artifactbags.com/uncategorized/aluminum-goodform-chair-restoration

Wow. I just found the identical chairs being sold on ebay.  Who knew?  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Mid-Century-Industrial-Goodform-Aluminum-Slat-Back-Side-Chairs-/261212269645?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item3cd176ec4d

[8ullfrog]

Were the goodform chairs designed for submarines? If not I think we have a contender.

[6pairsofshoes]

Goodform was made by General Fireproofing Co in Youngstown, OH while EMECO was manufactured in Hanover, PA (home of Utz Potato Chips).  Alcoa (the Aluminum Co. of America, based in Pittsburgh, PA) owned the patents.  There seems some ambiguity about the sequence of when the Navy contacted these two companies, but seemingly it contracted with each one for seating furniture.  Perhaps Gen'l Fireproofing earlier, 1932, while EMECO dates the submarine chairs to 1944.  I have to rummage around and figure this out.  The attached describes hurling chairs off of 4 storey buildings to see how durable they'd be.
http://dorsetfinds.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/see-worthy-good-form-navy-chairs-ca-1939/