A glider or platform rocker is a type of rocking chair that moves as a swing seat, where the entire frame consists of a seat attached to the base by means of a double-rocker four-bar linkage. The non-parallel suspension arms of the linkage cause the chair to simulate a rocking-chair motion as it swings back and forth.
Gliders are popular as a nursery furnishing for assisting parents in feeding newborn babies. Because pinch points are moved away from the floor, a glider is marginally safer for pets and toddlers.
Early patents described different mechanisms for glider chairs, such as rails[1] and four-bar linkages supported by springs.[2] Patents using a swinging seat suspended from a four-bar linkage appeared in 1939, and this is now the general configuration used by most glider chairs.[3]
The primary glider manufacturers in North America are Canadian companies Dutailier and Shermag.