Rising seat for seating including toilets

A Rising Seat that can be fixed permanently to a seat or toilet and which can also be readily adapted as a portable seat. It comprises a top rising section on which the user sits, pivoted to a bottom section. There is at least one torsion spring located on a torsion bar that may also act as a hinge. When the legs of any selected number of springs are placed in spaces/openings incorporated in the seat, those springs become inoperable having been moved away from firm surfaces on the rising seat against which they give resilience to the top section. This enables adjustment to be made to suit the weight of the user, and when the legs of all the springs are placed in the spaces/openings the top section can be folded down without resilience for carriage and storage and to give the appearance of a standard seat cushion when not in use.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a rising seat for chairs and settees and 
which can be readily adapted for use on toilets for handicapped people. 
Most rising seats or lift seats by which name they are widely known, are 
fitted to a frame on a chair and are operated by a spring or gas 
mechanism, the angle and bulk of which is easily fitted into an existing 
chair where ample space permits bulky and at times heavy mechanisms to be 
used, and they are usually assembled during the manufacture of the 
furniture for which they are designed. For examples T. Wear Smith U.K. 
2193886 teaches a torsion spring, the end of which is coiled around and 
fixed to two torsion bars, one being moveable by threading a bolt into the 
bar to move the bar and force the spring upwards to increase its tension. 
Renray 1,578,395 teaches a number of springs, one leg of each having fixed 
to it an adjustment means, the selected springs being inoperable by 
inserting a screw into adjustment means and forcing the spring legs away 
from the pivoted seat, thereby adjusting the resilience required for a 
predetermined load. A Portable lift seat--1,475,561, invented by a certain 
LASTINGENS INKOPSCENTRAL LIC EKONOMISK FORENSING, a Swedish corporate 
teaches an `auxilliary seat` comprising a `U`-shaped & resilient spring 
locking wire pivotly mounted at its inner end portions for pivotting in a 
plane essentially parallel with the base board so that outward swing of 
the one or other limb causing bending of the spring locking wire thereby 
tending to displace its middle portion from a locking position to a free 
position etc etc etc. . . . emphasis being placed on the method by which a 
top rising section may be released and then locked to a downwards 
position, and how springs can be removed or added by the user. It would 
appear to be very useful for a sitter who wishes to change his mind about 
rising from the seat and decides instead to remain seated. 
The advantage of a portable lift seat; providing it is fairly simple in its 
construction and which can be adjusted easily by the user to suit his 
weight without the need to have a supply of additional springs or other 
parts to fix to the riser seat, and which can be kept stable on a chair 
seat for example, include: the practical and economic aspects of using an 
existing chair without having to purchase a more expensive chair with 
built-in lift-seat mechanism and, being portable and easily adjustable 
preferably it can be used in most chairs in the users house, and can even 
be carried on a journey for use in seating provided by other people. The 
current invention is easily adjustable without the use of a tool whether 
permanently or releaseably fixed to a chair or settee. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to provide a rising seat and one that raises 
the sitter easily from a sitting position and which lowers him gently into 
a sitting position from a standing and which can be so located on an 
existing seat in a manner to ensure its stability when in use and one that 
can be readily adapted to suit the weight of most users, without removal 
or replacement of working parts. 
According to the invention there is provided a rising seat for seating and 
toilets comprising in combination at least one torsion spring on a torsion 
bar, each leg of any selected spring being activated by its at least 
indirect contact with the inside surface of the rising seat's top and 
bottom sections said sections being pivotly-hinged together, and a means 
of rendering any selected number of springs ineffective by removing the 
pressure from the spring legs and then positioning a leg of each spring 
not required into one of any number of openings localised on at least one 
of the sections, such positioning/s preventing the top section from 
activating the said-positioned springs and so governing the degree of ease 
at which the top section is lowered on to the bottom section and enabling 
the user to select only the springs required to render the top section 
resilient enough to lower him gently into a sitting position and to raise 
him from a sitting position to a standing position. The degree of ease at 
which the top section is lowered may be governed by moving the torsion bar 
on which the spring/s is/are placed, and the mechanism can be applied to a 
lift seat permanently fixed to seating or toilets. It incorporates a means 
of lowering the top section on to the bottom section free of resilience, 
for carrying if portables or to give the appearance of a standard seat. 
The rising seat may have attached to its surface a suitable carrying 
handle. It may have a method of locking it down against the resilience of 
the spring and a method of adjustment to enable it to remain stable and 
effective irrespective of the width and depth of the seat in which it is 
placed. The invention shall now be described by way of example only by the 
following drawings in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows seat 1 folded for carrying. The top section 2 of the rising 
seat shown as 2 may be lowered or folded or hinged down on to the bottom 
section 3 after neutralizing the resilient action of the torsion spring 
that in its `active` or positive mode is used to enable the user to lower 
himself gently on to the chair, the top section of the seat pivoting 
against the resilience of the said spring that also enables the sitter to 
raise himself from a sitting to a standing position. Pressure may be 
released from the spring by moving a part of the top and bottom sections 
away from the spring/s. Neutralizing the resilience of the spring is shown 
in FIGS. 2 and 4. The hinge-pin 4 also acts as a torsion bar that is 
circular and rests across the ends of either section of the riser seat. 
Any selected number of torsion springs 5 are placed over the bar. The main 
body of the spring is so coiled to leave ample room for contraction as 
weight is applied to the ends of the spring, one leg of each spring coming 
into contact, at least indirectly, with the inner face of the top section 
and the other leg coming into contact at least indirectly with the bottom 
section 3 as weight is applied and the top section 2 is pivoted downwards 
towards the bottom section. The angle of the torsion spring 5 is such that 
when the top section is opened outwards to form a configuration similar to 
that of an open book the spring/s can be moved along the torsion bar 
unhindered by the pressure of either board or section. In at least one of 
the boards from which the top section would preferably be made and from 
which the bottom section may be made and towards the surface of which one 
leg or two legs of the torsion spring is pointing is a cavity or opening 6 
of a shape that will allow the leg or legs of the spring to fall as the 
top section of the rising seat is lowered. When the spring leg drops into 
the cavity 6--See FIG. 2--the spring then has no surface against which it 
can be pressed to give the spring and the top board resilience when the 
top section is lowered so that the top section can thus be freely lowered 
to rest on the bottom section enabling it to be easily carried or to be 
placed in a chair without the top section being raised. The cavity 6 may 
be covered on the opposite surface of the rising seat 1 this being shown 
in FIG. 3--so that the leg of the spring does not dig into the face of the 
rising seat cover. The spring leg can be covered by a dome-shaped cover 7 
that can be placed either over the area where the spring leg 5 would 
otherwise protrude or the whole of the top surface 2 of the rising seat as 
seen can be covered and then upholstered over the hard surface surface of 
a larger dome-shaped cover 7. The method of neutralizing the effect of the 
spring can also be used for adjusting the resilience of the top section of 
the rising seat either by having blind hole cavities of different depths 
that will decrease the tension of a spring by lengthening the distance 
between the end of the leg or point of contact of a spring in relation to 
the top section or by neutralizing totally the resilience of a selected 
number of springs of varying strengths, and positioning only that spring 
or springs of a predetermined strength so that it/they become resilient 
only if its/their legs are positioned away from the cavities & on to a 
firm surface of the board around the said cavities. For example, ideally 
two springs would be used to raise the top section of the rising seat, 
such springs being joined together by a connecting wire or handle so that 
springs can be moved in one action by lifting the connecting wire & moving 
the springs connected by the connecting wire, or handle. See FIG. 4. If 
there are three sets of springs for example comprising two springs per 
set, each set can be a different thickness and strength. Two sets 8 & 9 
can be located with their legs over holes 10 & 11 so that they cannot be 
under resilience when the top section 2 of the rising seat shown is 
pressed down by the weight of the user, leaving the selected spring set 12 
only to be compressed on to the inner surface of the board 3 as the top 
section board is lowered, the pressure of the board activating the 
resilience of the spring set 12 selected for the resilience needed to suit 
the weight of the user; the selection of the springs can either be 
numerical or by thickness of the spring/s that could be calibrated to suit 
a variance in body weights. The spring can instead be located on the 
torsion bar 4 so that when the torsion bar or hinge-pin, if also used as a 
hinge-pin, on which the top section pivots on the bottom sections is moved 
one way or the other, it carries with it at least one spring that can, 
with the two boards opened out and free of pressure of the spring legs in 
that opened out position, be located over a cavity, so that when the top 
section is lowered on to the bottom section 3 no resilience is felt from 
that spring or set of springs in the cavities. Movement of the springs for 
adjustment or neutralizing the tension can be assisted by small rollers 13 
on the spring legs if springs are near to the boards. Grooves are shown as 
14 into which spring leg is placed to prevent slippage as shown in FIGS. 
4, 5 and 6. FIG. 5: An alternative method of creating a neutral position 
that enables the top section to be lowered without resilience from the 
spring or springs is to move a separate torsion bar 15 on which the 
springs 5 would be located towards the centre of the board; in which the 
torsion bar can be fitted in a guide 16 fitted to one of the boards. As 
the torsion bar 15 is moved, preferably in guides 16 to stabilize its 
movement, so one of the ends or legs of at least one spring, depending on 
the number of springs placed on the torsion bar, is drawn away from one of 
the boards thereby neutralizing the effectiveness of the spring when the 
top section 2 is lowered on to the bottom section 3 of the aforesaid 
rising seat both spring legs of each spring resting over one board only. 
To enable such movement of the torsion bar on which the springs are fitted 
it is necessary to use the existing hinge 4a only for pivoting the two 
sections or some other form of hinge in addition to a torsion bar on which 
the springs are located. If positive mode is required; Return of torsion 
bar is assisted if spring is bent upwards. The grooves for spring legs are 
shown as 14. To enable the top board to be lowered on to the bottom board 
cavities 17 are made in the board opposite to the board on which the 
torsion spring/s are fitted to enable the two legs of each spring to 
travel through the said cavities in the said board as the board is 
lowered. The strengthening of individual torsion springs can be made by 
raising the spring 5 by locating at least one leg of the spring either 
directly or perhaps indirectly on a wedge-shaped base 18 with groove 14 
that is moveable on the board by a screw mechanism 19 that holds the wedge 
in position under the spring when adjustment has been made as shown in 
FIG. 6 in which the top section is 2, bottom section is 3, roller 13 and 
cavity is 6. The top section 2 may be placed on a hinge 4a (see FIG. 7). 
The hinge being positioned two to four inches approximately away from the 
edge of the bottom section 3, that is to say the front edge, so that when 
the spring leg 5 travels through the cavity 6 the spring leg if in line or 
forming a large angle with its opposite leg will rest on the end of the 
bottom section when the top section is lowered freely without resilience 
from the spring, and will not jut out, from the front of the rising seat, 
In FIG. 8, when determining the degree of ease at which the top section 2 
can be lowered on to the bottom section 3 of the rising seat shown, the 
spring 5 may be placed on the torsion bar 4 transversley, and spaced 
protrusions or blocks 20 on a sliding section 21 located under spring legs 
5 selected by the user or they may be so moved away from the spring legs 
altogether so that the spring legs are positioned over gaps between the 
blocks so that when the top section is lowered on to the bottom section 
there is no resilience from the springs and it may be so folded down into 
a neutral position to facilitate its carrying. Gaps are shown as 22. 
Alternatively the blocks & gaps may be incorporated on a fixed section and 
the spring legs placed on to the blocks or over the gaps between the 
blocks as required by either sliding the springs along the torsion bar or 
by locating the springs to the torsion bar and moving the bar until the 
spring legs are aligned with the blocks or gaps, between the blocks as 
required thereby determining the degree of ease at which the top section 2 
can be lowered on to the bottom section 3. The gaps may be formed from 
cut-outs in a solid block that may be fixed to the inside face of one, of 
the sections that is to say the top or bottom section or may be located to 
slide on one of the sections for positioning spring legs in the latter 
construction that would preferably be fixed transversely along the torsion 
bar. When used as a toilet seat 23 there shall be an opening in the top 
and bottom sections and at least one spring leg under the seat rim, its 
opposite leg resting on the toilet edge or attachment thereto. Top section 
2, lower section 3 and hinge 4a (See FIG. 9). In FIG. 10 the rising seat 1 
is kept firmly fixed to a chair 24 by a tongue-shaped extension 25 
attached to or being part of the bottom section 3 of the rising seat and 
the extension is wedged between the seat of the chair and the vertical 
back of the chair 24. The same type of extension also shown as 25 in FIG. 
11 can be used to protrude over the chair seat and under the arm/s such 
room generally being found for that purpose in most lounge-type seating 
and also in many types of lighter seating and chairs in which the arms are 
filled in to the seat of the chair the extensions ideally being placed 
under such arm where the arm joins the chair seat and the said extensions 
being fixed one on each side of the rising seat. The chair is shown as 24. 
In FIG. 12 the bottom section 3 of the rising seat shown can be made 
adjustable by having an adjustable frame 26 for example that can be moved 
outwards into the sides and/or back of the chair 24 in which it is 
resting. This adjustment facility could be affectively utilized in a chair 
that might be otherwise too wide for the rising seat. The sections may be 
padded with foam and covered by material tacked on to them.