IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMP OR FOLDING STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES, AND BEDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Beverley Fenby, of Yardley, in the County of
Worcester, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMP OR
FOLDING STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES, AND BEDS."
0
Sealed the 15th September 1877, and dated the 22nd March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Beverley Fenby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March 1877.
JOSEPH BEVERLEY FENBY, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester, Civil Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMP OR FOLDING STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES AND BEDS."
My Invention consists principally of the improvements herein-after described
in camp or folding stools, by which improvements a folding seat or stool of great
stability and great extent both of seat and base is obtained, combined with great
portability. When the separable flexible top of the seat is removed the folding
parts may be closed upon one another, and when so folded the said parts have very
nearly the figure of a compact bar of wood.
My improvements are also applicable, as herein-after described, to camp or folding
chairs, tables, and beds.
I construct a camp or folding stool according to my Invention in the following
manner-The folding parts of the stool consist of four pairs of bars, the bars of
each pair crossing each other at the middle of their lengths, and being connected
together where they cross by a pin or centre on which they turn. The tops and
bottoms of the bars of each pair are connected respectively with the tops and
bottoms of the pairs on either side of it, so that the whole of the bars are combined
together, the bars of each pair by the joint at their crossings, and the several pairs
with each other at their tops and bottoms. As the bars of one side of the seat are
in a plane at right angles to that in which the bars of the adjoining side are
situated, the tops and bottoms of the bars require to be connected by means of
metallic angle caps or angle pieces consisting essentially of a metallic plate, one
half of which is situated at right angles to the other half. To these angle caps or
pieces, which are similar both at top and bottom, the ends of the bars are jointed
by pins on which they tuin. The bars of one pair are thus connected to the bars
of the next pair at their tops and bottoms, and at the same time are capable of

page_text: motion in planes at right angles to one another. By this arrangement of the bars a
folding frame is produced capable of opening to any desired angle so as to give a
top and base, square in figure, and of considerable area, the top and base having the
same area, and the four sides being situated in vertical planes. By means of a
flexible top or webbing placed upon the summit of the folding frame the seat or
camp stool is completed, the said flexible top or webbing being furnished with angle
caps in which the summits of the jointed bars engage.
For a camp chair four of the eight pieces forming the before described folding
framework are made of an additional length so as to serve as a support for the back
of the sitter.
For a camp table a comparatively rigid flat top is adapted to the before described
framework. This top is made by attaching laths of wood to a base of canvas or
webbing, in such a way as to admit of rolling up the said top when not in use.
The top is held open and flat by laths at right angles to the laths attached to the
canvas or webbing. A camp bed is formed by uniting two or more of the camp
stool frames together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Beverley Fenby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
September 1877.
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JOSEPH BEVERLEY FENBY, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester, Civil Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMP OR FOLDING STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES AND BEDS."
My Invention consists principally of the improvements herein-after described in
camp or folding stools, by which improvements a folding seat or stool of great
stability and great extent both of seat and base is obtained, combined with great
portability. When the separable flexible top of the seat is removed the folding
paris may be closed upon one another, and when so folded the said parts have very
nearly the figure of a compact bar of wood.
My improvements are also applicable, as herein after described, to camp or folding
chairs, tables, and beds.
I construct a camp or folding stool according to my Invention in the following
manuer: The folding parts of the stool consist of four pairs of bars, the bars of
each pair crossing each other at the middle of their lengths, and being connected
together where they cross by a pin or centre on which they turn. The tops and
bottoms of the bars of each pair are connected respectively with the tops and
bottoms of the bars of the adjacent pairs, so that the whole of the bars are combined
together, the bars of each pair by the joint at their crossings, and the several pairs
with each other at their tops and bottoms. As the bars of one side of the seat are
in a plane at right angles to that in which the bars of the adjoining side are
situated, the tops and bottoms of the bars require to be connected by means of
metallic angle caps or angle pieces consisting essentially of a metallic plate, one
half of which is situated at right angles to the other half. To these angle caps or
pieces which are similar both at top and bottom the ends of the bars are jointed by
pins on which they turn. The hars of one pair are thus connected to the bars of
the next pair at their tops and bottoms, and at the same time are capable of motion
in planes at right angles to one another. By this arrangement of the bars a folding
frame is produced capable of opening to any desired angle so as to give a top and
base square in figure and of considerable area, the top and base having the same
and the four sides being situated in vertical planes. By means of a flexible
top or webbing placed upon the summit of the folding frame the seat or camp stool
is completed, the said flexible top or webbing being furnished with angle caps in
which the summits of the jointed bars engage.
area,
For a camp chair four of the eight pieces forming the before described folding

page_text: framework are made of an additional length so as to serve as a support for the back
of the sitter.
The construction of camp tables and camp beds is herein-after described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective a camp or folding stool or seat, expanded for
use, constructed according to my Invention; and Figures 2 and 3 are side elevations
of the said stool or seat folded, the said elevations being taken at right angles' to
one another.
Figure 4 represents some of the bars of which the framing of the stool is
composed.
The folding parts of the stool or seat consist of four pairs of bars marked respec-
tively a d, b e, cg, and fh, the bars of each pair crossing each other at the middle of
their lengths, and being connected together where they cross by a pin or centre
marked. The tops and bottoms of the bars of each pair are connected respec-
tively with the tops and bottoms of the pairs on each side of them by metallic angle
caps or pieces, in the manner illustrated in the Drawing, that is to say, the bottoms
of the bars a and b, c and d, e and f, and g and h are connected together by the
d and e, c and f, and b
metallic angle caps k, k, and the tops of the bare a and g.
and are similarly connected together by the metallic angle caps at 1, 1. The
said bars are jointed to the angle caps and at bottom and top by pins or
centres on which the said bars turn. The construction of these angle caps is best
seen in the enlarged views, Figures 8 and 9, and are herein-after more particularly
referred to.
By an examination of Figures 1, 2, and 3 it will be seen that each pair of bars
a d, b e, cg, and ƒ h, is situated in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the
adjacent pair is situated, and that the bars of one pair are connected to the burs of
the next pair at their tops and bottoms, and are at the same time capable of notion
in planes at right angles to one another.
It will also be seen that when the folding frame is opened out or expanded, as
illustrated in Figure 1, that a top and base, square in figure, and of considerable area,
and of the same area at top and bottom, is produced, the four sides of the seat being
situated in vertical planes. is the flexible top or webbing placed upon the summit
of the folding frame or seat for completing the stool. When the top or webbing
has been removed and the seat folded up, the several pairs of bars of which the
frame is composed have nearly the figure of a compact bar of wood, as illustrated in
Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 5 represents in perspective a camp or folding chair expanded for use, con-
structed according to my Invention; and Figure 6 represents elevations of the chair
folded; Figure 7 illustrates the bars of the frame of which the camp chair is
composed.
In this arrangement of my Invention the four bars af and c g are lengthened, as
represented, so as to serve as a support for the back of the sitter and the upper
halves d, h, of the bars d, h, which are jointed to the tops of the bars b and e
respectively are jointed to the middle of the bars a and f by independent joints at
,, so that when the several pairs of bars of the frame are expanded for use the
said upper halves d³, h', may be placed horizontally and made to constitute the
sides of the seat of the chair, as seen in Figure 5. The Blexible top or webbing
marked m is in this case made of a length suitable for being engaged at its angles
with the tops of the bars c, g, and a, f, constituting the back of the chair, and with
the tops of the bars and e, and 6 and h³, constituting the front of the frame of the
chair.
In order to limit the expansion of the bars of the chair, stay lines n, n, are used
at the front and back of the chair, as represented.
Figure 8 represents in front and side elevation and edge view one of the longer
angle caps used for jointing the bars together; and Figure 9 represents in front and
side elevation and edge view one of the shorter angle caps used for the same

page_text: purpose. The shorter angle caps, as will be understood by an examination of
Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, are used for forming those junctions, which when the stool
or chair is folded, are innermost, and the longer angle caps are used for forming
those junctions, which when the stool or chair is folded are outermost.
Figure 10 represents the plates to which the stay lines n, n, of the chair are
attached.
For a camp table a comparatively rigid flat top is adapted to the framework
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3. This top is made by attaching laths of wood to
a hase of canvas or webbing in such a way as to admit of rolling up the said top
when not in use. The top is held open and flat by laths at right angles to the laths
attached to the canvas or webbing.
A camp bed is formed by uniting two or more of the camp stool frames together.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,―
The improvements in camp or folding stools, chairs, tables, and beds herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making the
folding parts or framing of the said camp or folding stools of four pairs of bars, the
bars of each pair crossing each other at the middle of their lengths and being connected
and jointed together where they cross by a pin or centre on which they turn, the tops
and bottoms of the bars of each pair being connected respectively with the tops and
bottoms of the bars of the adjacent pairs by means of metallic angle caps or pieces,
so that the whole of the bars are combined together, the bars of each pair by the
joint at their crossings, and the several pairs with each other at their tops and
bottoms, substantially as described and illustrated.
Also the modification herein-before described and illustrated of the folding framing
for the purpose of adapting it to a camp chair.
Also the application of the said folding framing to camp tables and camp beds, as
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Beverley Fenby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord