IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND TABLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ward, of Saville House, Leicester
Square, and Edward Cawley, of 24, Stanley Street, Chelsea, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND TABLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ward and
Edward Cawley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th September 1858.
We, JOHN WARD, of Saville House, Leicester Square, and EDWARD
CAWLEY, of 24, Stanley Street, Chelsea, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND TABLES"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of the parts of a
chair, couch, or table. The seat of a chair or couch is formed on the
front end of a lever frame, the back or lower end thereof being hinged
or attached to a lower frame or base plate. The back of the chair or
couch is formed at the upper part of another lever frame, which, at its
lower end, is hinged or attached towards the front of the base plate or
lower frame. The relative position of the scat and back is regulated
by the points of bearing (where the frames carrying the seat and back

page_text: cross each other) being variable, for which purpose one of the lever
frames has necks or axes fixed thereto, and the other lever frame has
notched racks fixed thereto. The base plate or lower frame may stand
on short legs or may have castors applied.
In constructing tables according to this Invention, the two lever
frames are combined with the base plate or lower frame, as above
explained; and the lever frames work together and vary their relative
positions, as before described, by which the height of the table, which
is connected with the upper parts of the two lever franies, may be
varied from time to time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Ward and Edward Cawley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN WARD, of Saville House, Leicester Square, and EDWARD CAWLEY,
of 24, Stanley Street, Chelsea, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth 1 year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Ward and Edward Cawley, Her
special licence that we, the said John Ward and Edward Cawley,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Ward and Edward Cawley, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS, COUCHES,
AND TABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Ward and Edward Cawley, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and scals, or under the hand and scal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ward, on behalf of myself
and the said Edward Cawley, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of the parts of a
chair, couch, or table. The seat of a chair or couch is formed on the
front end of a lever frame, the back or lower end thereof being hinged
or attached to a lower frame or base plate. The back of the chair or
couch is formed at the upper part of another lever frame, which at its
lower end is hinged or attached towards the front of the base plate or
lower frame. The relative position of the seat and back is regulated
by the points of bearing (where the frames carrying the seat and back
cross cach other) being variable; for which purpose one of the lever
frames has necks or axes fixed thereto, and the other lever frame has
notched racks fixed thereto. The base plate or lower frame may stand
on short legs, or may have castors applied. In constructing tables
according to this Invention, the two lever frames are combined with
the base plate or lower frame, as above explained; and the lever frames
work together and vary their relative positions, as before described, by
which the height of the table, which is connected with the upper parts
of the two lever frames, may be varied from time to time.
Having thus stated our Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, we will now describe the accompanying Drawings, in each of the
Figures of which the same letters denote the same parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a side view; Figure 2, a plan; Figure 3, a section, and
Figure 4, a front view, of a chair constructed according to our Invention.
a, a, is a lever frame on which the seat b, of the chair, couch, or such
like article is formed; the back or lower end of the frame a, a, is
hinge 1 or attached to the lower frame or base ca
care

page_text: rails to stiffen the frame c, c. The back of the chair or couch is
formed of another frame d, d, its lower end being hinged at e, e, to the
.base or lower frame c, c. d', d', are arms or elbows rests, which may
.or may not be used, as preferred, and may readily be removed by the
withdrawal of the screws d², d². The relative angle of the back and seat
is governed by the points of bearing, videlicit, where the frame d, d, of
the back, and the frame a, a, of the seat b, cross each other, such points
of bearing being variable; for which purpose the lever frame d, d, has
necks or axes f, f, affixed thereto, and the lever frame a, a, is provided
with racks or notches g, g, so that the necks or axes f. f, are placed in
-one or other of the notches g, g; so will the back and seat frames be
relatively angled. Although we have only shewn our Invention as
applied to a chair and a table, yet it will be obvious that the same is
equally applicable to the construction of couches.
Figures 5, and 6, show respectively a side and end view of a table
eonstructed according to our Invention, the same parts of the table
being marked with similar letters to similar parts of the chair need not
be further described.
Having thus described our Invention and the best means we are
acquainted with for carrying the same into practice, we wish it to be
understood that we do not intend to confine ourselves to the precise
details given, so long as the peculiarity of our Invention be retained;
but what we claim is, the mode of forming chairs, couches, and tables as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ward, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of
Test One thousand night hundred and fifter form
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
JOHN WARD. (L.S.)