A CHAIR TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PREVENTING SEA-SICKNESS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Schneider, of Berne, Switzerland,
and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, London, for the Invention of
Scaled the 9th July 1853, and dated the 10th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Schneider
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th January 1858.
I, FREDERICK SCHNEIDER, of Berne, Switzerland, and of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A CHAIR TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PREVENTING SEA-SICKNESS
to be as follows:-
This chair is represented in the Drawing annexed. A, represents a
support serving as basis to the whole of the apparatus, and on the
uprights of which are fixed two blocks on which turns a horizontal
shaft B; this shaft has at B', another block, on which a piece C, turns,
to which the chairs E, E, are attached. D, is a weight fixed to a
rod crossing the axis of the shaft B, & the part of the piece C, which
turns on the block B. This weight is intended to give an invariable
equilibrium to the whole apparatus, and to bring the chairs always to a

page_text: horizontal position when they are displaced by the motion of the
vessel. E, E, are two chairs fixed to the piece C, by their upper
part, and by their lower part to the cross piece I; at the centre of
this cross piece is an aperture for the passage of the rod of the weight
D. The two chairs E, E, are furnished with steps F, F, which can be
lengthened & inclined at will by means of slides, quarters of circles.
toothed, and ratchets. Two hooks L, L, are so arranged as to be in a
vertical position when the chairs E, E, arc horizontal; these hooks are
fixed to the shaft B, and their object is to act in place of the weight D;
when the latter is insufficient to make the chairs rapidly resume a
a horizontal position it only necessary to suspend by them heavy
weights. The action of this apparatus against sca-sickness is casily
understood; the chairs being always maintained in a horizontal position,
whatever motion the vessel may make the persons seated in them
escape sea-sickness.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Schneider in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
FREDERICK SCHNEIDER, of Berne, Switzerland, and of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Frederick Schneider, Her special licence that
I, the said Frederick Schneider, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Schneider, my exc-
cutors, 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 "A CHAIR TO BE

page_text: EMPLOYED FOR PREVENTING SEA-SICKNESS," upon the condition (amongst.
others) that I, the said Frederick Schneider, by an instrument ii
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be 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 Frederick Schneider, do hereby
declare the nature of iny 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, and the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say):
The apparatus rests on supports A, A, Fig. 2, upon which are fixed
two journals C, upon which the horizontal axle B, turns; this axle
carries at B', another journal, upon which the triangular supports D, D),
work, to which are fixed the seats E, E. F, is a weight fixed to a
rod passing through the axle B, and the part of the piece D, which
turns on the journal B', this weight balances the whole apparatus, and
keeps it in a horizontal position. The chairs are furnished with
moveable foot stands, so as to be lengthened or shortened at will by
means of toothed apparatus, as shewn in the Drawings. Hooks may be
attached to the axle for the purpose of hanging extra weights, should
the weight F, prove insufficient to balance the apparatus. The berths
of vessels may also be supplied with reclining chairs or couches con-
structed on these principles of equilibrium, as Fig. 1. In a bearing fixed'
in one of the side bars A, of the cabin works a shaft B, connected
with an inner frame work C, which rises and falls according to the
longitudinal motion of the vessel, the shaft B, operating as a pivot onl
which the frame turns. Within the frame C, is another frame 1).
containing the reclining chair or couch. The frame D, swings on
pivots placed at the head and foot of the frame C. To control and
regulate these motions a rod E, carrying a weight F, hangs from the
extremity of the shaft B. At a suitable point of the rod E, is attached
a horizontal rod G, communicating with the bottom of the frame 1),
and giving it a lateral motion agreeing with the rockings of the vessel,

page_text: thus keeping the frame D, level in that direction. A lever H,
whose fulcrum is at I, connects with and operates upon the outer frame
C, by means of the rod K. This lever is indented, and carries a
weight L, to balance the weight of the bed, and keep it in a horizontal
position when the vessel pitches longitudinally; according to the
weight in the berth the weight I, must be placed on the lever H,
to balance it on the principle of the steel yard. The equilibrium chair
can also be suspended from above, as Fig. 3. A semicircular piece of
iron B, has fixed pinions at each end which work in bearings in the
curved forked rod D, to which the chair E, is attached, so as to be
raised or lowered to suit the height of the person sitting in it, and
whose head should always be kept as near as possible to the point of
suspension to prevent any motion being communicated to it from the
motion of the vessel.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I here state that I do not confine
myself to the exact details which I have enumerated; but I claim the
adaptation of the principle herein described as applicable to chairs or
couches for the purpose of balancing them and preventing sea-sickness.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Schneider, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
FREDERICK SCHNEIDER. (L.S.)