AN IMPROVED FOLDING CHAIR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Percival, of Westbourne Grove, in th
County of Middlesex, and of No. 2, Marlborough Place, Harrow Road, for th
Invention of "AN IMPROVED FOLDING CHAIR."
Sealed the 6th March 1877, and dated the 4th October. 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Percival
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY PERCIVAL, of Westbourne Grove, in the County of Middlesex,
and of No. 2, Marlborough Place; Harrow Road. "AN IMPROVED FOLDING CHAIR."
My Invention relates to an improved folding chair, the advantages of which are
that the inclination of the back and seat may be readily adjusted, and the whole
chair may be cheaply constructed. It may be folded or collapsed into a flat form so
as to occupy but a comparatively small compass to be easily moved about and stowed
away.
The back of the chair and the front legs are constructed in one and consist of a
rectangular frame upholstered at the upper part to form the back. Inside or
between the uprights of this frame is pivoted the seat frame which projects at the
rear of the chair and outside the said uprights, the back legs are pivoted to the
frame at a point above the seat pivot. The back legs are provided with cross bars
at top and bottom, and under the upper one takes the rear projecting part of the
seat frame which has rack teeth engaging with the cross bar. The latter serve to
maintain the seat horizontal, and by adjusting the cross bar in the rack the back
legs are retained at such a distance from the front legs as to maintain the back at
any desired inclination to which it may be set.
When the chair is folded up the parts occupy the following position:-The seat is
raised until it lays against the back, and the back legs are drawn forward until they
lay, alongside the front legs, the parts of the chain folding within the depth of the
main frame forming the back and front legs as above mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Percival in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1877.
WILLIAM HENRY PERCIVAL, of Westbourne Grove, in the County of Middlesex,
and of No. 2, Marlborough Place, Harrow Road. "AN IMPROVED FOLDING CHAIR."
My Invention relates to a cheap form of folding chair in which the inclination of
the back may be readily adjusted to different angles to suit the occupant, the chair
possessing the further advantages of lightness of construction and capability of
being folded or collapsed into a comparatively small compass so that it may be easily.
moved about and stowed away when not in use.
The back of the chair and the front legs are made in one, and consist of two
uprights connected at top and bottom by cross bars forming a rectangular frame
which is upholstered at the upper part to serve as the back of the chair. Inside or
between the uprights of this frame is pivoted the seat frame which projects rearward
and has rack teeth on it, and outside the said uprights aro pivoted the back legs at
a point above the seat pivots. The back legs are connected by cross bars under one
of which takes the rear part of the seat frame and the rack teeth thereon engaging
with the cross bar so that the seat is sustained under the weight of the sitter and all
the parts are held in position, the connection being firmer the greater the weight
upon the seat. By shifting the cross bar in the rack the front and back legs are
spread more or less apart, thereby varying the inclination of the chair back, the
rack teeth serving to maintain it at any inclination to which it may be set.
When the chair is folded up the parts occupy the following positions:-The scat is
raised until it lies against the back and the back legs aro drawn forward to lio
alongside the front legs, the parts of the chair folding within the depth of the frame
Figures 1 and 2 represent perspective views of the chair in the open and collapsed
positions respectively. Figuro 3 is a horizontal section on line 1-1, Figure 1.
A, A, are two uprights united at top and bottom by cross bars a, a¹, forming the
rectangular frame, the upper part of which forms the back and the lower part tho
front legs of the chair. B is the seat frame pivoted at b, between the uprights A,
and extending rearwardly and passing between the back legs C, which are pivoted
to the outside of the uprights A at c, and connected together by two cross
bars D, D¹; E are rack teeth on the rear part of the seat frame which takes under
the upper cross bar D, the ratchet teeth engaging with said bar which has a bevelled
edge on the under side corresponding to the slope of the teeth. The latter are some-
what undercut to prevent the cross bar slipping out when the chair is moved, but
pins F, Figure 3, may be inserted in holes in the cross bar and rack teeth and
passing through both lock them securely together. The cross bar a of the front
legs is fixed at the front thereof and the cross bars D of the back legs are fixed at
the back thereof so as when the chair is folded up to allow the seat frame to lie
entirely between and the back legs to lie alongside of and both in the same plane
with the uprights A as shown in Figuro 2. The seat and head rest may be
upholstered, and a sheet of canvas G may be extended from the seat to the head
rest to form the back of the chair.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A folding chair constructed as described in which a rear extension of the seat
frame takes under and engages adjustably with a cross bar or its equivalent on the
back legs for the purpose of at once supporting the seat, retaining the legs and
regulating the inclination of the back substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2nd. A. folding chair constructed as shown and described to fold into a flat form
as specified.
In wituess whereof, I, the said William Henry Percival, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 3rd day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WILLIAM HENRY PERCIVAL. (L.S.)