An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Locking and Adjusting the Position of Moveable Seats, more Especially Applicable to Carriage Seats.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1888
Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Locking and Adjusting
the Position of Moveable Seats, more Especially Applicable to
Carriage Seats.
I JOHN DRYSDALE of Clayport Street Alnwick in the county of Northumberland
Coach Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for locking and
adjusting the position of moveable seats more especially applicable to carriage seats
and consists in a simple form or arrangement or combination of parts arranged
underneath and preferably in the centre of a carriage seat.
I will now fully describe my invention having reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation and Fig. 2 a back elevation
partly in section of a carriage seat and crossbar with my improved apparatus
attached thereto.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of a seat and crossbar showing my apparatus in position
ready to allow the seat to slide and Fig. 4 is a plan showing my apparatus in its
normal locked position the seat itself being removed in this figure for clearness of
illustration and throughout this description similar letters of reference in the
Specification and in the Drawings designate corresponding parts.
a is a carriage seat to the back and front of which and preferably at its centre the
two iron plate brackets bb are screwed. These brackets are furnished with holes
below the level of the bottom of the seat and into these holes the journalled ends c c
of the rack d are fitted. The rack for ordinary carriage purposes may be constructed
out of a flat iron or steel bar of a section about 4× of an inch one side of this bar
having notches & cut out of it as shown in the drawings and for ordinary carriage
seats I find that about six notches is a suitable number to effect any ordinary
adjustment.
e is the carriage crossbar through which I pass the bolt or pin e¹ the upper end of
which may be of the section shown in fig. 4 the notches d' of the rack d being

page_text: designed of a similar section or pattern in order that the notches and the pin may
readily gear with one another. Further I place an iron bridge f on the crossbar e
arranged as shown in the drawings for the purpose of steadying the bolt e¹ the upper
end of which may be dowelled into a corresponding mortice or recess in the
bridge and it will be evident that by this arrangement of making the iron bridge f
pass between the seat a and the rack d which are connected to one another by the
brackets 6 b¹ as already described any tendency of the seat to lift or tilt at the back
is effectually checked and prevented and I find also that the most convenient position
for the rack relatively to the seat and the crossbar necessitates the latter being notched
as shown in the drawings at d in order to provide efficient clearance for the quadrantal
movement of the rack.
g is a spring screwed to the underside of the seat one end g¹ of which is arranged to
press against the rack plate d in such a manner as to keep the rack always in gear with
the pin e unless the handle his turned by the attendant in opposition to the pressure of
the spring so as to cause the rack to become disengaged from the pin e' for the
purpose of moving the position of the seat either backwards or forwards in the usual
way. The handle which is placed immediately in front of the seat is thus arranged
to be turned in opposition to the pressure of the spring g g' in order to disengage the
rack from the pin and the position of the handle is designed so as to be within the
easy reach and control of the driver or attendant.
The operation of my invention is such that if it is desired to alter the position of
the seat either backwards or forwards the operator merely gives handle one quarter
revolution. This disengages rack d from pin and the seat is free to slide into the
required position. The requisite position having been obtained the operator releases
the handle when the pressure of spring g on rack plate instantly causes the rack to
jump back to its horizontal position (Fig. 4) and the pin e² becoming again engaged
in one of the notches d' of the rack the seat is locked in its adjusted position. The
ends of the seat are arranged with slide bars which fit into and work in corresponding
guides attached to the side frames of the carriage all in the usual way and as shown
in the drawings annexed hereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) For locking and adjusting the position of moveable seats more especially the
seats of carriages the combination of parts consisting of a spring-controlled rack
attached to the seat arranged to engage and disengage at will with a fixed pin such
as ele for the purpose of locking and unlocking the position of the seat by means of
a handle the combination of parts being arranged and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this 5th day of October 1888.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
2, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne,
Patent Agent for Applicant.