IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REVERSIBLE SEATS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REVERSIBLE
SEATS." A communication from abroad by Thomas Rainey, of the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th August 1861.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OP
REVERSIBLE SEATS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of constructing seats suitable for carriages,
steam vessels, and other uses, so that the inclination of the back may be
reversed at pleasure, and with it the inclination of the seat. The reversible.
seat consists of a framing composed of end pieces, connected together by cross.

page_text: bars, and fitted with bearings to receive the journals of a rocking board or
cushion, which forms the seat proper. Under this seat and at each end
thereof a metal plate is applied, which plate is formed with stop pieces at its
extremities, and at its under side is provided with a pair of lugs. These lugs
are fitted with journals, which are supported in bearings or sockets in the end
pieces of the framing. Outside these end pieces are radius rods, which have
their fulcra in the lower part of the framing, and in a line with the centre
thereof. The radius rods are braced together at their upper part by a back
board, and at about a level with the seat they are formed with guides, into
which the outer edges of the stop plates project. When, therefore, these rods,
which constitute the supports of the back, are swayed they will rock the seat
proper, and elevate one or other edge thereof, as desired. To bring the seat
to the determined inclination a supplementary loose back, swinging on pins
and coupled at its lower end to the radius bars by links, may be employed
when desired. Where a slight inclination only of the seat is required, the stop
plates are made straight, but by curving them the inclination will be
increased.
To make the seat level, suitable for use at a table, and inclined when not so
in use (suitable for lounging) the stop plates of the seat should be straight
from one end to the fulcrum, and curved downwards from that point to the
other extremity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time.

page_text: 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF REVERSIBLE SEATS," being
a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to a mode of constructing seats suitable for carriages, steam vessels, and
other uses, so that the inclination of the back may be reversed at pleasure,
and with it the inclination of the seat.
The improvements consist, firstly, in connecting the seat back to the seat in
such a manner that the position or inclination of the seat will be shifted by
reversing the back, the whole forming an exceedingly simple and efficient
device.
A further improvement consists in the application of a supplemental back
to the seat in the manner herein-after described.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved
reversible seat; Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, are end views of the same. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, A, represent two end pieces, which support the seat B. These end pieces
may be of cast metal, connected by traverse bars of wood C, D, D. The
seat B
may be also of wood, and of any suitable width, and having a metal
plate E. Secured to each end of the seat is a metal plate E, which plates
are provided at each end with a protuberance or stop a. To the lower surface
of each plate E, at its centre, there is attached at right angles a projection G.
These projections each serve to carry a horizontal journal 6, which journals
have their bearings in the upper parts of the end pieces A, A. The seat B is
about balanced on its journals b, b. H, H, are two radius bars, the lower
ends of which are secured by bolts or pivots c, c, to the centres of the lower parts

page_text: of the end pieces A, A, in a vertical line with the journals b, b, of the seat B.
The upper ends of the bars H, H, are connected by a cross rail I, which serves
as a back for the seat, and each bar H has a loop or recess J, in which the edges
of the plates E fit. The loops or recesses J are at such a point in the bars
H, H, that when these bars are adjusted back at either side of the seat B, the
latter will in a generality of cases be about at right angles thereto, see Figs. 2
and 3. This position of the seat B is inclined, and affords an easy and
agreeable position, well calculated to rest the occupant, as the position is
partially recumbent.
In cases where it would be desirable to have the seat rather more inclined
relatively with the back than shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plates E, E, are
made slightly curved, as shown in Fig. 5, the concave surface being upper-
most. By this means the seat B will form a more acute angle with the back
than when the plates E are straight. When, however, it would not be
desirable to have the seat B at all inclined, as, for instance, when used at a
table as an ordinary seat, the plate E, E, is made straight at one end, and
curved downward at the opposite end, as shown in Fig. 4. The straight ends
of the plate E are placed adjoining the dining table, shown in red outline.
By this arrangement it will be seen that when the radius bars H, H, are
adjusted back from the table the loops or recesses J will be on the curved
ends of the plates E, E, and the seat B will be in a horizontal position,
with an inclined back. When the back is reversed so that the loops or
recesses J will be adjusted towards the table, the seat B will be inclined,
as shown in red, and corresponding to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
It may be preferable to have a supplemental back K attached to the seat
This
in order to obtain the full advantage of the whole width of the seat.
supplemental back is suspended by a joint d, see Fig. 3, to the bottom of the
rail I, and the lower end of this back has a link L attached to it at each end
of the links, being fitted on pins e projecting from the radius bars H, H. By
this arrangement the supplemental back is allowed to set back in line with the
back edge of the seat B.
It will be seen that the plates E, fitting in the grooves or recesses J
of the radius bars H, H, form the connection between those bars and
the seat, and insure the adjustment of the latter with the movement of the
former.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of Improvements in the
Construction of Reversible Seats," as communicated to me from abroad, and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it

page_text: to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,―
1st, the connecting, substantially as described, of the radius bars of the seat
back to the rocking seat, to admit of the automatic adjustment of the seat
with the reversing movement of the back, as described.
And, 2nd, the supplemental back applied to and connected with the radius
bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)