IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS AND SEATS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Rivington Holmes, of the British Museum,-
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOLDING CHAIRS AND SEATS."
Sealed the 24th April 1863, and dated the 10th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Rivington
Holmes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th November 1862.
I, RICHARD RIVINGTON HOLMES, of the British Museum, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FOLDING CHAIRS AND SEATS," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in folding chairs and seats. -
For these purposes on each side of the seat of a chair or at each end of a
longer seat two bars are applied which cross each other at a point above the
seat; these bars are connected together by a pin joint which will admit of
their being both folded together, one on the other, and also of their being
opened out, one from the other, so as to form legs or supports for the seat.
and according as the two legs at each side or end of the seat are at any time
at a greater or less distance apart so will the seat be nearer or more distant -
from the floor or ground. The two bars above mentioned, forming the frame
at each side or end of the seat, are of different lengths above the pin joint.
which constitutes their axis of motion. The shorter bar is formed with an
elbow, whilst the longer bar is arranged to carry a back, which it is preferred

page_text: should turn on a neck or axis, and have a certain degree of play, so that the
person sitting in a chair may, when leaning against the back, cause the incli-
nation of the back to assume a position most agreeable to the sitter. The
seat is below the point at which the two bars are connected, and the seat is
attached by a pin joint or axis to the bar which carries the elbow. At each
side or end of the seat there is a rack formed or applied, and on the front leg
or support there is a bar between the sides or ends, upon which the rack fits
so as to retain the legs or supports from opening, or spreading when once the
chair or other seat is put into a desired position, and there is an india-rubber
spring used, tending to fold the two bars together when the rack is lifted up
or released from the bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Rivington Holmes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
RIVINGTON HOLMES, of the British Museum, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Rivington Holmes, Her special licence that I,
the said Richard Rivington Holmes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Rivington Holmes, my
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
FOLDING CHAIRS AND SEATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Rivington Holmes, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Rivington Holmes, 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 has for its object improvements in folding chairs and seats.
For these purposes on each side of the seat of a chair or at each end of a
longer seat two bars are applied which cross each other at a point above the
seat. These bars are connected together by a pin joint which will admit of
their being both folded together, one on the other, and also of their being
opened out, one from the other, so as to form legs or supports for the seat,
and according as the two legs at each side or end of the seat are at any time
at a greater or less distance apart, so will the seat be nearer or more distant
from the floor or ground. The two bars above mentioned forming the
frame at each side or end of the seat are of different lengths above the pin
joint which constitutes their axis of motion; the shorter bar is formed with an
elbow, whilst the longer bar is arranged to carry a back, which it is preferred
should turn on a neck or axis and have a certain degree of play so that the
person sitting in a chair may, when leaning against the back cause the incli-
nation of the back to assume a position most agreeable to the sitter. The
seat is below the point at which the two bars are connected, and the seat is
attached by a pin joint or axis to the bar which carries the elbow. At each
side or end of the seat there is a rack formed or applied and connecting the
two longer bars or supports, at the opposite sides or ends of the chair there is
a bar upon which the rack fits so as to retain the legs or supports from
opening or spreading when once the chair or other seat is put into a desired
position, and there is an india-rubber spring used tending to fold the two bars
together when the rack is lifted up or released from the bar.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 a front view of a chair con-
structed as above described, the chair being in these views shown to be
opened out; Figure 3 shews a side view of the chair when folded up.
a is the seat of the chair, on each side or end of which two bars 6¹, 6¹,
connected together by a pin joint are applied, the seat being hinged to the
bars 6 at a point below where the two bars are pin-jointed together; thus by
opening out more or less the bars b, 61, which form the legs or supports, the
seat may be brought nearer to or further from the floor or ground. The

page_text: person
shorter bars 6 to which the seat is pin jointed, are at their upper ends formed
with an elbow; the longer bars 6 have pin jointed to them at their upper ends
a back c; the back can thus assume the position most agreeable to the
sitting in the chair. The back is prevented from turning beyond a certain
distance by a pin or stop at each of its ends, which stops enter into slots in the
upper part of the bars 6; these stops and the slots into which they enter are
not shewn in the Drawing, On the under side of the seat and near each of
its sides or ends is a rack d, and on the upper edge of the bar e which connects
together the two bars or supports b, are two small rods of metal f, which
enter into the notches of the racks d. The legs or supports b, 6', can thus
be opened out to any desired extent, and be there retained by the rods f
entering into one or other of the notches of the racks. 9 is an india-rubber
spring for drawing the legs or supports b, 6', towards each other, when by
the seat being turned up the rods f are released from the notches of the rack.
Figures 4 and 5 shew a side and front view of a chair, differing only from
the one above described in that this chair is made entirely of wood in place of
the seat and back being furnished with cushions as in the chair first
described.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a seat suitable for being used in churches, it being
provided at the back with a hook board which can be turned down on hinges
so as to lie against the back. The seat a is hinged to a bar which connects
together the two legs or supports 6', and in place of the back being pin-jointed
to the supports b, as in the chair first described it is hinged at its bottom to
the back of the seat a, and the seat has projecting from each of its ends a pin;
these pins enter into grooves in the supports 6; in other respects the chair is
similar to the one first described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Rivington Holmes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
RICHARD RIVINGTON HOLMES,
(L.S.)