IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF ELASTIC OR YIELDING SURFACES FOR SITTING, LYING, OR RECLINING UPON
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Osman at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st December
1861.
I, CHARLES OSMAN, of Chryssell Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF ELASTIC OR YIELDING SURFACES FOR SITTING,
LYING, OR RECLINING UPON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in manufacturing elastic surfaces of vulcanized
india-rubber of cellular form, and in applying the same to the construction of
cushions, mattresses, chair and couch seats, or other surfaces for sitting, lying,
or reclining upon.
For this purpose I manufacture cellular surfaces of vulcanized india-rubber,
composed of a series of cells of suitable depth or capacity, the divisions of
which are such as to readily give way to pressure when sitting, lying," or
reclining thereon, and yet when such pressure is removed, they will return to
their original form or thereabouts. Cellular surfaces of "vulcanized" india-
rubber, (or india-rubber and its compounds rendered permanently elastic by
sulphur or sulphur compounds and heat, or by chemical solutions to produce
the "change,") suitable for the purposes of this part of my Invention, may be
manufactured as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to William
Warne, dated Sept 1st, 1858, No. 1987, but I prefer to manufacture such
cellular surfaces according to the Specification of a Patent granted to Hugh

page_text: Adams Silver and Henry Griffin, dated March 6th, 1861, No. 569, and sur-
faces so manufactured may be made of a size and thickness suitable for the
seats, backs, or sides of chairs, couches, or other articles of furniture, and the
upper or outer surfaces may be made of suitable shapes or forms for the
purposes to which they are to be applied. The upper surfaces of seats, cushions,
or mattresses, may also be of curved or of other suitable forms. Cellular sur-
faces constructed according to this part of my Invention may be made up, or
enclosed in cases or otherwise, into seats, cushions, or mattresses, either in one
or several parts or layers; for instance, a seat, cushion, or mattress, may be
composed of several comparatively thin cellular surfaces, laid one upon another,
and the cells of such surfaces may, if desired, be open or closed at one or each
end, or be stuffed with horsehair, wool, or other suitable stuffing. Inflated
india-rubber balls or other filling, may, if desired, be inserted in part or all of
such cells.
The second part of my Invention, consists in forming elastic or yielding
surfaces, for sitting, lying, or reclining upon, by connecting the upper or lower
ends, or both of a series of lever arms, by means of strips or bands of vulcanized
india-rubber, or such lever arms may be connected together or retained in
position by helical or other springs, so as to yield or give way when pressure is
applied to the surfaces, which they are arranged to support.
The third part of my Invention consists in forming elastic or yielding
surfaces, by means of a series of curved springs arranged and supported on a
fixed or stationary surface or surfaces, such springs being caused to support a
cushion, mattress, or other surface for sitting, lying, or reclining upon, so as to
yield on pressure being applied to any part thereof.
The fourth part of my Invention, consists, in forming elastic surfaces
for sitting, lying or reclining upon, by causing the cushion, mattress, or
seat, to be supported upon projections carried by a series of helical or other
springs.