Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th July, 1887. .
I, JOHN EDMUND HOOPER, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Solicitor, do hereby delare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the production of a combined chair and hammock,
and, as constructed, the chair may also be used for a swing.
The framework is composed, essentially, of a number of jointed links and legs and
suitable crossbars upon which is placed a length of flexible material. The foot-rest is
not connected rigidly with the framework of the chair, but is sustained by a flexible
connection such as a cord or rope, the said flexible connection being supported
eccentrically to the centre, about which the front part of the chair turns when the
seat is being brought into horizontal position to serve as a hammock, such connection
allowing the foot-rest to be moved independently of the movement of the lower end of
the chair. The flexible connection of the said foot-rest as the apparatus is changed
from its upright to its horizontal position assumes an approximately straight line,
such straightening of the flexible connection practically increasing the distance of the
foot-rest from the centre about which the lower part of the chair turns, thus, as it
were, lowering the-foot-rest as the legs of the occupant are straightened and obviating
the tendency to push the body of the person longitudinally on the seat.
Dated this 21st day of October 1886
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN EDMUND HOOPER, of No. 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Solicitor, 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 :-
My invention has for its object the production of a combined chair and hammock,
and, as constructed, the chair may be also used for a swing.
The frame-work of my combined chair and hammock is composed, essentially, of a
number of jointed links or bars, legs, and suitable cross-rounds or seat-supports, upon
which is placed a length of textile material, such as heavy duck or canvas.
The foot-
rest is not connected rigidly with the frame-work of the chair, but is sustained by a
flexible connection, such as a cord, the said flexible connection being supported
eccentrically to the centre about which the front part of the chair turns when the seat
is being brought into horizontal position to serve as a hammock; such connection
allowing the foot-rest, (the feet of the person in the chair resting upon it), to be
moved independently of the movement of the lower end of the chair. The flexible
connection of the said foot-rest, as the chair is changed from its upright or chair-
position to its horizontal or hammock-position, assumes a more nearly straight line;
such straightening of the flexible connection practically increasing the distance of the
foot-rest from the centre about which the lower part of the chair turns; thus, as it
were, lowering the foot-rest as the legs of the occupant of the chair are, straightened,
and obviating the tendency to push the body of the person longitudinally on the
seat.
:
Figure 1 represents my invention in position to be used as a chair or swing.
Figure 2 represents it in position to be used as a lounge.
In both figures the chair is shewn as suspended from a pair of trestles, but my
invention does not confine me to this method of suspension, inasmuch as the suspension
cords may be attached to a hook for which purpose such cord has a loop formed at its
bight.
I attain the objects of my invention by means of the constructional arrangements
illustrated in the accompanying figures which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith.
a, a represent two long bars, which I shall denominate "back-bars," there being
one at each side of the chair. To each one of these back-bars are jointed two links b,
and arm-links c. The outer ends of the links b (one at each side of the chair) are

page_text: с
connected, by the cross-round d, with the leg-bars e. The upper end of each leg-bar is
loosely pivotted upon a round or cross-bar, f, the said round at its ends also serving to
connect the links c with the leg-bars, the ends of the round entering the arm-links a
short distance back from their front ends. The upper ends of the back-bars are
connected together by a round or bar, g, preferably so held therein as to be revolved;
suitable thumb or set screws, h, being employed to secure it in position. The upper
end of the sack-bottom A is connected with this round or cross-bar g, and its lower
end with the round or cross-bar d, and between its ends the said sack-bottom is
supported upon the rod or round f, it being secured thereto, as by tacks. The sack-
bottom may be adjusted as to its length by turning the round g, and where it rests
upon the round fit will preferably have connected with its under sides loops i, to
embrace the said round.
The back-bars are provided with a series of holes, c¹, and one of them receives a
piece of rope, l, which is connected with a long rope or cord, m. One end of each
rope m is connected with one of the back-bars a, substantially at the junction of the
back-bars and links c, and its other end is connected with the front end of the arm c
the said rope m, between its two ends, having made in it a suitable loop, m², by which
to support or suspend the chair from a convenient suspension device, e.g. pair. of
trestles.
By moving the junction-point of the ropes 1 m, or by changeing the point at which
one or the other of the said ropes is connected with the back-bar, the line of action of
the supporting force, which coincides with the direction of the rope m from its junction-
point with the rope to its supporting-loop, will be varied, so that in this manner the
position of the support may be varied with relation to the centre of gravity of the
weight of the occupant, the position of which varies with the size of the occupant.
The chair is thus always balanced in all positions of the back-bars, both when the
apparatus is used as a chair or as a hammock.
The foot-rest n is suspended by the flexible connections or ropes o, supported at the
extreme front ends of the bars c, with which they are adjustably attached in any
suitable manner in order to permit the foot-rest to be raised or lowered to adapt it to
the length of the leg of the person using the chair. These flexible connections will be
passed through suitable eyes, p, at the outer ends of the arm-links c. Viewing one of
these flexible connections, it will be seen that it has in it quite an abrupt bend, and
that the foot-rest in such position is nearer the centre of motion of the arin-link c and
leg-bare on the round than when the chair is extended to serve as a hammock.
This method of supporting the foot-rest is very desirable and essential, because by it
the connections with the foot-rest are lengthened as the chairs and the legs of the
person occupying it are straightened, thus preventing the body of the person moving
horizontally upon that part of the seat A between the round f, g, when the seat is
being straightened.
I am aware that a rigid chair-seat having a hinged rigid back and a leg-rest has
been pivotted between two rigid arms hung from a door-frame, the said back being so
connected, with the upper end of the bars constituting the leg-rest as that the back,
when lowered, will positively swing the leg-rest and its connected foot-rest upward.
In my invention the parts a b c e, with their pivots, constitute a sort of a parallel
motion or lazy-tongs movement, and the person supported by the sacking A, (heavy
cotton, linen, or other suitable fabric), to change from sitting to reclining position, has
only to straighten his body more or less, as may be desired, keeping his feet against
the foot-rest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The sack-bottom A; back bars a; leg-bars e; connecting links b, c, pivotted
between them; and rounds or bars gf d, combined with the suspension ropes l, m,
connected with the said back-bars and connecting-links as set forth, whereby the parts
supported by the suspension-ropes are held in balanced position when the back pieces

page_text: and sack-bottom are in position for a chair or for a hammock, substantially as
described.
2. In a swinging chair convertible into a hammock by the horizontal extension of
the back-bars and leg-bars of the chair, the foot-rest and its flexible suspension-cords
supported as shown and described with relation to the round which serves as the
joint between the arm-links and leg-bars to permit the foot-rest to move longitudinally
in the direction of the length of the leg-bar when the chair is converted into a
hammock.
3. The swinging chair convertible into a hammock, and its suspension ropes
provided with loops m², substantially as described.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.