AN IMPROVED SPRING SEAT, FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Complete Left, 30th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
JAMES LEA Fernleigh, New Road, Bromsgrove, Accountant, Surveyor &c. I do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED SPRING SEAT, FOR
VEHICLES, to be as follows:-
--
The Box portable or fixed, to seat one person, Springs of suitable strength to work
inside between the upper and lower part of the Box, the sides of the Box partly
boxed in, and the upper and lower parts having movement one within the other.
Cover the Box at option.
Dated this Fourteenth day of May 1888.

page_text: 1, JAMES LEA, of Fernleigh, New Road, Bromsgrove, in the, County of Worcester,
Accountant, Surveyor, etc. 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 :-
The box portable or fixed, to suit one person or extended. Springs of suitable
strength to work inside. between the upper and lower-part-of the box, the sides of the
box partly boxed in and the upper and lower parts having movement one within the
other. Cover the box at option.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon which
my invention is illustrated in five figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my cushions complete in its upholstered
state.
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line M. N. and looking to the left hand.
Figure 3 is a similar cross section when a certain amount of weight is applied. to
the top of the cushion thus bringing the springs into compression.
Figure 4 is a plan of the base E of the cushion with the upper part removed.
Figure 5 is an inverted plan of the upper part of the frame of the cushion B.
The cushion is composed at the base of a hard or soft piece of wood, paper mache
or other suitable material E with the sides and ends e which form a kind of box
inside which the springs K are fastened by any suitable nails, screws, hooks, wire
staples, or other means the objects being to secure the springs perfectly safe upon
this base board E. I may also add corner pieces to further keep them in their place
or they may be sunk into a recess in the base board. The upper part of the frame
consists of the board B-which may be made of either soft or hard wood or of other
suitable substance-upon which I fix the circular blocks 2 as seen at Figure 5 or
there may be recesses for the springs to fall into instead of the blocks. This board is
also surrounded by the ledges or sides & which however are of such a size as to fit
inside the sides e¹ of the board E which is more clearly shown at Figure 3 where the
cushion is in its compressed condition. When these boards B and E are brought
together with the springs between them, I upholster the sides with cloth or other
suitable textile material which is fastened upon the boards so as to bring the springs
into slight compression when in their normal condition, or webbing may be used
under the cloth, thus forming a flexible box which does not yield in hollows and form
lumps as in an ordinary upholstered cushion on account of the board B distributing
the pressure from one spring to another so that each spring takes its part of the
compression when a person is sitting thereon which is one of the important peculiarities
of my invention. Of course I do not confine myself to the four springs shewn as
there may be more or less according to the weight the cushion has to carry and the
size thereof because the cushions may be made longer or shorter according to the

page_text: number of people who would sit thereon, but generally they would be constructed
to seat one person. I have shown the upper part A upholstered as fast to the top of
the seat but instead of this it may be quite loose as in ordinary carriage cushions
without any taper and of any thickness or design. It will be obvious that the class
of springs here shewn may be varied in shape and design and material, rubber acting
even fairly well, as well as the shape of the cushion which may be round oval or other
shape. It will also be evident that the cushion may be constructed without the side
pieces and el without sacrificing utility but I prefer to use them both as a limit of
clasticity and to limit the side-play. These cushions are specially adapted for the
use of persons with weak spines or from other causes unable to sit upon seats which
are in any sense hard or inflexible and where these springs are properly fitted delicate
persons can ride long distances without feeling any ill effects therefrom. Though I
have described B as the top board E may be kept at the top with equal effort.
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
The flexible spring seat consisting of the boards or other substances B and E with
springs K mounted between the same so that the pressure is equally distributed over
the whole surface thereof whether upholstered or not substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth and shewn upon the drawings.
JOHN KENDRICK,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.