IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROAL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Wallace, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, and George Galloway, of the
same place, Smiths, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Wallace
and George Galloway at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th September 1853.
We, ALEXANDER WALLACE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, and GEORGE GALLOWAY, of the same place, Smiths, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
follows:-
This Invention relates to the so constructing chairs, tables, and other
articles of furniture that they may be peculiarly portable when packed
up or folded down for removal, whilst at the same time when erected
for use they are of great strength and substantiability. In constructing
a chair according to these improvements the seat, made in the ordinary
way, rests on a light open iron frame. To the front of this frame are
hinged the upper ends of a pair of flat iron legs, which are connected
at their lower ends by a cross spindle, so that both legs can oscillate

page_text: upon their hinge on the seat frame as if they were in one piece. The
upper joint spindle, by which the legs are connected to the seat, is
passed through a pair of joint eyes on the scat frame; and the two legs
being attached, one at each end of this joint spindle, they form an
oscillating frame. The back of a seat frame has a similar pair of joint
eyes upon it, and through these eyes a back spindle is passed, just as at
the front. This back spindle has on each end of it an eye embracing
the vertical rail of the chair back on each side, and free to slide
thereon. The lower ends of these two rails of the back are in-
flexibly connected at a slight angle with the upper ends of a back pair
of legs formed into a frame by cross spindles, like the front pair.
These two leg frames are also jointed together at their centres on each
side by joint stud pins, like an ordinary camp or deck stool, so as to
form a set of four diagonal legs. The chair back has a pair of clear
rails, to allow of the seat slide action, and its top is composed of the
usual cross rail bar. When set up for use, such a chair resembles
those of the ordinary construction, except that it stands on its four
inclined or diagonal legs. When it is to be folded up for transport
the user draws up the back edge of the seat, sliding it by its two eyes
along the chair back guide rails. The diagonal joint of the supporting
legs, and the junction of the front legs with the front edge of the seat,
allows of the seat being thus folded flat down with its back edge close
up to the top bar of the back. The seat thus lays parallel with the
back, and the diagonal legs fold down also nearly into the same plane,
so that the folded chair comes into a thin package of a length equal to
the back and one pair of legs.
In applying this principle to tables and similar pieces of furniture
the same general plan of folding is adopted; but the table top, which in
this case takes the place of the chair seat, is in two halves, the line of
junction being down the middle at right angles to the folding plane of
the legs. The supporting frame of the table top is jointed in the centre
also, so that when the table is to be folded up each half of the top
folds back upon its external edge hinge, so as to lay parallel on
each side of the folded legs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Wallace and George Galloway in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
ALEXANDER WALLACE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, and GEORGE GALLOWAY, of the same place, Smiths, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Alexander Wallace and George
Galloway, Her special licence that we, the said Alexander Wallace and
George Galloway, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Alexander Wallace and George Galloway, our
executors, administrators, or 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," upon the
condition, amongst others, that we, the said Alexander Wallace and
George Galloway, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly de-
scribe 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alexander Wallace and George
Galloway, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:

page_text: Our said Invention relates to the so constructing chairs, tables, and
other articles of furniture that they may be peculiarly portable when
packed up or folded down for removal, whilst at the same time when
erected for use they may be of great strength and substantiality. In
constructing a chair according to these improvements the seat, made
in the ordinary way, rests on a light open iron frame. To the front of
this frame are hinged the upper ends of a pair of flat iron legs, which
are connected at their lower ends by a cross spindle, so that both legs
can oscillate upon their hinge on the seat frame as if they were in one
piece. The upper joint spindle, by which the legs are connected to the
seat, is passed through a pair of joint eyes on the seat frame, and the
two legs being attached, one at each end of this joint spindle, they
form an oscillating frame. The back of the seat frame has a similar
pair of joint eyes upon it, and through these eyes a back spindle is
passed just as at the front. This back spindle has on each end of it
an eye embracing the vertical rail of the chair back on each side, and
free to slide thereon. The lower ends of these two rails of the back
are inflexibly connected at a slight angle with the upper ends of a
back pair of legs, formed into a frame by cross spindles like the front
pair. These two leg frames are also jointed together at their centres
on each side by joint stud pins, like an ordinary camp or deck stool,
so as to form a set of four diagonal legs. The chair back has a pair
of clear rails to allow of the seat slide action, and its top is composed
of the usual cross rail bar. When set up for use such a chair re-
sembles those of the ordinary construction, except that it stands on its
four inclined or diagonal legs. When it is to be folded up for trans-
port the user draws up the back edge of the seat, sliding it by its two
eyes along the chair back guide rails. The diagonal joint of the sup-
porting legs, and the junction of the front legs with the front edge of
the seat, allows of the seat being thus folded flat down with its back
edge close up to the top bar of the back. The seat thus lays parallel
down also nearly into the
with the back, and the diagonal legs fold
same plane, so that the folded chair comes into a thin package of a
length equal to that of the back and one pair of legs. In applying
this principle to tables and similar pieces of furniture the same general

page_text: plan of folding is adapted, but the table top, which in this case takes the
place of the chair seat, is in two halves, the line of junction being down
the middle at right angles to the folding plane of the legs. The sup-
porting frame of the table top is jointed in the centre also, so that
when the table is to be folded up each half folds back upon its external
edge hinge, so as to lay parallel on each side of the folded legs.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood
we shall now proceed to describe the several Figures of the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached. Figure 1, on our Sheet of Drawings
is a complete side clevation of one modification of our portable
chair opened and properly disposed for use as a seat. Figure 2, is
a corresponding front view of the chair, as seen at right angles
to the side elevation, Figure 1. Figure 3, is a perspective view of
the folded or closed chair as prepared for the convenience of trans-
port, or for being stowed away on ship board, when out of use. In
this arrangement the chair is entirely carried upon the four diagonal
legs A, B, C, D, of flat bar iron, connected together in pairs by
transverse tie rods E, near. their lower ends, and by corresponding
upper rods F, G, at their opposite ends, so as to form two distinct open
frames. The two frames thus formed are also jointed together by
central joint studs II, one on each side, like a common deck seat. The
seat or cushion I, made in the ordinary way, rests upon a light open
iron frame, carrying joint eyes J, on its front side or edge for receiving
the upper tie bar G, of the diagonal leg frame A, D. This forms a
secure folding hinge for the junction of the frame A, D, with the seat.
At the back or opposite edge of the seat frame are two similar joint
eyes K, for the reception of a back spindle quite disconnected with the
leg framing. This back spindle has formed upon it at each end an
eye L, embracing the vertical rail M, of the chair back, on each side, the
two eyes having liberty to traverse freely upon the vertical pieces M.
The back rails M, are surmounted in the usual way by a back cross
piece N, and their lower ends are
angle with the upper ends of the
B, C, just above the cross rod F.
down for stowage, as in Figure 3, the back edge of the seat I, is drawn
inflexibly connected at the required
two pieces forming the leg frame
When the chair is to be closed

page_text: upwards, the clear back rails M allowing the swivelling eyes L to slide
up along these guide rails. This swivelling action is caused by the
turning of the spindle on which the eyes are formed in the two joint
eyes K of the seat frame, the eyes L being compelled to traverse in
a straight line along the rails M. The corresponding swivelling motion
of the front rod or spindle G of the leg frame, in the eyes J, and the
joint action of the central studs H, thus admit of the seat being folded
flat down in a line nearly parallel with the back rails M. Thus the
whole forms a long, thin, or narrow package, as in Figure 3, on our
Sheet of Drawings. It will be obvious to the practical cabinet maker,
that instead of folding down the seat by guide eyes entered upon the
back rails, a somewhat similar result may be secured by the use of
adjusting hooks or catches to hold the seat in its two extreme positions;
and although we have herein-before referred to the chairs and furniture
as being made chiefly of iron, it is to be understood that wood, brass, or
other material may be employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of .our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not
confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements
which we have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main
features of our Invention; but what we consider to bo novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is-
First, the general arrangement and construction of portable articles
of furniture, as hercin-before described.
Second, the system or mode of constructing chairs and portable
furniture wherein diagonally folding legs are combined with a sliding
folding seat, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of constructing chairs and portable
articles of furniture wherein the seat or cushion is capable of folding
down into the angular recess formed by the junction of the back and
legs.
Fourth, the application and use in the construction of chairs and

page_text: portable articles of furniture of traversing cushions or scats actuated
by the folding action of diagonal legs, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Wallace and George
Galloway, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Eleventh
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
ALEXANDER WALLACE. (L.S.)
GEORGE GALLOWAY.
(L.S.)