AN IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR
Year: 1865

page_text: :
LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR."-A communication from abroad by Williamı
Henry Van Nortwick, of Bordentown, in the County of Burlington, and
State of New Jersey United States of Amorion
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th September
1865.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR," (a communication to me from
abroad by William Henry Van Nortwick, of Bordentown, in the County of
Burlington, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of a chair having the front edge of its seat so hinged
to the legs or supports that the rear of the seat can be depressed or elevated ;

page_text: the back of the chair when the seat is depressed being lengthened, and
shortened when the seat is elevated.
The improved chair although applicable to domestic use as a reclining or
invalid chair has been more especially intended as a sleeping chair for railway
carriages. The permanent frame of the chair consists of the front and rear
legs properly secured together by longitudinal and transverse rails. The
seat of the chair is composed of a simple frame of wood or metal, to which
spring or other suitable cushions may be secured in the usual manner,
the seat being hinged near its front edge-to-the front legs in such a
manner that it can be made to assume a horizontal or an inclined position.
The back of the chair consists of a light frame properly padded, and is
hinged at its lower end to plates, one of which is secured to each of the rear
legs, or to the longitudinal rails above named, or to both legs and rails.
The rear end of each arm of the chair is hinged to ene side of the back, and
the front end is jointed to a bent lever which is hinged by means of a pin to
the side of the seat. A rod is hinged at one end to cach bent lever (about
imidway between the elbow or bend and the pin above named) and at the
other to one of the longitudinal rails. Guards are also provided to maintain
the bent levers and the arms in their proper lateral position. Two spring
bolts are provided, so arranged as to be worked simultaneously by a lever,
and acting against the bent levers so as to retain the seat in a horizontal
position, and the back in a perpendicular position, excepting when the bolts
are withdrawn. A folding frame for the support of the legs and feet is in
some instances added, such frame being so constructed that it can be packed
away under the seat when not required, or drawn out and readily arranged
when desired, for use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 30
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our 35

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George Davies,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the said
George Davies, 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 "AN IMPROVED
RECLINING CHAIR," being a communication to me from abroad by William
Henry Van Nortwick, of Bordentown, in the County of Burlington, and State
of New Jersey, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one
of them, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention consists of a chair having the front edge of its scat so
hinged to the legs or supports that the rear of the seat can be depressed or
elevated; the back of the chair when the seat is depressed being lengthened,
and shortened when the seat is elevated.
The improved chair, although applicable to domestic use as a reclining or
invalid chair, has been more especially intended as a sleeping chair for railway
carriages. The permanent frame of the chair consists of the front and
rear legs properly. secured together by longitudinal and transverse rails.
The seat of the chair is composed of a simple frame of wood or metal, to
which spring or other suitable cushions may be secured in the usual manner,
the seat being hinged near its front edge. to the front legs in such a
nanner that it can be made to assume a horizontal or an inclined position.
The back of the chair consists of a light frame properly padded, and is
hinged at its lower end to plates, one of which is secured to each of the rear
legs, or to the longitudinal rails above named, or to both legs and rails,

page_text: The rear end of each arm of the chair is hinged to one side of the back,
.and the front end is jointed to a bent lever, which is hinged-by means of a pin
to the side of the seat. A rod is hinged at one end to each bent lever (about
midway between the elbow or bend and the pin above named), and at the
other to one of the longitudinal rails. Guards are also provided to maintain
the bent levers and the arms in their proper lateral position. Two spring bolts
are provided, so arranged as to be worked simultaneously by a lever, and
acting against the bent levers, so as to retain the seat in a horizontal position;
and the back in a perpendicular--position, excepting when the bolts are
withdrawn A folding frame for the support of the legs and feet-is-in-some_
instances added, such frame being so constructed that it can be packed away
under the seat when not required, or drawn out and readily arranged when
desired for use.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "An Improved
Reclining Chair," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
and in order that the same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
· On reference to the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1 and 2 are side views
of the improved reclining chair or seat, illustrating the different positions
which the moving parts can be made to assume; Figure 3, is a plan view of
Figure 1 Figuré 4 represents a vertical section of a modification of the
chair; Figure 5, the same, illustrating the chair in a different position ;
Figure 6, another modification of the Invention.
The permanent frame of the improved reclining chair, as seen in Figures
1; 2; and 3, consists of the front legs A, A¹, and rear legs B, B', properly
'secured together by longitudinal rails C, as well as by suitable transverse rails.
The seat D of the chair is composed of a simple frame of wood or metal, to
which spring or other suitable cushions may be secured in the usual manner,
the seat being hinged near its front edge to the front legs A and A', in such a
manner that it can be made to assume the horizontal position shown in
Figure 1, or the inclined position illustrated in Figure-2..
. The back E-consists of a light properly padded frame, and is hinged at its
lower end to plates a, a', one of which is secured to each of the legs B, or to
each longitudinal rail C, or to both legs and rails; F and F¹ are the arms of
the chair, the rear end of each arm being hinged to one side of the back E,

page_text: and the front end being jointed to a bent lever G, which is hinged by means
of a pin 6 to the side of the seat. A rod His hinged at h to each lever G,
the lower end of each rod being jointed to one of the rails C'; I and I¹ are
guards, one of which is secured to each side of the seat D, the guards and
seat combined serving to maintain the lever G, and consequently the arms
F and F in their proper lateral position. To the inside of the front rail of
the seat D is secured a bracket K to a pin k, on which is hung a. lever L,
and to the short arm of the latter is jointed one end of a rod M, the opposite.
end of which passes through and is guided by an opening in one side of the
seat D, a similar rod M¹ passing through a similar opening in the opposite
side of the seat, and this rod being jointed to the same lever L at a point on
the opposite side of the fulcrum of the said lever from that to which the
rod M is jointed, so that on moving the lever in one direction the rods M
and M' will be simultaneously projected outwards, and on moving the lever
in the opposite direction the rods will be drawn inwards. The two rods are
so arranged that their projecting ends serve as stops for retaining the bent
arms G, G, in the position shewn in Figure 1. As long as the arms are.
thus held the seat with its superincumbent weight will be supported in front
by the front legs A and A', and at the rear by the two rods H and rails C.
The back E must also remain fixed in the position illustrated in Figure 1 as
long as the arms G are held by the rods M and M¹. The moment the latter
rods are drawn inwards, however, thereby releasing the arms G, the seat D
and back E are at liberty to be moved to the inclined position shewn. in
Figure 2, and this simultaneously, owing to the peculiar arrangement of the
arms G and rods E, and the manner in which they are connected to the back
and seat, for on moving the back E from a vertical. to an inclined position
(the fulcrum of the arms G being on the pins h) the bent portions of the
arms will be raised, and the straight portions will be lowered, thereby
depressing the rear of the seat. In like manner if the seat is moved from a
horizontal to an inclined position, the straight portions of the arms will be
depressed, the bent portions elevated, and through the arms F will move the
back to an inclined position. It should be understood that a spring N tends
to maintain the ends of the rods M and. M³ projected outwards from the side
of the seat, and that the extreme ends of the rods are bevilled, so that on
elevating the back and seat from an inclined position the bevilled edges of the
arms G will strike the bevilled edges of the rods and force the latter back
until the arms G have been moved past the ends of the rods, when the latter
through the spring N will be projected outwards, and serve to maintain the
chair in the position shown in Figure 2, as described above.

page_text: The above-described chair,, although generally useful as an article of
furniture for reclining purposes, has been especially designed for sleeping cars
or carriages.
Many plans of reclining seats have been proposed, and to some extent
adopted for this purpose, but all have been more or less objectionable, for the-
reason that the seats, although well adapted for reclining purposes, were
inconvenient when required as ordinary seats, or they might be convenient
Lenough for day use, but uncomfortable when converted into reclining couches.
The inconvenience has been-for-the most part caused by the great length of
tlie back required for reclining use, and the short length-required for an
ordinary use. This will be better understood when it is borne in mind that
an ordinary seat should not, reach higher than the shoulders or neck, other;
wise it would interfere with the bonnet or hat of the wearer, whereas the
back for reclining purposes should present sufficient length to afford a proper
support for the head. When the improved chair is in the position shown in
Figure 1 the top of the back is at a proper height from the seat D for a
passenger who desires to maintain a sitting position. When the chair is
brought to the position shewn in Figure 2, however, the back is elongated
by the dépression of the rear of the seat, and presents a sufficient length to
afford a proper rest for the head and shoulders of the passengers, at the same
time the relative positions, of the back and seat are such that the body of the
passenger will assume the most comfortable, position. The readiness with
which the chair may be adjusted from the position required for an ordinary
seat to that desired for reclining purposes will be apparent. The simple
movement of the lever L will cause the back and seat to assume the desired
inclined position at once, while the simple raising. of the back, and the self
locking device above described are all that is necessary for the chair to be
brought to and retained in a proper position for forming an ordinary seat.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, stationary supports, or as
they may be termed, the legs of the chair consist of the two side frames A
and A', made of wood or metal, and firmly connected together by the two
cross pieces B and C. The front of the seat D is hinged to the two frames
by a pine or by any suitable joint. The back E is also hinged to the
frames at a, and to the back are permanently-secured the two arms I', on the
front end of each of which is a projection f connected by means of a rod G-to-
the rear of the seat D. Mechanism somewhat similar to that described above
is used in the present instance for retaining the seat in an elevated position
but other devices may be used for the same purpose.
A frame P, Figure 5, is arranged to slide to and fro in grooves formed in
:

page_text: the inside of the opposite frames A and 'A', and to the front end of this frame
a second frame Q'is hinged at ý, this frame having two legs n, i, which rest
on the floor. A third frame R is jointed to the front end of the frame' Q; and
this frame R is connected by a rule joint to a fourth frame S, and the outer
end of this frame rests against the front edge of the seat D, so that the two
frames R. and S, present an inclined plane for supporting the legs of the
occupant of the chair when he is in a reclining position. It will be understood
that these frames S and R as well as the seat and back of the chair are properly
cushioned. If deemed necessary the lower end of the frame R may be
furnished with a projection t to serve as a rest for the feet. When the
support is not required the frames 'S and R are folded together, both are
folded on to the frame Q, and with the frame P are moved to the position,
seen in Figure 1, beneath the seat D. This adjunct to the reclining chair
when the latter is used on railway carriages is especially valuable, as it affords
every comfort for the passenger when he assumes a recumbent or reclining
position for the night, while during the day the frames are made to occupy a
position which presents no obstructions to the conversion of the chair into a
seat occupying no more room than the usual seats of railway carriages. In
addition to other advantages which this arrangement presents sufficient room
is afforded during the day between the seat D, and the folded frame to con-
tain a blanket to be used as a covering during the night. The modification
illustrated by Figure 6, will be readily understood without description.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for "An
Improved Reclining Chair," together with the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that I claim as the Invention (communicated to me by the above-
named William Henry Van Nortwick, of Bordentown, in the County of
Burlington, and State of New Jersey, United States of America)..
Firstly, so hinging the front of the seat and the lower end of the back to
the legs, or to any substitute for the same, that on lowering the seat the back
will be lengthened, and on raising the seat the back will be shortened as set
forth.
Secondly, in combination with the back and seat hinged to the legs or other
substitute as set forth, the arms F and G, and rods H, H, or their equivalents,
whereby the movement of the back, and that of the seat are rendered simul-
taneous and dependent on each other.
Thirdly, the self-locking device composed of the rods M and M', lever L,
and spring N, or their equivalents, when applied to and combined with the
hinged seat D and arms G, substantially as specified.

page_text: Fourthly, the sliding frame P and folding frames Q, R, and S, or their
equivalents, in combination with the seat D, and the framework or other support
to which the seat is hinged.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)