AN IMPROVEMENT IN SWINGS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Pomeroy Button, of Nos. 142 and 148,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN SWINGS."-A communication from abroad by Julius
Walter Sperry, of Cleveland, New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 4th May 1866, and dated the 14th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Pomeroy Button
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition, on
the 14th December 1865.
I, CHARLES POMEROY BUTTON, of Nos.. 142 and 143, Cheapside, in the City
of London, Merchant,, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SWINGS," a communication from abroad by Julius
Walter Sperry, of Cleveland, New York, United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in suspending in front of an ordinary swing one or
more additional rods or cords, to the lower end of which is attached a foot-
board or treadle so arranged in connection with the seat that the operator
may by pressing the board with the foot or feet produce a forward motion, and
on raising the foot or feet the swing will fall backwards by its own: gravity,

page_text: and by repeating the operation the swing may be made to rise to any
desired height. I prefer to use four rods or cords, two as a support for the
seat, and two as a support for the footboard, so arranged and connected
together that the four rods or cords may move simultaneously when the foot-
board is pressed by the operator. The rods or cords supporting the footboard 5
or treadle may be fastened at the upper end either in front, at the sides, or in
the roar of the upper portion of the rods or cords supporting the seat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Pomeroy Button in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
POMEROY BUTTON, of Nos. 142 and 143, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Pomeroy Button, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Pomeroy Button, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Pomeroy Button, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN SWINGS," being a communication from abroad by Julius
Walter Sperry, of Cleveland; New York, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Pomeroy Button, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Charles Pomeroy Button, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner, the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained-in and by the

page_text: ollowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
nid to the letters marked thereon:-
The object of this Invention of improvements in the construction of swings is
to enable the person in the swing to move the same backwards and forwards by
pressure of the foot or feet. I name my improved swing the "aerial chair."
The improvements consist in suspending in front of an ordinary swing
ne or more rods or cords, which serve to support a footboard or treadle; this
ootboard or treadle is placed below the seat of the swing, as described by the
pressure of the foot or feet. I name my improved swing the "aerial chair.
The improvements consist in suspending in front of an ordinary swing
one or more rods or cords, which serve to support a footboard or treadle; this
footboard or treadle is placed below the seat of the swing, as described by the
accompanying Drawings..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, a side elevation, Figure 2, a front elevation, and Figure §, a plan
of a swing made of wrought iron, and drawn to a scale of about one-eighth
full size; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the swing. The same letters of
reference are used to represent parts that are similar.
a shews the seat of the swing supported on pivots c, c, by the rods b, b, the
upper ends of which are suspended on the bar e, fixed on brackets k placed on
any suitable support, such as a tree; these rods extend below the seat to tho
footboard or treadle d, provided with pivots f, f, on which the lower ends of
the said rods are placed. The seat is also furnished at the back with tho
supports 9, 9, which also pivot at f. f. In front of the seat are placed the
rods h, h, for supporting the front of the footboard or treadle on which
the rods pivot at i, i, as shewn, the upper ends of the rods being supported
on the bar e fixed in the brackets l, l; or they may be placed behind or at the
side of the upper ends of the rods b, b, supporting the seat. The number of
the rods for supporting the front of the footboard or treadle may be varied,
as one only or more than two may be employed. Now if a person sitting in
tho swing press the footboard or treadle forward with his foot or feet the
swing will be forced forward, and the footboard being then relieved from the
pressure the swing will fall backwards by its own weight, and by repeating
this operation the swing may be made to rise to any desired height. If, how-
ever, the upper ends of the rods or cords supporting the footboard or treadle
are suspended in the rear of the rods supporting the seat the motion of the
swing will be the reverse of that above described, that is to say, the pressure
of the foot or feet against the footboard or treadle will cause the swing to
move backwards, and when relieved from said pressure will move forward by
its own gravity. The operator may, if he so desire, produce or accelerate the
oscillating motion of the aerial chair by pulling one or more of the front rods
or cords with his hands.

page_text: Having thus described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, nor to the material
of which the swing is made; but what I claim is, the construction of a
swing with a footboard or treadle attached to one or more suspending rods or
ropes, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described
and shewn in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Pomeroy Button, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our
set
my
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
FLAVILLE L. BUTTON.
CHARLES POMEROY BUTTON. (L.S.)