Improvements in and relating to Kneeling or Foot Stools.
Year: 1895

page_text: COME DELE
Improvements in and relating to Kneeling or Foot Stools.
I, LOUIS JOHN HOFFMEYER, of 131 Grandy Avenue, in the City of Detroit,
Michigan, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement.-
At the present time many churches and other houses of worship are provided
with benches or stools arranged in front of each seat or pew which serve the double
purpose of kneeling and foot stools. These benches whether stationary or movable
are greatly in the way of the occupants of the pews while entering of leaving the
same and are also a source of annoyance to the janitor in sweeping and cleaning
the house.
It is the object of my invention to provide each seat with a bench or stool and
To this end my
at the same time avoid all the objections before referred to.
invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of a bench
slidingly secured between guide ways and adapted to be moved thereon in or out
from under the seat or to be raised from the floor when not in use.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a church pew to which my invention is attached
showing the bench as arranged for a kneeling bench.
Fig. 2 18 a cross section through two seats showing in full and dotted lines, the
bench in its different positions.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper part of one of the guide ways.
Fig. 4 18 a detail perspective view showing the manner of attaching and detaching
the bench from the guide-ways.
Fig. 5 is a detail section showing some of the parts more specifically referred to by
letters of reference.
A is a seat such as ordinarily used for church pews provided with the usual end
boards or supporting standards B.
C is a stool or bench preferably extending the full length of the seat having
suitable legs or supports D and being slightly inclined to form a kneeling
bench.
E are pins or lugs secured to each end of the bench. Fare guide ways with
which the pins or lugs E are adapted to slidingly engage. These guide ways may
be secured to the inuer faces of the standards B, of the seat, or if desired on
independent standards secured to the floor. I preferably use the construction
shown in the drawings in which F 18 a bracket having an upper horizontal portion a
the inclined portion and the lower horizontal portion c.
d is a slot adapted to receive the pin E which extends the length of the
portions c and 6 terminating at its upper end in an enlargement & the latter having
a shoulder fat one end thereof. The brackets F' are screwed or otherwise secured
to the standards B of the pew, the portion a forining a supporting cleat for the
Beat. G are hooks formed at the lower ends of the brackets F'.
Hare hooks upon the bench C adapted to engage with the hooks G. The
pins E, and hooks H, I preferably form integrally with the plate I which may be
screwed to the ends of the bench.
J is the rubber sleeve covering the pins E.
The parts being thus constructed, the manner of using my invention 18 as
follows: When the pew is empty the bench C is either in the position shown in
Fig. 2 in full lines or in the position shown in dotted lines at K in the same figure.

page_text: In either position it will be completely out of the way of a person eutering the
pew. If it 18 now desired to use the bench as a foot rest only, it may be left in
the position shown at K. If however, it is to be used as a kneeling bench, it will be
necessary to pull it forward into the position shown in Fig. 1, or in dotted lines
at L in Fig. 2, the books G and H preventing it from being drawn out too far.
Before leaving the pew the occupant may slide the bench back again ont of the
way. In sweeping or cleaning, the bench may be raised from the floor by sliding
it up the inclined guide ways where it is held from accidental displacement by the
shoulder f.
The rubber sleeves J, on the pins E,. will make the movement of the bench
noiseless and for the samo purpose I also preferably provide the legs. D, with
rubber tips.
If it is desired to remove the bench from the guide ways this may be done by
turning it over thereby disengaging the hooks, as shown in Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same 18 to be performed, I declare that what I
claim 16:
A kneeling or foot stool as hercın described and shown
Dated April 26th 1895.
LOUIS JOHN HOFFMEYER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.