IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR CAMP FURNITURE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. Thomas Barnby, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR
CAMP FURNITURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Barnby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1881.
THOMAS BARNBY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR CAMP FURNITURE."
This Invention refers to improvements in the construction of a combined chair,
couch, or bed upon the folding principle, so that in one article and in a very
portable form the three pieces of furniture are combined. This is illustrated in
the annexed diagrams, in which Figure 1 represents a bed in which all the parts.
are produced to their full extent, the action of some of them being shewn in dotted
lines, so as to represent the couch, Figure 2 shews the chair, and Figure 3 the
whole of the parts folded together when out of use. (a, a,) are the arms of a
folding chair; (b, b',) the legs; (c) supports for the head-end hinged to the arms or
back, and closing upwards towards the arins or back in the direction of the arrow.
These supports are held to the arms or back by a spring or other attachment.
When they are out of use the parts d, d', d, form the leg rests, and are attached
to the chair by the sacking or other seating material, and to the framework.
forming the legs; these parts d, d, d, fold thus. The part d folds within d',
and both those parts within ; all these are then folded within the legs b',
and the other parts being closed together the whole assumes the form shewn in
Figure 3. The diagram shews one side of the chair, the other being precisely
similar, and the two connected by rods and webbing as usual.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Barnby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st January 1882.
THOMAS BARNBY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR CAMP FURNITURE.".
This Invention refers, firstly, to improvements in the construction of a combined
chair, couch, or bed upon the folding principle, so that in one article and in a very
portable form the three pieces of furniture are combined. This is illustrated in
the annexed Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a bed in which all the parts
are produced to their full extent, the action of some of them being shewn in dotted
lines represents the couch, Figure 2 shews the chair, and Figure 3 the whole of the
parts folded together when out of use. (a, a,) are the arms of a folding chair;
(b, b) the legs; (c, c,) a support for the head, and hinged to the arms or back, and
closing upwards towards the arms or back in the direction of the arrow. These
supports are held to the arms or back by a spring or other attachment when they
are out of use.
The parts (d, d', d¹) form the leg rests, and are attached to the chair by the
sacking or other seating material, and to the framework forming the legs; these
parts (a, d, d) fold thus. The part (d) folds within (d'), and both those parts
within (d). All these are then folded within the legs (61), and the other parts
being closed together the whole assumes the form shewn in Figure 3.
The Drawing shews one side of the chair, the other being precisely similar, and
the two connected by rods and webbing as usual:
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent a modification of the above adapted for cane seated,
or stuffed bottom, or cushioned folding furniture.
Figures 7 and 8 shewing in sections a peculiar form of raised butt joint used for
connecting the seat and rests.
This joint is thus attached, the part (a, Figure 7 and 8) is screwed to the under-
side (b) of the seat frame, and the part (c) is screwed to the underside of the frame
of the leg rest (d) when the chair is in the position seen at (Figures 4_and_5), the
fork (e) on the joint passes over and grips the stretcher bar (f) between the legs
in front, but when the chair is to be folded, as in Figure 6, the drawing together of
the legs for that purpose releases the bar (f) from the fork (e) in the joint;
(g, Figure 7), is the hinge pin. The action of this joint is shewn in dotted lines in
(Figure 7) and in (Figure 5) the folding of the leg rest and its upright support are
shewn in dotted lines also. The joint shewn in sections may also be attached if
preferred to the seat frame at back instead of in front, in which case the hook or
fork will clip the back stretcher bar and the leg rest will be hinged to the front.
My next improvement consists in making a folding solid seated chair with arms
and adjustable back, as illustrated in (Figs. 9 and 10), and in making such chairs
self supporting when folded, as seen in (Figure 10); (a) are the spars forming the
front legs and back cut through as at (b) and jointed; the arms (c) are connected
by a stretcher rod d at their free ends; e is a rack action, at the back of which is a
spring (f), so formed that when the arms (c) are as shewn in dotted lines, the
stretcher rod (d) is clipped between the spring and the rack, and thus kept in one
of the slots in the rack, from which it can be released at will by raising the arms.
The bracket (g) is pinned between the legs, and being furnished with a stop (h)
which bears against the stretcher bar (i) affords a foot, so that the chair will stand
by itself when folded, as seen in (Fig. 10); (Fig. 11) shews another mode of
adjusting the backs of these chairs by jointing the back and attaching a spring
behind the joint. The spring being kept in position by a pin (k) passing through

page_text: it and into a hole in the back of the frame; (Figure 12) shews a mode of fixing a
web scat so as to avoid stretching; for this purpose I employ two stretcher bars
(a and b) and pass the web round the outer one (a) and secure it to the inner one (b),
60 that the tendency is to pull these two bars in opposite directions, the strain upon
one counteracting the strain upon the other; (Figure 13) shews a mode of arranging
a removable web seat, and consists in forming the web with a hem at each end
into which bars (a) are placed, and two fixed bars (band c) are used between which
the loose web being placed and the bars (a) inserted in the hems the seating is
prevented from escaping, whilst it can be released and removed by taking out the
bars (a).
My next improvement consists in the employment of steel ribbon in the place of
webbing, or as a support for a web or other loose seat whereby tendency to stretch
is avoided..
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I claim, without limiting myself to these precise
details,―
The several improvements in folding or camp furniture, substantially as herein
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Barnby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THOMAS BARNBY, (L.S.)