Im- PROVEMENTS IN SPRING SEATS FOR CHAIRS, SOFAS, COUCHES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Loring Daniel Dewey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
June 1859. A communication from Charles Robinson, residing at
Massachusetts, in the United States of America.
I, LORING DANIEL DEWEY, of the United States of America, now. of
4, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
England, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN SPRING SEATS FOR CHAIRS, SOFAS, COUCHES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
Said improvements relate to a novel application of springs to the bottom of
chairs, sofas, and to all other articles requiring spring seats, in such a manner
as to produce an easy, durable, and elegant seat at very moderate cost. I sub-
stitute for the spiral and other springs now in use a very simple, cheap, and
substantial device, and the seat is so constructed that it never loses its rounded
shape. This seat is very durable, is easily repaired, and the parts liable to
wear may be easily replaced at a trifling expense. The upholstering is much
less expensive than when other springs are used, and a superior seat is obtained
at half the cost. It construction is as follows:-Take any ordinary frame
for a seat, and within this frame place two supporting plates of wood or other
suitable material, nearly filling the enclosed space. The outside edge of each
plate, extending nearly to the frame, is fastened to it by elastic bands of
shined cloth, or other suitable material. Non-elastic bands may be used for
this purpose, but the elastic are preferable. The inner edges of the plates
nearly meet in the middle of the space, and their ends reach nearly to the
frame of the seat. For supporting the inner edges of these plates various

page_text: modifications of springs may be used, without essentially changing the nature
of my Invention, but those made use of by me are constructed as follows:-
First, near the inner edges of the plate, half-way from end to end, there are
arms or blocks which extend downward as far as may be required, or con-
venience will permit. The lower ends of these blocks are drawn towards one
another by means of an elastic band of shined cloth or other suitable material
of sufficient strength to sustain the pressure to which the seat may be sub-
jected. The construction of the band raises the inner edges of the plates,
and sustains in position the centre of the chair seat. This band is fastened
to the blocks by screws or other convenient means, as well as the bands that
fasten the plates to the frame. When a weight is placed on the seat, the
inner edges of the plate slightly yield, thereby stretching the elastic band
connecting the two blocks, and also the bands connecting the frame and
plates, thus producing a most perfect and simple elastic bottom. When the
weight is removed, the bands contract, thereby bringing the seat back into
the required position, the band connecting the two blocks or arms bringing the
inner edges of the plates up, so as to make the the covering of the chair-
bottom tight. Should the centre or side bands become too slack, they may
be easily shortened, the bands and plates being in view under the seat.
The second method is to sustain these plates by means of a simple bent
piece of spring sheet steel. The ends of this piece of steel is fixed by screws
to the plates near their outer edges, and, when the seat is unoccupied, the
inner edges of these plates stand a little distance above the spring, but when
sufficient weight is applied to the seat, these inner edges are brought down
to the spring plate, which is now streeght, and at the same time the bands
which fasten the plates to the frame are stretched, and the entire seat sinks
down, the centre yielding the most. The spring and bands must be of suitable
strength, and the shape of the upper side of the plates such as found most
convenient for the article to which the seat is applied. For chairs and such
like articles the inner edges are shaved thin, so as to form a hollow when the
spring is streight. The steel spring is especially preferable in those articles
on which the projecting arms would be inconvenient, or on which they would
be in view without turning up the seat. The spring can be made less
yielding or more curved by simply bringing its ends nearer togather on the
plates.