Improvements in Infants' Chairs.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Infants' Chairs.
1, ALEXANDER PLANT, of H. & A. G. Alexander & Co. Limited, of Eastfield
Rutherglen, in the County of Lanark, Chair Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention comprises improvements in the manufacture of infants' chairs
and has reference more particularly to the arrangement and fitting of the play-
board or table by which the chairs are rendered more convenient in use and the
infant is more easily placed in or removed from the chair. This is effected by
fitting the playboard so that it can be extended or drawn away from the seat of
the chair to leave room for handling the infant.
According to one modification horizontal grooves or slots are formed in the arms
of the chair on the outside, and studs are secured to the arms of the playboard at
their ends on the inside, which studs can be placed in the grooves and are held
there by the natural spring action of the wood of the arms. Fitted thus the play-
board can be moved outwards and inwards and be turned over the back of the
chair and hang down behind for packing, or when not wanted it can be instantly
removed altogether from the chair, and replaced when required. To support the
play board in its horizontal position, a small block preferably square is secured to
the front part of each arm of the chair on the outside by a screw nail through its
centre, preferably having one or more corner projections taking into the wood to
keep it from turning on the screw nail. One of these blocks is formed hollow and
carries a spring latch or bolt which engages with a catch on the underside of the
arm of the play board which may be an ordinary round headed screw nail, and acts
as a stop to prevent the playboard moving out and also locks it in the horizontal
position.
This bolt is formed with two projections on its lower side within the hollow block
and has an angled point at one end and a handle at the other. One projection
serves as a stop to prevent the bolt being withdrawn too far while the other is in
contact with one end of a U shaped spring also carried within the hollow block to
press out the bolt into locking position.
A stop is also fixed on the other arm of the playboard to come in contact with
the block on arm of chair.
By another modification a rod would be secured on each side of the chair by
brackets at its ends, on which would slide a short tube or sleeve connected by a
kneed arm to the arm of the playboard which would be pivotted thereon. Fitted
in this way the play board can be moved outward and inward and can be swivelled
over the back of the chair.
A spring bolt or latch similar to that described might be used to hold the
play board in position but other forms of catches may be employed.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in infants' Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER PLANT, of H. & A. G. Alexander and Company, Limited,
of Eastfield, Rutherglen, in the County of Lanark, Chair Manufacturers, 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 in writing :-
This invention comprises improvements in the manufacture of infants' chairs and
has reference more particularly to the arrangement and fitting of the playboard or
table by which the chairs are rendered more convenient in use and the infant is
more easily placed in or removed from the chair. This is effected by fitting the
playboard so that it can be extended or drawn away from the seat of the chair to
leave room for handling the infant.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended a sheet of explanatory drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 illustrate one
modification of my improvements and Figures 3 and 4 a second modification.
According to one modification as illustrated by Figure 1 which shows the upper
part of an infants' chair of the description usually fitted with playboards broken
away from the usual raising and lowering legs, horizontal grooves or slots A' are
formed in the arms of the chair on the outside, and studs B are secured to the end
of the arms c of the playboard C on the inside, which studs B are placed in the
grooves and are held there by the natural spring action of the wood of the arms c of
the playboard C. Fitted thus the play board can be moved outwards as indicated
at C and inwards as indicated at C and be turned over the back of the chair as
shown and bang down behind for packing, or when not wanted it can be instantly
removed altogether from the chair by pressing out the arms c and replaced when
required. To support the playboard in its horizontal position, a small block D
preferably square is secured, to the front part of each arm of the chair on the
outside by a screw nail through its centre, preferably having one or more corner
projections & Figure 2 taking into the wood to keep it from turning on the screw
nail. As shown to an enlarged scale by Figure 2 one of these blocks D is formed
hollow and carries a spring latch or bolt d which engages with a catch E on the
underside of the arm c of the play board C which may be an ordinary round headed
screw nail, and acts as a stop to prevent the playboard moving out and also to lock
it in the horizontal position.
This bolt is formed with two projections d' on its lower side within the hollow
block and has an angled point at one end and a handle at the other. Que of the
projections serves as a stop to prevent the bolt being withdrawn too far while
the other is in contact with one end of a U shaped spring d³ also carried within
the hollow block to press out bolt d' into locking position. All the parts are held
securely in position by the screw nail employed to secure the hollow block to the
arm A of the chair.
A stop E is also fixed on the other arm of the playboard to come in contact
with the block D on arm of chair.
According to another modification illustrated by Figure 3, a rod A' is secured
on each side of the chair by brackets A' at its ends, on which slides a short tube
or sleeve B connected by a kneed arm B' to the arin e of the playboard C which
is pivotted thereon. Fitted in this way the play board can be moved to the outward
position as indicated at C¹ and inward position as shown and can be swivelled over
the back of the chair as indicated at C. A spring bolt or catch similar to that
described may be used to hold the playboard in position but other forms of catches

page_text: such as that illustrated to an enlarged scale in Figure 4 or any ordinary locking-
device, may be employed with either modification shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction of infants' chairs having extensible play boards fitted all
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The construction of infants' chairs having extensible play boards fitted
with studs working in grooves or slots in the arms of the chairs all substantially
as herein described and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
Third. The construction of infants' chairs having extensible play boards fitted
all substantially as herein described and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In infants' chairs fitted with extensible play boards the spring locking
catch for holding same in position constructed all substantially as herein described
and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 2nd day of December 1896
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.