Improvements in Adapting Furniture for Life Saving Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb, 1888
Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Adapting Furniture for Life Saving Purposes.
I WILLIAM THOMSON of Smith Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My invention has for its object improvements in adapting such articles of furniture
as beds, stools and chairs for life saving purposes the improved articles being so
constructed as to present the maximum of buoyancy when used to support passengers
or others who may accidentally be thrown into the water whilst offering peculiar.
facilities for stowage on board ship when out of use the several articles being also
suited for use in households, public institutions and the like.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a number of modifications of articles
of furniture constructed in accordance with my invention figure 1 is a front elevation
figure 2 a plan and figure 3 an end elevation of a bed or mattress which is composed
of a rectangular frame A of wood or other light material in the central part of which
is secured within a covering or rubber cloth, water proofed canvas or other flexible
fabric a padding of water proofed char, cork, feather stems or other material lighter
than wood, charred saw dust water proofed with linseed oil and rosin being preferably
employed as presenting special facilities for packing; or the mattress may be com-
posed of an air cushion or cushions or of wire cloth or other fabric to which is
attached a series of inflated and sealed rubber or other tubes, balls or hollow chambers
or cells as indicated at a, figure 3, the object being to ensure that whilst a few of the
chambers may be punctured or give way sufficient flotation may be obtained from
those remaining uninjured. This bed frame A which is detachable and may thus be used
either singly to support a person in the water or when bound together in series, as a
life raft is carried at each end by a swivelling bracket arm B centred on eyes formed
on a vertical rod or bar C secured to a bulkhead or other convenient part of a ship or
to a wall or standard whilst forked studs a¹ projecting from the ends of the frame A,
at the back are jointed to eyes c fitted to slide on the rods C the eyes forming pivots
upon which the frame may be turned from a vertical to a horizontal position, the bed
frame being let down and stowed against the vertical hulkhead or wall by folding in
the swivelling bracket arms B. Figure 4 is an end view corresponding to figure 3

page_text: but in which the rods or bars Care placed some distance from the bulkhead or wall
and the pivot centres c on which the bed frame swings are in proximity to said bulk-
head or wall, the object being to enable the bed frame and blankets to be stowed
inside of the swivelling arms B when the latter are closed. Figures 5 and 6 are
respectively front and end elevations of a modified construction of bed or mattress
the supporting rods or bars C being extended vertically and serving to carry a pillow
which is composed of an air cushion or a flexible casing containing light and soft
material secured to a board D on the back of which are fixed brackets d carrying socket
pins e having eyes passed over the rods C so that the pillow may freely slide on them
whilst it may be turned to lie horizontally or at an inclination when in use and to lie
vertically when stowed away. The arrangements above described are also applicable
to deck seats and to beds and seats for household use or for use in public insti-
tutions.
Figure 7 is an elevation and figure 8 an inverted plan of a stool constructed in
accordance with my invention. To the seat F, which may be of any usual form and
material but the under box like part of which is packed with waterproofed charcoal or
other light material, are pivotted at g, the supporting legs G, which are connected
together by box casings G adapted to carry water proofed char or like material, or
are formed of air cushions. When in use the supporting legs are locked in the position
indicated by spring catches entering orifices in the side of the stool and engaging
the legs, but when the stool is to be stowed these catches are withdrawn so that the
legs may be folded or opened out to the position indicated by figure 9 where they are
retained by reengaging the catches h. Figure 9 shows a chair back I adapted to the
stool the said chair back being pivotted at its lower ends to the stool- body and its
component parts being jointed so that it also may be folded down as indicated by the
dotted lines for convenient stowage. Figure 10 shows a similar form of stool con-
vertible into a chair by the use of a back board or frame I hinged to the back part of
the seat so that it may be raised to the position shown or folded down to lie upon the
seat. Figures 11 and 12 are elevations at right angles to each other of a chair in
which the back Lis similarly hinged to the seat a locking bolt i being provided to retain
the back in the upright position. In this example the legs G are so hinged to the
under part of the seat that they may be folded inwards to clear each other. The under
side of the seat may be cased in and serve to contain water proofed char or an air
cushion or a flexible bag or bellows J may be fitted to fill the space between the legs
from the seat to a point close to the floor level where extension bars M are fitted to
maintain the legs in position the said bag or bellows being arranged to collapse to
enable the legs to be folded for stowage and being distended on the opening up of the
legs a suitable valve being provided to admit air to the interior of the bag or bellows.
Figure 13 shows a form of chair in which the seat F is adapted to be folded up
against the back whilst the front legs which at their upper ends enter sockets in the
lower side of the seat are so connected by rails M to the back legs that they may be
folded or drawn back to lie against the latter, a flexible bag or bellows or a casing
containing air or light material being attached to the under side of the chair bottom
or fitted between the legs. Figure 14 shows my invention applied to a folding
camp stool in the space between the legs of which is fitted a flexible bag or
bellows J secured to or formed on the seat or connected to the legs the bag
being adapted to collapse on closing up the seat for stowage but opening up
with the stool. The fabric F constituting the seat is secured at one end to a
roller forming one of the cross rails of the stool and by winding the fabric
on said roller the seat may be raised more or less the upper ends of the sup-
porting legs being jointed to the lower portions so as to move independently of the
latter. Figure 15 shows a modified form of camp stool in which the rear supports
for the seat are prolonged to form a chair back the fabric constituting the seat being
in this example also secured to a roller on which it may be wound more or less. The
stool back is also adapted to be raised or lowered independently of the supporting legs
so that the fabric F may be brought more or less to a horizontal position. Buoyant
material is in this example also fitted between the legs or in the fabric which con-

page_text: stitutes the scat. This form of stool is adapted for use in conjunction with the beds
above described being fitted to take the place of the mattress in such beds and being
raised or lowered to suit invalids or others whilst on being closed it may be stowed
with the bed frame. Figures 16 and 17 are side and end views of a folding stool
resembling a camp stool between the legs of which casings L containing air
or packed with light material are jointed together and to the legs so that on folding
the stool they are brought into contact and form a supporting casing which may serve
as a life belt by forming a central orifice through it. The legs may be locked in the
position shown or in the folded position by means of a pin l. Figures 18 and 19
illustrate another form of stool in which the seat is composed of a board F having
vertical supporting legs G within the space enclosed by which is a flexible bag or
bellows Jattached to the seat and terminating at its lower end in a board K to the
underside of which the legs are hinged at k so that they may be folded under the said
board the seat F being then pressed down to collapse the bag between it and the
board K; or as shown at figure 20 the legs G may be hinged to the upper side of
the board K and when the stool is to be stowed away they are folded down on the
board and serve to enclose the bag or bellows on the sides whilst the boards F and K
protect it at top and bottom. Instead of a collapsible bag or bellows adapted to
contain air a casing containing water-proofed char or other light material may be in
part formed by or fitted between the seat F and the board K. The sides of the
collapsing bellows may also be composed of slabs of cork secured to a flexible fabric
as indicated, the bellows when collapsed only permitting of the partial closing together
of the seat F and board K but affording additional support or flotation when the stool
is in water. As indicated in these figures the lower parts of the legs of the stools
may be jointed to the upper parts that such portions may be folded in under the
board K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A folding bed or seat constructed substantially as herein described and illustrated
under different modifications at figures 1 to 6 of the annexed drawings.
2. A folding stool or chair constructed substantially as herein described and illus-
trated under several modifications at figures 7 to 20 of the annexed drawings.
3. The combination with a folding stool or chair of a collapsible bag or bellows
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. A mattress composed of a flexible covering enclosing a series of air tight rubber
or other elastic tubes, balls or cells substantially as and for the purposo set forth.
Dated this Eleventh day of February 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.