IMPROVEMENTS IN MAT- TRESSES, SOPAS, COUCHES, OTTOMANS, EASY CHAIRS, RAILWAY CARRIAGE SEATS,
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Reid, Upholsterer, and Edward Horne
Craigie, Brassfounder, both of the Town of Kilmarnock, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAT-
TRESSES, SOPAS, COUCHES, OTTOMANS, EASY CHAIRS, RAILWAY CARRIAGE SEATS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Reid and Edward
Horne Craigie at the Office of the Commissiouers of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th October 1867.
We, ROBERT REID, Upholsterer, and EDWARD HORNE CRAIGIE, Brassfounder,
both of the Town of Kilmarnock, in tho County of Ayr, North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAT-
TRESSES, SOPAS, COUCHES, OTTOMANS, EASY CHAIRS, RAILWAY CARRIAGE SEATS, AND
OTHER SUCH LIKE OR SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This said Invention has reference mainly to new or improved constructions
and arrangements of the frames and moving parts thereof, and to the con-
struction and arrangement of springs, cords, chains, or straps for giving softness,
elasticity, and motion to the said parts, and to the frames or surfaces supporting
or carrying the mattresses, cushions, or the stuffed resting parts of sofas,
couches, ottomans, easy chairs, railway carriage seats, and other such like or
similar articles, having also reference to improvements upon the Invention
for which the Petitioners have obtained Provisional Protection, numbered

page_text: 2171, dated the Twenty-sixth of July, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven, by all of which improvements the Lefore-mentioned articles of
furniture are made or rendered much more convenient and comfortable by
their superior adaptability to the human figure in various positions, and also
in some respects cheaper than the said articles have been as heretofore
constructed.
The first part of this said Invention consists in giving an elastic surface or
effect to the parts of the main frames of the before-mentioned articles of
furniture, which carry or have attached to them the soft stuffing or cushioned
parts upon which the human body bears or rests, whether they are stationary
or moveable, by stretching a series of parallel straps of leather, girth web,
thin iron, cord, wire cord, or other equivalent longitudinally or transversely, or
in both these directions combined across the said frames, each strap or length
having springs formed of short lengths of india-rubber attached at or near
their two ends, where they are all fixed to the frames. The said springs being
formed by preference of rings or short sections cut off from india-rubber
piping or tubing, and therefore forming when stretched and applied in each
case a long endless looped or double spring, easily attached at its linked or
looped ends to the bands or cords, as the case may be, and to the frames by
simple wires, links, or buckles passed through them.
Another part of this said Invention consists in making the before-mentioned
parts of the frames carrying the soft stuffed parts, and also in some cases the
baro frames themselves on which the human body rests or bears in pieces,
jointed so as to fold or shift to different angles at or near the parts corre-
sponding to the joints or parts where the human body bends, so as to suit or
accommodate the body in various positions of ease, convenience, or comfort in
health or in sickness. Tho moving part being so jointed to the main fixed
frame or to a main moving part of the frame, according as it is carried and
hinged to the one or the other, that it is pulled always in the one main
direction, by preference in that of the forco which supports or bears up against
the part of the body which it is desired to support through the action of one
or more india-rubber or other springs, by preference of the same construction
as herein-before described, formed of india-rubber rings or sections of india-
rubber pipes attached to short eccentric or cranked lever parts of the moving
frame on one side of the fulcrum or oscillating joint, and to a pin or part of
the frame on which the moving part swivels, by preference set at such an
angle of action that the spring will gain by leverage what it loses in shortening,
and act with the least possible length of motion and variation of power, or act
over an eccentric heel or end, decreasing in leverage as the spring becomes

page_text: longer and stronger, and so be as nearly uniform in its force at all positions
of the moving frame as convenient. The motion of the frame in the reverse
direction to that caused by the springs is effected by a light cord, chain, or
strap attached to the longer arm or end of the moving frame. It is preferred.
to lead the said cord, chain, or strap away over pulleys, so as to act at about
an angle of 45° to the mean position of the motion of the frame, having the
leverage increasing as the power of the springs is increased, acting in tho
opposite direction on the other side of the fulcrum of the frame, arranged so
as to be conveniently and easily handled, moved, or drawn by the person
reclining or seated upon the particular article of furniture so fitted, or by an
attendant with the least necessary exertion to either in actuating the said
cord, chain, or strap. The binged part of either the moving frame or the
frame on which it moves is furnished with a segmental quadrant and a
series of radial holes, and a pin, either fixed and fitted on one side of the
frames or on both as desired, with the pin arranged and so fitted that it can
be easily got at for insertion and withdrawal into or out of any of the boles
brought opposite to the pin by the motion of the cord or strap or otherwise
when not fitted with these, but so fitted that the pin cannot be lost or get out of
place with a catch feather or cotter in the eye or hole in which it works; this pin
thus holds the moving part of the frame at any desired angle according to the
hole in the quadrant into which it is inserted. In some cases this fixing pin and
quadrant may be dispensed with, when desired, by fixing the cord or strap at
the position it has been drawn to. This fixing quadrant may also be dispensed
with when the moving part is required to take a regular relative or fixed
position in relation to the main moving part carrying it, as, for instance,
when the part for supporting the head of the person carried by the main moving
part which supports the back of the person, and which requires to rise as the
main part supporting the back to which it is attached is lowered by fixing the
free end of the cord or strap for actuating the part to be moved against the
power of constant acting springs, either to a stationary part of the frame, or
to a radiating part of the main moving frame carrying the other, which would
be forming a varying distance or angle with a fixed point or pulley on the
main oscillating frame on either side of its fulcrum; in either case the said
pin or pulley being so set as to take up or pull the cord or band passed over
it, and draw down or lower the head rest or piece to be so relatively fixed as
the back part rises towards the perpendicular, and slack back the loop or
bend of the cord or band as the back supporting frame is lowered towards the
horizontal position by the simple automatic action of the said main moving
frame or part, so as to take or keep a relative position to the main part carrying

page_text: the head rest or moving parts, so moved by the motion of the main moving frame
necessarily effected or given to it by hand to suit the position of the trunk or
body of the person however and when desired. This automatic motion for
shifting the smaller part of these moving frames against the power of the
springs by the motion or action of the main moving frame is particularly
applicable to the working of the head rest and feet rest of the "improved
reclining chair" (for which the Provisional Protection before named was
granted to the Petitioners) by the action of the front and back part of the
moving frame in relation to the seat or horizontal part of the same, the ex-
panding and contracting angle of the said parts at their joiuts being takeu
advantage of for the tightening and slackening of the cords or bands which
actuate the rests respectively and alternately against the power of the constant
acting springs, as the parts of the reclining chair are brought towards the Lori-
zontal and vertical positions respectively. In some cases both the quadrant
and its fixing pin, and the moving cord or band may be dispensed with, and
the moving part be simply drawn up on its hinges in one direction to a fixed
stop or normal position by strong india-rubber or other springs to fit one posi-
tion of the body, as that of the hinged or folding back for a chair, the strength
of the springs being sufficient to resist any desired probable pressure, say in
this case of that of the back of the person seated necessary for comfort, but
still capable of yielding by a slight extra pressure of the back to any desired
considerable angle of inclination in relation to the fixed seat portion, and thus
give increased power of changing the position or inclination of the body in the
same seat or other piece of furniture so fitted. When the plane of the moving
frame has to pass through that of the fixed frame, and has the fulcrum of
motion considerably beyond the surface for supporting or carrying the stuffing,
mattress, or cushion, it is preferred to adopt the arrangement of spring mat-
tress or spring strap surface for supporting the usual hair mattress or cushion, as
described under the first part of this said Invention, and allow the spring straps
of the moving frame crossing the plane of the fixed frame to pass down through
the spaces or distances between the stretched spring straps of the fixed frame,
or of the main moving frame on which the said moving frame works and is
fulcrumed, in either case accordingly as fitted. The horizontal or fixed parts of
the frames or surfaces supporting the cushions may also be made in any of the
usual manners when desired, either elastic or non-elastic, without the use of
the before-mentioned spring straps. The before-mentioned strap springs may
also be applied to the moving parts of the frames as well as to the main or
fixed frames carrying the hair mattresses and cushions as before described,
and the frames themselves to which the said spring straps are fixed, may be

page_text: made either of wood or iron, but it is preferred to make the moving frames,
particularly of metal chairs, of angle iron. The springs preferred to be used
for actuating the moving parts of the frames are the same as those described
for giving elasticity to the bands forming the main bearing surfaces, namely,
of rings or sections of india-rubber piping or tubing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
REID, Upholsterer, and EDWARD HORNE CRAIGIE, Brassfounder, both of the
Town of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, Her special licence that we, the
said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, our executors, adininistrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne
Craigie, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAT-
TRESSES, SOFAS, COUCHES, OTTOMANS, EASY CHAIRS, RAILWAY. CARRIAGE SEATS, AND
OTHER SUCH LIKE OR SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horno Craigie, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne-
Craigie, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in. writing, reference being had to

page_text: the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the several illustrative figures,
letters, and numerals marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has reference mainly to new or improved constructions
and arrangements of the frames and moving parts thereof, and to the con-
struction and arrangement of springs, cords, chains, or straps for giving softness,
elasticity, and motion to the said parts, and to the frames or surfaces supporting
or carrying the mattresses, cushions, or the stuffed resting parts of sofas,
couches, ottomans, easy chairs, railway carriage seats, and. other such like or
similar articles, having also reference to improvements upon the Invention for
which we obtained Royal Letters Patent, numbered 2171, dated the 26th of
July 1867, by all which improvements the before-mentioned articles of fur-
niture are made or rendered much more convenient and comfortable by their
superior adaptability to the human figure in various positions, and also in
some respects cheaper than the said articles have been as heretofore con-
structed.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood we shall proceed to describe the Sheet of
Drawings which we have hereunto. appended, and to be herein-after referred
to, shewing various modifications of the best means we are at present aware
of for putting our said Invention into practice, the same reference letters and
numerals indicating the same or corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal vertical section and plan of
the frame or part for supporting and giving elasticity to the stuffing or mat-
tress of an easy couch or bed constructed in accordance with or embodying
one modification of several of the improvements contained in our said Inven-
tion; Figures 3 and 4 are respectively an edge and side view of one
detached and drawn to a large scale for the purpose of shewing its mode of
construction and attachment to the straps or bands, forming the complete
elastic bearing surface in the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the iron frame of a reclining easy
chair constructed in accordance with one modification of the Invention herein-
before named for which Letters Patent were granted to us, No. 2171, of the
26th July 1867, and having applied thereto one modification or adaptation of
the improvements under this our said Invention; Figure 6 is a side elevation
of a complete chair constructed in accordance with that delineated in Figure 5,
but shown as folded up into its most compact form for occupying little space
in packing, transit, or otherwise, as desired.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the strap surface for supporting the
-stuffed part of the couch, and B, B', is the rectangular frame baving the

page_text: hinged movable frame part C, C, near the head; and the first part of our
said Invention in reference thereto consists in giving an elastic surface or effect
to the parts or girth straps A of the main frame B, B, and C, C', which
carry or have attached to them the stuffing or cushioned parts 1, indicated by
dotted lines, upon which the human body bears or rests, of the couch or other
article of furniture, or seats herein-before mentioned, whether they are sta-
tionary or movable, by stretching a series of parallel girth webs A, or of leather
straps, thin iron, cord, wire cord, or other equivalent, longitudinally, as at A¹,
or transeversely, as at A2, or in both these directions combined, as in the body
of the couch at A³, across and secured to the said frames B, B, C, C¹, each
length or strap A having two springs a formed of short lengths of india-rubber
attached near their two ends, where they are all firmly fixed or nailed to the
frames B, B', C, C, the said springs a being formed by preference of rings or
short sections cut off from india-rubber piping or tubing, as shown more
clearly in Figures 3 and 4, and therefore forming when stretched and applied
in each case a long endless looped or double spring, as shown in Figure 3*,
easily attached at its linked or looped ends to the bands by the simple split
links or buckles b passed through them, as shown in Figure 4, and closed
after they are on, and firmly attached to the frames B, B, and C, C', by the
girth bands A.
Another part of our said Invention consists in making the before-mentioned
parts of the main frames as at A and C, carrying the soft stuffed parts 1 on
which the human body rests or bears, whether made elastic or not, or of the
bare frames themselves, in pieces hinged or jointed so as to fold or shift to
different angles at or near the parts corresponding to the joints or parts where
the human body bends, as at D or D', to the two double main side frames B
so as to suit or accommodate the body in various positions of ease, convenience,
or comfort, in health or in sickness, when used as an invalid couch. The
moving part or frame C, C¹, is jointed to the main fixed frame B, in this case
by binges at D, but it may be jointed to a main moving part of the frame
when these move as shown at Figure 5, and it is pulled always in the one
main direction, as indicated by the arrow at 2, by preference so as to bear up
against the part of the body to be supported, through the action of one or
more india-rubber springs, as shown at a, a', (or it may be other forms of
spring) by preference of the same construction as berein-before described,
formed of india-rubber rings or sections of india-rubber pipes, but more elon-
gated, attached by straps and buckles at b, c, to the short eccentric part E. of
the levers F fulcrumed by a pin joint at D' to the double frame B so as to act.
ou and move the frame C, C', on the lower side of the binge D or oscillating

page_text: fulcrum joint D¹ of the lever F, and the other end of the spring is fixed in a
similar manner to a part of the frame B³, on which the moving parts swivel,
so that the lower side of the frame slides on the two levers F as it is raised or
lowered; but the eccentric lever F might be fixed to the frame C, C¹, and
have only one fulcrum, either D or D', and the spring and eccentric short lever
and spring may by preference be set at such an angle of action that the spring
will gain by leverage the power it loses in shortening, and act with the least
possible length of motion and variation of power throughout the are 3 of the
motion of the frame. The motion of the frame C, in the reverse direction
to that caused by the springs a' is effected under one arrangement by a light
corde (or it may be a chain or strap) attached to the longer arm or end C¹
of the moving frame C, C¹, and led away over pulleys so as to act at about
an angle of 45° to the mean position of the motion of the frame, having the
leverage increasing as the power of the springs is increased, acting in the
opposite direction or on the other side of the fulcrum of the frame arranged
so as to be conveniently and easily pressed or drawn down by the person
reclining, or otherwise by an attendant, the cord e being conveyed by pre-
ference to the foot of the couch over a pulley at e' for that purpose and for
returning back the cord convenient to the hand of the person reclining when
desired. The binged parts or levers F of the moving frame C, C³, (or it
might be the frame B) on which they move is furnished with a segment or
quadrant I and a series of radial holes 1', and a pin J, for each lever, fixed
and fitted at the side of the frame C¹, but one side night do in some cases
with the pins J arranged and fitted to the transverse rod J¹ so that it can be
easily got at by the two handles Je for insertion and withdrawal into or out of
any of the holes I brought opposite to the pins J by the motion of the cord;
´or otherwise when not desired the cord may be dispensed with, when the
pressure of the body on the frame C depresses it, and fitted so that the pins J
cannot be lost or get out of place in the eyes or holes in which they work,
the pius J thus holding the moving part of the frame at any desired angle,
according to the hole in the quadrant into which it is inserted, this holding
or segmental catch arrangement being simply a new adaptation or application
of that contained and described as applied to the main moving joint of a
reclining chair in our former patented Invention, No. 2171, dated 26th July
In some cases this 'fixing pin and quadrant may be dispensed with
when desired by fixing the cord at the part or position it has been
*1867.
drawn to.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6, which represent an improved reclining chair
constructed mainly in accordance with our herein-before mentioned patented

page_text: Invention, No. 2171, dated 26th July 1867, but having also one modification
of some of the improvements contained in or forming part of this our said
Invention, in which A is the side standards secured at a proper distance apart
by the transverse stays B, all forming the main stationary or fixed frame for
supporting the reclining or main movable frame, oscillating on the axial
bearings C and axis C', the frame itself being formed of the back frame, and
its side members E connected by the frame, and its side member F carrying
the horizontal seat part, and by the parallel acting bars G forming or carrying
the arm rests to the side members or bars D of the front frame working
parallel to the back by the pin joints at f and g. The main reclining frame
having the segmental set of holes I, I', and retaining pin J for holding it at
any desired position it is set or swivelled to. This fixing segment of boles I, I',
and pin J, described in reference to Figures 1 and 2, for fixing the moving
frame C, C, and shown in Figures 5 and 6, for fixing the reclining frame
D, E, F, G, in a desired position, and explained as forming the main feature
of our former patented Invention, No. 2171, dated 26th July 1867, might
when desired be also applied to the minor moving parts of reclining chairs or
other seats or couches, and such like articles as foot rests H or bead rests E',
when such are used for securing them in any required position, or the simple
form of joint and swivel holder shown at D¹ may be used, where only two posi-
tions or so of the moving part are required to be fixed, as in the case of the
foot rest H, the side members H' of which are formed with two flattened stop
binged parts at the joint D', which allows the binged swivel catch or piece D¹
to be turned, as shown in black and blue or in red lines in Figure 5, so as to
bold the foot rest at right angles or any other angle to or in a line with the
frame D respectively, or be turned upwards, as shown in Figure 6, so as to
allow the foot rest H to be turned backwards quite in below the frame of the
chair out of the way for compactness and taking up of little space.
Another improvement or modification of this our said Invention consists in
automatically moving and fixing or retaining these minor moving parts as the
foot rest and head rest E' in a regular relative position in relation to the
main moving parts, as D or E respectively by the actual motion of these parts
by which they are carried, so as to swivel on joints at E' as the rest E' shown
particularly so jointed to the part E of the chair, Figure 5, for supporting
the back of the person reclining, which head rest E' requires naturally for
ease and comfort to rise as the part E is lowered, and vice versa to fall back
as the latter rises upwards, as indicated in the extreme position of the parts
in red and blue lines respectively. This automatic motion of the head rest E'
is effected by attaching one end of the cord e to its upper back part at , and

page_text: .
the other end to a fixed part or pin, either in the stationary frame or stays A. B,
or as shown by preference attached to the frame F of the seat part at e³, so
that the cord e¹ has to bend at the joint part f¹ by preference over a pulley as
the back E rises, which shortens the cord e¹ so as to pull back the bead rest E
against the constant power of the spring a fitted, as indicated in this position
by the blue lines, over an eccentric lever part Ftending to pull the head rest
to its greatest angle or height (substantially as described in reference to the
springs a¹ for actuating the moving frame C, C³, in Figures 1 and 2), when
free to do so by the slacking of the corde, it being straightened or lengthened
by the lowering of the back E towards a straight line with the seat part F, as
indicated in this position by the red lines. Thus by the action of the spring a²,
cord e¹, and automatic motion of the main moving frame E, F, G, D, main-
taining the head rest E¹ in the suitable relative position to the particular
reclining position or angle of the main moving frame desired. This moving
head rest may or may not be fitted to the reclining chair, and although it has
not been shown or described as fitted to the upper moving frame C, C¹, in
Figures 1 and 2, yet still it may be fitted to such couches when desired. By
the motion and angling of the front frame D and seat part F, and their action
in shortening and lengthening a cord, all substantially in the manner described
-in reference to the actuating of the head rest E', herein described, may be
made to automatically move the font rest H towards a straight line with the
front D, as they are raised towards the position indicated by red lines in
Figure 5, and vice versa move it so as to be at right angles to the front D as
they descend to the position indicated by blue lines, convenient to the
reclining or sitting of the body and the feet in these positions respectively.
For the purpose of allowing the frame of the modification of improved
reclining chair, shown in Figure 5, being put up into little space, the back of
the chair and its side frames E are made to fold forwards on the back oscil-
lating fulcrums C, and the upper part of the side frames of the front D to
fold on the front oscillating centres C³, so as to fold the stuffed part of the
back down horizontally upon that of the seat F, by having open gab joints at
the extreme lower ends f³ of the sides E, which take on to the joint pins
at f when folded upwards to sustain the weight or pressure when in use, and
by the short arms or catch heel pieces at c of the upper parts of the frames D,
which take against the pins so as to move and sustain the weight and strain
on the main. lower front frame D and foot rest H when in use, the whole
being thus capable of folding into the rectangular form and small space shown
finished with the elastic stuffed cushions, all completely folded in the said
compact form in Figure 6.

page_text: The several new or improved arrangements of india-rubber springs (as a¹
and a in Figures 1 and 5) for actuating the moving parts of couches and
reclining easy chairs as described are individually and to a considerable extent
in a combined form applicable to other similar articles than those described
for the placing or "posing" of the human body. In some cases the fixing
quadrant and pin and the actuating cord may be dispensed with, and the
springs alone without these made to move and hold the oscillating backs of
seats or chairs up to their usual normal position which are binged near the
part where they spring up from the seat at the back, for that purpose the
springs being made very strong and firmly fitted and attached (substantially
in the same manner as shown at a² in Figure 5) at the lower end to the
stationary part of the main frame in front of the hinge and the upper end
over an eccentric lever part secured to the moving or oscillating back of the
seat, thus holding the back of the seat hard forward against its stop hinge or
heel rest in front with the whole force of the spring sufficient to resist any
probable pressure to be required of it, but yet having a yielding or elastic
effect capable of being pushed backwards to a certain distance or angle by
the back of the person seated, so that he may partially recline when desirous
of so doing, the back still pressing forward against his back so that immediately
he releases the pressure off the back of the chair it is again drawn and held
forwards to its usual stationary position. When the new elastic bearing
surface or plane A' of the moving frame C, C, Figures 1 and 2, is desired to
be made to move or pass through the corresponding bearing elastic surface A¹
of the fixed frame B, B', and to have the fulcrum of motion considerably
beyond or below the latter surface, it is preferred to adopt the arrangement
of spring mattress or spring strap surface before described in reference to these
Figures to support the usual hair or other stuffed mattress by preference in
detached pieces or cushions, and so that the spring straps, as A³, of the
moving frame C, C¹, be made to cross the plane of the elastic bands A¹ of the
fixed frane B, B', through the spaces or distances between the spring
straps A' of the fixed frame, or of a movable frame when it is such to which
the oscillating frame crossing it is hinged, instead of having the straps A*
stretched across in the reverse direction to those of the stationary frame B, 1,
as shown in Figures 1 and 2, where the fulcrum was above or in the line of
intersection of the moving and stationary planes. The stationary or movable
parts of the frames or surfaces, whether elastic or non-elastic, or forming or
carrying the soft stuffed parts of couches, seats, and other such like articles
of furniture as otherwise herein described, may be formed or constructed in
any of the usual methods heretofore in use generally for that purpose when

page_text: In
desired without the use of the new or improved elastic band surfaces A, a, c,
herein described in reference to Figures 1 to 4, that is, having only applied to
such articles of furniture, any of the other parts or modifications of this our
said Invention for actuating and holding their moving parts or frames.
some cases these elastic band surfaces A, a, c, may be applied to the moving
parts carrying the stuffed cushions of reclining easy chairs, such as described
in Figures 5 and 6, and to the other similar moving or fixed parts of like
seats or articles of furniture generally, to which it will be obvious to the
practical upholsterer that they are equally applicable, as to the couch shown
in Figures 1 and 2, and therefore we have not considered it necessary to
delineate all these or such applications in the Drawings.
The springs we prefer to use for giving elasticity to the bands carrying the
mattresses or cushions, and for actuating the moving parts of the frames, all as
herein-before described, are formed of rings or sections of india-rubber piping
or tubing, and therefore forming endless double straps; but they may be
made of various other forms or sections of. single or double bands of india-
rubber such as are used for other spring purposes than those herein described,
and when such are used the attachment to the girth straps and frames may be
modified to suit the particular form and section of india-rubber spring
employed, and for actuating the moving parts of the main frames, such as
C, C', in Figures 1 and 2, steel coiled or volute springs may be employed
instead of india-rubber springs, coiled within the eye or surrounding the axis
of the lever or hinged part of the moving part of the frame to be actuated, one
end of the spring being attached to the part requiring to be moved and the
other to the fixed or stationary part; although the main frames to which the
elastic bands are attached have been described and shown as constructed of
wood and of a rectangular form, it is to be understood that they may also be
made of metal and of any other usual form when desired, and when formed of
metal it is preferred to use angle iron for the stronger and outer parts of such
frames.
Having thus particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that while
we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details herein shown and
described, neither do we claim to have invented every separate detail which
we have had occasion to show. and describe, or the modes of fixing these or
putting them together by themselves separately, as such may have to some
extent been heretofore used; but what we believe to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,--

page_text: First. The construction and use of mattresses, sofas, couches, ottomans,
easy chairs, railway carriage seats, and other such like or similar articles, and
of the arrangement of their parts, substantially in the new or improved manner
herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The construction, use, and arrangement of elastic bearing band
surfaces and their parts for carrying or supporting the mattresses, cushions, or
stuffed parts of sofas, couches, ottomans, easy chairs, railway carriage seats,
and other such like or similar articles, substantially in the new or improved
manner herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Third. The construction and arrangement of the parts of the main frames
of sofas, couches, ottomans, easy chairs, railway carriage seats, and other such
like or similar articles, the methods of giving motion and elastic effect to
certain parts of the said frames, the fixing of these in different positions, and
the use of any or all of these, substantially in the new or improved manner
berein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
DODERT REID
(a)