Improvements in Outside Seats for Vehicles, also Applicable for other Outside Seats.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Outside Seats for Vehicles, also Applicable for
other Outside Seats.
1, THOMAS BROWETT of Saint Simon Street, Salford in the County of Lancashire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in outside seats for vehicles also applicable
for other outside seats, and has for its objects to provide a form of seat of such a con-
struction that a dry seat can be obtained in wet weather on cabs, carriages, tram-cars
& other vehicles, and my invention consists in constructing such outside or exposed
seats, of a series of slats or strips mounted in a suitable frame in such a manner
as to be capable of being turned completely over, so as to expose one side or the
other, and an essential feature in my invention is that the normal position of
such a seat, is with one side upwards and exposed to the weather, it being necessary
for the person who desires to turn it over, to operate the mechanism to cause it to
expose the side not ordinarily or normally upwards, but the arrangement is such that
on quitting a seat which has been so voluntarily turned over, the occupier is not
called on to do anything, as the seat automatically turns over and exposes that side to
the weather which is constructed (as I will presently describe) so as to drain
rain from its surface, and prevent the rain or snow from wetting the under
surface (or from clogging the seat in the case of snow) so that it could not be
operated.
One method by which my invention may be effected is to construct a frame having
necessarily two sides furnished with a series of holes into which pivots affixed to the
ends of or formed as part of a series of slats or strips, are inserted.
The seat thus consists of a series of slats similar to, but of course stronger than,
those of a Venetian blind, not necessarily overtopping each other, but preferably
leaving a space between each slat, which is also capable of an entire half rotation.
In order to cause such slats to be capable of rotation, I affix to each at one
end a toothed pinion, or portion of a toothed pinion, and all such pinions may be
geared into a straight rack which when moved end ways will cause all the pinions and
slats to revolve thro' half a revolution.

page_text: To one end of this rack I attach a spring, or its equivalent, arranged so as to tend
to keep the said rack in one extreme position.
To the said rack I also attach a flexible chain or cord which is capable of being
pulled in a direction the reverse to the natural tension of the said spring by being
attached to a lever or swinging bar which may form the division piece between two
seats, or at the side of a single seat in such a manner that when the said lever is
depressed its motion is communicated to the rack and through it to all the pinions and
to the slats to which these are attached, in such a manner as to cause them to partially
rotate on their pivots, and when such pressure is removed from the said lever or
swinging bar, the spring before referred to comes into play and if there is no weight
on the slats they will reverse their motion and again expose that side which is designed
to be normally uppermost.
A locking device to prevent the needless use of the mechanism may be added, the
same being put under the control of the attendant.
Instead of directly turning the said rack by means of the lever or swinging bar,
the first pinion, or any one of them, may be caused to rotate, the rack serving in
this case merely as a means of communicating a like motion to all the other
pinions and slats, and instead of using a rack, a pitch chain taking onto the teeth of
suitable pinions may be used.
Again, the slats or strips, constituting the seat need not be carried on pivots placed
in the middle of their width, but such pivots may be entirely at one edge, or nearer
to one edge than to the other, as the said pivots may be entirely dispensed with, and
each slat may merely rest on one edge on the framework supporting same at the ends,
and the slats being connected with any suitable flexible band or cord may be actuated
by the partial rotation of one of the end slats, just as a Venetian blind may be caused
to turn its slat partly over.
The exposed faces of the said slats may be grooved at the edges or sloped or
tapered in any direction so as to cause rain to drain off them and not run under
to the side which it is desired to keep dry, but they should be constructed preferably
with such a surface as will not be uncomfortable to sit on in dry weather, when it will
not be necessary to cause the slats to turn over at all, the seats being used just as if
the slats were fixtures, by which undue wear will be avoided while at the same time
in case of a sudden shower of rain, or fall of snow, the normally unexposed sides of
the slats can always be instantly caused to come uppermost, and on being relieved of
the weight of the user, they will automatically return to their normal position.
Six slats, say each two inches wide and with a space between each edge of, say, one
quarter of an inch, would form a good seat, but the seat may consist of only one or
two slats where room for such to turn over can be had, but in the case of tram-cars
and public vehicles generally a larger number of narrower slats will be found more
easily applicable, and instead of slats turning on pivots the seat may be formed
entirely of rollers, i.e., slats having a circular transverse section preferably with a
groove cut in them to prevent the rain from running round to their underside.
The tray of the framework will be drained as is now customary.
A cord, rope, leather thong, or other suitable connection may replace the chain or
rack and may be wrapped over round each pin and suitably secured thereto.
The backs of the seats may be constructed in the same manner.
Although described as specially suitable for seats for vehicles, the invention is also
applicable to garden seats and such-like.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in Outside Seats for Vehioles, also Applicable for
other Outside Seats.
I, THOMAS BROWETT of Saint Simon Street, Salford in the County of Lancashire
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 relates to improvements in outside seats for vehicles and has for its
objects to provide a form of seat of such a construction that a dry seat can be obtained
in wet weather, on cabs carriages, tram-cars, and other vehicles, and my invention
consists in constructing such outside or exposed seats, of a series of slats or strips
mounted in a suitable frame in such a manner as to be capable of being turned
completely over so as to expose one side or the other, and an essential feature in my
invention is that the normal position of such a seat, is with one side upwards and
exposed to the weather, it being necessary for the person who desires to turn it over
to operate the mechanism to cause it to expose the side not ordinarily or normally
upwards, but the arrangement is such that on quitting a seat which has been so
voluntarily turned over, the occupier is not called upon to do anything, as the seat
automatically turns over and exposes that side to the weather which is constructed (as
I will presently describe) so as to drain rain from its surface, and prevent the rain or
snow from wetting the under surface (or from clogging the seat in the case of snow)
so that it could not be operated.
One method by which my invention may be effected is to construct a frame having
necessarily two sides furnished with a series of holes, into which pivots affixed to the
ends of or formed as part of a series of slats or strips, are inserted.
The seat thus consists of slats, similar to, but of course stronger than those of a
Venetian blind, not necessarily overlapping each other, but preferably leaving a space
between each slat which is also capable of an entire half-rotation.
In order to cause such slats to be capable of rotation, I affix to each at one end, a
toothed pinion or portion of a toothed pinion, and all such pinions may be geared into
a straight rack which when moved endways, will cause all the pinions and slats to
revolve through half a revolution.
To one end of this rack I attach a spring or its equivalent, arranged so as to tend to
keep the said rack in one extreme position.
To the said rack I also attach a flexible chain or cord which is capable of being
pulled in a direction the reverse to the natural tension of the said spring, by being
attached to a lever or swinging bar, which may form the division piece between two
seats or at the side of a single seat, in such a manner, that when the said lever is
depressed its motion is communicated to the rack, and through it to all the pinions,
and to the slats to which these are attached, in such a manner as to cause them to
partially rotate on their pivots, and when such pressure is removed from the said lever

page_text: or swinging bar, the spring before referred to comes into play, and if there is no
weight on the slats they will reverse their motion and again expose that side which is
designed to be normally uppermost.
A locking device to prevent the needless use of the mechanism may be added, the
same being put under the control of the attendant.
Instead of directly moving the said rack by means of the lever or swinging bar, the
first pinion, or any one of them, may he caused to rotate, the rack serving in this case
as merely as a means of communicating a like motion to all the other pinions and
slats, and instead of using a rack, a pitch chain taking onto the teeth of suitable
pinions may be used.
Again, the slats or strips, constituting the seat need not be carried on pivots placed
in the middle of their width, but such pivots may be entirely at one edge, or nearer to
one edge than to the other, as the said pivots may be entirely dispensed with, and
each slat may merely rest on one edge on the framework supporting same at the ends,
and the slats being connected with any suitable flexible band or cord may be actuated
by the partial rotation of one of the end slats, just as a Venetian blind may be caused
to turn its slat partly over.
The exposed faces of the said slats may be grooved at the edges or sloped or tapered
in any direction so as to cause rain to drain off them and not run under to the side
which it is desired to keep dry, but they should be constructed preferably with such a
surface as will not be uncomfortable to sit on in dry weather, when it will not be
necessary to cause the slats to turn over at all, the seats being used just as if the slats
were fixtures, by which undue wear will be avoided while at the same time in case of
a sudden shower of rain or fall of snow, the normally un-exposed sides of the slats can
always be instantly caused to come uppermost, and on being relieved of the weight of
the user, they will automatically return to their normal position.
Six slats, say each two inches wide, and with a space between each edge of, say, one
quarter of an inch, would form a good seat, but the seat may consist of only one or
two slats where room for such to turn over, can be had, but in the case of tram-cars
and public vehicles generally, a larger number of narrower slats will be found more
easily applicable, and instead of slats turning on pivots the seat may be formed
entirely of rollers, i.e., slats having a circular transverse section preferably with a
groove cut in them to prevent the rain from running round to their underside.
The tray of the framework will be drained. as is now customary.
A cord, rope, leather thong, or other suitable connection may replace the chain
or rack and may be wrapped over round each pin and suitably secured thereto.
The backs of the seats may be constructed in the same manner.
Although described as specially suitable for seats for vehicles, the invention is
also applicable to garden seats and such like.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended horeunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 shows an elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, of a seat constructed according to
one form of my invention.
The figures show a single seat consisting of a frame 1 in which are mounted the
reversible slats 2, capable of turning on pivots 3 formed at each end of each slat
whatever the number of these may be. These pivots take into holes in the side frame
as shown and at one or both ends are long enough to project through the said sides
of the frame far enough to enable a pinion 4 to be fitted to each.
These pinions gear into a rack 5, which may be either above or below such pinions,
in such a manner that when the rack is moved all the slats will be rotated about their
pivots, and if moved far enough, the slats will be completely turned over so that if one
side has become wet, the dry side can thus be presented for use.
To the rack 5 is attached a spring 6 which tends to pull the rack into the extreme
position of its range and thus present one side of the slats for use and for exposure to
the weather.
The nature of the vehicle and the space and position available in various cases

page_text: renders it possible to use a great variety of devices for causing the movement of the
rack 5.
In the Figs. 1 & 2 a plain hand lever 7 is shown moving about a fulcrum 8 and
connected at 9 with an extension of the rack 5.
It will be obvious, however that by the employment of such ordinary devices as a
toothed segment or bell crank lever or a chain pulley the rack 5 may have the
necessary motion imparted to it by a pull and push, or depressing motion of any lever
or movable mechanism situated in any position most convenient under any special
conditions.
Thus, where there is room an arm or side to the seat may be provided slung on a
pivot in such a manner that by placing the hand on it and allowing the weight of the
body to rest thereon it will be depressed and this motion may readily conveyed to the
rack 5.
On releasing this pressure and rising from the seat the spring 6 which must be
made strong enough, will raise the arm to its first position as well as move the
rack to its ordinary position. An additional spring to raise the arm could also be
employed.
Instead of the rack and pinions a pitch chain" gearing onto properly shaped
pinions may be used, or a chain or flexible cord of any suitable material may be used
passing round, and secured at one point to each pulley 10 as shown in Fig. 3.
66
This cord or chain may be led round suitable pulleys to any position from which it
is desired to actuate the seat either by hand or by the feet. Thus, for instance a
passenger by treading on a suitably hinged platform may cause the slats of the seat to
turn over ready for use.
In some cases, more especially that of a lot of seats on a public conveyance it
may be desirable in order to prevent the unnecessary use of the mechanism employed,
of whatever type it may be, to provide a suitable bolt under the control of the
attendant, by sliding which, all the seats can be locked in their ordinary position.
This may be very readily accomplished by providing a bar or bolt passing along
under or behind all the seats having a slot or groove cut transversely opposite each
rack or other sliding part to allow same to be moved in the required direction, such
bolt or bar being capable of an endwise movement into a second position in which the
racks or other sliding parts do not inter-mesh with the said transverse grooves so that
the seat is locked in its normal position.
In cases where there is not sufficient depth to allow a reasonably wide slat to be
turned over if it were pivoted at the centre of each end, the said pivots may be formed"
at or near one edge of each slat, as shown in Fig. 4, which is a plan of such a slat, and
in this case a stop or buffer may be provided, on the framework for the edge furthest
from the pivots to rest upon when turned over into either extreme position.
In some cases it may be convenient to attach a lever or handle to one of the slats
forming the seat, the others being geared together and with such slat by rack and
pinions, or chain, or chord, so as to cause the whole set to turn over.
In the modification shown in Fig. 5, is a form of my invention which I consider
specially applicable to public vehicles both by reason of its simplicity and the absence
of any loose parts such as might be removed or damaged by accident or malice.
In this construction the frame or seat 1 itself is moved back or forth, the rack s
being fixed to the body or frame 13 of the seat 1 of the vehicle and all the mechanism
can be entirely hidden from view.
Fig. shows diagrammatically a combination of both the foregoing forms of my
invention. In this form both the rack 5 and the seat 1 move but in opposite directions
the rack 5 gearing into a pinion 11 attached to the frame 13, and a supplementary
rack 12 attached to the end of the slat frame 13, being also in gear with the pinion 11
so that a slight forward movement of the seat causes the rack 5 to move in the reverse
direction an equal distance, thus halving the necessary movement of the seat in order
to completely reverse the slats.
A chain or cord attached at one end to the frame and at the other to the rack 5 and
passing over a fixed pulley may be used.
3

page_text: Instead of the rack 5 a chain geared into suitable pinions or attached to suitable
flanged pulleys may be used and one end passed over a fixed snatch block and then
attached to the movable frame of the seat.
In cases where the centres of the pivots do not lie in one straight line but in a
curve suitable for comfort in conforming with the human figure, the rack 5 is stepped,
as shown in Fig. 1, so as to gear with pinions all of equal size and cause all the slats
to turn over equally.
All woodwork, etc., will be of course, painted or varnished to protect it from the
weather.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
In outside seats for vehicles or other outside seats :-
1st. The combination of the frame and the reversible slats 2 with means of
reversing the slats 2, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
2nd. In a seat consisting of a frame 1 fitted with reversible slats 2 the combination
therewith of the pinions 4 fixed to the slats 2 gearing into a rack 5 which is drawn or
forced into one extreme position by a spring 6 or its equivalent, in the manner and for
the purposes described.
3rd. The modification described and shown in Fig. 5, wherein the rack 5 is fixed
and the frame 1 is movable, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
4th. The modification described, and shown in Fig. 6 wherein both the rack 5 and
the frame 1 are movable, and are so geared together that moving one in a given
direction imparts a movement to the other in an opposite direction, for the purposes
described.
5th. The use in any of the forms of construction above claimed of a chain or
flexible cord riding on or passing round suitably shaped pulleys, as a substitute for
the rack 5 and pinions 4, as set forth.
6th. The use of a spring or springs 6 or their equivalent, in combination with any
of the forms of construction of seat with reversible slats described, arranged so to act
on the moving parts as to tend to retain them in one extreme position and cause the
slats 2 to assume one position and always return thereto after reversal by the operator,
as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 14th day of August 1888.