IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS FOR THE USE OF DENTISTS, BARBERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, OR OTHER INVENTION ALSO BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otis Converse White, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHAIRS FOR THE USE OF DENTISTS, BARBERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, OR OTHER
"
Sealed the 24th January 1868, and dated the 17th October 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Otis Converse White at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 17th October 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, BE IT KNOWN,
that I, OTIS CONVERSE WHITE, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United
States of America, have made a new and useful Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHAIRS FOR THE USE OF DENTISTS, BARBERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, OR OTHER
PERSONS, SUCH INVENTION ALSO BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," and
I do hereby declare the nature of such Invention, and the manner in which it
is performed or is constructed and made to operate, to be fully described in
the following Specification, and represented in the accompanying Drawings,
of which Figure 1 is a top view, Figure 2 a side elevation, Figure 3 a rear
view, and Figure 4 a longitudinal section of the Invention as applied to the
head rest and back of a chair, the purpose of such Invention being to effect
the adjustment of such head rest and its fixation in any desirable position
within its range of motion. Figure 5 is a top view, Figure 6 a horizontal
section, and Figure 7 a side elevation of a peculiar arrangement and con-

page_text: struction of the head rest, ball-and-socket connection, its clamp and supporting
rod.
The nature of my Invention will be particularly ascertained by the claims
herein-after made and presented.
In such Drawings A denotes a chair of which a is the back and 6 the head
rest. An arm C extending from the lower part of the back has a step or
socket d for reception of a pivot e formed on or applied to the lower end of a
tubular rod B; on this rod is a clamp C, which encompasses the rod, and
should be capable of being slid freely either upward or downward thereon.
The said clamp besides having a passage through it for the reception of the
rod B has an eye or another passage g made through it laterally, and so as to
open into the passage f; through the passage g a curved bail D extends, such
bail at its two ends being jointed or hinged to the back of the chair. The bail
has a form which approximates to that of a semi-ellipse. The inner edge of
that part of it which is within the clamp rests against the rod B, and is pressed
into contact therewith by means of a screw h, which screws into the clamp and
against a saddle or bearer i resting against the bail. A similar saddle k is
placed in the rear part of the clamp, and has a journal to enter the clamp,
the same being so as to render the saddle capable of revolving within the
clamp. The saddle not only extends into a slot m made lengthwise in the
tubular rod B, but rests against a rod E extending into and projecting from
the bore of the said rod B. The head rest b is connected to the rod E by
means of a ball-and-socket clanip n applied to an arm o extending from the
head rest, and to a ball or head p made upon the upper part of the rod E.
A set screw q arranged in the clamp n serves to contract its jaws upon the
head p. The rod E might be dispensed with, and the head rest be applied to
the rod B in the same manner in which it is connected with the rod E; but
this would, materially limit the extent of upward and downward movement of
such head rest. By having the rod E we can increase these movements. very
much, and gain other advantages. The clamp as constructed operates not
only to fix the rod B to the bail D, but the rod E to the rod B.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7 the upper part of the rod. E is curved or bent so as
to carry the ball very close to the head rest and between the plate r and a clamp
plate s. The plate r is to be fastened to the back of the head rest,. the plate
being arranged in a recess made therein; both plates, are socketed to receive
the ball. The plates is secured to the plater by means of a screw t and by
a clamp nut u and a screw v, the whole being as shown in the Drawings
This application of the head rest to the rod E and and arrangement of the clamp
and the ball-and-socket joint is in several respects very advantageous, as i

page_text: enables the head rest to be revolved and easily adjusted to the head of a sitter
when in the chair. The said head rest I form or upholster with a cushion so
raised on one side and two edges of it as to leave a recess or hollow v within
the said cushion, the whole being as represented. This form of head rest
I have found to be very useful for fitting to and giving support to the head of
a sitter in any of the various positions in which it may be desirable to
arrange it.
My Invention is specially applicable to head rests used with the seats of the
long railway carriages such as are commonly employed in Switzerland, Russia,
and the United States of America.
By the above-described mechanism the head rest 6 of the chair can be easily
adjusted to any desirable position, its range of motion either up or down, as
well as in lateral directions with respect to the back, being very considerable.
What I claim as my Invention is as follows:-
I claim the combination as well as the arrangement of the bail D, the
clamp C, and the pivoted rod B.
I also claim the combination of the ball-and-socket clamp n and the arm o
with either or both the rods B, E, the clamp C, and the bail D, the whole
being applied to the head rest and back of a chair or their equivalents,
substantially in manner and so as to operate as herein-before set forth.
I also claim the clamp C constructed with the two openings f, g, the rear
saddle k, and the set screw h arranged in it, substantially as specified.
I also claim the arrangement represented in in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of ball
and socket, and the clamp plate thereof with respect to the head rest.
I also claim the head rest as made with the cushion raised on one side and
two ends of it, substantially as represented.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 7th
September 1867.
OTIS CONVERSE WHITE. (L.S.)