AN IMPROVED FOUNDATION FOR THE APPLICATION OF NEEDLE-WORK TO FORM THE SEATS AND PANELS OF CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, TOGETHER WITH MEANS FOR DISTENDING THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James North, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cabinet
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FOUNDATION FOR THE
APPLICATION OF NEEDLE-WORK TO FORM THE SEATS AND PANELS OF CHAIRS,
COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, TOGETHER WITH MEANS FOR
DISTENDING THE SAME."
Sealed the 2nd March 1880, and dated the 2nd October 1879.
" AN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James North at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1879.
JAMES NORTH, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cabinet Manufacturer.
IMPROVED FOUNDATION FOR THE APPLICATION OF NEEDLE-WORK TO FORM THE
SEATS AND PANELS OF CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE,
TOGETHER WITH MEANS FOR DISTENDING THE SAME'
3J
My Invention relates to an improved foundation on which to embroider or other-
wise work ornamental designs in wool or other material, the said foundation being
applied to the seats and panels of couches, chairs, chiffoniers, sideboards, fire screens,
and other articles of furniture by the manufacturer or purchaser, in order that the
embroidered or other design may be worked thereon by the purchaser according to
taste or to suit the style of decoration of the apartment. The frame of the seat,
back, or panel of the chair, or other article of furniture is provided at the back
with hitch pins (like those of the string plate of a pianoforte) at short distances
apart, and the foundation for the embroidery or other work consists of parallel
lengths of string or twine stretched across the frame from side to side over the
edges thereof, and secured to the said hitch pins. The different lengths of the string
or twine may be separate, but are preferably parts of one continuous piece passed
to and fro across the frame a great number of times, and round the hitch pins at
opposite sides of the frame. There may be only one series of parallel lengths, or
two or more series at right angles or otherwise, and crossed, decussated, or inter-
laced like the warp and weft of a woven fabric or like canework.
Upon this foundation the design is embroidered or otherwise worked in the
usual way, and it is then complete. This foundation not only serves for embroidering
upon as above described, but it forms the actual chair back or seat bottom without
requiring the support of any webbing or stuffing behind it.
The Invention also comprises a means of tightening the foundation should it
stretch and become slack by wear. This consists of a loose bar along the side or
end of the frame round which the strings pass, which bar is pressed outwards by an
adjusting screw or screws screwing through the side or end of the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James North in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd April
1880.
JAMES NORTH, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cabinet Manufacturer. "AN
IMPROVED FOUNDATION FOR THE APPLICATION OF NEEDLE-WORK TO FORM THE
SEATS AND PANELS OF CHAIRS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE,
TOGETHER WITH MEANS FOR DISTENDING THE SAME."
My Invention relates to an improved foundation on which to embroider, or other-
wise work with the needle, ornamental designs in wool or other material, the said
foundation when so embroidered or worked also forming, without any backing or
support other than the frame on which it is stretched, the seat, back, or panel
of a couch, chair, chiffonier, side-board, fire screen, or other article of furniture, it
being intended that the foundation shall be applied to the article of furniture by
the manufacturer, and the embroidered or other design worked thereon by the
purchaser.
The frame of the seat, back, or panel of the chair or other article of furniture is
provided at the back or underside with hitch pins at short distances apart, and
the foundation for the embroidery or other work consists of parallel cords stretched
across the frame from side to side or from front to back, the cords being passed
over the edges of the frame and secured to the said hitch pins. The cords are
preferably parts of one continuous length passed to and fro across the frame a great
number of times, and round the hitch pins at opposite sides or ends of the frame,
but they might be in separate short lengths. There may be only one series of
parallel cords, or two or more series at right angles or otherwise, and simply crossed
or laid the one series upon the other, or the different series might be decussated or
interlaced like the warp and weft of a woven fabric or like canework. Upon this
foundation the design is embroidered or otherwise worked, and it is then complete,
and where one series of cords only is used, or two or more series crossing one
another without being interlaced, the embroidery serves to bind the different cords
together.
The Invention also comprises a means of tightening the foundation should it
stretch and become slack by wear. This consists of tension bars along the sides or
ends of the seat frame provided with adjusting screws by which the bar may be
Figure 1 is a top plan, and Figure 2 an underside plan of a chair seat frame with
the improved foundation applied, and a portion of the same embroidered; Figure 3
is a cross section of the same on line 1-1, Figure 1, showing the tension bar;
Figure 4 is a similar section, the tension devices for keeping the foundation
stretched being differently arranged. The same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all these Figures.
A is the seat frame, and B are rows of hitch pins at the back or underside thereof,
fixed either in the frame A, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 or in the movable tension
bars, as in Figure 4; C is the foundation, composed preferably of a single length of
cord made fast at one end to a pin B, and passed to and fro repeatedly across the
frame and over the edges thereof to the back, where it is led round the two opposite
series of pins B, as clearly shown. After one series of parallel cords c have been
thus stretched across the frame from side to side, a second similar series c² may be
similarly stretched across the frame from front to back, this second series crossing
the first at right angles or obliquely, and simply laying above the first without
being interwoven therewith. Upon a foundation thus made the embroidery D is

page_text: worked in the usual way as upon canvas in doing what is known as canvas work ;
E are the tension bars, one at each side of the frame, over which the cords pass.
In Figure 3 each bar E is received in a rebate in the underside of the frame A, and
has tenons at the end sliding in mortises e in the chair legs to keep the bar in
place; F are adjusting screws screwing through nuts fixed in the bar E, an d
pressing against the frame A to draw the bar E downwards, and so stretch the
cords which pass round said bar to the pins B behind it as shown; G is a thin
strip of wood or a ribbon braid or other fabric applied round the edges of the
frame A to conceal the cords at that part.
In the tension device shown in Figure 4, which is the one I prefer to employ,
the pins B are fixed in the bars E, which in this case are fitted to slide horizontally,
and are adjusted by screw bolts F passing through them and through holes in iron
plates f, screwed to the inner edge of the frame A, nuts F¹ being applied to the
inner ends of the bolts, and bearing against plate f.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A foundation for needle work, forming also the seat or panel of a chair or
other article of furniture, consisting of parallel cords stretched across the frame of
the seat or panel, substantially as herein described.
2nd. A foundation for needle work, forming also the seat or panel of a chair or
other article of furniture, consisting of two or more superposed but not interlaced
series of parallel cords stretched across the frame of the seat or panel, the one
series crossing the other series at right angles or otherwise, as herein shown and
described.
3rd. A foundation for needle work, forming also the seat or panel of a chair or
other article of furniture, consisting of two or more series of parallel cords stretched
across the frame of the seat or panel in different directions, and interlaced the one
series with the other, substantially as herein described.
4th. The combination of a single length of cord passed a number of times to and
fro across and over the edges of the frame of a seat or panel of an article of
furniture with hitch pins fixed at back of the said frame, around which the cord is
passed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5th. The combination with the subject of the last preceding claim of movable
bars and adjusting screws, arranged and applied substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James North, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord