Improvements in Folding Seats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr.. 1895
Improvements in Folding Seats.
We, EMMANUEL CHARLES VIAN BOLITHO, of 43, Old Town Street,
Plymouth, Ironmonger, and PRYNNE HARRIS, of 8, Clifton Place, Plymouth,
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to folding seats and designed for application to seats
of various kinds such as garden seats, tramcar and omnibus seats and the like.
The improvements which constitute this invention consist in having the bench
of the seat divided longitudinally, the two parts being united by hinges acted upon
either by springs or counterweights which, when the seat has no occupant, turn
the outer division upwards, that is to say, folded against the front of the seat back.
In the folded position the outer edge of the folding part of the bench lies in a
recess conveniently provided for it below or in one of the longitudinal rails or
battens of the seat back. A flap of india-rubber or other suitable substance over-
hangs the seat edge. The parts for sitting on and a part of the back are thus
protected from exposure to the weather.
When it is required to lower the upraised part of the seat, it is grasped and
tilted towards the operator and lowered to the position for sitting on.
When counterweights are employed they are attached to the lower ends of arms
hinged to the folding part of the bench. The arms and weights hang loosely on
their hinges when the bench is in the folded position.
Dated thie 16th day of May 1894.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Fig Pow
We, EMMANUEL CHARLES VIAN BOLITHO, of 43, Old Town Street,
Plymouth, Ironmonger, and PRYNNE HARRIS, of 8, Clifton Place, Plymouth,
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
Fame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to folding seats, and is designed for application to seats
of various kinds such as garden seats, tramcar and omnibus seats and the like.
The improvements which constitute this invention consist in having the bench
of the seat divided longitudinally-; the two parts being united by hinges acted
upon either by springs or counterweights which, when the seat has no occupant,
turn the outer division upwards, that is to say, folded against the front of the
seat back.
In the folded position the outer edge of the folding part of the bench lies in a
recess conveniently provided for it below or in one of the longitudinal rails or
battens of the seat back. A flap of india-rubber or other suitable substance over-
hangs the seat edge. The parts for sitting on and a part of the back are thus
protected from exposure to the weather.

page_text: When it is required to lower the upraised part of the seat, it is grasped and
tilted towards the operator and lowered to the position for sitting on.
When counterweights are employed they are attached at or towards the lower
ends of arms which may be hinged to the folding part of the bench. If so hinged,
the arms may or may not hang loosely on their hinges when the bench is in the
folded position.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents,
in front view, one end of a bench seat constructed in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.
The bench is divided longitudinally into two parts a and a' whereof one part a is
fixed, in the usual way.
The part a' is connected to the part a by hinges of which there is one or more
situated towards each end of the seat or at other convenient points between the
ends. The part a¹ turns on the hinges 6 upwards to the position shown at Fig. I
and also downwards to the position shown at Fig. 3. At each end of the seat is
connected to the part a an arm c carrying a counterweight d.
These arms c with their counterweights d constantly tend to keep and, in the
absence of any counteracting influence do keep the part a' turned up and back
against the front face of the fixed part a of the bench, as seen at Fig. 1. Hence,
when the seat has no occupant, the part a' mechanically closes upon the part a.
When the part a¹ is thus folded back on the part a the arms c swing loosely on
the hinges c¹ to the position shown at Figs. 1 and 2, and the outer edge of the
part a lies in a recess conveniently provided for it in one of the longitudinal rails e
of the seat back.
A flap, of india-rubber or other suitable flexible material, fixed to the rail e
overhangs the outer edge of the part al, as shown, and prevents rain or moisture
getting between the fixed and hinged parts of the bench. The surface of the bench
designed for sitting on and, of a part of the back is thus protected from exposure
to wet.
When it is desired to turn down the part a¹ of the bench, the said part is grasped
and tilted towards the operator and lowered to the position shown at Fig. 3, that
is to say, with the part a resting towards its outer end on the frame g of the seat.
In this position the counterweights d are raised and the arms e carrying them are
not free to swing loosely, downwards, but bear firmly on that portion of the part a¹
which is behind the hinges e. Accordingly, as soon as the seat is vacated, the
arms and counterweights d return the part al to the position shown at Figs. 1
and 2.
The arms need not be loosely hinged as above described. They may be so
fixed as to be rigid with, the part al at all times.
Instead of counterweights, spiral or other springs may be employed for actuating
the movable part al of the seat. Such springs are connected at one end to the
part aand, at the other, to the part a¹.
In short benches one counterweighted arm or one spring, only may be used to
close the part a on the part a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said. inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed,, we declare that, what, we
claim is :-
1. In out-of-door seats or benches such as are used in gardens and parks and on
the tops of tramcars and omnibuses and in other public situations exposed to the
weather, dividing the seat longitudinally into two parts whereof one-the inner-is
fixed, and the other-the outer-is hinged to the inner and is fitted with arms
such as c hinged or otherwise secured to the said outer part and carrying counter-
weights such as d, arranged to keep, in the absence of any counteracting influence,
the outer part of the seat turned upwards and backwards against the face of a
portion of the fixed part, substantially as hereinabove described.
2. The modification hereinabove referred to according to which the outer part

page_text: of the seat is, in the absence of any counteracting influence, folded upwards and
backwards against the inner or fixed part by means of coiled or other suitable
springs.
3. The provision, in seats of the kinds specified in the two preceding claims, of a
flap of india-rubber or other suitable material so placed as to prevent water or
moisture from penetrating between the fixed and movable parts, as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March 1895.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.