IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1872.-A communication from abroad by John Vose,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS," a communi-
cation, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a rest or support arranged upon or within
the supporting framework or leg portion of a chair so that it can be
wholly or substantially enclosed by the said framework, or readily
drawn out from the chair frame, and automatically assume a more or
less outwardly inclined position, and be there supported most firmly and
rigidly according as it is desired or not by the occupant of the chair to
use the said rest or support. This rest or support is intended for the
legs of the occupant of the chair.
According to this Invention a rest or support suitably upholstered or
otherwise rendered soft, elastic, and easy to the person is secured to one
end of a frame composed of two parallel side bars or rails suitably braced
and stiffened, and is adapted in size to be compactly held within and
upon the under supporting framework or leg portion of the chair. This
rest carrying frame at the opposite ends of its side rails to those at which
the rest is secured is hung upon and within the chair base by means of

page_text: pivotted levers. These levers at one end are pivotted to the said rest
carrying frame, and at their other ends to the chair base, and this
hanging of the rest carrying frame is such that the said franic can be pulled
outward from the front of the chair seat and extended sufficiently far to
bring its rest portion proper in a suitable position to act as an easy rest
or support for the legs of the occupant of the chair, and can be pushed
inward under the chair base to allow it to be wholly and compactly
encased or embraced by and within the scope or boundary of the chair
base, it is thus practically removed from sight and kept from being an
obstruction or impediment, and the chair has all the appearance of an
ordinary chair.
For guiding the rest carrying frame in its outward and inward
movements the frame is arranged to move upon a guide or staple at
the front of the chair base; or it is arranged to move in or on guide slots
or ways; the direction of these guide slots either alone or in connection
with the pivot of the rest carrying frame to the levers being such that
the said frame can automatically assume a more or less inclined position
from the front of the chair seat outward.
For operating as described the rest carrying frame, the levers forming
its links of connection with the chair and base are extended beyond their
pivots on the chair base and adapted to be conveniently grasped so that
by swinging the levers through such extensions, the rest frame will be
forced out, or drawn in according to the direction in which the levers
are swung. In lieu of these extensions of the levers the rest frame is
adapted to be pulled out by a cord, and to be pushed in by hand.
The rest proper is to be either fixed or adapted to be turned over in
the frame carrying it, and when arranged as last stated, which in some
instances is desirable, the frame is to be suitably provided with stops or
abutments whereby the rest may hold it firmly in its positions.
The object of arranging the rest to be overturned is for bringing it
into such a position that it can be most compactly held or contained
within the chair base, and kept more closely in position against the
under side of the chair seat.