Improvements in Turn-up Seats.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Turn-up Seats.
THOMAS NICHOLLS 2 Wilson Street Drury Lane W.C. Carpenter & Joiner do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To so fit & hang seats to backs as to turn under & over two rails running the whole
length of rows of seats so as to get the double leverage of seat when pulled down so that no
strain is on the hinges & so fix a strong spiral spring under each seat at K on plan so.
as to cause it to shut up quickly so that the rails seat & back only take up about
4 inches of space in thickness.
Dated this 23rd das of June 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Turn-up Seats.
THOMAS NICHOLLS 2 Wilson Street Drury Lane London Joiner do hereby declaro
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 theatre and music hall front and back stall scats & dress
circle &c. whereas the seats and arms automatically close up simultaneously after
being vacated thus leaving good room between the rows of seats for ingress and egress
as each visitor walk up to their own seat and turn it down to sit upon.
The supports of seats to be either of iron or wood as per Nos. 1 to 6 in drawing.
It consists of the seats working in between the two bottom rails which run from
end to end of the rows of seats the top edge of front rail marked A on drawing being
fixed to standard the thickness of seat below the bottom edge of back rail marked B so
that in turning the seat down it falls on top of front rail A and turn up under the
back rail B thus getting a double leverage and held perfectly firm without any strain
upon the hinges.
The seats are hinged to the back rail either on the face as shown in plain seat
section at E No. 7 in drawing or in the case of the upholstered spring seats the hinges
are reversed & fitted underneath the back rail B.
The seats are either a plain clamped board and hung to back panel as shown in
No. 4. 5. & 6 or an hardwood frame fitted & hung to moulded back rail (as at B
No. 2 & 3) & fitted with springs & webs for a spring stuffed seat covered with velvet
plush or rep as desired. The arms are hinged to brackets fixed to the iron standards
& connected with the seats with a double jointed stay corresponding with & working
up with the seats in Nos. 1. 2 & 3.
The automatic action given to the seats is by a Sargents steel coil spring let into
top of seat in between the hinges and under the back rails B one end being screwed
up into same at E the other being screwed into the back edge of the seat as shown in
section at D No. 7 & quite out of sight whether seats are up or down the coil spring
so charged as to be strong enough to start the seat with the upward movement directly
the occupier vacate it.
With the iron standards the seats can be as easily fitted to the circular sweeps of the
dress circles as to the straight rows of stalls.
And with my slightly altered pattern iron standard the straight rows of front stall
seats are quickly interchangable with the rows of plain seats as suited to back stalls
or pit without unscrewing the iron standards from the floor or vice versa.
One great advantage gained by useing these seats is the comparatively small space
they take up when not actually in use as they can be made in the case of the wood

page_text: standards to take up only about 4 or 5 inches in thickness thus leaving good room
to get out quickly in case of fire or any other alarm and also the cleaning and
sweeping &c. of the floors as nothing but the feet of the standards run down to the
floor within about 9 inches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The working of the seats in between the two bottom parallel rails so as to turn up
under the back & over the front for the double leverage without any strain upon the
hinges.
2. The peculiar way of fitting the spring to seat & rail as to be entirely out of sight
whether seat is up or down.
3. The particular pattern of iron standard as prepared by me to suit my
in receiving the rails & arms of the seats.
Dated this 20th day of
August 1800
invention
THOMAS NICHOLLS.