IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS." MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Pierre Tronchon, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline,
Paris, Empire of France, Mechanist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS."
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS."
Sealed the 25th February 1870, and dated the 31st August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st August 1869.
I, ALFRED PIERRE TRONCHON, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline, Paris, Empire
of France, Mechanist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS," to be as
follows:-
For some time past spring or elastic seats have for some purposes been
used in place of seats made of bars of wood or of cane or straw, but the
price of these articles has been so high that the extent to which they

page_text: have been employed has in a measure been thereby limited. Now one
of the objects of this Invention is to overcome these defects by the
construction of spring, elastic, or flexible seats possessing, as I believe,
all the qualities that can be thereby obtained, and at the same time
may be manufactured and sold at a lower price than those heretofore
constructed.
According to one arrangement I form the seats of a ring of metal, to
the inside or outside of which one or several springs is or are connected
according to the size of the seat to be made. These small springs are
made of curved flat steel and are of different lengths; they are placed
against or upon the metal ring, and are covered with a girth or covering
of hemp, silk, linen, wool, leather, or other material, textile or otherwise,
and secured to the metal ring by rivets or otherwise. These girths may
be of any desired breadth, and the number regulated according to the
size of the seat to be made.
According to another arrangement I make seats of a quadrangular
shape. In this case the square frame is provided with groups of springs,
as before described, for the circular seat, the girths or coverings being
secured with the springs to the frame; but I do not limit myself to
making seats according to my Invention of the two shapes indicated, as
they may be made of any shape or form desired or required, and aecording
to the positions or places they are intended to occupy.
For seats or chairs to be used out of doors and especially for gardens,
the girths or coverings may be impregnated with preserving compositions
to protect them from rain or damp. In some cases a tick or linen cover
may be substituted for the girths, or any other suitable substance may
be used which is capable of supporting sufficient weight, and it may
be made of a single piece or of several pieces of material completely
covering the seat. Seats made in this way may be fitted up so as to form
good and comfortable seats for apartments and indoor use with metal
or wood supports, as desired, of different shapes and sizes, for I would
have it distinctly understood that my improvements in the construction
of seats refer to seats of all kinds, and of whatever shape or form they
may be made.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPRed
PIERRE TRONCHON, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline, Paris, Empire of France,
Mechanist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year
of. our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELASTIC SEATS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon,. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing and letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say:-
For some time past spring or elastic seats have for some purposes been
used in place of seats made of bars of wood or of cane or straw, but the
price of these articles has been so high that the extent to which they
have been employed has in a measure been thereby limited. Now one
of the objects of this Invention is to overcome these defects by the.

page_text: construction of spring, elastic, or flexible seats possessing, as I believe,
all the qualities that can be thereby obtained, and at the same time
may be manufactured and sold at a lower price than those heretofore
constructed.
The accompanying Drawing shows examples of my new combinations
or arrangements forming new applications.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a vertical section taken through the
line 1, 1, of Figure 1, of a seat formed with a metal ring a, to the inside
or outside of which are connected one or several springs according to the
size of the seat. These small springs made of flat steel and bent b and b¹
vary in length, that is, each spring is of different length. They are
placed against the ring a to the ends of a diameter, then they are covered
with a girth c made of hemp, silk, linen, wool, leather, or any other
suitable materials and rivetted to the ring a. These bands of girths are
of different widths, and are employed for the same seat in numbers
varying according to the size of the seat to be made. It must be
understood that this application can be made to seats of various forms.
Thus Figures 3 and 4 show a seat of a square shape fitted according to
this plan; the square frame d is furnished with the same groups of
springs b and 6', and with girth bands c rivetted with the springs b and b¹
and the frame d.
I have said that the bands may vary in length and in number and be
made of various fabrics, leather or textile materials, but it will be under-
stood that for seats intended for out-door use, especially for gardens, the
girths may be impregnated with preservative compositions, which will
protect them from dampness. Or the bands may be replaced by a tick
or linen cover, or of other material sufficiently durable, and a single
piece or several pieces of material united together may be used to
completely cover the seat. Openings might be punched or formed
through this cover so as to but partly cover the seat. Seats made in this
way may be fitted up so as to form good and comfortable seats for
apartments and general indoor use with metal or wood supports, as
desired, of different shapes and sizes, for I would have it distinctly
understood that my improvements in the construction of seats refer to
seats of all kinds and of whatever shape or form they be made.
This system may be also employed for making spring mattresses with
a greater number of springs, the size of which would be extended.
Finally, this demand for a Patent is based,-

page_text: 1°. On the employment of girth or simple bands of strong tissues
supported all round towards the ends by strips or small bands of steel to
produce elasticity, so as to form an elastic seat without the clothes
coming in contact with the metal.
2º°. On the simplicity and economy of the manufacture of said seats,
which permit of their being sold at a low price and consequently
accessible to a great number of persons.
3°. On the possibility of combining these new appliances, strong and
elastic, to iron and wood supports of every size.
4°. In the application of springs made of steel, flat and bent, fixed at
one end to the frame and free at the other, with the girths applied to the
said springs, which is one of the characteristic features of my Invention,
for the two elements united form an Invention quite novel, having an
elasticity very superior to that of any other system of spring seat hereto-
fore produced.
5°. On the new application of this new system of fitting elastic seats
completely covered to form very comfortable seats for indoor or outdoor
use, for invalids, sick, or other persons.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Pierre Tronchon, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.