IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS, LOUNGES, AND BEDS, AND IN MATTRESSES AND FITTINGS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Martin Green, of 173,. Prince of Wales Road,
Kentish Town, and William Jack, of 20, Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington,
both in the County of Middlesex, Invalid Furniture and Adjustable Chair
and Bed Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE
CHAIRS, LOUNGES, AND BEDS, AND IN MATTRESSES AND FITTINGS FOR THE
SAME."
Sealed the 24th May 1878, and dated the 26th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Martin Green
and William Jack at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
November 1877.
WILLIAM MARTIN GREEN, of 173, Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, and
WILLIAM JACK, of 20, Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington, both in the County
of Middlesex, Invalid Furniture and Adjustable Chair and Bed Manufacturers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS, LOUNGES, AND BEDS, AND IN MATTRESSES
AND FITTINGS FOR THE SAME.'
"
Our Invention has for its object the construction of chairs, lounges, and beds in
such a manner as to admit of the several parts or sections of which the same are
composed being readily adjustable, so as to vary to an increased extent the relative
positions of the said parts or sections in order to afford ease and support in various
required postures-to persons sitting or reclining thereon. And the said changes of
position of the supporting parts can be ordinarily effected without the necessity of
removing the person sitting or reclining thereon; and in some cases the said changes
of position can be effected by such persons themselves.
Our Invention also has reference to a mode or modes of fitting adjustable tables,
reading easels, and other conveniences to such chairs, lounges, and beds.
And our Invention also has reference to a flexible spring mattress or squab
capable of being turned in any required direction, or rolled up for easy carriage, or
conveniently stowed away.

page_text: And our Invention with reference to the construction of adjustable chairs, lounges,
and beds, consists in adapting and connecting the parts, in the manner herein-after
stated, whereby the changes of relative position of the back and seat may be effected
by spreading out or drawing in the legs, which are crossed and connected by a bar
or pivot, and by suspending the seat frame on centres at a higher point of elevation
than the joints of the legs, and forming rack teeth on the under side of the seat, by
means of which the seat can be adjusted and fixed as required.
The chair, lounge, or bed, can be constructed either with the back frame extended
to form the front legs jointed to the back legs (either with or without the foot
section), or it may be constructed with the back separate from but pivoted at
the junction of the seat and the front legs, and the back of the seat frame, so as to
be separable from the front legs. By this latter mode of construction the different
sections of the chair, lounge, or bed, are rendered susceptible of a much greater
variety of change of relative position.
In addition to the means of changing the position of the seat by the rack on its
under side, both the seat and the back can be variously adjusted by means of a
jointed rack suspended from the frame at the back of the seat, and fitting on to
the bar which forms the pivot or centre of motion for the front and back legs.
The seat can be moved into oblique position by placing the said bar in different
holes provided for that purpose in the upper portion of the back legs. The legs can
be fixed at any desired width apart by causing the seat rack to rest upon the bar
which connects the higher ends of the back legs.
There are metal or wooden supports for moveable upholstered arms, such supports
being pivoted at the front part of the seat, and provided with rack teeth on their
under side, adapted to rest on a pin or stop in the back frame, and thereby fix the
said support in the position required. On these supports can be placed and secured
the moveable arms secured to which, or to a block in front of which, may be fitted
adjustable tables, reading easels, or other conveniences.
The foot part or section is a frame that is jointed or hinged when required to the
front of the seat, and is connected by a chain or other suitable means to the front
part of the arm supports. On this section is or may be fitted a foot rest.
The legs or feet may be provided with rollers or castors for the chair to
run upon, and there is also provision for inserting or fixing in or to the legs
carrying bars with handles for the purpose of carrying the chair, lounge, or bed, if
required.
Chairs, lounges, and beds can be constructed in the manner above stated, in
iron, wood, or other suitable material, and and may be covered with any suitable
upholstery.
The flexible spring mattress or squab herein-before referred to consists of a frame
composed of longitudinal and transverse laths or bands of steel or other suitable
flexible material fastened together, on which frame are fastened spiral springs, con-
nected at the top. The side and end springs may be chained or otherwise fastened
down to the steel frame, or the lower part of the same or other springs to give
firmness. To allow of the several movements the springs on the lower part of the
back section and at the back of the seat frame may be fastened down in the same
manner as the side springs.
The connecting chains or other fastenings between the springs at the knee joint
may be slack in order to allow the steel frame to be bent downwards.
The springs of the said mattress may if preferred be fixed to the rigid laths of the
chair, lounge, or bed in sections, instead of being fastened to a separate and flexible
frame or frames.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Martin Green and William Jack in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th May 1878.
WILLIAM MARTIN GREEN, of 173, Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, and
WILLIAM JACK, of 20, Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington, both in the County of
Middlesex, Invalid Furniture and Adjustable Chair and Bed Manufacturers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS, LOUNGES, AND BEDS; AND IN MATTRESSES
AND FITTINGS FOR THE SAME.'
"
Our Invention of "Improvements in Adjustable Chairs, Lounges, and Beds, and
in Mattresses and Fittings for the same," has for its object the construction of
chairs, lounges, and beds in such a manner as to admit of the several parts or
sections of which the same are composed being readily adjustable, so as to vary to
an increased extent the relative positions of the said parts or sections, in order to
afford case and support in various required postures to persons sitting or reclining
thereon. And the said changes of position of the supporting parts can be ordinarily
effected without the necessity of moving the persons sitting or reclining thereon,
and in some cases the said changes of position can be effected by such persons
themselves.
Our Invention also has reference to a mode or modes of fitting adjustable tables,
reading easels, and other conveniences to such chairs, lounges, and beds.
And our Invention also has reference to a flexible spring mattress or squab,
capable of being turned in any required direction, or rolled up for easy carriage, or
conveniently stowed away. And our Invention with reference to the construction
of adjustable chairs, lounges, and beds, consists in adapting and connecting the
parts in the manner herein-after stated, whereby the changes of relative position
of the back and seat may be effected by spreading out or drawing in the legs, which
are crossed and connected by a bar or pivot, and by suspending the seat frame on
centres at a higher point of elevation than the joints of the legs, and forming rack
teeth on the under side of the seat, by means of which the seat can be adjusted and
fixed as required.
The chair, lounge; or bed can be constructed either with the back frame extended
to form the front legs and jointed to the back legs (either with or without the foot
section), or it may be constructed with the back frame separate from but pivotted
at the junction of the seat and the front legs and the back of the seat frame, so as
to be separable from the front legs. By this latter mode of construction the
different sections of the chair, lounge, or bed, are rendered susceptible of a much
greater variety of change of relative position.
In addition to the means of changing the position of the seat by the rack on its
under side, the back can be variously adjusted by means of a jointed rack suspended
from an elongation of the back frame or head part, and made to act as required on
the bar which forms the pivot or centre of motion for the front and back legs.
Oblique positions of the seat can be obtained by moving the keyed bar on which
the seat rack rests and acts into different holes provided for that purpose in the
upper portion of the back legs. The elevation of the seat is regulated by the width
of the legs apart.
There are metal or wooden supports for moveable upholstered arms, such supports
being pivotted near the front part of the seat, and provided with rack teeth on
their under side adapted to rest on a pin or stop in the back frame, and thereby
fix the said support in the position required. On these supports can be placed and
secured the moveable arms, and to which may also be fitted adjustable tables,
reading easels, or other conveniences.
The foot part or section is a frame that is jointed or hinged when required to the
front of the seat, and is connected by a chain or other suitable means to the front
part of the arm supports. On this section is or may be fitted a foot rest.
The legs or feet may be provided with rollers or castors for the chair to run upon,

page_text: to fit over the arm or rack H. The said moveable arm pad cau be moved forwards
or backwards on the arm H, and if necessary, can be fixed in a position thereon by
an external set screw.
To the arm H may also be fitted adjustable tables, reading easels, or other
conveniences, as shewn in Fig. 1, an adjustable table in a convenient form being
shewn in Fig. 3; but such tables may be varied in form, and various appliances
may be adapted and fitted to the arms H in such a manner as to be convenient
for use by invalids while sitting or reclining on the chair, bed, or lounge.
J is the foot part or section which is or may be jointed to the front part of
the seat frame, and be suspended from the curved piece I of each arm by means of
a chain K or other suitable means; L is a foot rest which can be adjusted as required
to any part of the section J, as shewn in Fig. 1.
M shews the upholstery by which the frame of iron, wood, or other suitable
material is covered as. required. At N are pins or holes or other provision for
applying handles (as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1) for carrying the chair, lounge,
or bed if required.
The flexible squab or mattress represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7, consists of a
frame of steel or other suitable flexible material composed of longitudinal laths
or bands O, O, and transverse laths or bands P, P, rivetted or otherwise suitably
fastened together. Upon this frame, as a foundation, are fastened spiral springs
connected at the top by means of chains or otherwise.
The side and end springs may be chained or otherwise fastened down to the steel
frame or the lower part of the same in order to give any required firmness. When
the flexible squab or mattress is applied to the chair, bed, or lounge, in order to allow
of the several movements required, the springs located at the lower part of the back
frame or head part A, and at the back of the seat D may be tied or chained down in
the same manner as the side springs.
The connecting chain or other fastening between the springs at the joint between
the sections D and J may be slack, or the two rows of springs, one above and the
other below the junctions of the sections D* and J* may be chained or fastened to
the bottom of their opposites, or to the laths near this position, so that the con-
nections are thereby made to cross each other, and prevent any gaping or large
opening when the front section J is bent downwards. If preferred, the springs Q, Q,
may be fixed to the rigid latlis of the chair, lounge, or bed, instead of being fastened
as above described, to a flexible frame or frames.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that by constructing chairs, lounges,
and beds in parts or sections jointed together, and pivotted and combined with racks
and retaining pins or bars in the manner described, the parts or sections can be
moved into and fixed in various relative positions, thereby affording greatly increased
facility in adapting the positions of the said parts or sections to the various require-
ments of invalids and persons using the chairs, lounges, and beds. And the chair,
lounge, or bed may be also constructed with any modification of combinations of
the parts herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we hereby declare that what we claim as of our In-
vention is,―
First. The general arrangement and combination of the parts shewn and described
as forming a complete chair, lounge, or bed, the different sections of which can be
varied in their relative positions as and for the purposes described.
Secondly. The construction of a chair with a rack on the under side of the seat,
facilitating changes of elevation of the seat as described.
Thirdly. The construction of a chair, with a moveable keyed bar, by means of
which oblique positions of the seat are obtained in the manner herein-before
described.
Fourthly. The construction of a chair with the back frame or head part elongated
and with a rack jointed at X, and working on the pivot E or axis of the crossed
legs, as herein-before described.

page_text: Fifthly. The combination of the arm H and foot part J as shewn, by which is
obtained an independent movement of the foot part J by raising and pulling back
the arm H or by leaving the arm H in the position shewn in Fig. 1; the head part A
being lowered produces a joint action of the head and foot parts.
And, lastly. A mattress constructed with a frame of steel or other suitable flexible
material, such frame to serve as a foundation for the springs, which springs are to
be fastened together with chain or other suitable means of connection, so as to give
the required bearing, and admit of the mattress being rolled up or bent in any
required direction, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Martin Green and William Jack, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
W. M. GREEN.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM JACK. (L.S.)