IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE AND GYMNASTIC AND EXERCISING APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO SURGICAL, MEDICAL, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE AND
GYMNASTIC AND EXERCISING APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES, ALSO APPLICABLE
TO SURGICAL, MEDICAL, AND OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from
abroad by Jean Baptiste Bastien, of Paris, France.
Scaled the 18th February 1879, and dated the 24th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1878.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE AND GYMNASTIC AND EXERCISING APPARATUS OR
APPLIANCES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO SURGICAL, MEDICAL, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
(A communication from abroad by Jean Baptiste Bastien, of Paris, France.)
The word "ladder" is made use of in the following Provisional Specification in a
generic sense, because it well renders my ideas, but it is employed figuratively only,
that is to say, one, two, or any more upright pieces of equal or unequal length, and
joined together by means of cross pieces, also of any suitable material, and of any
desired shape and curve, and connected together in any suitable and convenient way.
Similar remarks apply to the expression "physiological," which sometimes follows
the word ladder, and is intended to indicate in spite of the general sense given to
this word, at a certain point of view, however it is limited to its physiological
sense.
For the expression "use and multiple office" is not meant the common use of
the ladder, but only its new physiological uses and functions, the applications of
which are so numerous that it is impossible to describe them and to illustrate the
modifications given to the ladders in general to realise the results required:
The description will first be confined,-
1. In its application to surgical, hygienic, and their derivative purposes as well as
to orthopedic, gymnastic, and the like similar purposes.
2 In its application to furniture in general

page_text: 3. And lastly, to a third class, which may be called varied applications, whether
it be professional, industry tools, or any other application whatever.
These applications are so numerous. that the description is limited to the
mechanical and physiological principle on which the Invention is based, and for
this purpose give a few examples.
In an ordinary ladder its natural or central point of support is represented by
ground; nevertheless, this, as resting point, may be displaced, thus supposing (admit-
ting the power to be exercised, either by human or mechanical means) that the
arm-pit or shoulder acts on a cross piece, and that the hand acts by pulling or
pushing on the cross piece, the traction or the pressure will thus displace the centre
of resistance which will be reproduced. The centre of resistance is thus displaced,
and it is on this principle that different examples have been combined applied under
different shapes.
In this example and in the following a parallel is made between the principle
and the mechanical organs which cause inert organs to move, and the principles
and organs, physiological organs, by virtue of which the muscles as well as the long
levers of the human body act.
* ::
In the above example is indicated the extreme points of resistance, displacement,
and support, but it must be understood that these results follow the ascending,
descending, converging, or diverging scale in proportion to the dimension of the
working organ or ladder.
In order that these ideas may be more clearly understood, suppose a ladder or
crutch placed under the. arm-pit or under the foot, according to will or need, the
muscles of the upper or lower members might produce parallel or diametrically
opposite effects, single or combined; convergent or divergent effects, and
forth.
So
The arm-pit or the foot is not limited as points of resistance; all the intermediate
articulations or joints may be taken from the whole body to the last joint of a
finger; the application of the principle and effects will be the same from the simple
-to-the compound, simple if the hand is made use of, or the fore arm with the elbow,
the hand, and the arin-pit, the first and second joint of a finger, and so on; by com-
bining all the parts of the body, for example, the upper limb with the lower, the
right limb with the left one, the hand and the foot, all the limbs with the trunk of
the body; and so on.
The crutch is generally made of two pieces, which meet at the lower end, and are
united at the upper part by a cross piece; here the effect is simple; there is a point
of rest and the point of resistance; these are invariable features; the functions of the
apparatus are limited, and whatever may be the desire of the person using it he
cannot obtain any other result by the displacement of the limb affected.
By using this crutch or ladder the displacement is facilitated, and the point of
rest, as well as that of resistance, takes all intermediate degrees of the steps, one
upwards and the other downwards, by which a great relief is afforded to the patient
or to the person who uses it continually through allowing the limb affected change
of position, to release all the modes and mechanism possible of the muscular effect,
and of all the strains in general.
These can be obtained by means of harness, nets, strings, straps, forms, movable
hangings, suspension crutch, which may be fixed either on the rounds or the ends
of the upright, or at any required height, the limb which was previously hanging
might being thus folded or bent and fixed in all its parts or in some parts
only.
Besides, this mechanism may be fitted to the arms of two crutches, and thus
obtain a suspension or commodious seat for all the parts of the body; the
height of this seat may be varied, as there are a number of rounds in the whole
height.
This is only a simple illustration of the modifications made on the simple crutch
or ladder, with harness hangings (supposed to be used in case of lower limb being
injured or paralized, but in many other cases this mode of suspension on this

page_text: harness may be made use of to relieve the loins, the abdomen, the seat, and other
parts, and to not only realize the suspension of the fixtures, rests to these organs;
but also particularly to belts, harnesses, apparatus of tension and compression for
different parts of the human body, either the trunk or the limbs; this will be a very
useful result in orthopaedy crutch with suspension for the seat, the stomach belt, to
correct the faulty positions of the foetus in the womb.
:
In certain physiologic actions, as for example, in accouchement or defecation;
where it is necessary to produce energetical effects, this system gives numerous and
natural points of rest or support, for example, ladder or accouchement with defecation,
the woman or person who uses this apparatus can support himself or herself by
placing the arm-pit on the upper round, then, by holding either one of the uprights
or one of the intermediate rounds, and if the feet are either free or supported on
one of the rounds, he will be able to perform various movements, either tractive or
pressive, of great power, not only vertically but also horizontally where the point.
of resistance is represented as a wall or a bedstead instead of the floor. In this
case, as well as in all the following cases, a cross piece or bar, which may be dis-
tinguished as a joining bar or rest, and can be introduced crosswise between two
rounds, and so form a new series of resting points either for the hands or feet,
and either for the seat in this case the resting points act in a transverse direction,
and may be also dispensed with if required. This cross piece, whatever may be its
shape, constitutes an element, or it may be said an important organ, although it is.
only accessory to the ladder; it will be mentioned further on with reference to the
different systems and combinations hereafter described.
This ladder and harness, called gymnastic ladder and harness, will be found very
important in gymnastics by reason of the various actions on the muscles, articula-
tion, or joints which are thereby acted on.
After serious study of the subject that has been made of it, it can be affirmed..
that this ladder contains all the gymnastic exercises necessary, and it can be said.
that it is scientifically constructed as regards the mechanisin of the muscle of the
human body, and as regards the number of rounds and the space left between them
it contains in itself all systems of gymnastic apparatus relative to all kind of strain..
The harnesses are made of straps, they are either fixed or not by any convenient.
means either to the uprights or to the rounds, but more particularly to the ends of
the uprights. With this system of harness some are placed transversely, some:
vertically, some obliquely, and otherwise, and they may or not cross each other in.
one way or another, either forward and backward, or from top to bottom, a system
of seats, suspension harness, compression fixture, and so on, either of the whole
body or of any of the isolated parts of the body simultaneously of two or three, and,
even of the whole parts of the body, as it is done in compound harness in which.
these different modes of suspension are isolated are obtained.
Descending applications are used, but it must be understood that they may be.
vertical or ascending, and even in both ways at the same time, by which different.
and very important results are obtained, as for example, some of orthopedic or
surgical harness which are called bi-compressors, bi-fixtures, bi-extensors, by. which;
the tension pressure and counter-pressure of the organs are caused. The applica-
tion may be made not only on human beings but also on any other objects, for
example, to convey materials.
This harness having a universal importance it is not limited only to straps of.
unchangeable length and non-extending, and they may be made of any suitable.
material, animal, textile, metallic (straps, cords, chains), naturally elastic or rendered
elastic, combined or not with metallic springs or any other spring, and even with.
rigid rings.
It is not necessary to insist on the important part which the different modes of
elasticity of spring combined with flexible or resisting straps of which the harness
are composed are destined to take in this system.
It is particularly in the gymnastic ladder that the elasticity; and the spring are
of great importance, especially if they are combined with the different rings, rigid,

page_text: frames mentioned further on, and which are really indispensable accessories to
harness and ladders, gymnastic strain; muscle gymnastics, and the different modes of
contraction; secondly, circulating gymnastic caused by the muscular contraction
are a proof of its importance.
痛
The garment, which is considered as an accessory to the harness for the person
using the ladder, should be referred to here; this garment can be fixed or suspended
in any way required:
The shoes, the boots, the swaddling trousers, the belt, the glove, the sleeves of
the coat, the arm hole, in one word, all parts of the garment, according to indications,
can be either fixed or suspended to the different parts of the ladders.
The different parts forming the male harness can either form more or less
parts of the garment itself. By few slight modifications being made either
in the garment or the harness will allow this transformation to be made, which is
so useful and indispensable in many circumstances.
The importance of this harness garment will be better understood when all the
different physiological applications of the professional ladder are referred to:
The flexible ladder or rope ladder should now be referred to either used alone, or
it shall be mentioned here combined with rigid part, as for the systein is most
generally used as harness; but it is very often used as a ladder. The rope ladder is
besides founded on the same physiological principle, and acting as that of the rigid
or ordinary ladder which has been referred to, and has all the same property
after having developed these few remarks on the harness with regard to the
suspension ladder; a resumé of the series of applications to which these ladders may
be subjected shall be given.
.
A form of seat, couch; or its equivalents is obtained when the frame is supposed
to be of any kind of seat without any trimming, two ladders, the arms of which
come across one of the cross pieces, and thus forms two rests which may be made
to assume any required angle, and even with which a bed may be formed by being
placed parallel.
.If desired to be made with a head board, the two first ladders are allowed to
remain, a third ladder is added, which forms the head-board, the jointing of the
upright into the cross pieces makes the whole firm, which can be articulated in all
ways without any fastening or mechanical appliance; thus a comfortable bed is
produced which may serve not only as sleeping bed, but which may be utilized for
any kind of surgical operation. The different ladders of which it is composed, can
be inclined in any direction; the expression in any direction is maintained in the
whole result, which has not yet been attained with mechanical beds or seats. Herc
a rectangular seat is supposed, but it must be understood that it may be made
circular or of any other forms.
Until now, very complicated special apparatus have been made use of, and con-
sequently very expensive; this is not the case with this system; the cushion of a
seat, the trimming of which is made moveable, or which may be turned upside down,
the ladder being independent, can be packed up in a very small space, and in many
instances which may occur in a family or establishment, pieces of furniture which
can only be procured at a great cost, may be by this Invention produced instantly.
Although these ladders are preferably made independent, they may be united by
means of moveable harness of various arrangements, as before described, and in the
same manner as the ladder proper is combined to constitute pieces of furniture and
seats; the harness is combined to fix them.
"
In some cases, through these different arrangements, we have the facility to fix
the body or the limbs in any required position, very important results in surgical
operations, orthopoedy, and gymnastics.
I will now resume the principal means of jointing for independent ladders,
furniture ladders, and all the systems as proposed by the inventor.
1. Coupling by means of a small bar; this bar by itself is quite sufficient to fix
the two ladders together, and to incline the two upright pieces either at top or at
bottom...

page_text: 2. The different arrangements of simple coupling, by putting or introducing the
ladders either one into the other or either into frames. These two first arrange-
ments are of the same order; they are only divided to facilitate the description.
There is nothing to fix, the weight simply of the ladder or of the person is sufficient
to secure the jointing which does not take place in the following arrangements:-
3. Coupling by means of mortising the uprights into the rounds. In this,
arrangement, three ladders are required, or two ladders and a small bar, one of the
rounds or the small bar acts as a wedge; this is the mode that is generally preferred,
as the coming apart becomes impossible by reason of the wedging.
4. Coupling by interlacing as it were the uprights with the rounds of ladder, or
furniture ladder, one on the other. In this arrangement, the jointing is to a certain
extent fixed, and it cannot be taken apart except by taking out one of the ladders
or one of the pieces of furniture to pieces.
This arrangement to which great importance is attached, is made in different
ways.
1. Interlacing or entangling according to the length.
2. According to the breadth of the ladders.
3. In these two cases, the rounds are both inside the square or both outside, or
one of them inside and the other one outside. This is also applicable to pieces of
furniture, as backs, frames, treadles, as well as to ladders.
4. This interlacing or entangling principle as it were. may be applied to the
pieces of furniture themselves, and constitute what may be called entangled or
interlaced pieces of furniture, as for example, the entangling of two stools, of a
stool with a chair of two beds, and so forth.
5. These different modes of jointing or coupling can be associated or mixed, the
mortising or the entangling can be combined.
6. Now comes the harnessing for jointing or coupling. The fittings of the
couplings are the object of the sixth mode. They may also be combined together.
7. The accessories of the harness, such as rings, tubes, straps, and jointing cords,
either to be attached on to the rounds, or let free.
Up to this point in the present description, everything has been movable in the
jointing arrangement, but it is to be understood that it may be fixed (jointing with
articulation), any modes of articulation may be used, as pivot-rolling hinges, ball-
and-socket joint, and the like, with or without springs, in order to regulate the
movement to be obtained from the ladders in general, or of a ladder in particular.
The right is reserved of using them in the different applications, for example, in
the seats or arm chairs, beds, or the arrangement described for the exercise of the
joints.
Particular further reference is not made to absolute fixed jointing, that is to say,
in all its parts, as in the furniture, or of the ordinary means made use of more or.
less modified for the ladder system, or of fixed crutches.
Up to this time, furniture in general has not been yet constructed or calculated
with reference to the ladder system; the small bars, the cross pieces have been, if
not absolutely, at least very nearly placed, only that with regard to the solidity of
the jointing and of the shape, they are more or less placed by hazard.
In this system, there is nothing unnecessary, nothing for the eyesight only,
nothing left to guess work, every part is useful, the whole is calculated in point of
utility, the ornaments, channeling curves, the whole has its meaning. The number
of rounds, and cross pieces possess as it were a physiologic, mechanic, hygienic, or.
other motive. In this system of furniture, nothing can be added or suppressed
without injuring the whole system. It is for that reason as said before in the
course of this description, that the right is reserved to make necessary modifica
tions to the existing pieces of furniture to apply them to the system, and this
without altering their shape, and it is for the same reason also that the right is
reserved to establish new pieces of furniture absolutely fixed according to the same.
arrangements and principle, with the worked out arrangement of ladders.
b

page_text: It has been said before, that an arm chair is as an organised being, it can be with
movement or without imovement. This arm chair stands on the floor by its feet, it
has legs, arms, thighs, knees, or back, shoulders, a spine, there is not a part of the
body of an animal which it does not represent.
This organised being, this animal that one cannot compare better than to that of
a living being, is carried by feet destined to fix it to the floor, it carries its invalid
or the person who is seated or lying on it as a horse carries his rider, he has his
barness, his stirrup, his traces, he can have a saddle..
The tool, the ladder which is leaned on or fixed on it, which is entangled, or
interlaced in its frame, has also its harness which attaches it to the person supported
or carried.
The invalid placed on the piece of furniture can also have his harness
which. fixes them. to the arm chair, or to the free rounds which form part of the
system.
What is mentioned is sufficient to shew how the ladder system differs essentially
from what has been done hitherto, and to shew that it is entirely new, if not in
some of its parts, at least in the whole; consequently, the modifications made in the
system of the present furniture, or of whatever material, as carriages, and so forth,
the application of the harness or ladder would be considered as belonging to this
system. For this reason also the new pieces, of furniture with, ladder, are based on
the principle stated in the body of the work, on the ladders of the furniture, and
their harness belong to it.. Thus it can be seen why it, at the beginning, the word
ladder is used in a figurative meaning.
It might be said that from the position assumed as to a ladder taken in a
metaphorical sense, the back of an ordinary arm chair, the frame, and the legs are a
kind of ladder, but this kind of ladder is a false ladder; it has only the appearance
of this physiological ladder if considered with regard to its construction, or with
regard to its formation, and a proof of it is found in the hap-hazard way it is con-
structed, and the mode of jointing or coupling which very often, not to say always,
is made only with regard to stability. It is a frame, a construction on which the
-body-is-intended to rest, supposing, this construction being made of wood or stone,
its destination is the same. It is not a ladder made to help the -muscular con-
traction, and to afford supports to levers, limbs, parts of limbs, or to other levers, to
sticks, rings to true ladders as made according to this Invention. Finally, it is not.
the present jointed furniture that we wish to patent, but the arrangement of these
organs, considered in the point of the principles of the physiological ladder of
crutches, with their harness as before described. If this point of view be taken
either. mechanically, or above all physiologically, the furniture to be placed in
relation with these ideas, must be entirely remedied; therefore, it is quite a new
idea carried out in the existing furniture by patenting these ladders, therefore this
is claimed by the inventor as his property.
With regard to this system, what is wished to be patented is, the composition and
the decomposition of the piece of furniture, either its organs, its functions, or other-
wise, its organic and functional elements. It is equally patented with regard to
the ladder, and from the mechanical and physiological principle, in the face of which
we are placed, the idea of overturning different parts, organs and functions, organic,
and functional elements of which the piece of furniture is composed.
In order that these ideas may be well understood, some further explanations must
be given; it is shewn that by means of uprights and rounds, organs derived from
an ordinary ladder can be constructed, such as a chair, an arm chair, a.bed, and by
extension not only all sorts of furniture, but also all kind of useful articles; a table,
for example, a wardrobe, a support, and so on.
. These ladders, either alone or interlaced, or articulated in combination or not
with their harness, (apartment or furniture ladders, can be applied on to the different.
pieces of furniture, as bed, arm chair, and so forth, to serve as rests in the varied
inclined position when bedridden.
These ladders applied on
bed laid on a mattress, for example, will serve as a

page_text: rest for the foot, for the hand, for the arm-pit, either to take, pull, push, or
perform any other exertion, and to help the invalid to move himself, and to take
any position that may be required.
Applied under a mattress a pillow (mattress ladder, head rest ladder) they will
be useful to produce more or less inclined planes, and thus will maintain the
position or the bedridden person; thus they will constitute gutter-like forms,
with inclined moveable and variable planes.
Placed under the bedstead, set into the legs or into the frames combined with
the harness, they will form rests and supports for any position of the body.
They may also be used to place, maintain, and fix other support ladders.
What has been just said for the bedstead can also be applied most advantageously
to other pieces of furniture, by reason of their shape and of their construction; this
arrangement is classed under name of ladder of apartment, which must not be con-
founded with those for rooms.
Another application is where two stools are united by one or two ladders and
consolidated by harness.
A stool may be tied by means of two ladders acting as tying apparatus. The
ladder is fastened at one of its ends by a tying ladder, and the other end by means
of harness.
In some cases by means of ladder, which is wedged in the frame of the stool,*
an armi chair is obtained by means of three ladders, a bedstead also is formed.
These various and simple transformations show to what a number of applications'
this principle may be applied.
The advantages resulting from the use of these ladders and equipments are easily
perceived.
Until now the idea has not been formed of employing different parts, as feet, legs,
cross pieces, and so forth, for receiving, supporting, and wedging in ladders, nor for
fixing on them simple harness, or harness with fittings, the effect and principal
property of which, besides the before-mentioned properties in connection with'
ladders, is to consolidate the joints and distribute the weight, strain, and so forth,
on all parts of the furniture.
Suffice it is to say,
!
These parts of the apparatus will be described further on.
in order to better understand the harness, that they may be considered from a
triple point of view, according as to whether they are attached and fixed, 1st, to the
ladder itself (ladder or crutch harness); 2nd, to furniture and the different parts'
of which they compose, feet, arms, back, and so forth); 3rd, and last, to the person,
(invalid's harness), be it active, as in the case of a nurse or attendant carrying an
invalid, or passive, as when the invalid himself is considered. It may be added'
also that these three kinds of harness with their various forms can be connected by
one, two by two, three by three, and so on. And that by means of these various
combinations, as before stated, not only the weight of the furniture and of its
different parts but the weight of the person or object placed on it contribute largely
to the stability of the several parts which compose this system, and this has never
been obtained in furniture of ordinary construction.
In the first instance I have described a plane ladder placed upon the furniture,
then afterwards this latter resting on the side of the article of furniture, and thirdly:
the ladders placed, wedged, or fitted in the cross pieces of the furniture, such as the
frame, back, or feet.
It now remains to describe the means of modifying existing furniture without
disfiguring it to enable the different ladder systems to be applied to it.
These modifications are very numerous and varied, all according to the kind of'
of furniture, a cross piece added in some part, a mere alteration in the distance
between the cross piece, the taking to pieces of certain parts of the furniture, a
mere modification of shape or of curve, will in some cases suffice for an easy appli-
cation of the ladder and harness.
It is considered that the modifications are part of the system, and the right is
reserved of making use of them; It is styled the ladder, but by this expression is

page_text: meant also plain sticks, curved or not, perforated or not, placed and disposed
similarly to the ladder, and which very often may give satisfactory results, although
more often these results are very often inferior to those obtained by using the
ladders.
'
A large carved back piece wedged into a plain frame, either round or square;
forms the back piece and acts as a rest for the loins; a small frame forms the seat
(a single cross piece would be sufficient), the ends make convenient foot rests. Foot
ladders might be added if found necessary.
The apparatus may also be modified by inserting under the cross piece of the
back plane curved sticks, which will become fixed by their own weight and that of
the invalid, and will thus afford convenient rest for the feet. This small apparatus
may be placed on a bed or on a lounge; it can be inserted under the bulged cross
piece of the back of an ordinary chair or an arm chair, and maintained by a vertical
stick entering in tho curve, and over it may be placed on an arm chair, the back of
which being inserted in the concave part will cause it to be fixed.
A ring set into the frame does not exactly belong to this system; this ring acts as
a lever and to spread open the legs of the invalid placed upon it, while at the same
time by reason of its convex shape at top it serves as a rest for the hands. This
ring may be advantageously replaced by two plain levers, which will act as
spreading and counter-traction levers.
J
It may also be added that this frame by being turned up side down and resting
on its concave side, simple curved frame, is thus transformed into a comfortable
rest apparatus.
This apparatus, infinitely superior to what has up to the present time been used
for sofas for the use of the speculum, shews the great importance of the system as
AS
well as the simplicity of the modifications which may be made on ordinary furniture,
in order that the apparatus may be adapted to them with advantage.
1
It would be almost impossible to mention all the transformations to which these
organs may be subjected, and all the modifications to which furniture inay bo
subjected, and that without disfiguring it, in order to have the system of crutch
ladders and harness applied to it.
The bent wood which is used specially for the construction of the ladders, curves,
and frames, will answer many purposes, for it will fit perfectly every position of
the body, and will adapt itself to the different curves, inclinations, either of the
whole limb or of its different parts.
The curved wood and frames, which have been shewn to be specially adapted to
the construction of furniture, are also equally usefully employed, constructed as
curved frames or curved ladders, and placed either on or under pieces of furniture
or between their joints.
It has been before described (in connection with the chair used in the examination
of invalid women), each piece made with curved wood by a slight modification
in the curve. Surprising results will be obtained with regard to its functions
and uses, which we will now consider,
A type of ring made with curved wood. by being placed on a piece of furniture
and fitted with a movable cushion is that it makes an excellent frame for the
application of ladder peddles and back-piece. Placed under an arm chair, the front
legs of which are fixed in it, besides serving as a stop and a means of fixing the
resting ladder, it allows this ladder to be raised and put up straight, while at the
same time it remains fixed to the floor. It thus acts as a rack, which serves to
modify with safety all inclinations of the resting ladder, and which by itself pro-
duces a commodious foot rest, the height and inclination of which may be varied
according to the invalid's wishes. The ring is here supposed to be of convenient
dimensions for engaging in the two legs of the arm chair, and the sticks or simple
uprights are supposed placed inside; these slide on the floor by being pushed by the
invalid or
by the person using it. This simple ring may become the movable
pedal of office arm chairs or of any other arm chair provided with two rest ladders.
These last-mentioned rings or support frames inade of curved wood must also be

page_text: considered as real jointing and fixing harness as regards men, arm-chairs, and
crutches if they are either wedged or fitted into any parts of the furniture or of the
ladder. They are called connection and attachment rings, and they constitute
indispensible accessions of this system of harness and ladder.
These two very simple examples, selected from a thousand, are sufficient to show.
the importance of these independent organs of curved wood employed in this
system; they by themselves shew the results which may be obtained. This
description of the curved wood is concluded by saying that by not being united to
the cross pieces, its natural elasticity was made use of to introduce it with facility
into the frame backs and arms of the arm-chairs, and that by means of this elasticity
it may be fixed firmly enough without harness, and may be used for several
purposes.
The inventor is not aware that until now this elastic property of curved wood
and of its frames has been made use of in furniture, and especially in the curved
wood furniture so much in fashion now. This property plays an important part
in this system either by being used alone, or by being associated or combined with
metallic or other springs; thus is created a particular type of ladder furniture which
may be designated of an elastic or spring type.
There are therefore descriptions of this ladders system,-.
1°. The fixed type, either straight or curved.
2°. The elastic or spring type, made of curved wood or of any other..elastic
material.
3°. The flexible non-elastic type, such as the rope ladder and knotted rope.
4. The extendible type.
t
5°. To complete this classification it may be added a system of ladder jointed by
wedging, or any other mode.
6. And last, the system of discomposing the organs or the elements.
The application of the simple to the compound, that is to say, of a simple or plain
ladder (or crutch) is capable to a complete piece of furniture, that is, furniture of
any shape, that is to say, drawing rooin, office, bed room, dressing room, and house-'
hold furniture in general, also an arrangement for workshops, farms, ships, and all
accessories, for carriages and stables, for manufactories, cases for warehouses, benches,
and all the accessories of a ship up to a hammock and oars. Finally, the arm is to
transform when desired all furniture and other objects or materials whatsoever, as,
for example, carriage or scaffolding, into useful objects in cases of surgical operations,
for carrying wounded, and other purposes. -
For example, supposing that in a manufacture, a man having been wounded, had to
be carried to a hospital, a chest or the rack of the stable can be at once transformed
into a litter or stretcher.
Supposing an office stool to be inclined on its. back legs a small ladder is fixed,
which may be replaced by a cross piece if desired, and then by means of two other
ladders the system is completed; there is a seat for the patient, the small ladder
serves as back rest, and the ladders as rests for the feet, and the two front legs of
the stool act as strong holders for hands. This short description is sufficient to
explain that it is impossible to enumerate all the combinations to which this system
may be applied.
-
The words "various applications" must be taken, as stated in the commencement,
in the most extended meaning, either with regard to professions, industries, or pro-
fessional sets of tools.
These applications are so numerous that it is impossible to do more here than
enumerate the principal, to give only a few important examples, and to state briefly
its physiological and mechanical principle.
A ladder crutch may be applied to a gun, and there is thereby enormous advan-
tage obtained for the sight and the shouldering.
To a ladder used for carrying loads, illustrating the considerable importance
existing in the affinity between the shoulder, the arm-pit, and the hand,, the last-
named allowing the weight to be reduced in a considerable proportion.. .

page_text: The theoretical illustration just given of gun ladder or crutch ladder could have
been made use of, but it is preferred to give another one, in order to demonstrate a
different construction, in which the "braquille" or ladder is added to the stock of
the arm by a barrel or parallel upright, rounds, harness, or strap of the gun. The
same principle may be applied to a billiard cue.
The two last examples are selected, the billiard cue principally, not only because
it allows to sight with precision, but also because this system gives a great firmness
to the limb for producing with greater assurance the various effects required in this
exercise. In this case, as well as in the preceding ones, and those which follow,
that, the idea is always maintained of having to the crutch its own harness and the
modifications and transformations to be made, either to the harness covering or to
the arm itself.
It may be stated that the ladder or the sighting crutch, gun, and billiard cue
above all are, as well as the walking crutch, a most perfect representation of the
principle of the professional ladder.
The "braquille" and harness, according to this system, may be applied to travel-
ling bags, tourist equipment, and such-like articles. Suppose there are three or
more "braquilles" or ladders, a cushion or covering harness, portmanteau, they
may be all packed up, be placed in a railway carriage, serving as a comfortable
bed.
As before stated, the term ladder is used in a general sense, for example, simple
cross pieces, which may be if desired united by means of bolt and rounds, may be
replaced by tenons which act as bearings. The bolts may be made either cylin-
drical or spherical, or they may be made in the shape of small pallets acting as rests
for the feet or hands.
Apropos of this, it may be mentioned that in the ordinary ladder of two uprights,
as before described, the cylindrical rounds may sometimes be replaced by spherical
rounds (ladder with ball) made of wood or cork, in order to diminish the weight,
though at the same time increasing the size. For example, certain surgical ladders,
- "atelle" ladder, "Attelle" shaped gutter, and the like. This system may be
applied to a digging tool; it may thus be seen that the person using-it-may limit
the force expended according to the depth desired to be given to the furrow.
"
A better result may be obtained by using the "braquille" handle above described.;
This braquille" handle, which is in this case supposed to be fitted to a spade, may
be conveniently fitted to the shaft of a plough which is itself. ladder-shaped, as well
as the ploughshare which is also ladder-shaped. Either by placing them horizon-
tally or longitudinally with the axis of the ploughshare, or at various angles, advan-
tage will be obtained in breaking the clod..
The few before-described examples are sufficient to show the extensive services
this system is called on to render, as it may be employed alone. or combined either
for surgical purposes, for trade in general, and for other purposes too numerous to
particularize.
In gymnastic appliances the numerous bearing points it possesses allows the
development of muscles by a rational exercise, independent of the numerous services
they will afford to special gymnastic establishments. If the external appearance of
the appliances be found an obstacle, they may be hidden by any suitable hanging
or covering. Although as before stated the furniture is unlined, it must be under-
stood that the right is reserved of dressing, or stuffing, or covering it in such a
manner as to hide the apparatus and give it an appearance in accordance with the
surrounding furniture and objects of decoration.
Also is comprised in this system the composition of furniture either in its elements,
organs, back, frames, and so on. For example, the parts of an unfinished arm-chair-
are employed and disposed in such a manner. that it may be transformed into. a
couch.
Now will be described the. professional and physiological ladder, which may be
free, fixed, or temporarily fixed.by any known.means to a piece of furniture, tool,
agricultural, or other implement to a plough, or shovel, to a sword or a gun.

page_text: .. It must be well understood that in all these examples their relative dimensions
and the number of different parts forming ladders or the system of rounds (uprights
and rounds) must, be combined according to the uses they are to be applied to and
to the parts they are to be used for. They may be named from these functions and
parts, and this will make a scientific basis not only for the nomenclature but also
for the construction either of furniture or tools in general, or of the ladder itself.
From the hand and foot ladder, wrest ladder, treadle for ladder, which are composed
at least of two rounds up to the general ladder (ladder foot, hand, or crutch ladder),
which is composed of a greater number of rounds, all the intermediate terms may be
used; för instance, the hand and knee ladder, hand and arm ladder, hand and arm
ladder, hand and arm-pit ladder, all according to the special dimensions and compo-
sitions of the appliance as regards the person for whom it is destined, which must be
calculated physiologically and functionally..
The arm and the leg of the man using the tool, and which may be called the
organic handle, having been calculated in their dimensions and proportions, either
anatomically or physiologically with relation to the bones, articulations, and
different groupes of muscles, it follows that the ladder or ladder handle, if it is a
tool in question, or the finger ladder, if it is a question of writing, or the treadle
ladder back, rests, or seat, if it is a question of furniture, must be varied more or
less, according to the person who will use the tool, the arm chair, the gun, or the
pen. Hence it will have to be also varied according to the dimensions of parts
composing the piece of furniture, or to the objects to which it is to be applied. In
time to come science will certainly give physiological names to the different system
of ladders and to their different parts, such as the small bar, and also to the rounds.
These names will be in relation to all the parts of the body which rest and are sup-
ported on it, either with the part of the body which moves, or with the particular
muscular groups themselves; thus it will be right to say, the exercise ladder of such
or such muscles, of such or such a group of muscles, of such or such an arrange-
ment of movements, of such or such parts of organic levers.
In-speaking of furniture, there are in the chair frame the small bar, the thigh
rest, or the buttock rest, for it is on these rounds or small bars that the buttock or-
the thigh rests. The legs of arm chair, which are here considered to be solid, are
the elbow with its cross piece, the leg with its cross piece, the foot and its cross
piece, when fitted with this latter. In the back of the chair there are the scapular
small bar and the loins small bar, or, as for the arm rests, there will be also the cross
piece or round for the elbow, for the fore arm, and for the hand. When the arın
rest is raised to the armpit, as in our arm "braquille" chair, the dimensions will
be altered so as to accord with the body and its functions. The name will have to
be altered also. For example, the upper round will be the axillary; the second
round will be the elbow, and the third the hand round.
This nomenclature of the different parts of furniture, in relation to the organs
that rest on them, or the muscles actuated, is of great importance, and may be made
general.
It is of great importance that this nomenclature should be adopted generally in
connection with this apparatus, as fitted for gymnastic purposes, also for tools and
furniture.
This nomenclature will be also indispensable for the physiologist, the gymnast,
the pedagogue, the teacher, and the engineer.
If allowed to go further with the idea, it might be said that the nomenclature
should be altered according to the mode of using the tool or the ladder itself; thus,
the hand-elbow tool or ladder, the elbow-hand ladder, the hand ladder elbow, the
elbow ladder hand are all expressions having very different physiological professional
meanings.
It is sincerely desired in the interest of therapeutics and gymnastics to see the
time when these expressions will be understood, and will find place not only in
scientific language but also in the industrial language.

page_text: This nomenclature which is just mentioned as applicable to ladders is also
applicable to harness.
After having spoken of the scientific nomenclature desired to be applied to the
ladders, or parts, or rounds of which they are formed, or the different harness for
ladders, a word may be said about the fittings, and the connections which they
must have with the harness.
It has been before mentioned that the fittings themselves should be considered as
part of the harness, whether it relates to the person employing the ladder tool or to
the harness furniture to which the ladder itself is applied, or whether it relates to
the harness of the ladder itself.
1
Now that the principal applications of the ladders are understood, and the tools
or objects to which this ladder system is applied, together with its harness, it will be
understood what an important part the fittings, considered as harness, take. Attached
to the man and to the ladder, attached to furniture, to vehicles; to portable objects,
to travelling bags, guns, umbrellas, and the like, it will act as means of suspension,
compression, tension, or support: The foot strap, the hand strap, the thigh strap,
the leg strap, the arm-pit strap, and any other strap or belt which is fixed on the one
hand to the different parts of the garments (trousers, coat, waistcoat, boots), and on
the other hand to any points of the crutch (upright round ends) it will immediately.
transform all these parts of the garments into real harness, which will be found
very advantageous either to control, direct, or to sight.
Furniture and its different organs, the crutch, and the ladder, and their various
parts, the harness and its several elements, have been denominated and described.
Now will be described in the same manner, clothing and its different parts,
organs, and elements. The feet coverings, boots, trousers, waistcoat, and coat may
all be considered with regard to the ladder and the proper harnessing as composite
organs, of which we can analyse the different parts. For the foot covering, the sole,
the upper, the pulling straps, and the heck: The trousers have their straps, legs,
knees, trough, thigh belt, loins, and belly. The glove has its wrist, its fingers, and
palm. The coat has its arms or sleeves, its under hand, its elbows, its fore arms, its
armpit, its shoulders, its neck.
All these organs and parts of the garment being taken either transversely, longi-
tudinally, or obliquely are so many parts of the garment, that is to say, of the
harnessing, which, by means of this system, can be transformed into belt, strap,
harness of tension, of suspension, or of compression. They are also so many
different parts on which may be placed ties or laces of any description (solid
resisting, inextensible elastic with spring).
Constituting the harness of this ladder system is above all, when we analyse
these different systems of ladders, the harness and applications that the scientific
view of the garment just described in connection with the harness and ladders
appears, and can be treated with the attention it deserves.
It will be seen that with this system of ladder, harness, and harness fittings, and
their accessories in general (rigid, flexible, elastic, spring or rings and the like that
they carry), all physiological actions, exertions made either in carrying, pulling, or
pushing, will be distributed on a larger surface, on a greater number of organs, and,
we may say, on the whole body: Consequently the result will be an enormous
advantage to the person working the tool, or using the object as to. fatigue, and the
employment of strength, or of precision in the use of the tool.
It will be sufficient at present to say that with the harness of the sighting crutch,
or the gun.ladder, or the bearing crutch, we obtain a connection of the arm and of
the bearing tool not only by the lower part of the shoulder and hand, as in ordinary
shouldering; but through all parts of the limbs, the hand, the elbow, the arm, the
armpit, the back part of the shoulder, the chest, and the whole back.
These few considerations will be found sufficient to fully describe the physio-
logical, mechanical, and functional principle of the harness as well as of the fittings
which are desired to be patented, the same as the previous considerations relative

page_text: to the ladder have been found sufficient to explain the mechanical; physiological,
and functional principles of the same.
'
These principles of the ladder generally and the principles of the fittings applied
to the ladder have been the chief object in this description, having for its basis the
physiological principles which govern or rule the mechanism and the organisation
of the human body; these will sufficiently explain the reason of making use of the
expression "physiological ladder" in this description.
To sum up, the human body being as previously stated, the physiological handle
of the ladder tool, the physiological and professional applications of which it is
desired to patent, the harness of the person using the ladder tool, as well as the
harness of any inanimate organism on which this tool is applied, are of different
kinds, viz.:
1. The intrinsic" body harness, whether the body be that of a man, a carriage,
a piece of furniture, or a ladder. This harness or harness of the subject has for its
object the connecting this subject, that is to say, the man, carriage, piece of
furniture, or ladder and their different parts to themselves. It joins them, connects,.
strengthens, and raises them, and reduces the weight and lessens the fatigue. It
is this system of harness which is so often described in this Specification as joining
harness.
2. The "intrinsic" harness called "extrinsic" in opposition to the preceding case.
It has for its object the connecting of the individual, the subject that carries the
load (furniture, crutch, or man), either to some external object which carries it, also,
for example, a horse, carriage or boat, or to the load which he himself carries, such
as a bag harness for carrying.
3. And last, the composite harness, viz., that which is at the same time intrinsic
and extrinsic (subjective and objective), and unites all the modes of action of the
preceding. It unites the different parts to the whole and unites the whole to the
different parts, and this as well to that which is subjective as to that which is
objective.
-The human body. being constructed so that all the different parts of which it is
composed, and which are bound together as a whole, are at will and at the same-
time active and passive, subject or object, or the two at the same time. The
physiological ladder, the crutch, and harness powerfully aid the working and
moving of these parts. It is a gymnastic instrument and perfect helper.
Equipped with his physiogical tool or crutch or with his harness a man can pull
and be pulled, can push and be pushed, can carry and be carried, can sight and be
sighted, and can suspend himself. In all these actions he acts on himself either
actively or passively, objectively or subjectively, but he can also at the same time
carry, fix, suspend, pull, or push something besides himself. These things he is
enabled by means of his ladder to fix or attach to himself or push to or from him.
By means of the suspending crutch and its harness, especially its elastic harness,
the individual can push with great facility, for example, the weight of his limbs
appears reduced, he suffers less fatigue, employs less exertion. If we add to this
that the ladder and the crutch contribute enormously to the development of the
muscular strength which is employed, its importance must be acknowledged.
These few philosophical considerations will serve to explain the meaning of the
words "physiologic ladders " and "physiological harness." They will also serve to
shew the importance of this Invention considered either theoretically or practically.
Further on will be described specially the different types of physiologic ladders,
ladders for pulling, for carrying, for sighting, &c., and their different applications
will be carefully described.
The ladder, the crutch, as described and applied, is the physiological and hygienic
tool par excellence.
To be kept in good health a man must have his organic system well balanced,
he must have all his muscles equally developed and exercised; when a muscle or
muscular part is more often in active employment in a passive state than, for.
example, when he carries more than he is himself carried, there is an excess of

page_text: activity, there is sickness. If he carries less than he is carried, if he is carried
more than he carries there is a case of pathology. If on the contrary he carries
and is carried equally, and if he is active and passive in an equal degree 'as he
should be, then he should be in a perfect state of health.
'
To resume, I may say that this system of ladder and harness is indispensable
everywhere, taking the ladders either by themselves or taking them united or
fixed to any piece of furniture.
Ladders, either straight, parallel, converging, bent, or curved, either on their front
or on their edges, or if this bend or curve be to the right or left, or either of the
uprights, or the rounds themselves be formed of spheres, hollow cylinders, or not.
Ladders formed of balls, ladders made of cylinders either with cork or not,
tubular ladders, tubes (which may be fixed or movable and engaged either in the
uprights or in the rounds) either by modifying without interfering with the whole
shape or part of the furniture in order to apply our system of ladder to it; either if
it is constructed of any pieces or parts of temporary articles of furniture, such as
seats, bedsteads, with the rounds, seats, bedsteads, which afterwards may be either
placed on the floor of the room, on a table, on an ordinary bed to be used as
required; or if it is intended to use one of the pieces of furniture whatever of the
apartment (by whatever should be understood not only all types of furniture, as,
for example, Louis XIV., Louis XV., but also all the before-described system
including the folding seats, bent wood, for example, the arm chair, in order to
decompose its organs, such as the back or the seat, and to constitute a new system of
decomposed seats which we call the indispensable of household furniture, either if
we produce quite a new system of furniture, either entangled, articulated, or joined
solidly together, also by the different modes of joining, composing the system of
furniture of our own idea, and that we thus construct them of a special form
according to this system, and that in view of the given functions of the ladder, or
either by reason of the total overthrowing of the piece of furniture in general of
its organs or elements, or either by turning the top to bottom, the inside to the
outside, the back to the front, the face to the face which it is desired should be
included in this application for Letters Patent, either if by means of this over-
throwing of the furniture or of its principal organs all its faces are utilized, and
thus form furniture or pieces of furniture having several faces or fronts and also
several functions, trimmings, and harness, having also several faces and functions
(this has been but slightly shown until now), all in order to be applied with this
system of ladder, either if two or more pieces of furniture are united or joined,
chairs, stools, and the like by means of special articulation, by our ladders, or any
other means of rings, tubes, in order to utilize general systems either by decom-
posing and taking to pieces in an absolute manner the furniture not only in its
organs as we have said before, but also in its organic elements, small bars, cross
pieces, uprights, rounds, and to compose afterwards our system of furniture without
any fixed jointings. Stools and arm chairs may be made theoretically according
to this system by bolting arm chair or rocking with cylinder or half cylinder,
spheric or half spheric, which may be fixed or movable, as required, either by .
means of our holders or by special stopping means of harness, such as tubes, rings,
perforated or non-perforated cylinders; besides these illustrations are shewn a few
theoretic specimens of the system employed to disorganise or take to pieces as well
as for harness their system of free jointing.
In all these circumstances these ladders or system of ladders and their accessories,
this harness and system of harness and their accessories, are required.
This absolute necessity of these ladders and harness is quite sufficient to show
their importance.
This description, besides showing the importance of this ladder system, shows
that the numerous ideas that are desired to be inserted in this Specification of the
multiple application of ladders for different purposes form a part of it, and
consequently that the inventor has the right to claim them as part of this new
inaugurated system, which he considers will make in a short time a complete
$

page_text: revolution in present furniture, for it possesses an entirely scientific base. This
"scientification" of furniture (the inventor begs leave here to create a now word
which expresses the aim of these studies) is of the utmost importance not only as
regards comfort but specially as regards economy. The whole of it is of a very
simple construction and mechanism. Nothing being complicated or useless, every
part is useful, even the ornamentation, which, in my idea, should go side by side
with usefulness.
-
In order that the special applications of ladders and their accessories for the
different trades and professions may be better understood it is thought necessary to
take up again the mechanical and physiological principle on which these applications
are based; these principles have been already generally described at the beginning
of this Specification, it is necessary now to develope them and specialize them in
the whole.
The members and the human body itself are composed of a succession of articu-
lations animated by alternative flexible and extending motion; by taking two of
any of these articulations and applying a ladder to them the whole of what we
have said at first concerning the ladder in general can be repeated. If it is a
question of holding a manual tool, such as a pen, a surgical instrument, a knife, a
workshop tool, or if it is a question of taking an instrument with a handle for the
arm, or handle for the armpit, and the like, the general principle of the ladder and
the mechanism for holding are always the same. The finger is a member of which
the homologous of the armpit is at the articulation of finger with the hands, while
the elbow has for homologous the articulation of the phalanx. The finger ladder
thus may be applied to it. The hand, the wrist, and the forearm also form a
complete holding instrument; the resting point is at the hand and forearm, the
flexible angle is at the elbow; then the hand armpit ladder may be also applied
with all its advantages.
If we take the lower member or limb it is the same, as there is the foot ladder or
pedal ladder, the ladder pedal knee, the ladder pedal lower part of body. The
mechanism is the same in its principle as for the upper limbs, only the results differ.
The lower limb differs from that of the upper by reason that it is specially-organised.
to push only; it has really only a stretching power, whilst with the upper limbs
the action takes place with equal strength either in pulling or pushing. In the
upper limb the flexion and extension are equally powerful, whilst for the lower
limb there is only the extension really active and powerful. This will specially be
understood when we compare the hand ladder oar with the pedal or thread oar.
Where the upper limb is jointed to the trunk there is a special articulation, that
of the shoulder, which moves the root of the limb on the trunk. Here the hand
thorax ladder is applicable, the fixed point is on the chest, the motion takes place
in the articulation of the shoulder with the trunk, the holding part is the whole
limb, hand included; the motion takes place at the articulation of the arm with
the shoulder.
The shoulder articulation is intentionally distinguished with the arm from the
shoulder with the trunk, which has not been done previously although the functions
of these two articulations differ essentially, as is demonstrated by the application of
arm ladder and trunk ladder.
This kind of ladder (hand thorax ladder), which may be well designated as
exertion ladder, is of great importance by reason of its shape and its varied
applications and the results obtained; it may be considered as the most powerful of
handles for tools and instruments by reason of the great number as well as the
strength of the muscles which move the limb on the trunk, and reciprocally the
trunk on the limbs.
Here is seen a perfect application of what was said about the gun ladder, either
if it is question of shouldering, of sighting, or if it is used as a fencing instrument
(gun ladder bayonet). For the lower member it is not the same as for the upper
limb; here the hip bones are fixed to the lower part of the trunk, there is no more
motion produced, there is nothing homologue to the hand trunk ladder.

page_text: If we go from the limbs to the trunk the same principle, the same theory, is
applied, although apparently more difficult to apply. The rachis ladder, as the
rachis itself, may be discomposed into secondary ladders corresponding to the
principal regions of the vertebral column where the motion is most powerful:
The articulation of the neck, with the head; the articulation of the thorax with
the loins, resolve as many important parts and regions in the vertebral. ladder.
This system of vertebral ladder will be found specially important in orthopathy or
pathology of vertebrae, but it may also be used in other circumstances, either for
pulling, pushing, carrying, sighting, or swimming. In these cases the harness of
vertebral ladders and accessories being made more or less elastic, more or less supple,
will be found of great importance.
1
4
<1
".
When an Invention or tool of any kind is of any importance in surgery there is
a certainty that it has also some not less important uses. for industries and trade in
.general.
-
In this ladder system articulated or elastic furniture, either in its elements or in
its organs only, the ladder vertebral of furniture, carriages, boats, as well as for the
rest of other, ladders, has its uses and important advantages considered relatively to
the mechanism and physiology of the human body applied to industry and
professional implements..
2.789
:
71,
t
Lastly. The Invention consists essentially in the physiologic, and it may, be
added anatomic, application of the constituent parts of ladders; these, elements or
parts are to be taken in their entirety, that is to say, to take them separately, to
combine them under any other, form, and thus obtain a great variety of objects to
be applied for different uses.
M
In this description is given some examples, also a nomenclature, of the different
applications for different uses or different industries to anticipate what, may be done
with this principle:-
DER E
1st Example. Carriages. By carriage is meant not only the carriage itself, but
also all the parts of which it is composed, the body, the shafts, the seats, and
the box.
2nd Example. Plough.-The coulter, ploughshare wrest.
า
Third Example. Ladder Tool, including the Plain Tool and the Compound Tool.
A plane is a plain tool; the planing machine is a compound tool; the common ladder
is a plain tool; scaffolding is a compound tool.
Fourth Example. House.-By house is meant the house it
stairs.
itself, windows, doors,
...
5th. Dispensary, Field Hospital Ambulance. By dispensary is included all
furniture or utensils of which it is composed, beds, surgical chair, stretcher, which
at any moment may be converted into flying field hospital ambulance.

page_text: 4th. Leg round.
For the expression "use and multiple office" is not meant the common use of the 3
ladder; but only its new physiological uses and functions, the applications of which
are so numerous that it is impossible to describe thein, and to illustrate the modi-
fications given to the ladders in general to realize the results required.
The description will first be confined,-
1. In its application to surgical, hygienic, and their derivative purposes, as well 4
as to orthopaedic, gymnastic, and the like similar purposes.
2. In its application to furniture in general.
3, and lastly. To a third class, which may be called varied applications, whether
it be professional, industry, tools, or any other application whatever.
These applications are so numerous that I will limit the description to the 4
mechanical and physiological principle on which the Invention is based, and for
this purpose give a few examples, as shown by Figs. A***, Sheet 1.
Figure I. This represents an ordinary ladder; its natural or central point of
support is represented by ground a; nevertheless, this and resting point may be
displaced. Thus supposing (admitting the power to be exercised either by human
or mechanical means) that the armpit or shoulder acts on the cross piece b, and
that the hand acts by pulling or pushing on the cross piece c, the traction or the
pressure will thus displace the centre of resistance, which will be reproduced at d,
as indicated by the arrows. The centre of resistance is thus displaced, and it is on
this principle that different examples have been combined applied under different
shapes.

page_text: In this example and in the following I make a parallel between the principle and
the mechanical organs which cause inert organs to move and the principles and
organs, physiological organs, by virtue of which the muscles, as well as the long
levers of the human body, act.
In the above example is indicated the extreme points of resistance, displacement,
and support; but it must be understood that these results follow the ascending;
descending, converging, or diverging scale in proportion to the dimension of the
working organ or ladder.
In order that these ideas may be more clearly understood suppose a ladder or
crutch placed under the armpit or under the foot, according to will or need, the
muscles of the upper or lower members might produce parallel or diametrically
opposite effects, single or combined, convergent or divergent effects, and so forth.
The armpit or the foot is not limited as points of resistance, all the intermediate
articulations or joints may be taken from the whole body to the last joint of a
finger, the application of the principle and effects will be the same from the simple
to the compound; simple if the hand is made use of, or the forearm with the elbow,
the hand, and the armpit, the first and second joint of a finger, and so by
combining all the parts of the body; for example, the upper limb with the lower
the right limb with the left one, the hand and the foot, all the limbs with the trunk
of the body, and so on.
Figure 2, which illustrates the crutch, is generally made of two pieces & which
meet at the lower end; and are united at the upper part by a cross piece f; here the
effect is simple. The point of rest is at f and the point of resistance at a; these
are invariable features. The functions of the apparatus are limited; and whatever
may be the desire of the person using it he cannot obtain any other result by the
displacement of the limb affected:
By using this crutch or ladder the displacement is facilitated and the point of
rest, as well as that of resistance, takes all intermediate degrees of the steps f¹; one
upwards and the other downwards, by which a great relief is afforded to the patient
or to the person who uses it continually through allowing the limb affected change
of position, to realise all the modes and mechanism possible of the muscular effect;
and of all the strains in general.
As in Figure 3 can be obtained by means of harness, nets, strings, straps, forms;
movable hangings g, suspension crutch; which may be fixed either on the rounds o
the ends of the upright; or at any required height g, the limb which was previously;
hanging might be thus folded or bent, and fixed in all its parts or in some parts only:
H* represents the harness in general.
H, P*
H, S*
H, P*1
H, P*
H, Pxa
"
"
;
"j
"
H, P*B
"
H, Phi
",
H, Pic
"
H, P**
H, P*p
H; Pr
"
holding harness.
suspension do..
limb-holding do.
stomach-holding do.
dorsal-holding do.
-seat-holding do.
neck-holding do.
elbow-holding do.
shoulder-holding do.
foot-holding do.
harness for taking hold of the two chouidara.
7

page_text: These letters of reference are applicable to the uprights, as well as to the rounds
of the physiological ladder in all their applications..
"
Besides, as in Figure, 4, this mechanism may be, fitted to the arms of two crutches,
and thus obtain a suspension or commodious seat for all the parts of the body. The
height of this seat may be varied as there are, a number of rounds in the whole
height.
"
f
J
*
This is only a simple illustration of the modifications made, on the simple crutch
or ladder with harness hangings (supposed to be used in case of lower limb being
injured or paralysed, but in many other cases this mode of suspension on, this
harness may be made use of to relieve the loins, the abdomen, the seat, and other
parts, and to not only realize the suspension of, the fixtures, rests to these organs,
but also particularly to belts, harnesses, apparatus of tension, and compression for
different parts of the human body, either the trunk or the limbs; this will be a
very useful result in orthopedy crutch with suspension for the seat, the stomach
belt to correct the faulty positions of the foetus in the womb.
I
In certain physiological actions, as for example, in accouchement or defecation,
where it is necessary to produce energetic effects, this system gives numerous and
natural points of rest or, support, for example, ladder or accouchement ladder with
defecation; the woman or person who uses this apparatus can support himself or
herself by placing the armpit on the upper round f, then by holding either one of
the uprights or one of the intermediate rounds f, and if the feet are either free. or
supported on one of the -rounds, he will be able to perform various movements,
either.tractive or pressive, of great power, not only vertically but also horizontally,
as shewn in Figure 5, where the point of resistance is represented as a wall or a
bedstead a instead of the floor a. In this case as well as in all the following cases
a cross piece or bar A, Figure 7bis, which may be distinguished as a joining bar or
rest, and can be introduced crosswise between two rounds, and so form a new series
of resting points either for the hands or feet, and either for the seat,.in. this case
the resting points act in a transverse direction and may be also dispensed & with if
required. This cross piece, whatever may be its shape, constitutes an element, or it
may be said an important organ although it is only accessory to the ladder. It
will be mentioned further on with reference to the different systems and com-
binations hereafter.described.
This ladder and-harness called gymnastic ladder and harness will be found very
important in gymnastics by reason of the various actions on the muscles, articu-
lation, or joints which are thereby.acted on.
After serious study of the subject that has been made of it; it can be affirmed
that this ladder contains all the gymnastic exercises necessary, and it can be said
that it is scientifically constructed as regards the mechanism of the muscle of the
human body, and as regards the number of rounds and the space left between them
it contains in itself all systems of gymnastic apparatus relative to all kind of
strain.
"
In order to clearly understand the Invention I have shewn in the Drawings the
shape of an ordinary ladder crutch with a theoretical représentation of belt, harness,
or harness according to this Invention, but for the following applications the type
shown at Figure 1 is adopted.
In Figures 22 to 31 various modifications of the improved harness, either..simple
or compound, as they are applied to the ladders, are illustrated. a, a, represents
the ladders; b, b, the harness; these harness are made of straps, they are either
fixed or not by any convenient means either to the uprights or to the rounds,; but
more particularly to the ends of the uprights. "With this system of harness some
are placed transversely, some vertically, some" obliquely, and otherwise, and they
may or not cross each other in one way or another, either forward or backward, or
from top to bottom, a system of seats, suspension harness, compression, fixture, and
so on, either of the whole body or of any of the isolated parts of the body simul-
taneously of 2 or 3, and even of the whole parts of the body as it is done in

page_text: compound harness in which these different modes of suspension are isolated and
.obtained.
The Drawing shews descending applications,,but it must be understood that they
may be vertical or ascending, and even in both ways; at the same time by which
different and very important results are obtained, as for example, some of ortho-
pedic or surgical harness which are called bi-compressors, bi-fixtures, bi-extensors,
by which the tension pressure and counterpressure of the organs are caused. The
application may be made not only on human beings but also on any other objects,
for example, to convey materials.
This harness having a universal importance it is not limited; only to straps of
unchangeable length and non-extending, and they may be made 'of any suitable
material, animal, textile, metallic (straps, cords, chains), naturally olastic or ren-
dered elastic, combined or not, with metallic springs, or any other spring, and even
with rigid rings.
.
2-4
It is not necessary to insist on the important part which the different modes of
elasticity of spring combined with flexible or resisting straps of which the harness
are composed are destined to take in this system. It is particularly in the
gymnastic ladder that the elasticity and the spring are of great importance, especially
if they are combined with the different rings, rigid frames mentioned further on;
and which are really indispensible accessories to harness and ladders, gyinnastic
strain, muscle gymnastics, and the different modes of contraction secondly, circu
lating gymnastic caused by the muscular contraction are a proof of its importance.
The garment which is considered as an accessory to the harness for 'the person
using the ladder should be referred to here this garment can be fixed or suspended
in any way required.
:...
3.
The shoes, the boots, the swaddling trousers, the belt, the glove, the sleeves of
the coat, the arm hole, in one word all parts of the garment according to indications
can be either fixed or suspended to the different parts of the ladders.
The different parts forming the male harness can either form more or less, parts
of the garment itself. A few slight modifications being made either in the garment
or the harness will allow this transformation to be made which is so useful and
indispensible in' many circumstances.
1
J
The importance of this harness garment will be better understood. when all the
different physiological applications of the professional ladder are referred to.
The flexible ladder or rope ladder should now be referred to, either used alone, or
it shall be mentioned here combined with rigid part, as for the system is most
generally used as harness, but it is very often used as a ladder. The rope ladder
is besides founded on the same physiological principle, and acting as that of the
rigid or ordinary ladder which has been before referred to, and has all the: same
property. It naturally results from these principles that there are as many types
of harness as there are of sorts of ladder, and that each sort or type of ladder. or of
harness, as well as each part of ladder and of harness, is physiologically described,
and has its particular property, destinations, functions, and effect.
The harness as well as the rounds is designated according to the physiological
ladder or the parts of the body, and of the garment to which it is applied. After
having developed these few remarks, a resumé of the series of applications to which
these ladders may be subjected shall be given.
1.
In Figure 6 is shown an application in form of seat, couch, or its equivalents.
Here the frame is supposed to be of any kind of seat h without any trimming.; two
ladders, the arms b of which come across one of the cross pieces h, and thus forms
two rests, which may be made to assume any required angle, and even with which
a bed may be formed by being placed parallel.
If desired to be made with a head board, as shown at Figure .7,. the two first
ladders are allowed to remain as they are shown at Figure 6;.a third; ladder is
added, which forms the head board. The jointing of the upright Cinto the cross
pieces makes the whole firm, which can be articulated in all ways without, any

page_text: fastening or mechanical appliance. Thus a comfortable bed is produced which may
serve not only as sleeping bed, but which may be utilized for any kind of surgical
operation. The different ladders of which it is composed can be inclined in any
direction. The expression in any direction is maintained in the whole result, which
has not yet been attained with mechanical beds or seats. Here a rectangular seat is
supposed, but it must be understood that it may be made circular, or of any other forms.
Until now very complicated special apparatus have been made use of, and conse-
quently very expensive; this is not the case with this system; the cushion of a seat,
the trimming of which is made moveable, or which may be. turned upside down the
ladder being independent, can be packed up in a very small space, and in many
instances, which may occur. in a family or establishment, pieces of furniture which
can only be procured at a great cost may be by this Invention produced instantly.
Although these ladders are preferably made independent, they may be united by
means of moveable harness of various arrangements, as before described, and in the
same manner as the ladder proper is combined to constitute pieces of furniture.and
seats; the harness is combined to fix them.
In some cases, through these different arrangements, we have the facility to fix the
body or the limbs in any required position, very important results in surgical
operations, orthopaedy, and gymnastics.
I will now resume the principal means of jointing for independent ladders,
furniture ladders, and all the systems:-
1. Coupling by means of a small bar. This bar by itself is quite sufficient to fix
the two ladders together and to incline the two upright pieces either at top or at
bottom.
2. The different arrangements of simple coupling, by putting or introducing the
ladders either one into the other or either into frames. These two first arrange-
ments are of the same order; they are only divided to facilitate the description.
There is nothing to fix, the weight simply of the ladder or of the person is sufficient
to secure the jointing, which does not take place in the following arrangements.
3. Coupling by means of mortising the uprights into the rounds. In this arrange-
ment three ladders are required, or two ladders and a small-bar.. One of the rounds
or the small bar acts as a wedge. This is the mode that is generally preferred, as
the coming apart becomes impossible by reason of the wedging.
4. Coupling by interlacing as it were the uprights with the rounds of ladder or
furniture ladder one on the other (Figures 73, 74, 75, 76). In this arrangement the
jointing is to a certain extent fixed, and it cannot be taken apart except by taking
out one of the ladders or one of the pieces of furniture to pieces.
This arrangement, to which great importance is attached, is made in different
ways:―
c
1. Interlacing or entangling, according to the length.
2. According to the breadth of the ladders.
3. In these two cases the rounds are both inside the square, or both outside, or
one of them inside and the other one outside. This is also applicable to pieces of
furniture, as backs, frames, treadles, as well as to ladders..
..4. This interlacing or entangling principle, as it were, may be applied to the
pieces of furniture themselves, and constitute what may be called entangled or inter-
laced pieces of furniture, as, for example, the entangling of two stools, of a stool
with a chair, of two beds, and so forth.
5. The different modes of jointing or coupling can be associated or mixed; the
mortising or the entangling can be combined.
6. Now comes the harnessing for jointing or coupling. The fittings of the
couplings are the object of the sixth mode. They may also be combined together..
7. The accessories of the harness, such as rings, tubes, straps, and jointing cords,
either to be attached on to the rounds or let free.
Up to this point, in the present description everything has been moveable in the joint-
ing arrangement, but it is to be understood that it may be fixed (jointing with articu-

page_text: lation); any modes of articulation may be used, as pivot, rolling hinges, ball-and-
socket joint, and the like, with or without springs, in order to regulate the movement
to be obtained from the ladders in general or of a ladder in particular.
The right is reserved of using them in the different applications, for example, in
the seats or arm chairs, beds, or the arrangement described for the exercise of the
joints.
Particular further reference is not made to absolute fixed jointing, that is to say,
in all its parts, as in the furniture, or of the ordinary means made use of more or
less modified for the ladder system, or of fixed crutches.
Up to this time furniture has not been yet constructed or calculated with reference
to the ladder system. The small bars, the cross pieces, have been, if not absolutely,
at least very nearly placed, only that with regard to the solidity of the jointing and
of the shape they are more or less placed by hazard.
In this system there is nothing unnecessary, nothing for the eyesight only,
nothing left to guesswork, every part is useful; the whole is calculated in point of
utility; the ornaments, channeling curves, the whole has its meaning. The number
of rounds and cross pieces possess as it were a physiologic, mechanic, hygienic, or
other motive. In this system of furniture nothing can be added or suppressed
without injuring the whole system. It is for that reason, as said before in the
course of this description, that the right is reserved to make necessary modifications
to the existing pieces of furniture to apply them to the system, and this without
altering their shape; and it is for the same reason also that the right is reserved to
establish new pieces of furniture absolutely fixed according to the same arrange-
ments and principle with the worked out arrangement of ladders.
It has been said before that an arm chair is as an organised being, it can be with
movement or without movement. This arm chair stands on the floor by its feet;
it has legs, arms, thighs, knees, a back, shoulders, a spino; there is not a part of the
body of an animal which it does not represent.
This organized being, this animal that one cannot compare better than to that of
a living being, is carried by feet destined to fix it to the floor; it carries its invalid,
or the person who is seated or lying on it, as a horse carries his rider; bo has hig
harness, his stirrup, his traces; he can have a saddle.
3
The tool, the ladder which is leaned on or fixed on it, which is entangled or
interlaced in its frame, has also its harness, which attaches it to the person supported
or carried. The invalid placed on the piece of furniture can also have his harness,
which fixes them to the arm chair or to the free rounds which form part of the
system.
What is mentioned is sufficient to show how the ladder system differs essentially
from what has been done hitherto, and to shew that it is entirely new, if not in
some of its parts, at least in the whole, consequently the modifications made in the
system of the present furniture, or of whatever material, as carriages and so forth,
the application of the harness or ladder would be considered as belonging to this
system. For this reason also the new pieces of furniture with ladder are based on
the principle stated in the body of the work on the ladders of the furniture, and
their harness belong to it. Thus it can be seen why at the beginning the word
ladder is used in a figurative meaning.
If
It might be said that from the position assumed as to a ladder taken in a meta-
phorical sense, the back of an ordinary arm chair, the frame, and the legs are a kind
of ladder, but this kind of ladder is a false ladder; it has only the appearance of
this physiological ladder if considered with regard to its construction or with regard
to its formation, and a proof of it is found in the haphazard way it is constructed,
and the mode of jointing or coupling, which very often, not to say always, is made
only, with regard to stability. It is a frame, a construction on which the body is
intended to rest, supposing this construction being made of wood or stone; its
destination is the same. It is not a ladder made to help the muscular contraction
and to afford supports to levers, limbs, parts of limbs, or to other levers, to sticks,
rings to true ladders, as made according to this Invention. Finally; it is not the

page_text: M
present jointed furniture that we wish to patent, but the arrangement of these organs,
considered in the point of the principles of the physiological ladder
of 'crutches
with their harness, as before described. If this point of view be taken either
mechanically, or above all physiologically, the furniture to be placed in relation with
these ideas must be entirely remedied, therefore it is quite a new idea carried out in
the existing furniture by patenting these ladders, therefore this is claimed by the
inventor as his property.
*
- With regard to this system, what is wished to be patented is the composition and
the decomposition of the piece of furniture, either its organs, its functions, or other-
wise its organic and functional elements. It is equally patented with regard to the
ladder, and from the mechanical and physiological principle in the face of which we
are placed, the idea of overturning different parts, organs, and functions, organic and
functional elements of which the piece of furniture is composed.
In order that these ideas may be well understood, some further explanations must
be given with the aid of the Drawings."
19 In Figures 45 to 59 I give a few illustrations which demonstrate what is meant
by transformation of furniture. Thus in Figures 45 and 46, which after all is a
reproduction of what was said at the beginning, it is shown that the ladder proper
is composed of uprights band of rounds f, which are caused to enter in the holes'f's
formed in the uprights-b. Suppose the two organs divided, viz, the uprights, as
shown in Figure 47, by extension;'suppose them to be perforated on their four
faces, rectangular uprights, as shown in Figure 48; or cylindrical uprights, also
perforated, as shown, Figure 49 or also spherical, as shown, Figure 50. Thus it is
understood that by introducing the rounds, Figure 47, into the uprights, Figure 46,
a simple ladder is produced; by introducing the rounds in an upright, as Figure 48,
a compound ladder, that is to say, carrying rounds on its four faces; by introducing
rounds in upright, Figure 49, the rounds are placed spirally, as in a staircase; by
introducing the rounds in a sphere, as in Figure 50, there is also a new application,
and it is on these applications that the system of series of modern furniture is
founded. For example, suppose in Figure 51- three uprights bunited by means of
rounds f, forming a triangular seat, Figure 52; suppose five uprights b united by
seven rounds f; thus a seat of 'trapezoidal shape is formed, in Figure 53; suppose
there are seven uprights b united by eleven rounds f, thus is obtained also a seat of
trapezoidal form, at Figure 53 suppose there are seven rounds b united by eleven
rounds f; there is a seat of larger dimensions, also of trapezoidal form, to which may.
be given a quadrangular form by adding two uprights b and four rounds f. Then
it will be seen that by means of these uprights and rounds that by multiplying
the number of uprights and rounds all 'dimensions may be obtained. All straight
lines have been here supposed, but a circular form, as in Figure 54, may be pro-
duced. Here there is supposed a central upright b; on which are placed rounds f
in combination, and which are united by uprights c placed externally, thus
circular shapes are produced: "This being well understood, therefore all shapes of
seats and of all dimensions or size can be constructed through employing uprights and
rounds which arelinherent of ladders, and in Figures 55, 56, 57, are shewn a simple
chair, an arm chair, and a bedstead, constructed according to this combination of
uprights and rounds joined together.
If besides it is desired to complete the installation, some ladders C, as in
Figures 56, 57, and 58, may be added, and thus an arm chair, as in Figure 56; or
a simple bed, as in Figure 57; or a combined bed, as in Figure 58, are obtained.
By this illustration it is shown that by means of uprights and rounds organs
derived from an ordinary ladder can be constructed, such as a chair; an arm chair, a
bed, and, by extension, not only'all sorts of furniture, but also all kind of useful
articles, a'table, for example, a wardrobe, a support, and so on.
These ladders, either alone, or interlaced, or articulated, in "combination or not
with their harness, apartment, or furniture ladders, can be applied on to the different
pieces of furniture, as bed, arm chair, and so forth, to serve as rests in the varied
inclined position when bedridden, vid. c.
si
__

page_text: These ladders applied on a bed laid on a mattress, for example, will serve as a
rest for the foot, for the hand, for the arm-pit, either to take, pull, push, or perform
any other exertion, and to help the invalid to move himself, and to take any position
that may be required.
Applied under a mattress, a pillow (mattrass ladder, head-rest ladder), they will
be useful to produce more or less inclined planes, and thus will maintain the position
of the bedridden person; thus they will constitute gutter-like forms, with inclined,
moveable, and variable planes.
Placed under the bedstead, set into the legs or into the frames, combined with
the harness, they will form rests and supports for any position of the body.
They may also be used to place, maintain, and fix other support ladders.
At Figure 32 the application of two ladders b are given, applied to a bedstead a
without any addition of harness, and in Figure 33 another application of a bed-
stead a and of a ladder b, this latter consolidated by harness c. According as to
whether that harness is fixed either at d or at e, varied results will be thus obtained
with regard to the fixture of the ladder and for the consolidation of the bedstead itself.
What has been just said for the bedstead can also be applied most advantageously
to other pieces of furniture by reason of their shape and of their construction. This
arrangement is classed under name of. ladder of apartment, which must not be con-
founded with those for rooms.
Another application is shewn at Figure 34, where tivo stools a are united by one
or two ladders b, and to consolidate their means harness c or d can be employed.
Figure 35 represents a stool tied by means of two ladders b.
Figure 36 is a stool a with a ladder b acting as tying apparatus. This ladder b
is fastened at one of its ends by a tying ladder b, and the other end by means of
harness c.
In Figure 37 by means of a ladder b, which is wedged in the frame of the stool a,
I obtain an arm chair. By means of three ladders I form a bedstead, as shewn in
Figure 38.
These various and simple transformations show to what a number of applications
this principle may be applied.
The advantages resulting from the use of these ladders and equipments are easily
perceived.
The Drawings show the simplicity with which the ladders, harness, and fittings
are put together.
Until now the idea has not been formed of employing different parts, as feet, legs,
cross pieces, and so forth, for receiving, supporting, and wedging in ladders, nor for
fixing on them simple harness, or harness with fittings, the effect and principal
property of which, besides the before-mentioned properties in connection with ladders,
is to consolidate the joints and distribute the weight, strain, and so forth, on all
parts of the furniture.
These parts of the apparatus will be described farther on, suffice it to say, in
order to better understand the harness, that they may be considered from a triple
point of view, according as to whether they are attached and fixed, First, to the ladder.
itself (ladder or crutch harness); Second, to furniture and the different parts of which
they compose feet, arms, back, and so forth; Third, and last, to the person (invalid's
harness), be it active, as in the case of a nurse or attendant carrying an invalid, or
passive, as when the invalid himself is considered. It may be added also that these
three kinds of harness with their various forms can be connected by one, two by
two, three by three, and so on; and that by means of these various combinations,;
as before stated, not only the weight of the furniture and of its different parts, but
the weight of the person or object placed on it, contribute largely to the stability of.
the several parts which compose this system, and this has never been obtained in
furniture of ordinary construction.
•
In the first instance I have described a plain ladder placed upon the furniture;
then afterwards this latter resting on the side of the article of furniture; and, thirdly,

page_text: .
the ladders placed, wedged, or fitted in the cross pieces of the furniture, such as the
frame, back, or feet.
It now remains to describe the means of modifying existing furniture without
disfiguring it to enable the different ladder systems to be applied to it.
These modifications are very numerous and varied, all according to the kind of
furniture; a cross piece added in some part, a mere alteration in the distance
between the cross piece, the taking to pieces of certain parts of the furniture, a mere
modification of shape or of curve, will in some cases suffice for an easy application
of the ladder and harness.
It is considered that the modifications are part of the system, and the right is
reserved of making use of them. It is styled the ladder, but by this expression is
meant also plain sticks, curved or not, perforated or not, placed and disposed
similarly to the ladder, and which very often may give satisfactory results, although
more often these results are very often inferior to those obtained by using the
ladders, see Figures 64, 65, 66, and 67.
A large curved back piece wedged into a plain frame, either round or square, is
shown in Figure 13 bis. The curve a* forms the back piece, and acts as a rest
the loins. The small frame bx forms the seat (a single cross piece would be suf-
ficient). The ends c*, cx, make convenient foot-rests. Foot ladders might be added
if found necessary.
The apparatus may also be modified by inserting under the cross pieco of the
back plane curved sticks, shewn in Figures 64 to 67, which will become fixed by
their own weight and that of the invalid, and will thus afford convenient rest for
the feet. This small apparatus may be placed on a bed or on a lounge; it can be
inserted under the bulged cross piece of the back of an ordinary chair or an arm
chair, and maintained by a vertical stick e* entering in the curve and over it; it
may be placed on an arm chair, the back of which being inserted in the concave
will cause it to be fixed (Figure 13).
The ring g* set into the frame does not exactly belong to this system. This ring
acts as a lever, and to spread open the legs.of. the invalid placed upon it, while at
the same time, by reason of its convex shape at top, it serves as a rest for the
hands. This ring may be advantageously replaced by two plain levers h, Figure 13bia,
which will act as spreading and counter-traction levers.
It may also be added that this frame, by being turned upside down and resting
on its concave side, simple curved frame is thus transformed into a comfortablo rest
apparatus.
This apparatus, infinitely superior to what has up to the present time been used
for sofas for the use of the speculum, shews the great importance of the system as
well as the simplicity of the modifications which may be made in ordinary furniture
in.order that the apparatus may be adapted to them with advantage.
It would be almost impossible to mention all the transformations to which these
organs may be subjected, and all the modifications to which furniture may be sub-
jected, and that without disfiguring it, in order to have the system of crutch ladders
and harness applied to it.
Besides the different types before described I will only give a few examples in
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12bis, and 13. In these the mode of installation has been
altered, and I have shewn theoretically a few modes of securing them by means of
my harness system.
The bent wood which is used specially for the construction of the ladders, curves,
and frames, will answer many purposes, for it will fit perfectly every position of the
body, and will adapt itself to the different curves, inclinations, either of the whole
limb or of its different parts.
The curved wood and frames which have been shown to be specially adapted to
the construction of furniture are also equally usefully employed constructed as
curved frames or curved ladders, and placed either on or under pieces of furniture
or between their joints.

page_text: It has been before described (in connection with the chair used in the examination
of invalid women), each piece made with curved wood by a slight modification in
the curve. Surprising results will be obtained with regard to its functions and uses,
which we will now consider..
Figure 13ter shows a type of ring made with curved wood!; by being placed on a
piece of furniture and fitted with a moveable cushion it makes an excellent frame
for the application of ladder pedals and back piece; placed under an arm chair, the
front legs of which are fixed in it; besides serving as a stop and a means of fixing
the resting ladder it allows this ladder to be raised and put up straight, while at
the same time it remains fixed to the floor. It thus acts as a rack, which serves
to modify with safety all inclinations of the resting ladder, and which by itself
produces a commodious foot rest, the height and inclination of which may be varied
according to the invalid's wishes (see Figures 68 and 69). The ring is here sup-.
posed to be of convenient dimensions for engaging in the two legs of the arm chair,
and the sticks or simple uprights are supposed placed inside; these slide on the
floor by being pushed by the invalid or by the person using it. This simple ring
may become the moveable pedal of office arm chairs, or of any other arm chair
provided with two rest ladders.
These last-mentioned rings or support frames made of curved wood must also be:
considered as real jointing and fixing harness as regards men's arm chairs and
crutches if they are either wedged or fitted into any parts of the furniture or of
the ladder; they are called connection and attachment rings, and they constitute
indispensible accessions of the system of harness and ladder.
These two very simple examples selected from a thousand are sufficient to shew
the importance of these independent organs of curved wood employed in this
system; they by themselves shew the results which may be obtained. This
description of the curved wood is concluded by saying that by not being united to.
the cross pieces its natural elasticity was made use of to introduce it with facility
into the frame backs and arms of the arm chairs; and that by means of this
elasticity it may be fixed firmly enough without harness, and may be used for
several purposes.
•
The inventor is not aware that until now the elastic property of curved wood
and of its frames has been made use of in furniture, and especially in the curved
wood furniture so much in fashion now. This property plays an important part in
this system, either by being used alone or by being associated or combined with
metallic or other springs; thus is created a particular type of ladder furniture
which may be designated of an elastic or spring type.
There are therefore descriptions of this ladder system, -
First. The fixed type, either straight or curved.
Second. The elastic or spring type made of curved wood or of any other elastic
material.
Third. The flexible non-elastic type, such as the rope ladder and knotted rope.
Fourth. The extendible type.
Fifth. To complete this classification it may be added a system of ladder jointed
by wedging or any other mode.
Sixth, and Last. The system of discomposing the organs or the elements.
Figures 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, shew the application of the simple to the compound,
that is to say, of a simple or plain ladder (or crutch) to a complete piece of furniture,
I mean furniture of any shape, that is to say, drawing room, office, bedroom,
dressing room, and household furniture in general; also an arrangement for work-
shops, farms, ships, and all accessories for carriages and stables, for manufactories,
cases for warehouses, benches, and all the accessories of a ship up to hammock and
oars. Finally my aim is to transform when desired all furniture or other objects
or materials whatsoever, as for example carriages or scaffolding, into useful objects*
in cases of surgical operations for carrying wounded and other purposes.
For example, supposing that in a manufactory a man having been wounded had-

page_text: to be carried to a hospital, a chest, or the rack of the stable, can be at once trans-
formed into.a litter or stretcher..
In Figure 12bis is given an example of these transformations. j is an office
stool inclined on its back legs. I place at k a small ladder; which may be replaced
by a cross piece if desired, and then by means of two other ladders. the system is
completed the part j serves as seat for the patient, the small ladder k serves as
back rest, and the ladders, as rests for the feet, and the two front legs of the
stool J act as strong holders for hands. This short description is sufficient to
explain that it is impossible to enumerate all the combinations to which this system
may be applied.
A
The words "various applications" must be taken as stated in the commencement
in the most extended meaning, either with regard to professions, industries, or
professional sets of tools.
s
These applications are so numerous that it is impossible to do more here than
enumerate the principle, to give only a few important examples, and to state briefly
its physiological and mechanical principle.
Figuré, 39 is a view. of a ladder crutch applied to a gun... a is the gun; b, the
ladder; c, the shoulder; d, the elbow; e, the band. This shews the enormous
advantage obtained for the sight and the shouldering.
Figure 40 is supposed to be.a.(braquille) ladder used for carrying loads. bis
the "braquille; c is the shoulder; d, the elbow; e, the hand; a, the load. This
shews the considerable importance existing in the affinity 'between the shoulder,
the arm-pit, and the hand, the last-named allowing the weight to be reduced in a.
considerable proportion.
The theoretical illustration just given of gun ladder or crutch ladder could have
been made use of as well as the following Figures from 1 to 5, Sheet 1; which.
represent my principle, but it is preferred to shew another one in order to demon-
strate a different construction, in which the" braquille" or ladder is added to the
stock of the arm. Figure 73* is an illustration of the application. c is the barrel
or parallel upright; f, the rounds; g, the harness or strap of the gun.
In Figures.
71 and 72 the same principle is shewn, but it-is applied to a billiard cue.
sents the cue or upright; and f, the rounds.
repre-
The two last examples are selected, the billiard cue principally, not only because
it allows to sight with precision, but also because this system gives a great firmness
to the limb for producing with greater assurance the various effects, required in
this exercise. In this case, as well as in the preceding ones and those which follow,
the idea is always maintained, of having to the crutch its own harness and tlie
modifications and transformations to be made, either to the harness covering or to
the arm itself.
It may be stated that the ladder or the sighting crutch, gun and billiard cue
above all are as well as the walking crutch a most perfect representation of the
principle of the professional ladder, as may be seen by referring, to Figures' 1' and 2,
Sheet 1.
1357
Figure 73 gives a theoretical example of the transformation of an existing gun
into a ladder gun.
Figure 41 shews an application of "braquille" and harness according to this
system to travelling bags, tourist equipment, and such like articles! Here it is
supposed at A are three or more "braquilles" or ladders; B is a cushion or covering;
C, harness; d, portmanteau; they are all shown here packed up in Figure 42; they
are shewn as placed in a railway carriage, serving as a comfortable bed.
I have before stated that I make use of the term ladder in a general sense;
Figures 16 and 17 shew it in another form; there are only simple cross pieces m,
which may be, if desired, united by means of bolt o, and the rounds fmay. be
replaced by tenons n, which act as bearings.
The bolts o may be made either cylindrical or spherical, or they may be made in
the shape of small pallets acting as rests for the feet or hands.
-

page_text: Apropos of this I may mention that in the ordinary ladder of two uprights, as
before described, the cylindrical rounds may sometimes be replaced by spherical
rounds (ladder with ball) made of wood or cork in order to diminish the weight,
though at the same time increasing the size. For example, certain surgical ladders,
"attelle" ladder, "attelle" shaped gutter, and the like. Figure 19 shews this
system applied to a digging tool; it may thus be seen that the person using it
may limit the force expended according to the depth desired to be given to the
furrow.
A better result may be obtained by using the "braquille" handle above described,
as shewn in Figures 21 and 22. This "braquille" handle, which is in this case
supposed to be fitted to a spade, may be conveniently fitted to the shaft of a plough,
which is itself ladder-shaped as well as the ploughshare, which is also ladder-
shaped, as shewn on the Drawing. Either by placing them horizontally or longi-
tudinally with the axis of the ploughshare or at various angles advantage will be
obtained in breaking the clod, especially if the system shewn at Figure 19 is
employed.
The few before-described examples are sufficient to shew the extensive services
this system is called on to render, as it may be employed alone or combined either
for surgical purposes, for trade in general, and for other purposes too numerous to
particularize. In gymnastic appliances the numerous bearing points it possesses
allows the development of muscles by a rational exercise, independent of the
numerous services they will afford to special gymnastic establishments.
If the external appearance of the appliances be found an obstacle they may be
hidden by any suitable hanging or covering, as shown in Figure 20 (drawing room
crutch), although I have before stated that I stripped the furniture; it must be
understood that I reserve to myself the right of dressing it in such a manner as to
hide the apparatus and give it an appearance in accordance with the surrounding
furniture and objects of decoration.
We comprise in our system the composition of furniture either in its elements,
organs, back frames, &c.; for example, I employ the parts of an unfinished arm
chair, and I dispose them in such a manner that it may be transformed into a
couch.
The professional and physiological ladder, which may be free, fixed, or temporarily
fixed by any known means to a piece of furniture, tool, agricultural or other
implement, to a plough or shovel, to a sword or gun.
The ladder may simply form the handle, or it may be embodied with any object,
for example, ladder billiard cue, ladder gun. It can be temporarily or permanently
fixed to harness, as straps to havresacks, travelling bags, and infant's clothes, and
similar objects. It may be also attached to the shaft of a cart, wheelbarrow, or
any other kind of vehicle, as well as to harness, garments of any kind on the body,
either of men or animals, or inanimate bodies, to objects or apparatus of navigation,
either aquatic or aërial, as for example, to an oar or wing, either if it forms the oar
or the wing itself, or if it is elastic or fixed.
In all professional applications, and many others that we cannot enumerate, the
physiological and mechanical principle of the before-described ladder forms the
basis of their construction.
To complete this recapitulation of the applications of this ladder, and of the
systems adapting it to any business or trade, it is enumerated by rotation, now
taking a really physiological view of the principal forms of the application of my
system :-
1. Ladder lever for raising loads.
2. Ladder to push forward (straps or braces for ladder).
3. Traction ladder, or ladder for pulling.
4. Ladder for carrying either on the back or by the arms.
=

page_text: •
..
8. Ladder for suspension and for suspending.
9. Ladder for sighting.
10. Ladder for fixing to stop motion (crank ladder).
11. Ladder for screwing.
12. Guide ladder to direct, conduct, to skate, to walk, for invalid's use.
13. Ladder for enclosing, packing.
14. Ladder for compressing.
15. Ladder for posè-plastique (pathological or others) for artists, painters, photo-
graphers, and the like.
16. Ladder for tool handles, wrist handles, elbow, arm-pit, and so forth.
17. Ladder for instrument handles.
18. Instrument ladder.
10. Ladder for bandles,
20. Ladder for oars, rowing, swimming.
21. Ladder for wings.
22. Ladder for tool, plane, saw.
23. Dynamometrical ladder.
24. Ladder for sticks (travelling stick, umbrella stick, fishing rod).
25. Ladder for tourist.
26. Ladder for handle of arms.
27. Ladder orthopedic.
28. Ladder surgical, anatomy, autopsy, amphitheatre, vivisection, baths, hydro-
terapy, shower baths.
29. Ladder splint for surgical purposes.
30. Cushion, child's cot.
31. Gutter bearings.
32. Ladder for surveyor (to measure, metre ladder, compass ladder).
33. Ladder for comfort.
34. do. ploughshare.
35. Agricultural ladder (cart), mowing, clipping, digging, shoveling, &c.
-36. Ladder used by mechanics.
37.
"
88.
">
optical.
riding.
39. Carriage set (carriage ladder).
40. Break ladder.
41. Field hospital (stretchers cacatel).
42. Ordinary ladder, or double ladder applicable to several uses.
It must be well understood that in all these examples their relative dimensions
and the number of different parts forming ladders, or the system of rounds (uprights
and rounds), must be combined according to the uses they are to be applied to, and
to the parts they are to be used for. They may be named from these functions
and parts, and this will make a scientific basis, not only for. the nomenclature, but
also for the construction either of furniture or tools in general, or of the ladder
itself. From the hand and foot ladder, wrist ladder, treadle for ladder, which are
composed at least of two rounds up to the general ladder (ladder, foot hand, or
crutch ladder), which is composed of a greater number of rounds; all the inter-
mediatė terms may be used, for instance, the hand and knee ladder, hand and arm
ladder; hand and arm-pit ladder, all according to the special dimensions and com
positions of the appliance, as regards the person for whom it is destined, which
must be calculated physiologically and functionally.
The arm and the leg of the man using the tool, and which may be called the
organic handle, having been calculated in their dimensions and proportions, either
automatically or physiologically with relation to the bones, articulations, and
different groups of muscles, it follows that the ladder or ladder handle, if it is a
tool in question, or the finger ladder, if it is a question of writing, or the treadle
ladder back rests or seat, if it is a question of furniture, must be varied more or
less, according to the person who will use the tool, the arm chair, the gun; or the

page_text: pen. Hence it will have to be also varied according to the dimensions of parts
composing the piece of furniture, or to the objects to which it is to be applied. In
time to come science will certainly give physiological names to the different system
of ladders, and to their different parts, such as the small bar, and also to the rounds.
These names will be in relation to all the parts of the body which rest and are
supported on it, either with the part of the body which moves or with the par-
ticular muscular groups themselves. Thus it will be right to say the exercise
ladder of such or such muscles, of such or such a group of muscles, of such or such
an arrangement of movements, of such or such parts of organic levers.
In speaking of furniture there are in the chair frame the small bar, the thigh
rest, or the buttock rest, for it is on these rounds or small bars that the buttock or
the thigh rests. The legs of arm chair which are here considered to be solid aro
the elbow with its cross piece, the leg with its cross piece, the foot and its cross
piece when fitted with this latter. In the back of the chair there are the scapular
small bar, and the loins small bar, or, as for the arm rests, there will be also the
cross piece or round for the elbow, for the fore arm, and for the hand. When the
arm rest is raised to the arm pit, as in our arm "braxille" chair the dimensions
will be altered so as to accord with the body and its functions. The name will
have to be altered also; for example, the upper round will be the axillary, the
second round will be the elbow, and the third the band round.
This nomenclature of the different parts of furniture in relation to the organs
that rest on them or the muscles actuated is of great importance and may be made
general:
It is of great importance that this nomenclature should be adopted generally in
connection with this apparatus_as fitted for gymnastic purposes, also for tools and
furniture:
This nomenclature will be also indispensible for the physiologist, the gymnast,
the pedagogue, the teacher, and the engineer.
If allowed to go further with my idea I should say that the nomenclature_should
be altered according to the mode of using the tool or the ladder itself; thus the
hand elbow tool or ladder, the elbow hand ladder, the hand ladder elbow, the
elbow ladder hand, are all expressions having very different physiological pro-
fessional meanings.
I sincerely desire in the interest of therapeutics and gymnastics to see the time
when these expressions will be understood, and will find place not only in scientific
language, but also in the industrial language. This nomenclature which I have
just mentioned as applicable to ladders is also applicable to harness.
After having spoken of the scientific nomenclature which I desire to be applied
to the ladders, or parts or rounds of which they are formed, or the different harness
for ladders, I will now say a word about the fittings and the connections which they
must have with the harness.
I have before mentioned that the fittings themselves should be considered as
part of the harness, whether it relates to the man employing the ladder tool or to
the harness furniture to which the ladder itself is applied, or whether it relates to
the harness of the ladder itself.
'
Now that we understand the principal applications of the ladders and the tools
or objects to which this ladder system is applied, together with its harness; it will
be understood what an important part the fittings, considered as harness, take.
Attached to the man and to the ladder, attached to furniture, to vehicles, to
portable objects, to travelling bags, guns, umbrellas, and the like, it will act as
means of suspension, compression, tension, or support. The foot strap, the hand
strap, the thigh strap, the leg strap, the arm-pit strap; and any other strap or. belt
which is fixed on the one hand to the different parts of the garments (trousers,
coat, waistcoat, boots, &c.), and on the other hand to any points of the crutch
(upright, rounds, ends); it will immediately transform all these parts of the garment
into real harness, which will be found very advantageous either to control, direct, or
to sight.

page_text: I have denominated and described in detail furniture and its different organs,
the crutch, and the ladder, and their various parts, the harness, and its several
elements.
£.
I will now describe in the same manner clothing and its, different parts, organs,
and elements. The feet coverings, boots, trousers, waistcoat, and coat may all; be
considered with regard to the ladder: and the proper harnessing as composite organs,
of which we can analyse, the different parts. For the foot covering, the sole, the
upper, the pulling straps, and the heel. The trousers have their straps, legs, knees,
hough, thigh belt, loins, and belly. The glove has its wrist, its fingers, and palm.
The coat has its arms or sleeves, its under hand, its elbows, its fore arms, its arm-
pit; its shoulders, its neck.
All these organs and parts of the garment being taken either transversely, longi-
tudinally, or, obliquely are so many parts of the garment, that is to say, of the
harnessing, which by means of this system can be transformed into the belt strap
harness of contention, of suspension, or of compression. They are also so many
different parts on which may be placed ties or laces of any description (solid,
resisting, inextensible elastic with spring).
t
Constituting the harness of this ladder system is above all when we analyse
these different systems of ladders the harness and applications that the scientific
view of the garment just. described in connection with the harness and, ladders
appears, and can be treated with the attention it deserves.
It will be seen that with this system of ladder harness and harness fittings, and
their accessories in general (rigid, flexible, elastic, spring or rings and the like that
they carry all physiological actions, exertions made either in carrying,, pulling,
or. pushing, will be distributed on a larger surface, on a greater number of
organs, and we may say on the whole body. Consequently the result will be an
enormous advantage to the person working the tool or using the object as to fatigue
and the employment of strength, or of precision in the use of the tool.
It will be sufficient at present to say that with the harness of the sighting
crutch, or the gun ladder, or the bearing crutch, we obtain a connection of the arm
and of the bearing tool, not only by the lower part of the shoulder and hand, as in
ordinary shouldering, but through all parts of the limbs, the hand, the, elbow, the
arm, the arm-pit, the back part of the shoulder, the chest, and the whole back...
These few considerations will be found sufficient I hope to fully describe the
physiological, mechanical, and functional principle of the harness, as well as of the
fittings which I desire to be patented, the same as the previous considerations
relative to the latter have been found sufficient to explain the mechanical, physio-
logical, and functional principles of the same.
These principles of the ladder generally and the principles of the fittings applied
to the ladder have been our chief object in this description, having for its basis the
physiological principles which govern or rule the mechanism and the organization
of the human body; these will sufficiently explain the reason of making use of the
expression physiological ladder in this description.
To sum up, the human body being, as previously stated, the physiological "handle
of the ladder tool, the physiological and professional applications of which it is
desired to patent, the harness of the person using the ladder tool as well as the
harness of any inanimate organism on which this tool is applied are of different
kinds, viz,
1. The "intrinsic" body harness, whether the body be that of a man, a carriage,
a piece of furniture, or a ladder. This harness or harness of the subject has for its
object the connecting this subject, that is to say, the man, carriage, piece of furni-
ture, or ladder, and their different parts to themselves. It joins them, connects,
threnghtens, and raises them, and reduces the weight and lessens the fatigue. It is
this system of harness which is so often described in this Specification as joining
harness.
2. The "extrinsic" harness, called "extrinsic" in opposition to the preceding
case. It has for its object the connecting of the individual, the subject that carries

page_text: the load (furniture, crutch, or man) either to some external object which carries it
also, for example, a horse, carriage, or boat, or to the load which he himself carries
such as a bag harness for carrying.
3. And last, the composite harness, viz., that which is at the same time in-
trinsic and extrinsic (subjective and objective) and unites all the modes of action of
the preceding. It unites the different parts to the whole, and unites the whole to
the different parts, and this as well to that which is subjective as to that which is
objective.
The human body being constructed so that all the different parts of which it is
composed, and which are bound together as a whole, are at will and at the same
time active and passive, subject or object, or the two at the same time. The physio-
logical ladder, the crutch, and harness powerfully aid the working and moving of
these parts. It is a gymnastic instrument and perfect helper.
1
Equipped with his physiological tool or crutch, or with his harness, a man can
pull and be pulled, can push and be pushed, can carry and be carried, can sight and
be sighted, and can suspend himself. In all these actions he acts on himself either
actively or passively, objectively or subjectively, but he can also at the same time
carry, fix, suspend, pull, or push something besides himself. These things he is
enabled by means of his ladder to fix or attach to himself, or push to or from him.
By means of the suspending crutch and its harness, especially its elastic harness,
the individual can push with great facility, for example, the weight of his limbs
appears reduced, he suffers less fatigue, employs less exertion. If we add to this
that the ladder and the crutch contribute enormously to the development of the
muscular strength which is employed, its importance must be acknowledged.
:
These few physiological considerations will serve to explain the meaning of the
words "physiologic ladders" and physiological harness." They will also serve to
shew the importance of this Invention, considered either theoretically or practically.
Further on will be described specially the different types of physiologic ladders;
ladders for pulling, for carrying, for sighting, &c., and their different applications
will be carefully described.
The ladder, the crutch as described and applied, is the physiological and hygienic
tool, par excellence.
To be kept in good health, a man must have his organic system well balanced,
he must have all his muscles equally developed and exercised; when a muscle or
muscular part is more often in active employment in a passive state than, for
example, when he carries more than he is himself carried, there is an excess of
activity, there is sickness. If he carries less than he is carried, if he is carried
more than he carries, there is a case of pathology. If, on the contrary, he carries
and is carried equally, and if he is active and passive in an equal degree as he should
be, then he will be in a perfect state of health.
To resume, I may say that this system of ladder and harness is indispensible
everywhere, taking the ladders either by themselves or taking them united or fixed
to any piece of furniture.
Ladders, either straight, parallel, converging, bent or curved either on their front
or on their edges, or if this bend or curve be to the right or left, or either of the
uprights, or the rounds themselves be formed of spheres, hollow cylinders or not;
ladders formed of balls, ladders made of cylinders, either with cork or not, tubular
ladders ring, cylinders, tubes (which may be fixed or movable, and engage either in
the uprights or in the rounds), either by modifying without interfering with the
whole shape or part of the furniture in order to apply our system of ladder to it;
either if it is constructed of any pieces or parts of temporary articles of furniture,
such as seats, bedstead with the rounds, seats, bedsteads, which afterwards may be
either placed on the floor of the room, on a table, on an ordinary bed to be used as
required, or if it is intended to use one of the pieces of furniture whatever of the
apartment, by whatever should be understood, not only all types of furniture as;
for example, Louis XIV., Louis XV., but also all the before-described system,
including the folding seats, bent wood for example, the arm chair, in order to

page_text: decompose its organs, such as: the back or theiseat, and to constitute. a new system
of decomposed seats, which we call the indispensible jof household, furniture, either
if we produce quite a new system of furniture, either rentangled, articulated, or
joined solidly together, also by the different modes of joining, composing the system
of furniture of our own idea, and that we, thus construct them of a special form
according to this system; and that in view of the given functions of the ladder, or
either by reason of the total overthrowing of the piece of furniture in general, of its
organs, or elements, or either, by turning the top to bottom, the inside to the out-
side, the back to the front; the face to the face, which it is desired should be
included in this application for Letters Patent, either. if by means of this over-
throwing of the furniture or of its principle organs, all its faces are utilized and
thus form furniture or pieces of furniture having several faces or fronts, and alsó
several functions, trimmings and harness, having also several faces and functions,
(this has been but slightly shewn until now), all in order to bei applied with this
system of ladder, either if two or more pieces of furniture are united or joined,
chairs, stools, and the like, by means of special articulation; by our ladders or any
other means of rings, tubes, in order to realize general systems, either by decom-
posing and taking to pieces in an absolute..manner the furniture, not only in its
organs as we have said before, but also in its organic elements, small bars, cross
picces, uprights, rounds; and to compose afterwards our system of furniture without
any fixed jointings..
PiIn Figures.45 to 03 are shown a few theoretic illustrations: of stools and arm
chairs according to this systein, bolting arm chair or rocking with cylinder or half
cylinder, spheric.or half spheric, which may be fixed or movable, as required, either
by means of our holders or by special. stopping means of harness, such as tubes,
rings, perforated or non-perforated cylinders; besides these illustrations are shewn a
few theoretic,specimens of the system employed.to disorganise or take to pieces, as
well as for harness, their system of free jointing.
.
In all these circumstances these ladders or system of ladders and their accessories,
this harness and system of harness and the accessories are required.
This absolute necessity (of these ladders and liarness is quite sufficient to sliew
their importance.
This description of physiological ladder applied to furniture in special node may
also be applied in the whole to any physiological ladder of any other trades, besides
shewing the importance of this ladder physiologic system 'shews that the numerous
ideas that are desired to be inserted in this Specification of the multiple application
of ladders for different purposes form a part of it, and consequently that I have the
right to claim them as part of this new inaugurated system, which I consider
will make in a short timer avcomplete. revolution in present furniture; for it
possesses an entirely scientific base. This "scientification" of (I beg leave here. to
create a new word, which expresses the aim of these studies) is of the utmost
importance, not only as regards comfort; but specially as regards economy.. The
whole of it is of a very simple construction and mechanism. Nothing being compli-
cated or useless, every part is useful; even the ornamentation, which in my idea
should go side by side with usefulness:.
!
1213 *
1
In order that the special applications of ladders and their accessories for the
different trades and professions may the better understood; I'think it necessary to
take up again the mechanical and physiological principle on which these applications
are based; these principles i have been already generally described at the beginning
of this Specification; it:is necessary now to develope them and specialize them in
the whole.
}
14.
The members and the human body itself are composed of a succession of articula-
tions animated by alternative, flexible, and extending motion; by taking two of
any of these, articulations.and applying a ladder to them, the whole of what we
have saidrat first concerning the ladder in general can be repeated. If it is a
question of holding a manual tool, such as a pen, à surgical-instrument, a knife, a
workshop tool; or if it is a question of taking an instrument with a handle for the

page_text: I
"
arm, or handle for pit, and the like, the general principle of the ladder and the
mechanism for holding are always the same. The finger is a member of which
the homologous of the arm-pit is at the articulation of the finger with the hands,
while the elbow has for homologous the articulation of the phalanx. The finger
ladder thus may be applied to it. The hand, the wrist, and the fore-arm also form
a complete holding instrument; the resting point is at the hand and fore-arm, the
flexible angle is at the elbow; then the hand armn-pit ladder may be also applied
with all its advantages:
If we take the lower member or limb it is the same, as there is the foot ladder or
pedal ladder, the ladder pedal knee, the ladder pedal lower part of the body. The
mechanism is the same in its principle as for the upper limbs, only the results differ.
The lower limb differs from that of the upper by reason that it is specially organised
to push only; it has really only a stretching power, whilst with the upper limbs the
action takes place with equal strength either in pulling or pushing. In 'the upper
limb the flexion and extension are equally powerful, whilst for the lower limb
there is only the extension really active and powerful; this will specially be under-
stood when we compare the hand ladder oar with the pedal or thread oar.
Where the upper limb is jointed to the trunk there is a special articulation, that
of the shoulder, which moves the root of the limb on the trunk. Here the. hand
thorax ladder is applicable. The fixed point is on the chest; the motion takes place
in the articulation of the shoulder with the trunk; the holding part is the whole
limb, hand included;. the motion takes place at the articulation of the arm with the
shoulder.
We intentionally distinguish the shoulder articulation with the arm from the
shoulder with the trunk, which has not been done previously, although the functions
of the two articulations differ essentially, and is demonstrated by the application of
arm ladder and trunk ladder.
x
This kind of ladder (hand thorax ladder), whichi may be well designated as exer-
tion ladder, is of great importance by reason of its shape and its varied applications,
and the results obtained; it may be considered as the most powerful of handles for
tools and instruments by reason of the great number as well as the strength of the
muscles which move the limb on the trunk, and reciprocally the trunk on the
limbs.
i
We see a perfect application of what we said about the gun ladder, either if it is
question of shouldering, of sighting, or if it. is used as a fencing instrument (gun
ladder bayonet). For the lower member it is not the same as for the upper limb;
here the hip bones are fixed to the lower part of the trunk, there is no more motion
produced, there is nothing homologous to the hand. trunk ladder.
If we go from the limbs to the trunk the same principle, the same theory is
applied, although apparently more difficult to apply. The rachis ladder, as the rachis
itself, may be discomposed into secondary ladders corresponding to the principal
regions of the vertebral column, where the motion is most powerful..
The articulation of the neck with the head, the articulation of the thorax with
the loins, resolve as many important parts and regions in the vertebral ladder. This
system of vertebral ladder will be founed specially important in orthopathy or patho-
logy of vertebral, but it may also be used in other circumstances; either for pulling,
pushing, carrying, sighting, or swimming. In these cases the harness of vertebral
ladders and accessories being made more or less elastic, more or less supple, will be
found of great importance.
When an Invention or tool of any kind is of any importance in surgery, there is
a certainty that it has also some not less important uses for industries and trade in
general.
In our ladder system, articulated or elastic furniture, either in its elements or in
its organs only, the ladder vertebral of furniture, carriages, boats, as well as for the
rest of other ladders, has its uses and important advantages considered relatively
to the mechanism and physiology of the human body applied to industry and pro-
fessional implements.

page_text: Lastly, The Invention consists essentially in the physiologic, and it may be added
anatomic, application of the constituent parts of ladders; these elements or parts are
to be taken in their entirety, that is to say, to take them separately, to combine
them under any other form, and thus obtain a great variety of objects to be applied
for different uses.
I have given in this description and in the annexed illustrations some examples.
I have also given a nomenclature of the different applications for different uses or
different industries. To anticipate what may be done with this principle I will take
by change,
1st Example. Carriages.-By carriage I mean not only the carriage itself, but
also all the parts of which it is composed, the body, the shafts, the seats, and
the box.
2nd Example. Plough.-The coulter, ploughshare, wrest.
Third Example. Ladder Tool.-I include the plain tool and the compound tool.
A plane is a plain tool; the plaining machine is a compound tool; the common
ladder is a plain tool; scaffolding is a compound tool; the scythe with ladder handle
is a simple tool; the mowing machine is a compound tool..
Fourth Example. House.-By house I mean the house itself, windows, doors,
stairs.
5th. Dispensary Field Hospital Ambulance.-By dispensary I include all furni-
ture or utensils of which it is composed, beds, surgical chair, stretcher, which at any
moment may be converted into flying field hospital ambulance.
An important part of my Invention consists in the application of the system of
physiological ladder for navigation, either aquatic or aerial, and it is owing to the
elasticity and flexibility that different modes of construction can be obtained
advantageously.
I
Figure 26 represents a trellis of rectangular shape (but which may be made of
any other shape). *, a*, plaitings which have been rendered elastic through
weaving are the uprights; bx, bx, transverse pieces of trellis representing the rounds
are-the canvas. If there are added to this canvas or elastic trellis 2, 3, or more
rounds c* physiologically arranged, there is obtained a-physiological elastic ladder.;
the upper round will then be the axillar; the hand will thus be enabled to take
hold at will of any of the rounds. The elbow itself being held in flexion on the
whole system, is moved in its entirety by the approach or retreat of the body, while
the hands and fore-arms by movements of "flexion," "prenation," and " 'suponation,"
works its elasticity. This example has been selected to represent in a perfect
manner the idea of rowing either in water or in the atmosphere. This elastic
ladder, well constructed according to this principle, will make use of all the movo:
ments of the upper limbs with great precision, and without fatiguing, as in swimming
for example; supposing the harness garment to be applied and fixed, and rendered
resisting initself and elastic through the ladder, this harness garment will thus
produce an artificial fin, and thus form an excellent life-saving apparatus.
The rounds, rods, and harness garment itself may be rendered lighter by making
use of cork or atmospheric air if for aquatic purposes, or by using a light gas if for
aërial navigation (ladder scull, ladder fin, ladder balloon).
Figure 80 represents the ladder garment or harness garment for general uses,
pose plastiques, rowing, mowing, correcting malformation, for packing. b represents
the rounds, either rectilinear or circular (rings or holes), and e the uprights, or cords,
or flexible material.
This ladder garment may be made of netting material or other fabrics, or may
be transformed into a partially or entirely rigid or elastic ladder garment by means
of rigid or elastic cross pieces, which will unite the ladders.
In our physiological ladders the counterweight of the gun, tool, or other objects,
principally the counteraction or counterweight harness, which is so useful in sighting,
rowing, &c., which said harness may be made elastic, as before described. A weight
fitted at the end of the ladder, the knapsack of the soldier, a girth, a strap, either

page_text: elastic or not, conveniently placed, will serve as counterweight, which will be found
most important in many circumstances.
An important point also of the Invention which we claim specially is that our
physiological ladder is weighted, cubed, graduated in its angles, uprights, rounds, in
a word, calculated as to dimensions, weight, bulk, shape, in order to be in harmony
with the body of the man making use of it, and of which body the dimensions,
weight, bulk, shape, have also been previously experimentally determined. Too
much or not enough length, weight, or bulk may be equally prejudicial. Our dyna
mometric ladder allows us to obtain with facility this measurement of the man who
is to use the apparatus, as he carries with him his measure or dynamometric appa-
ratus. This measurement (cubing) is also equally applicable to tho object itself, to
any piece of furniture, tool, or instrument. This measurement of physiological
ladder constitutes also an enforced corollery of the Invention (measuring ladder,
dynamometric ladder).
A feature of no less importance in this Invention consists of the doubling or
multiplying the handle of the ladder tool, for example, by taking a ladder having
two uprights, and fixing to each of these uprights either a scythe, spade, or a
shovel a double tool is obtained.
The ladder may also be reversed, that is to say, by taking a converging ladder,
fixing any tool at the converging point of the upright, or otherwise by fixing it at
the diverging extremities.
Any tool may equally well be fixed at either end of the ladder, whether it be a
single, double, or triple ladder. Thus an ambidexter ladder will bo obtained. With
this kind of implement the two hands will work evenly. The effect is alternative.
The to-and-fro motion, for example, in mowing, shovelling, sculling, swimming, etc.,
etc., is thus utilized, and the result of labour is doubled.
Besides the resting points and prehension, or holding of the instrument handles,
being variable, they are at the same time multiplied and enlarged. They are or
may be established in such a manner as to utilize all the strength of the man or of
the animal mechanism. A great economy is thereby obtained, less fatigue is
experienced, and more power gained. A mower, for example, can do his work by
distributing the strain over the whole of his body instead of exerting only the force
of his arms. By using the different shapes and types of ladders he can mow either
with his armis alone or his back, his loins or the lower limbs; in a word, he can
at will make use, either alone or simultaneously, of one or more parts of the
body, as well as of the whole of the body.
By means of the ladder combined with the harness an armless man or a
paralytic
will be enabled to mow, dig, and to act as well as if he had the use of his limbs.
If we take, for example, the mowing operation, and suppose the mower to be
armless, the ladder scythe is attached. to the body by means of this haness and
harness garment, either solid and resisting, as in Figures 20*; 21*, 22*, 24*, or
flexible or elastic, as in Figure 1910, the motion of the body replacing that of the arms.
This harness may be fixed or rested round the waist, on the loins, to the shoulders,
the legs, or any other parts of the body, no matter if it be an ordinary harness or
harness garment, as the sleeve of a coat, etc., here is only given an example of the
ladder scythe, but it is understood that this principle can be applied to the ladder
spade, ladder gun, ladder to walk, to row, to float, to swim, or to fly.
By ladder ambidexter I will take for example a ladder consisting of two uprights
(see Figures 16, 18, 19, 20*, 21*, 23*), each carrying a scythe blade placed in
opposite positions; by operating from left to right one of the blades is caused to
work. When operating from right to left the other blade is made to work; thus
no time is wasted, continuous work is obtained without strain. When by the
ordinary system the mower acts only by the muscular strength of his arms, the
body only serving to help the impulsion, it produces no efficient action, and besides
this, the backward motion is of no use. With my system all the muscular power.
of the body is utilized, and serves to help that of the limbs, thus utilizing the first

page_text: power, which is otherwise lost, and if, besides this, I make use of two blades with
reversed action, I obtain thus "the ladder scythe ambidexter, i.e., double action,
viz, double results, by reason of the scythe having a forward and backward action,
less fatigue is experienced, and double the result is obtained, as the body, all the
muscles of the organism supply, their share, by utilizing agents of productive
strength which are otherwise lost; in one word, in the physiological ladder all the
organs of the ladderjare so combined as to utilize all the active organs of the human
body..
1. A
Any system of ladder, all kinds or types of ladder, whatever be their uses, are
suitable to receive the desired application. For example, a mowing ladder, or
machine with mowing ladder, or a digging ladder, can be tranformed into ladder
gun or machine ladder gun, namely, into a mitrailleuse, etc.; it may be also trans-
formed into ladder stretcher, into gymnastic ladder, etc. The harnessing of these
ladders may be used without modification in all the employments they are
destined for.
The physiological ladder, no manner where it is to be applied (earth, atmosphere,
water), whatever may be the professional act it accomplishes, whatever may be the
gymnastic exercise it is destined to perform, is or can be a handle, can work by all
its extremities, in all its faces, in all ways, and all directions. It may be worked
and it acts on every soil, in any space, upon all inclines and according to any curves,
to ascend or descend, to direct to right or left, forward or backward.
Example. Ladder, or system of ladder for cutting, rowing, sighting, walking,
swimming, sitting, &c.
With a well reasoned physiological ladder, all curves, whatever they may be,
can be followed by the instrument, all the motion of the body of the person making
'use of it can be reproduced, consequently, every group or system of groups and
muscalar apparatus may be exercised.. All these advantages are, owing to the
absolute multiplicity and to the variability of fixed points, or resting points, of
motion points, and of points of application, either of power or resistance. Finally,
to complete the enumeration of, its advantages, we may say, that it is the only
apparatus, the only system which allows to the person making use of, it to hold,
to fix, to press the handle either with any part of the body alone or simultaneously
by the whole body, consequently, it is the only apparatus affording to all the
muscular powers of the organism, the accomplishment of a perfect professional work
as regards physiology. It is therefore the most perfect physiological implement.
The curves of the physiological ladder, specially those of the ends, either in
holding or working, may be calculated to form a handle; a cross bar or the like to
be adapted to the shape of the part of the body. In this case, it is the body which
really acts as the handle, the hands or the cross piece fixed in the handle of the
apparatus and holding it.
Example-Gun, scythe (Figures 20%, 21*, 22*, 24*, 27*).
If the physiological ladder with curved ends be, double, as in Figure 27%, for
example, the same mechanism for holding or sustaining is obtained, as if adapted to
a tool, a double barrelled gun ambidexter.
Figures 28, 29, show the same apparatus of physiological ladder ambidexter
which is shewn in a horizontal position in Figure 27× for sighting, to carry it
vertically on the loins; in Figure 28* for walking, and to be carried on back and
on the loins; and in Figure 29×, also vertically, but in a reverse way to carry on
the back and neck. In all these Figures the same, harness is used to support the
apparatus, and according as the cases require, serve as braces for shouldering,
carrying, or. walking. The curved-holding ends of the ladder are made use of for
holding the sack S** containing the objects to be carried and shown in a hanging
position in Figure 28*, 29*, while in Figure 27*, it is shown raised behind the
neck 'cover, and contains the objects carried.
By combining two of the before-named apparatus and arranging them as shown
in Figures 30 and 31*, an excellent stretcher, bed, or ladder is obtained in which

page_text: the bearers and ladders are solidary, and the patient comfortably sustained; by what
has just been said of this system it must be understood the same result may be
advantageously obtained with any other shape of ladders.
.: +
If the curves occupy the working ends of the ladder, it is easy to understand the
facility afforded for adaptation, not only as the working implement, but also the
accessories, adjuvants, as for example, the rake for the scythe, "the canvass in the
oar, &c.; it will be also understood, all the modifications which may be afforded
either in the curves, forms, and fittings to the tool itself, in order to be fitted to the
physiological ladder. These modifications of the tool and in its fittings aro a
forced consequence, a corollary of the physiological ladder. I think thus to have
the right to claim it as my property with regard to the physiological ladder.1
+
Another example of modification made in the tool through the ladder handle.-In
the lock or locks of the different types of gun ladders, either if single barrelled gun
or double barrelled, or of a greater number of barrels, or if either it may be double,
also with one, two, or more barrels, the lock or locks can be placed in front of one
of the "holding rounds," they may be both placed in front of the rounds or in front
of different rounds, according to whether the shooter wishes to make use of one or
the other of his hands, simultaneously, or, separately to each of the two or four
locks. The physiological ladder guns themselves allow admirably of these differ-
ences in the locks or in the number and situation of the locks.
There are as many types, species, varieties of organisms, and professional functions
in any apparatus or implements whatever it may be, as there is of types, kinds, or
varieties in any kind of physiological ladder, as of modes of organic and professional
functions. Walking, rowing, swimming, resting, sitting, carrying, digging, sighting,
allowing as many different functions as there are or may be; of types, of apparatus
or ladder for walking, rowing, swimming, resting, sitting, digging, mowing, &c., or
that which cones to the saine thing, as there are of departments of.muscular
apparatus, described in the animal machine.
Our studies have proved that wlien industry shall have reached its complete
development, there will be an absolute correspondence between the social or artificial
world, and the organic or natural world of the humanity which means that each
organic and functional department of the body corresponds in the industrial world,
in all the professions and in the whole group of organs or professional tools. It is
this similarity in the functions of the two worlds in. which our nature. is engaged,
that is important for science to find out and to establish; it.is this similarity in
organs, tools though not ruling, but which perform those functions which it is
essential to determine.
'
For the present, we will only say that above all that the physiological ladder is
an apparatus for invalids, that it is indispensable to cripples and paralysed persons
who have functional or professional acts, to fulfil. It is also indispensable' to
surgeons who desire to treat and cure their patients with gymnastic exercises.
Finally, it is that if not indispensable, very useful to persons in good health who
handle and work instruments, tools, or professional organs, and who desire to avoid
disease, deformation, organic and functional disharmonization resulting from their
profession,
It is indispensable for studying cases in diagnostics, therapeutics, indications and
diseases of professional origin.
A physiological ladder is at the same time both a hygienical and a therapeutical
ladder (that is, it is at the same time bygopathic and pathologic).
Until now, at least in trade or manufacture, if not in science, no idea has been
entertained of considering the human body, the human machine, either wholly or
in its different forms as a true organic and living handle, an organic handle, sus-
ceptible of adaptation to thousands of different modifications of professional imple-
ments. Until now, especially in ordinary professional implements, no serious
consideration has ever been taken of the idea of employing the different parts of
the body as well as their motions, the head, shoulders, trunk, loins, seat, back, the
different parts of the vertebral column, and of the limbs as real members or

page_text: apparatus either of holding or sustaining, and thus producing an infinity of
professional or other duties.
It is that eminent physiological idea, or rather these. ideas,. forming the basis of
the mechanism of the human body we have always had in mind in our study of
the physiological ladder and its harness; it is also that idea which has been the
origin and basis of all the modifications which we have made to implements and
furniture used by man, either in sickness or good health. It is also that idea which
has guided us in modifications made in the garments for man to work with which
has caused us to invent the garment or working harness. And it is through it that
we have been able to establish the scientific base of the implements and professional
garments.
Our physiological ladder and its harness is founded from the human organism.
The sketches we have made up to now of the implements and of all the materials
considered in a physiological and medical point of view will be, I hope, the prelude
to an important revolution in industry, and will inaugurate a new branch of science,
which we will call by a new name,-scientification professional medicalization:
We do not pretend that the physiological ladder, the instrument with ladder
handle, the coat, the working harness, which we claim in this Specification, will
suppress any of the working apparatus, tools, handles, or garments at present in
existence, only until now there was a deficiency in industry, this deficiency being
the medical, anatomical; physiological, and pathological view of the instrumenta-
tion of furniture; implements, and garments. The deficiency has also existed by
not considering the specialization of the function contained by the instruments and
garments of the workmen. These are the deficiencies which this physiological
ladder will fill up. It is on the scientification and on the medicalization of
implements and of professional material in general that we have desired to call the
attention.
We employ figuratively the word physiology in this statement. It is necessary
that this word should be employed in the most general sense; it implies equally
normal physiology, and also pathological physiology, that is to say, the physiology
of healthy men and of sick men.
All these sorts of ladder and systems of ladders have their rounds, their uprights
and their angles all calculated in a triple point of view, viz., the anatomy,
physiology, and pathology of animal mechanism. By means of the physiological
ladder the physician and the pedagogue will be enabled to class organic, hygienic,
and pathologic dispositions of individuals. Thus its importance is shewn in the
determination of professional vocations, moreover, as we have before said there is
not a single profession, a single industry or trade, a single individual, that can do
without the physiological ladder.
Our studies on anatomy, physiology, and pathology, either of man or animal,
have shown us that the human body was the organic "synthesis" of the whole
animal principle, and that each animal species may be considered as particularizing
one of the departments, one of the elements of this "synthesis." Considering man
in a physiological view, or the functions that he may accomplish, or in a pathologic
view, or the maladies to which he may be subjected, we find again these
"synthèses" of animal principle. If considered in a special manner from the
mechanical side we shall find that the human body is also the mechanical
"synthesis" of the animal principle.
Our studies of the ladder applied to the human body have shewn also that the
human mechanism was the "synthesis" of all mechanism in general, and that it
embraced on application all the machinery realised or likely to be realised in the
future by industry and professions. It is this great "synthesis" machine, it is
this ideal "synthesis" the man that we take as a type, as a model, that we
decompose and seek to analyse, and apply to industry and all professions.
If we suppose machines, apparatus, artificial systems," to be constructed after
the shape of the human mechanism, or of the different machines that man can
perfectly realize, with our types of physiologic ladders, for example; artificial

page_text: machines for mowing, rowing, and the. like, in which the body of the mower itself
is represented by artificial organs or special machines.
The bearing points, the fixed points, the points of application of the power of the
resistance, which are marked on our ladders, are calculated for holding the
instrument will be the same also for the application of fixed points of resistance
and power for the artificial machine itself, which will be substituted for the human
mechanism in both cases, either if it be for the natural human nechanism or
artificial mechanism the physiological ladder remains with all its applications.
We thus claim the application of our anatomical and physiological ladder for all
existing and forthcoming systems of machines.
The human body is the model that we have proposed to copy and imitate; as the
"synthesis" it represents is an ideal mechanical "synthesis," the copy, the images,
the reproductions which will be made in order to be applied to industry and
different trades, if well executed, will also be the ideal machine of the future.
We have said already that our ladders, our frames, and specially our system of
ladders, or of physiological frames, can be made movable or articulated by any
process, in order to vary the proportions, sizes, bulk, shapes, and consequently the
motions of the system without changing its weight, bulk, and nature of motion.
By putting together these ladders or physiological frames in a manner to constitute
framework, chairs, extensibles, physiological boxes, in which or on which the
whole of a human body can be placed in a manner to be able to actually move the
system, or to be made passively in motion by the body in different determined
physiological senses. We thus obtain great and important results.
It is principally for navigation, either aquatic or aërial, in gymnastics, in orthopedy;
and so forth, that the system of physiological ladder (extensibles) are of great
importance, especially if their articulations are made elastic by any process.
In Figure 81 we give a special theoretical figure of this system of physiological
ladder (extensibles). In that figure are shown "straight" physiological ladders
articulated, but it must be understood that it is applicable also for or any other
system of ladders, it is also to be understood that tlie canvas as the system
itself may be made extensible and elastic. If we suppose for a moment that the
articulations of these extensible physiologic ladders, as well as the ladder and the
systems themselves, are well calculated with regard to physiological principles, that
is to say, human mechanism. Supposing the great natural motor, the great
mechanical synthesis," the man, being placed in the centre of the articulated
system, which is calculated, it will be understood how the smallest motion of this
mechanical synthesis will reproduce and represent with precision upon the different
parts of the system, and will produce varied results of motion, bulk, and shape,
which are of considerable importance with regard to the application, they comport,
nautical, aërial, navigation, gymnastics, orthopedy.
!
The animal mechanism, the human body, is a living mechanical synthesis, which
as our physiological ladder system can be made wholly or partially fixed, moveable
flexible, elastic, or extensible at will, it has its harness, its muscular apparatus of
action, immobilisation, suspension of muscular harness.
The levers of this living machine, according to the action they have to produce;
are sometimes active or passive, objective or subjective, either one in harmony with
the other or in harmony with the machine itself, or either with the external objects
on which they are made to act. According as the articulation of these levers is fixed
or movable the muscles attached to them become rigid cords, extensible cords, or
elastic cords. In reality it can be said that all our ladders, all our harness,
our system of physiological ladders and harness, either fixed or articulated;
either flexible, or elastic, or extensible, are all united together. It may be also
said that all the mechanical actions are in harmony with the different trades
represented.
This mechanical synthesis, or this organic and living synthesis, of all the possible
modes of physiological ladders and harness, this synthesis of all the modes of pro-

page_text: fessional activity placed as a motor at the centre of our articulated system of
physiological ladder, will produce immensely important effects with regard to
variations of bulk, shape, or motion. As we have previously said it must not be
forgotten that these systems of physiological extensible ladders can be rendered
fixed or elastic; either wholly or partly, by different processes; we must not
forget also the considerable part taken in these extensible systems, these different
types and systems of harness, which may also, as we have said, be rendered
extensible, either through their nature or the mode of weaving, or by their
disposition or mode of application, or by means of metallic springs, or any other
means..
If the system of extensible physiological ladder applied to the human body is
well executed, if the harness and the recession of ladder and harness are well
calculated and, reasoned in harmony with the mechanical synthesis, if elasticity is
well employed, if the articulation, especially the species of articulation; are
physiologically well selected, if the harness garment is well applied, the most varied,
the smallest movements exerted by the mechanical synthesis will be rendered on
the apparatus with great precision, with great power, and will produce a variety
of surprising effects.
It will, fill up volumes to develop this idea with the importance it deserves; here
we have only wished to shew the theoretical principle, and the principle of the
application of extensible physiological ladders and of systems of extensible physio-
logical ladders applied to the human body.
On Sheet 2 I shew one of my ladder systems, "the, diverging ladder," and I
represent it applied in various ways.
Figure 1. Ladder for use with great strength or power, where the two hands and
the whole of the body are exercised from a fixed point taken at the shoulder.
Figure 2. Mowing ladder; this makes use of the strength and movements of the
loins by the aid of the after extremity of one of the uprights, the forward end of
which holds the tool.
Figure 3. The same mowing ladder, but with a second mowing tool placed upon
one of the uprights at the holding extremity, thus showing how the ladder may be
reversed and form another kind of mowing apparatus. What is said with reference
to this Figure is also applicable to all the other Figures.
Figure 4. The same ladder as in Figure 1, making use of the shoulder and neck
as supports. In this system the action of mowing consists in the movement of the
body, which carries with it that of the arms, unlike the movements that are made
in the ordinary mode of mowing.
Figure 5. The same ladder applied to a shovel or spade; it digs and throws the
earth up with great effect.
Figure 6. The same ladder "diverging," to work with less effect.
Figures 7 and 8. "Diverging ladders for sighting. Besides the. great facilities
for sighting and shouldering, there is the great advantage of lessening the weight
of the "arm."..
Figure 9. Carrying ladder formed of 2
i
diverging" ladders, distributing the
efforts over the back, shoulders, loins, and arms. These latter serve to alter at will
the centre of gravity of the load carried.
Figure 10. Litter ladder" or "diverging" ladder for two to carry. ·
Figure 11. Rowing ladder.
Figures 12 and 13. Double pitchfork ladder and double-action ambidexter
ladder, for loading straw or manure; instead of the pitchfork a shovel can be applied
or a scoop without changing the handle.
Figure 14. Walking "diverging" ladder or crutch. This ladder is essentially
useful to paralysed persons, as by it they can support themselves firmly upon the
ground.
Figure 15. The same ladder, symmetrical or with level ends.
Figure 16. Double ladder, fitted with barness for joining the ladders and for

page_text: forming a seat. Thus an arm chair is formed; by placing wheels a moveable chair
is obtained, or a carriage which may be upon two wheels, or three, if a third wheel
is placed at the converging extremities of the ladders.
Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 shew systems and combinations of ladders and
harness, which may at will form seats, beds, or tables, both for children and grown
up persons.
These last Figures show what the inventor means by the words "composition,"
and "decomposition," "transformation," "reversing furniture," and the physiological
ladder apparatus in general.
Taking 2 " diverging" ladders, as in Figure 15, and combining them, as in Figure
16, an arm chair is obtained, of which the suspended seat can be varied in height, as
there are several steps or supports for the seat to rest on. Turning the chair up-
side down the same disposition is obtained, and it may be used in this way for
various systems of seat, for example, a child's chair or a night stool. By adding
another ladder a seat called "siamois" is obtained. With four ladders 3 seats are
obtained. If we take two seats, as in Figure 16 (4 ladders), and fix them back to
back, we have 2 back-to-back seats, and if we support these 2 seats upon 4 wheels
theso two seats are transformed into an open carriage.
If the 2 back-to-back seats are turned upside down, as in Figures 18 and 19, we
have a child's bed or a carriage with covered seats (one of the seats if desired
forming a table), as by the reversing of the seats which were before fixed back to
back they have become front to front.
If the 2 chairs, as in Figure 16, are placed one before the other, and fixed end
to end, we have an adult's bed; this bed is shewn in Figure 19, in which the 2
chairs of the last views superposed form the bed.
If we suppose there are 4 wheels we have another specimen of a carriage with
2 covered seats.
If this last description of bed or carriage is turned upside down a seat or carriage
is obtained of another system, a sort of double sofa chair, upon which a person may
recline with legs extended.
If we add a third chair, Figure 16 (6 ladders), we have carriages or chairs of a
more complete description, either for adults or children, these, ladders forming either
the top of the bed or a hood for the carriage.
Figure 20 gives a complete idea of these transformations.
A child is seated upon a bed similar to that shown in Figure 19, but if we
suppose this Figure placed on its back we have a front view of the bed for an adult.
In the first case there are the 2 ladders, the upper and lower ones forming the
bed top or the hood of the carriage. In the second case there are the 2 front
ladders, which have become uppermost, fulfilling the same office.
Figures 22 and 23, shower bath ladder with parallel uprights; these Figures
represent several applications to shower baths, the person bathing himself or being
bathed, the jet bath and sprinkling bath being represented.
We have shewn in dotted lines another form of shower bath ladder, viz., the
double ordinary ladder, the extremities of which converge and carry the pail. In
this double converging ladder articulated upon the pail or recipient the steps are
so disposed physiologically as to furnish points. of support, an invalid being able
to assume all the physiological attitudes necessary for the infirmity. A curtain or
a cloth may cover the apparatus.
Figure 24, ladder forming seat and easel for artists.
Figure 25, seat ladder for ships. By taking support from one foot only sickness
from the rolling and pitching oscillations is evaded.
Figure 26, the same ladder doubled, giving steadiness to the seat.
Figure 27, combination of 2 ploughing ladders; they may be turned over, on
their forward end and form a barrow or rough carriage.
Figure 28, wheelbarrow formed with "diverging" ladder, utilizing the power
from the shoulder and arm together, or of the arm alone.
In the examples given, and which might be extended, the combination harness,

page_text: the holding of the instrument, the distribution of power exerted have not been
illustrated, but it must be well understood that they can be applied.
In this Sheet, as well as in the preceding, all these Figures (uprights and steps)
are physiologically arranged, and graduated in centimetres, inches, and feet, so as
to render the physiological application of the ladder more simple. It is shewn by
this Sheet of Drawings and description that all that is applicable to seats fixed
upon the floor or ground is also applicable to moveable seats, carriages, and the
like. It is similarly applicable to seats used on the water or in the air (rowing
boats, rafts, ships, or balloons), of which there are as many types as there are for
carriages and seats, from the simple raft seat to the rowing boat seat, open or closed,
2 oared or 4; thus is seen that all we have said with reference to the composition,
decomposition, reversing, and joining together of seats by the physiological ladder
is applicable to rowing boats, ships, rafts, and the like; it is for the same reason
applicable to carriages, seats, aërial locomotion, or balloons, in which the feet and
resting parts of ordinary seats become oars or wings; above all, if the carriage or
seat is articulated or extensible.
It will now be seen that if the upright manner of standing, these ladders and
combinations of ladder systems is brought into use in seats and carriages upon the
earth demanding a large area, the reclining manner or combination side by side of
these diverging physiological ladders will be above all useful in seats and
carriages on the water, and also in air carriages, where the space required is much
less, and the equilibrium of the apparatus requires less stability. Special examples
cannot be given of these applications of the physiological ladder.
The illustrations given in these Sheets of Drawings, more especially in Sheet 2,
will suffice to make clear the principle and theory of the applications of the physio-
logical ladder, whether used on land, water, or in the air. All the systems of these
physiological ladders being combined by articulation will realize a veritable system
of extension.
The extensibility can be borne by an elementary organ of the system, or by the
physiological ladder itself, or by the system of physiological ladders. Thus, for
example, if the systems of physiological ladders, "diverging" or others, which are
described in the Sheets of Drawings, more particularly in the second, are articulated
according to convenient means, if these articulations are also made elastic in a
convenient manner, then there are a series of extensible systems either of carriage
seats for land locomotion, or of carriage seats for progress upon the water, from the
simple raft, the rowing boat, to the ship itself, or either for the carriage seat for
aërial locomotion, balloons, and the like.
Enough has been said to make clear the principal of the various applications of
the extensible physiological ladder without necessitating special Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THIRD SHEET OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, arm piece of crutch ladder with knee suspension harness.
Figure 2, converging crutch with support for the shoulder, and suspension for thé
knee.
Figure 3, crutch with crossed uprights, impulsion from behind.
Figure 4, the saine crutch, impulsion from the front..
Figure 5, converging crutch with harness for the suspension and compression of
the stomach.
Figure 6, the same crutch with harness for the compression of the back.
Figure 7, ladder support for resting or "poses plastiques."
4
Figure 8, ladder with suspension for the hips, or upon doubling it, it forms a 5
seat.
Figure 9, curved ladder with its suspension harness, the curve forming seat and
harness for sustaining the loins; it may be fitted with a scythe, watering pot, or a
seat; it can also be turned into, as in Figure 15, a gymnastic harness.
4
Figure 10, circular ladder with harness for supporting the nape. The body of 5

page_text: Figure 20, extensible form of ladder.
Figure 21, various ladders with different tools.
All these physiological ladders without exception may be jointed together two
by two, three by three, and so on, and thus form extensible physiological apparatus;
thus, for example, taking the "diverging" ladder for forming seats, as shewn on
Sheet 2, articulated or any other mode placed either on the sides of the uprights, or
upon the ends, we have various carriages, boats, or beds of the physiological ladder
system which are extensible. Supposing the fixed combination system to be arti-
culated either upon the sides or angles there are produced various types or systems
of the extensible physiological ladder.
In Figure 20, Sheet 3, jis given a theoretical representation of a physiologial
ladder, of which the steps are represented by the points of articulation. Supposing
this physiological frame to be doubled by placing over it a second extensible up-
right the primitive physiological frame will become an extensible box, the person
inside which may take his support with either his hands or his feet upon the axis of
articulation of these two frames and manipulate the system.
Ours may be placed by means of "diverging" ladders upon the sides of the
extensible frame and worked by rolling; the frame may be furnished with wings,
oars, &c.
If the articulations of the physiological ladder frame are made elastic by a sling
the movements caused by this elasticity will be made with facility and precision.
It must not be forgotten that in these extensible physiological frames or ladders
not only are the number and placing of the points of articulation, of which the axis
represent the steps, calculated physiologically, but also the other elements of the
ladder or frame, which represent the extensible uprights, are calculated in their
combination and dimensions, so that the functions they perform are in harmony
with the movements of the human body.
In Figure 20 the. cross pieces constituting the axis of articulation of the frame
can be considered as constituting fixed ladders.
Though several examples have already been given of the elastic ladder to moré
fully describe same a few more words will be added with reference to this type of
ladder.
The elasticity may be right or left according to the weaving of the rods forming
the network, the direction or position of the rounds of the physiological ladder
being in accord with the lines of weaving. The movement produced will be either
left or right. Hence the considerable difference of operation and application which
play such an important part in these elastic physiological ladders.
Suppose an elastic trellis or network of any kind, for example, an osier or reed
trellis, as in Figure 80, Sheet 1. If upon this elastic network rounds are placed

page_text: or a physiological type in different ways several typ
obtained,―
1st. "
Straight" type with elasticity direct or straight, the rounds of, the ladder or
elastic uprights are parallel with the uprights.
2nd. Oblique or diverging type or of oblique or diverging elasticity.
. 3rd. Mixed type, including the combining of parallel ladders and oblique ladders
or direct elasticity and oblique.
There are also two modes, one right (dexter) and one sinister, according as to
whether the obliqueness is right or left.
:
According to the distance apart of the oblique rounds are the different degrees of
elasticity. The arrangement of the rounds one to the other, the equality or
inequality of their inclinations with respect to the elastic trellis, give different
properties to the apparatus.
All the different types of the elastic physiological ladder cannot be here described,
only the theoretical principle of its application will be described. Enough has
been said to clearly describe the principle, and with reference to the application, it
will be sufficient to say that each of the types of elasticity we have enumerated
has it separate dynamic properties, whether it be for working in the air or upon
the water.
In the inventor's idea the future of aerial navigation rests entirely in the few
words just expressed with reference to the elastic physiological ladder.
.
Suppose the elastic trellis of which we have just spoken and upon which we
have placed rounds, calculated physiologically, so as to serve as points of support
and holding for the feet and bands of the person, to become a cylindrical gutter-like
support, either for a limb or for the whole body, there is produced a real physio-
logical elastic ladder gutter or support. These ladder "gutters" are ladders curved
in a transverse way to their fronts. They can be converging, parallel, right or left,
according to the nature of the weaving, that is to say, according as to whether the
weaving is perpendicular or obligue, and according as to whether the physiological
steps are themselves perpendicular or oblique. Whether the elastic gutter be used
for support either of the body or of a limb, whether the elastic gutter be used-so as
to cause internal currents or external currents such as for ventilation, aquatic or
aerial navigation, it is still a physiological ladder gutter.
The physiological ladder gutter, and the physiological ladder gutter splint, used
either rigid, flexible, elastic, or extensible," are of great importance in surgical
operations.
If we combine these different physiological types of ladder, elastic or otherwise,
above all the "diverging "ladders, excellent oars are obtained, the same effect being
obtained as the fin of a fish or the wing of a bird acting upon the molecules of air
or water.
'
It must not be forgotten that it is necessary that the oar, as the hinder oar or
wing of this apparatus, should have a weight proportionate to the nature and above
all to the density of the fluid in which the apparatus, boat, or balloon is destined
to be worked. -
!
:
These types of ladder can be furnished with -impermeable elastic staffs of any
kind; the texture can also be of any kind; it may be placed upon both sides, or
upon only one.
It is with respect to the harness or harness clothing of the flexible elastic ladders,
of which a rope ladder is a type, that it becomes in its application a physiological
ladder.
Figure 80, Sheet 1, is an illustration of the ladder harness-clothing, but there are
numbers of other applications of this flexible ladder.
It plays an important part in the suspension of seats, furniture, harness, and so
forth, where the rounds or steps are well calculated, after physiological principles,
so as to form flexible ladder supports. There are other examples of the flexible rope
ladder for accouchement, gymnastics, and so forth.
All that has been said with reference to the ladder in general and its harness,

page_text: either in theory or practice, may be said with respect to all the systems of
ladders.
The theoretical principle and the applications of this Invention are always present
in the use of the physiological ladder and its various systems, whether fixed, flexible,
elastic, extensible, isolated, wholly or in its parts.
The human body, it may be repeated, has furnished the type, the ideal of the
ladder; the arms, legs, vertebral column, even articulated levers, susceptible of being
lengthened or shortened; they are veritable living physiological ladders, which at
will may be rigid, flexible, elastic, extensible, and so forth.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. The physiological ladder and its varied applications, being constructed of
any material, wood, cork, rope, metal, employed. either singly or in combination,
such combination effected in any suitable way; it may be wholly or partly rigid,
flexible, extensible, with organs flexible but not elastic, or extensible with organs
or limbs flexible and elastic; or, again, extensible with rigid organs or limbs. It
may be of any density, rendered heavy or light by any suitable means whatever:
It may be composed of uprights of any shape, straight, bent, curved, or composed
of a number of equal or unequal lengths, of equal or unequal resistance, rigid or
flexible, elastic, hollow, or solid, extensible or not; the uprights of any combination
whatever, parallel, converging, diverging, left, right, crossed, or otherwise, articu
lated, moveable, or fixed; the cross pieces of these ladders, the same as the uprights,
can be of any shape, dimension, or disposition, and may also be rigid or flexible,
fixed or movable, all substantially as described, and illustrated with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The physiological ladder in combination with harness appropriate to the
different kinds or types of ladder, substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The graduation and measurement of the physiological ladder and its
harness, and of the systems of ladders of which the uprights and steps, the harness,
and the angles themselves carry all the divisions in accord with the standard
ineasures of different countries, so as to furnish any one using it with a measuring
apparatus, and also marks of reference for the easy determination of the physiolo-
gical points of the different functions, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of physiological ladders and their harness, constructed
in all ways and in every manner appropriate for releasing the systems, and the
physiological ladder apparatus, apparatus, and systems, which may themselves also
be combined so as to form more complex systems, substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. The various applications of the physiological ladder, or physiological ladder
system and its harness, to medical, surgical, and hygienic purposes generally, to fur-
niture, tools, incchanics, in a word to all professions, substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth. The doubling or multiplication of the handle of the tool by the ladder, and
in consequence the multiplication or doubling of the tool itself, or of different tools
upon the same handle, substantially as described and illustrated with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh. The combination and the "decombination" (organs and functions,
organic and functional elements) of the ladder or systems of ladders, so as to con-
stitute new organs, tools, apparatus, furniture, and so forth, for realising new
multiple functions, substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Eighth. The reversing and interplacing in every way (organic and functional of
the ladder or ladder system, so as to permit the application of one or more tools,
similar or different, the realization of one or several functions, or the use of the
ladder or ladder system reversed, substantially as described.
Ninth. The ambidexter physiological ladder and its different types, symetrical or

page_text: not, either in its constrnction or. in its mode of operation, which may be simple or
compound, constructed in a manner which will permit the application when desired
of one or more tools at each end, placed in every way so as to utilize the backward
and forward movements, and render its working alternative, substantially as described
and illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Tenth. The ladders, frames, systems of physiological ladders or frames, articulated
or extensible, of which the component parts, uprights, steps, and articulations, are
calculated as to number, shape, form, size, and place, and so forth, are constructed in
accordance with the mechanism of the body, and as to fulfil the acts and professional
functions, substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings..
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
A
E. G. BREWER. (L.S.)