Improvements in and relating to Infants' Chairs.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL DIEUTICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Infants' Chairs.
We, ALEXANDER PLANT, and HUGH ALEXANDER, both of the Firm of H. and
A. G. Alexander and Company, Chair Manufacturers 48 French Street and
PETER MELDRUM, Engineer, 16 Kirkpatrick Street, all in Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
that class of infants' chairs known as the "American baby chair" which have
their front and back legs framed together with cross rails, and jointed to the lower
part of the upper side frames of the seat of the chair, and these framed feet are
connected at their joint fulcrums by toothed segments or wheels, so that in being
turned simultaneously they assume different corresponding positions which gives
the chair various fixed heights in being locked by these segments, to suit as a tall
chair, a low chair, a wheeled chair or a rocking chair.
Our improvements consist in the adaptation and use of a worm or screw wheel
fitted on a hand spindle working in a screw or toothed wheel at right angles to the
worm, so that by turning this first motion hand spindle in one direction or
the other, the chair can be raised to any suitable height bringing the legs nearly
vertical or lowered to any convenient height by turning and spreading out the legs
to do all that these chairs have done heretofore, and at the same time be able to
retain the legs and chair in any of those positions and be able also to turn the legs
nearly vertically upwards at the sides of the upper frame of the chair as suitable
for packing and taking up small space in transit.
One arrangement consists in mounting a cross shaft parallel to the axes of the
legs of the chair, in bearings in the lower part of the side frames of the seat part
of the chair, and in mounting two spur pinions or wheels on it, one on each
overhung end working into the toothed segments of one of the sets of legs, which
may be either the front or back set; and in this case toothed wheels would
preferably be used instead of toothed segments on the legs of chair. A screw or
spur toothed wheel would be mounted preferably at the centre of this cross spindle,
but it might be in other positions, and a worm or screw would work into this wheel
formed or mounted on a hand spindle over or under it working at right angles to
the axle on which the wheel is mounted; and this spindle would be mounted in
bearings projecting up or down from the frame of the seat part, and have a hand
wheel on its overhung back end where the attendant would stand to turn it in
bringing the chair to any desired position as described. In some cases the cross
spindle may be made to form an axle to the front or back-set of legs, and in this
instance the toothed pinions for gearing into the toothed wheels of the chair legs at
opposite sides would be dispensed with. Or by an alternative arrangement the
screw and hand wheel spindle might be so mounted on the side frame of the chair
as to have the worm gearing into one of the spur wheels on the legs of the chair
having the axle; and this axle may be made as a tubular axle with a bolt passing
through it to secure the outer fulcrum ends of the chair and spur wheels on said
axle; or screw or other securing pins may be fitted at the ends of this tubular
spindle to secure the legs and their spur wheels on the axle.
Dated 10th A1 1002
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Infants' Chairs.
We, ALEXANDER PLANT and HUGH ALEXANDER, both of the Firm of H. and
A. G. Alexander and Company, Chair Manufacturers 48 French Street, and
PETER MELDRUM, Engineer, 16 Kirkpatrick Street, all in Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the a
following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
that class of infants' chairs known as the "American baby chair" which have
their front and back legs framed together with cross rails, and jointed to the lower
part of the upper side frames of the seat of the chair, and these framed feet are 1
connected at their joint fulcrums by toothed segments or wheels, so that in being
turned simultaneously they assume different corresponding positions which gives
the chair various fixed heights in being locked by these segments, to suit as a tall -
chair, a low chair, a wheeled chair or a rocking chair.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying 1
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side
sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a back end sectional elevation at right angles -
thereto, of a baby chair as fitted with one arrangement of our improvements.
While Figure 3 is a detached view showing a horizontal arrangement of our 2
improved worm actuating gear for raising and lowering the chair to its various
positions. And Figures 4 and 5 are detached detail views showing two modified
arrangements of our improved actuating gearing.
Referring to these drawings:-
--
Our improvements consist as shown detached in Figure 3 in the adaptation and
use of a worm or screw a fitted on a hand spindle a¹ working in a screw or toothed
wheel b at right angles to the worm spindle a¹ so that by turning this first motion
hand spindle a' in one direction or the other, the chair can be raised to any suitable
height bringing the legs nearly vertical, or lowered to any convenient .height by
turning and spreading out the legs to do all that these chairs have done heretofore, 3
and at the same time be able to retain the legs and chair in any position, and be
able also to turn the legs nearly vertically upwards at the sides of the upper frame
of the chair as suitable for packing and taking up small space in transit.
One arrangement as shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists in mounting a cross
shaft b' parallel to the axis d¹ of the legs D of the chair, in bearings A' in the 3
lower part of the side frames A, A, of the seat part of the chair, and in mounting
two spur pinions or wheels c, c, on it, one on each overhung end working into the
toothed segments of one of the sets of legs D, D, which may be either the front or
back set; and in this case, toothed wheels d, d would preferably be used instead
of toothed segments on the legs D of chair. A screw or spur toothed wheel b
would be mounted preferably at the centre of this cross spindle 6' but it might be
in other positions, and a worm or screw a would work into this wheel b formed or
mounted on a hand spindle a¹ over or under it, working at right angles to the-
axle b' on which the wheel 6 is mounted; and this spindle a¹ would be mounted in
bearings a², a², projecting at an angle as in Figures 1 and 2 or horizontally as in 4
Figure 3, from the frame of the seat part, and have a hand wheel a³ on its over-
hung back end where the attendant would stand to turn it in bringing the chair to
any desired position. In some cases the cross spindle 6' as shown in Figure 4, may
be made to form an axle to the front or back set of legs D and in this instance the
toothed pinions c, c, for gearing into the toothed wheels d, d of the chair legs D at 5
opposite sides would be dispensed with. Or by an alternate arrangement as shown

page_text: in Figure 5 the screw and hand wheel spindle a¹ might be so mounted on the side
frame of the chair as to have the worm a gearing into one of the spur wheels d on
the legs D of the chair having the axle; and this axle may if desired be made as a
tubular axle with a bolt passing through it to secure the outer fulcrum ends of the
chair and spur wheels d'on said axle; or screw or other securing pins el may be
fitted to hold links e at the ends of the spindles d¹ to secure the legs D and their
spur wheels d on the axle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In infants' chairs, the fitting and use of a hand operated spindle with a
worm or screw which gears into a corresponding worm or toothed wheel so as to
actuate and raise or lower the legs of the chair to the various positions desired,
substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In infants' chairs, the combination and use of a hand operated worm
spindle, worm wheel and spindle, and connecting spur or toothed gear actuating
the legs of the chair for raising and lowering the seat frame to its various positions,
substantially as set forth.
Dated 22nd December 1893.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.