AN IMPROVED SWING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Atkinson, of 33, Wharf Road, City Road,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SWING."
Sealed the 24th January 1871, and dated the 25th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Atkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1870.
I, HENRY ATKINSON, of 33, Wharf Road, City Road, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SWING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to swings, and consists of the improved
construction herein-after described, the object of which is, firstly, to
cause an adjusting seat, in connection with which an adjusting foot rest
is fitted, to maintain its horizontal position at all elevations; secondly,
to make the seat adjustable upon the suspending media; thirdly, to
make the foot board or foot rest also adjustable; and, lastly, to render
the swing capable of being propelled by the rider or riders.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I suspend the seat, whether single or
double, by two or more rods or cords of equal length and parallel to
each other, on each side of the said seat or seats. To the under framing
of each seat I attach the hind part of the foot rest; the fore part of
which foot rest I attach to independent suspending rods or cords, one
on each side; these last-mentioned rods or cords are parallel with the
seat suspending rods or cords. The lower portions of the whole of the
suspending media are fitted with flat metal links, which have holes or
perforations in them one above another, to receive screw bolts or pins
for securing the boat or seat and foot rests thereto.
When the improved swing is intended for the open air it is provided
with a suitable frame; when intended for use indoors the frame may be
dispensed with, and the rods or cords be secured to the ceiling, or roof,
or other elevated support.
The rider or riders can put the swing in motion by applying the
pressure of the feet to the foot rest, which pressure alternately applied
will cause the swing to oscillate, and by continuing the application of
such pressure the required motion of the swing can be easily maintained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ATKINSON, of 33, Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Atkinson, Her special licence, that I, the
said Henry Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SWING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Atkinson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Atkinson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This Invention relates to swings, and consists of the improved con-
struction herein-after described, the object of which is, firstly, to cause
an adjusting seat and also an adjusting foot rest to maintain their
horizontal positions when in motion at all elevations; secondly, to make
the seat adjustable to various heights above the foot rest upon the
suspending media; thirdly, to make the foot board or foot rest also
adjustable, and lastly to render the swing capable of being easily propelled
by the rider or riders.
In carrying out my Invention I suspend the seat, whether single or
double, by two or more rods or battens of equal length, and parallel to
each other on each side of the said seat or seats. Near the bottom ends
of the suspending rods I fix horizontal bars for carrying the foot-rest,
the fore part of which I attach to independent suspending rods or
battens, one on each side; these last mentioned rods or battens are
parallel with the seat suspending rods or battens. Portions of these seat
suspending media are fitted with flat metal plates which have holes or
perforations in them, one above another, to receive screw bolts or pins for
attaching the boat or seat thereto. The seat and foot rest are both
maintained in a horizontal position when in motion, and by making
those portions of the seat and foot rest which are bolted to the sus
pending rods to work freely on such bolts these bolts act in the same
way as the pin of an ordinary butt hinge, and thereby allow the seat and
foot rest to continue horizontal when swinging.
When the improved swing is intended for the open air it is provided
with a suitable frame; when intended for use indoors the frame may
་

page_text: be dispensed with, and the rods or battens be secured to the ceiling
joists, or beams, or roof, or other elevated support.
The rider or riders can put the swing in motion by applying the
pressure of the feet to the foot rest, which pressure intermittently applied
will cause the swing to oscillate, and by continuing the application of
such intermittent pressure the required motion of the swing can be easily
The Drawing shews the improved swing in a irame for use out of
doors. Fig. 1 is a side view of the swing and frame; Fig. 2 is a front
view of the same; Fig. 3 shews the iron plate, and Fig. 4.a screw bolt
by means of which the seat is raised and lowered in its position, and the
foot rest moved forwards and backwards.
The following reference applies to each Figure where the index letters
appear. a, a, are the uprights or posts of the frame which are tenoned
into sleepers or ties at their lower ends, their upper ends being fixed
to stretchers c; d, are rails which act as ties and stretchers fixed to
the posts a to maintain them in position; e, are stays or cross braces to
further aid in securing the stability of the frame; f, f¹, are suspending
rods or battens, by preference of ash, which carry the seat and foot rest;
g is the seat pivotted to the suspending rods f by the bolts o; j is the
foot rest formed of plate iron, upon which laths or battens are fixed,
resting upon and secured to battens or side rails k, which battens are
pivotted to the suspenders f. f, by metal bolts 1; m, are metal plates
perforated with holes n fixed to the inner sides of the suspenders fat the
desired height for attaching the seat g; o are iron bolts passing through
the bottom outer rails of the seat frame, these bolts are made with
cylindrical shoulders o' to fit loosely and work in the lower part of the
holes n of the metal plates m, these bolts are fixed to the chair frame by
the screw nuts o², the circular- portions of the holes n in the iron plates
m are made so as freely to admit the heads os of the metal bolts o;
when one of these bolts is fixed to each side of the chair frame as shewn
the head of each bolt is passed through the circular or upper part of
the holes n at the height required, and the shoulder o¹ of the bolts
allowed to drop into the narrow portion of the said holes, the suspenders
being grooved to allow this operation. By this arrangement the seat is
kept in a horizontal position when swinging. By a similar arrange-
ment the foot rest j is moved forward or backward on the battens k.

page_text: What I claim as new and desire to secure by the before-mentioned in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The mode of maintaining the seat and foot rest in a horizontal
position when the swing is in motion.
And secondly. The mode of adjusting the height of the seat and
the position of the foot rest to suit any size of person using the
swing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Atkinson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one. *