IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAIRS, SOFAS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, FOR SITTING AND RECLINING ON
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
METCALFE, of High Street, Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdoni of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year of IIer reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Metcalfe, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Metcalfe,
my exors, adiiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and, no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CHAIRS, SOFAS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, FOR SITTING AND RECLINING ON;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas
Metcalfe, should cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after tho
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
5 being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the sa
Thomas Metcalfe, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, an
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described an
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereo
that is to say-
My Improvements in the Construction of Chairs, Sofas, and other Articles
Furniture, for sitting or reclining on, are as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side view in section of a chair, and Figure 2 a front view
thereof, constructed according to my Invention. Figures 3 and 4 show the
chair (Figures 1 and 2) with the parts folded, as may be the case when the
chair is not in use. Figure 5 shews an end view, and Figure 6 a front view
of a sofa, constructed according to my Invention. Figure 7 shews the parts in
the position when intended for a camp bed, in which case there is an additional
frame, forming at other times a foot rest. The arrangement shewn at Figure 7
is similar to that shewn at Figure 1, and in order to give support to the head,
there are uprights used as shewn at x, x, and others at the feet at y, y. Each
of these articles of furniture is constructed and combined according to the
same principle or system, each article consisting of the frames a and b, which
I prefer to be of metal, the frame a being less than the frame b, and the two
are combined in such a manner that the smaller one a acts as a support to
suspend the seat, whilst the larger frame 6 acts in forming the back, and also
to suspend the other end of the material forming the seat, the upper rail of the
frame a and the upper rail of the frame having affixed thereto the flexible
part c, which is of canvas, or it may be made of other suitable strong fabric
or material. The lower rail of the frame a is connected to the lower rail of
the frame by means of a strap d, by which they are kept at any inclination.
The two frames, a and b, are combined together by axes or hinges e, e, or
other convenient means, so that they will fold flat together when not in use, or
recline as desired when in use. It will be evident that forms or such like
articles of furniture, with narrower seats than those of sofas, may be similarly
constructed.
The peculiarity of this Invention consists of there being frames a, b, of
different sizes or heights, combined by a flexible connection, which forms the 3
seat and the back, and generally the surface, for sitting or reclining on, the
one frame 6 being high enough to form the back when combined with the
part c, whilst the smaller frame is of the proper height to act in suspending the

page_text: Enrolled the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-nine.