Improvements in Outside Seats for Tramcars, Omnibuses, and similar Vehicles, and other Exposed Seats.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 10th June 1893
Improvements in Outside Seats for Tramcars, Omnibuses, and similar
Vehicles, and other Exposed Seats.
1, THOMAS ORME COLLES, of Belmont, Higher Broughton, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Billiard Table Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in outside seats for tramcars, omnibuses,
and similar vehicles, and other seats exposed to the weather, such as garden seats
and-the like, and the chief object of my invention is to insure in all conditions of
weather a dry seat for the person about to occupy it.
I accomplish this object in several ways as follows:
:
--
First I form the seat of a series of wood or other strips mounted on dowels,
pivots, or other suitable devices, and arranged so that the whole series can be
reversed simultaneously by means of a rod or rods or other appliance.
In some cases the strips forming the seats might be arranged so that each strip
could be turned over separately and independently of the others; but it is obvious
that the general and most convenient arrangement will be to combine the strips so
that they can be reversed simultaneously and by a single action.
:
Secondly I mount the seat on pivots, so that it can be reversed and when at
rest can be locked by a collar pin, bolt, or other contrivance.
Thirdly I form a flexible or lattice seat somewhat on the principle of a roller
shutter and mount it on rollers or in an equivalent manuer so that the under part
can be brought to the top whenever necessary.
Fourthly: I employ a flexible or lattice seat like the last, and arranged either
with or without a spring or springs to be rolled up or withdrawn when not required
and to be drawn out when wanted.
The flexible or lattice seats described under the third and fourth heads of my
invention may either be made strong enough to be used as the actual seats or they
may be made of lighter material and be employed in combination with fixed seats.
Dated this 26th day of October 1892.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Outside Seats for Tramcars, Omnibuses, and similar
Vehicles, and other Exposed Seats.
I, THOMAS ORME COLLES, of Belmont, Higher Broughton, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Billard Table Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in outside seats for tramcars, omnibuses
and similar vehicles and other seats exposed to the weather such as garden seats,
deck and boat seats and the like, and the chief object of my invention is to ensure
in all conditions of weather a dry seat for the person about to occupy.it.
I accomplish this object as follows:-
* };
1 form the seat of a series of wood or other strips mounted on dowels, pivots, or

page_text: other suitable devices, and arranged so that the whole series can be reversed
simultaneously by means of a rod or rods or other appliance.
In some cases the strips forming the seats might be arranged so that each strip
could be turned over separately and independently of the others; but it is obvious
that the general and most convenient arrangement will be to combine the strips so
that they can be reversed simultaneously and by a single action.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of a portion of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3
a sectional end view of a garden seat made according to my invention and Figs. 4
and 5 are views on a larger scale of details of the same.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of a single seat of an alternative construction and Figs. 7
and 8 are end views partly in section of Fig. 6.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5,-a is the frame of a garden seat to hold two persons,
bend pieces and c a middle piece of the frame into which the strips of wood or
other material d which form the seat are pivoted on pins or dowels d'; near the
centre of each strip d is secured a slotted bracket e and connected to each of these
brackets is a hook the shank fi of which is screwed into or otherwise secured to
a rod of metal which lies under the strips d.
The strips are preferably grooved and shaped as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 so that
rain will fall off the edges of the strips and not collect on the under sides ;
grooves can also be cut in the pieces b and c to drain off water as shown in Fig. 2.
The seats are always ready to be occupied, if however, they are wet, all the
strips forming one seat can readily be turned over simultaneously on their pins or
dowels by turning over any one of the said strips. It will be seen by referring
to Fig. 1 that the two sets of strips forming the seats are shown in different
positions.
If desired the rod g could be prolonged at one or both ends to form a handle by
moving which all the strips could be reversed simultaneously.
In the modification shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the strips have pins or dowels d'
fitted in metal plates which are secured to the frame a of the seat by screws a'.
At one end of the seat outside the plate is a plate of metal i which is carried ou
dowel pins d² secured to the strips, the plate i being secured say to the two end
strips by prolonging the pins d² and screwing nuts on to them; in this case the
strips can all be reversed simultaneously by raising any one of them and to
facilitate this the middle strip is shown cut away at k; Figs. 7 and 8 show the
strips d in two positions and also illustrate the connections of the strips
plates h and i.
to the
By dispensing with the rods g, brackets e and hooks in Figs. 1 to 5, and the
plate in Figs. 6 to 8, the strips d would then be each separately pivoted on the
dowels or pins and could be turned over by reversing each strip singly.
I have shown my invention as applied to seats only but it is obvious that it may
also be applied to the backs of such seats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
In tramcar, garden, ship, boat, and other exposed seats.
1. A seat consisting of a number of strips of wood or other suitable material,
each strip so pivoted that it can be turned over or reversed as and for the purposes
described.
2. A seat consisting of a number of pivoted strips connected to a rod or equivalent
and arranged so that all the strips can be reversed simultaneously by a single
movement substantially as described and as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5.
3. A seat consisting of a number of pivoted strips connected to a plate or

page_text: equivalent and arranged so that all the strips can be reversed simultaneously by a
single movement substantially as described and as illustrated in reference to
Figs. 6 to 8.
Dated this 28th day of April 1893.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.