Year: 1895

page_text: ROWLAND HILL ROWLAND The Thoro'fare Woodbridge Suffolk, Cabinet
Maker and Upholsterer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The above invention consists of a combination in one article of a chair, box, and
invalid bed-side table.
1st. A chair, fitted with castors So as to be easily moved about, with an
ornamental or plain panel back, and having a seat of the usual height.
2nd. A box, with a lid which forms the seat of the chair, which is hinged so as
to fall over to the sides, or front, or lifts up to the back, so that when the lid is
open it reduces the height of the seat and allows the box portion to be pushed
under the bedstead.
3rd. An invalid bed-side table which is formed by sliding the panel back
upwards by a simple arrangement to nearly the top of the chair and falling over
in front forms a table which reaches nearly across the bed. There is attached to
each side of the back panel, by hinges, an extra piece, to make the table part
wider, these pieces can be made of any width, so as to make the table top double
the width of the panel back, and when closed up are completely out of sight.
The general idea being that where space in bedrooms, hospitals, and other
institutions is a consideration, you have in the combination an article which is
always at the bedside, taking up only the room of a small chair, and which can be
instantaneously converted to either of the articles, having all the advantages of
either seperately and being self contained with no loose parts, springs, or any other
contrivance which can possibly get out of order.
It can be made in any wood or combination of woods to match existing
surroundings.
Dated this 27th day November 1895
Combination Chair, Box, and Invalid Bed-side Table.
ROWLAND HILL ROWLAND, The Thoro'fare Woodbridge, Suffolk, Cabinet
Maker and Upholsterer, 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 :-
The above invention consists of a combination in one article, of a chair, box,
and invalid bed-side table.
1st. A chair, fitted with castors, so as to be easily moved about, with an
ornamental or plain panel back, and having a seat of the usual height.

page_text: 2nd. A box, with a lid which forms the seat of the chair, and which is hinged
so as to fall over the sides, or front, or lift up to the back, so that when the lid is
open it reduces the height of the seat and allows the box portion to be pushed
under the bedstead. The box occupies the whole of the space from the front to
the back, from side to side, and from the seat of the chair to the top of the castors.
3rd. An invalid bed-side table which is formed by sliding the panel back of the
chair upwards to nearly the top of the back by the arrangement of having two
pins or studs affixed, one to each side of the panel near the bottom, which slide in
grooves made in the inner sides of the framing forming the back of the chair, the
grooves being stopped near the top of the framing. The pins affixed to the panel
then act as centres allowing the panel to fall over to the front, thus forming the
table which reaches nearly across the bed and which rests on a rail framed in
between the uprights of the back framing the top of the rail being in a line with
the bottom of the panel when formning the table. There is also a rail affixed
across the back of the framing in a line with the top of the panel which gives
rigidity to the panel when forming the table.
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed is a front elevation of a chair in accordance
with my invention. Figure 2 is a side view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view of the chair as it appears when the back panel is
arranged to serve as a table.
Figure 4 is the plan of the chair when. arranged as in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5, 5, Figure 4.
The body a of the chair is formed as a box in which toilet requisites may be
placed, its lid or cover b forms the seat of the chair, it is divided at the centre and
each part is doubly hinged at 6161 so that the seat is able to fold outwards to
either side to the positions indicated by dotted lines Figure 1 thus reducing the
height of the box to such an extent as to make it to pass under a bed which otherwise
it might be unable to do.
c is the back panel which also when in an horizontal position serves as a table by
projecting over the bed in which the invalid lies.
The table may be widened by having flaps d d hinged to it; these are folded
inwards when the panel serves as the chair back and there are grooves in the
surface of the panel at el c¹ to receive the projecting flanges d¹ d¹ which it is
convenient to provide upon the flaps d.
The chair back has two rails f and g connecting the uprights or side pieces and
these rails serve to support the panel when in the horizontal position as is shown
in Figure 5. The rails ƒ and g also serve as guides between which the panel slides
in its movements when raised or lowered between the uprights of the back. In
these movements the panel is also further guided by pins h½ fixed into it one on
either side the pins project into grooves i i formed in the uprights.
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.
1. The combination of the chair, box and invalid bedside table.
2. The novelty of the panel-back of a chair forming a table.
3. The construction of the back-panel by which it slides upwards and falls
forward over the bed to form a table.
4. The construction of the seat which by being hinged admits the box portion
to be pushed under the bedstead.
Dated this 21st day of August. 1896.
ROWLAND HILL ROWLAND.