Improvements in Adjustable Supports for Furniture.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Supports for Furniture.
I. JOSEPH JAMES FEELY, of Walpole, in the County of Norfolk, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Counsellor-at-Law, 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, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, where-
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the invention shown as applied to a
chair seat;
Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same;
Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on the line 3-3 shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 represents a cross section on the liue 4-4 shown in Fig. 2; and
Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of the seat or furniture shank on the
line 5-5 shown in Fig. 2.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts
of the drawings.
In the drawing I have shown the invention as applied to a chair, but it is equally
well adapted for desks, stools, or other furniture as may be desired without
departing from the essence of my invention.
A represents the chair seat or furniture to the underside of which is secured in a
suitable manner the vertically adjustable shank B, said shank having a vertical
slot b as shown.
The front, rear and sides of the shank B are all vertical and parallel except the
rear surfaces b', b, on the sides of the slot b which are tapering or inclined as shown
in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.
The standard C is preferably semicircular or nearly so in section, as shown in
Fig. 4, and has at or near its upper end a notch or perforation C adapted to
receive the headed end of a screw bolt D, which passes through the slot and a
washer E spanning the inclined or tapering clamping surfaces b', 6, as shown in
Figs. 2, 3 and 4, said screw bolt being provided at its rear end with a fastening
nut d for clamping and holding the shank firmly secured in its adjusted position
relative to the standard.
The standard C is provided with oblique bearing surfaces C", C", extending in
a vertical direction from top to bottom of said standard, and on the front of the
shank B there are corresponding oblique bearing surfaces B' B' adapted to fit
against the surfaces C", C, on the standard as shown in Fig. 4.
The oblique surfaces B1, B2, on the shank B are likewise vertical and parallel
with the other parts of said shank except the inclined clamping surfaces b¹, 61,
as shown.
By having the bearing surfaces B, B, and C, C", respectively on the shank
and its standard made oblique in the manner shown and described, a very strong
frictional holding contact is obtained between said shank and standard when
clamped together by the bolt D and nut d.
If it is desirable to adjust the height of the furniture all that is necessary to do
is to loosen the nut d, sufficiently to permit the shank B to be moved up or down
the proper distance relative to the base or standard C and when so adjusted the
parts are readily secured in position simply by tightening the nut d.
Any downward pressure on the furniture and its shank B causes the latter to be
most firmly held in position relative to the base or standard C, by means of the

page_text: frictional contact between the said shank and standard and the inclined surface b¹
and the washer E on the screw bolt D.
The greater the downward pressure on the furniture is, the greater is the grip
between the shank and the standard consequently there is no danger of the furniture
moving downwards when pressure is being brought on it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The herein described adjustable support for furniture consisting of a vertical
standard C having oblique frictional clamping surfaces C, C", combined with a
vertically adjustable furniture shank B having correspondingly oblique bearing
surfaces B', B', a slot b, inclined surfaces b', b, and means for clamping the said
shank to the said standard substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of May 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.