Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896
1000
www.
4007
I, DOROTHY CATHRINE MOON, of 12, Union Street, Plymouth, Devon, Uphol-
steress, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in chairs or seats and has for its object
to combine a number or series of chairs together in such a manner that they
can be easily and quickly folded up or collapsed into a small space and removed
when not required for use.
For this purpose I connect any suitable number, say twelve, chairs together
side by side and form their front and back legs of cross bars pivoted at their
upper ends to the side frames of the chairs and at their middle or crossing. points
together so that each chair can be folded up or closed. The side frames consist
of bars to the rear of which are pivoted uprights or bars forming the backs of
the seats and stayed by side arms reaching to the front of chair. These uprights
are kept at their proper distance apart by bars hinged at one end to one of the
uprights and bearing at the other end in a horizontal position against the other
upright, stops being arranged so as to keep the back upright and prevent it from
swaying to right or left. Thus the intermediate upright, side frame and arm
are common to two chairs. The chairs are completed by strips of carpet attached
across the back and from one side frame to the other to form the seat.
In order to fold the chairs into a small space the bars at the back are turned
on their hinges into a line with the uprights which permits of the front and back
legs being moved on their pivots so as to bring the side bars or frames together
as well as the uprights at the back
My invention is especially applicable for use in halls or large rooms where.
chairs are used which have to be removed and packed when the building is.
required for other purposes.
Dated this 5th day of November 1806
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
I, DOROTHY CATHRINE MOON, of 12, Union Street, Plymouth, Devon, Uphol-
steress, 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:-
This invention, which relates to chairs or seats, consists in combining together,
as hereinafter more fully set forth, two or more seats as one connected piece of

page_text: furniture; the construction and arrangement being such that the series of seats
thus combined is collapsable, and, therefore, when not expanded for use as seats,
the combined chairs occupy reduced space. The number of seats combined
together, as aforesaid, may vary.
In a collapsable series of combined seats constructed and arranged in accord-
ance with this invention, the legs of each seat consist of two pairs of bars crossed
and connected together after the manner of lazy, tongs. One pair of bars is at
the front and the other at the back of the seat. Rods extending transversely
at top and bottom unite the front pair of bars to those at the back. From the
upper rods are suspended webs of carpet or other suitable fabric. These webs
constitute the surface for sitting on. The rods from which the webs are suspended
are passed through uprights situated at front and back. The front uprights,
which are tied towards the lower ends to the rear uprights by transverse rods,
The rear
are turned back above the webs to serve as side arms to the seats.
uprights are extended upwards above the webs, and, to the rear uprights, are
nailed, or otherwise fixed, strips of carpet, or other suitable fabric. These strips
constitute back rests.
The front and rear uprights aforesaid are free to rise when the combined series
of seats is being collapsed, and they descend when the series of seats is being
spread. They are forked at their lower ends, and the forks thus formed straddle,
when the series of seats is fully spread, over the rods which unite the legs of
the seats towards the lower ends thereof. To these rods are connected vertical
guide rods passed through staples or eyes extending backwards from the rear
faces of the front uprights.
Under another arrangement, the uprights at front and hack are not extended
below the webs, and the series of seats, when fully spread, is kept extended by
arms hinged at one end to the rear uprights and hooked at the other end in a
staple driven into the rear upright next in succession. These bars, when down,
rest on stops fixed to the rear legs.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of
sents a front elevation of a series of seats
invention, to form one piece of furniture.
extended. Fig. 2 is an end view.
illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 repre-
combined, in accordance with this
The series is represented as fully
The series illustrated combines only three seats, but a greater number may be
combined in a series; the construction and arrangement is the same, being merely
repeated in each additional seat.
The front legs of each seat consist of a pair of bars crossed diagonally and
pivotted together by pivot pins a'. The rear legs of the seat consist of a similar
pair of bars 6 crossed diagonally and pivotted together by pivot pins 6. Rods c
extending transversely connect together the bars a and b towards the top thereof
The bars a and b are connected together towards the bottom by the transverse
rods d. From the rods e are suspended webs f of carpet or other suitable fabric
These webs are the surfaces for sitting on.
At Figs. 3 and 4 the method of suspension of the webs f is illustrated at a
enlarged scale, Fig. 3 being a part plan, and Fig. 4 a part transverse section
The webs f are folded down towards each end, and, in the bend caused by folding
is a steel or iron rod f¹. The webs f are suspended from the rods e by links
passed through eyelets fixed in the webs. This method of suspension is pre
ferred but other methods, such as lacing, may be adopted.
The rods c are passed transversely through uprights h and i which are furthe
connected towards their lower ends by rods j. The uprights are turned back
above the webs f to form side arms which meet the uprights i which latter ar
extended upwards and have strips & of carpet or other suitable fabric nailed of
otherwise secured to them. These strips 'constitute back rests or supports fo
the person sitting on the webs f.
h
The uprights and i are forked at their lower ends. The forks straddle ove
the rods d when the series of seats is fully extended, as shown. The heads

page_text: provided on the rear ends of the rods d prevent the uprights i from sliding back-
wards off the rods d. To the rods d are connected vertical rods passed through
the rods which are flattened to permit of it and thus act as guides. The rods
are also passed through staples m extending inwards from the backs of the
uprights h. The rods are securely fixed on the rods d and therefore cannot
move along them.
At Fig. 5 is represented a front view of the series of seats as in the folded or
collapsed position, to which they are brought by compressing the series from
both ends or from either end.
It will be seen that the space occupied by the collapsed seats is very much less
than that required for the seats when extended. Hence, combined seats con-
structed in accordance with my invention are adapted for ready removal and for
stowing piling or stacking.
According to another arrangement, shown in rear view at a reduced scale at
Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings, the uprights at front and back stop short
at the upper point of connection to the legs, and the series of seats when fully
spread, is kept extended by arms » pivotted at n¹ to the end rear uprights and
hooked to the staple o driven into the central upright. The arms », when
lowered, bear upon the stops p fixed to the rear legs of the seats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination, as one article of furniture, of a connected series of two
or more collapsable or folding seats, being chairs constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as hereinabove described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5
inclusive of the accompanying drawings, that is to say, seats the front and back
legs of which consist of diagonally crossed bars such as a and b those in each pair
being pivotted together and to transverse rods such as c and d, front uprights
such as h connected to the rods d, and rear uprights such as i also connected to
the rods d carrying webs such as f, or the like, constituting the part to be sat
upon
2. In connection with a combined series of collapsable seats such as is set forth
in Claim 1, downward extension of the uprights h and i forked at their lower
ends and so arranged that the forks straddle over the rods d when the series of
seats is fully extended; vertical rods such as being carried upon the rods d
and passed through staples m driven into the uprights h and through rods j by
which the uprights are tied together towards their lower ends, substantially as
hereinabove set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The modified construction of collapsable seats combined as one article of
furniture substantially as herein before described and shown at Fig. 6 of the
accompanying drawings, according to which the seats when extended are held
in the extended position by arms such as n pivotted to the end rear uprights and
hooked to a staple such as o driven into the central rear upright; the said arms,
when lowered, bearing upon stops such as p fixed to the rear legs of the seats.
Dated this 28th day of July 1897
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.