Improvements in Seats for Writing Desks in Schools and other Places.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seats for Writing Desks in Schools and other
Places.
A communication to me from abroad by ARNOLD SCHINDLER, Engineer, of
Basel, in the Republic of Switzerland.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The seat which forms the subject of the present invention avoids the disadvantages
of the ordinary forms used as seats.
The half sitting and half standing position of the body which it allows prevents
the pressing together of the lower parts of the body and of the lungs and gives the
whole upper part of the body and head a natural, free, and powerful position which
allows the best position for the arm and hand and the right distance for seeing
properly and at the same time provides for a more perfect movement of the back
and sufficient support for the loins, hips, and thighs, without fatigue.
Another advantage of the improved seat consists in the possibility of obtaining
all the requirements for resting the body by changing the position of the seat, for
which purpose it is only necessary to arrange the position of the bottom part when
the seat itself will take its proper inclined position.
The improved scat is jointed where necessary and its lower end turns upon a
horizontal pivot or pin fixed in a bracket upon the ground, so as to allow the seat
to be moved backward and forward in a vertical plane. The lower end which
turns upon the pin is connected to a vertical tube in which a vertical bar can rise
or fall and can be adjusted and fixed at any desired height by a set screw.
The upper end of the vertical bar is jointed to the lower end of a short spindle
upon the upper end of which is fixed a suitably shaped curved spring, to the ends
of which a seat of wood or other suitable material is fixed.
Upon the lower tube is fitted freely a ring carrying on its lower side a wedge
and provided with a set screw so that it can be turned round upon the tube and
raised or lowered and fixed in any desired position. The tube passes through a
slot in a curved bracket which is fixed to the floor or forms part of the bracket
which carries the pin, and by turning the wedge either to the front or back of the
tube and inserting it into the slit the movement backward and forward may be
limited or entirely prevented.
The seat may be of any suitable kind and shape and instead of the springs
described it may have a helical spring upon each side, the upper ends of which are
supported whilst their lower ends are carried by the arms of a plate fixed upon the
top of the short jointed spindle already described, other arms upon the same plate
being screwed or otherwise fixed to the bottom of the front of the seat, which is
thus made elastic.
In a modified form of arrangement the seats themselves may be similar to those
already described but made to turn horizontally round a fixed hollow column or
tube a horizontal bar below the seat having an eye at its forward end which fits
upon and turns round the column, another similar eye fitting round the lower part
of the column and being connected to the horizontal bar above by a diagonal
strut.
A series of holes may be made through the column below the lower eye, into
either of which a pin can be inserted to adjust the height of and support the seat.

page_text: When not in use the entire seat can be turned round out of the way under the
desk.
Dat this 5th dor of July 1800
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton. Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seats for Writing Desks in Schools and other
Places.
A communication to me by ARNOLD SCHINDLER, Engineer, of Basel, in the
Republic of Switzerland.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of. Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
The seat which forms the subject of the present invention avoids the disadvantages
of the ordinary forms used as seats.
The half sitting and half standing position of the body which it allows prevents
the pressing together of the lower parts of the body and of the lungs and gives the
whole upper part of the body and head a natural free and powerful position which
allows the best position for the arm and hand and the right distance for seeing
properly and at the same time provides for a more perfect movement of the back
and sufficient support for the loins, hips, and thighs, without fatigue.
Another advantage of the improved seat consists in the possibility of obtaining
all the requirements for resting the body by changing the position of the seat, for
which purpose it is only necessary to arrange the position of the bottom part when
the seat itself will take its proper inclined position.
In the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of the invention,
Figures 1 and 2 are front and back views respectively of a seat moving
vertically.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, shew the seat in different positions.
Figures 6 and 7 are a side view and plan of a somewhat different separate seat.
Figure 8 is a plan of the first shewn seat.
Figures 9, 10, and 11, are front, side, and back views of a seat with helical
springs.
Figure 12 is a plan of the bottom piece.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 are different arrangements of a seat turning horizontally.
The improved seat (shewn in Figures 1 to 12) is jointed where necessary and its
lower end turns upon a horizontal pivot or pin A fixed in a bracket upon the
ground, so as to allow the seat to be moved backward and forward in a vertical
plane to the extent shewn in Figure 1. The lower end which turns upon the pin is
connected to a vertical tube B in which a vertical bar C can rise or fall and can be
adjusted and fixed at any desired height by a set screw.
The upper end of the vertical bar C is jointed to the lower end of a short
spindle D upon the upper end of which is fixed a suitably shaped curved spring E
to the ends of which a seat F of wood or other suitable material is fixed (shewn in
plan in Figure 8).
Upon the lower tube B is fitted freely a ring G carrying on its lower side a
wedge H and provided with a set screw so that it can be turned round upon the
tube and raised or lowered and fixed in any desired position. The tube passes
through a slot J in a curved bracket K (Figure 12) which is fixed to the floor or
forms part of the bracket which carries the pin, and by turning the wedge H either

page_text: to the front or back of the tube B and inserting it into the slit the movement
backward and forward may be limited or entirely prevented.
The seat (Figures 6 and 7) may be of any suitable kind and shape and instead
of the springs E fixed to the spindle D as described, it may have (as shewn in
Figures 9, 10, and 11) a helical spring L upon each side, upon the upper ends of
which the seat rests whilst their lower ends are carried by the arms of a plate M
fixed upon the top of the short jointed spindle already described, other arms upon
the same plate being screwed or otherwise fixed to the bottom of the front of the
seat, which is thus made elastic.
In the modified form of arrangement shewn in Figures 13, 14, and 15, the seats
themselves may be similar to those already described but made to turn horizontally
round a fixed hollow column or tube N, a horizontal bar below the seat having an
eye at its forward end which fits upon and turns round the column N, another
similar eye P fitting round the lower part of the column and being connected to the
horizontal bar above by a diagonal strut R.
A series of holes may be made through the column N below the lower eye P,
into either of which a pin O can be inserted to adjust the height of and support the
seat, a notch in the bottom of the ring P fitting upon the pin, and preventing the
ring from turning.
When not in use the entire seat can be turned round out of the way under the
desk.
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
I. The seat for a writing desk moveable in a vertical plane, the seat F being
connected by springs to the bar C which is adjustable in the tube B, the said tube
turning upon the horizontal axis A, and the extent of its movement being
adjustable by the wedge H in the bracket K, substantially as described and
shewn.
2. In combination with the seat F moveable in a vertical plane round a centre,
the support for the seat consisting of a frame turning upon a fixed vertical tube N
and adjustable to any desired height by the pin O fitting in holes in the tube N,
substantially as described and shewn in Figures 13, 14, and 15.
Dated this 4th day of April 1891.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.