An Improved Combined Piano Stool and Music Cabinet.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Piano Stool and Music Cabinet.
I, HENRY Booz BANES, of Bristol, Bucks County, in the State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, 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 an improved adjustable piano stool and among the
objects of the same are to provide a stool having two seat sections, each capable
of independent vertical and horizontal adjustment, with improved means of quick
and convenient adjustment and also certain novel and useful features of con-
struction.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device showing the seat
sections locked in engagement with each other and partially raised from the
base; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of said device; Fig. 3 is a trans-
verse vertical section of same; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper end of
the socket with pawl mounted thereon; Fig. 5 is a section of the bolt for securing
the seat sections together; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a portion of end of
casing showing the end of the shaft for manually operating the pawl.
to move.
Referring to the said drawings, 1 indicates the casing constituting the base
or support for the seat supporting or elevating rods. The said casing is provided
with drawer compartments formed therein, said compartments forming between
them a longitudinally extending way 2, in which the sliding sockets 3 are adapted
Each of said sockets is closed at its lower end and provided at its
upper end with the flanged head 4, the flanges being elongated to form plate 5
as illustrated in Fig. 2. Rods 6 extend longitudinally from end to end of the
casing just above the drawer compartments. Upon these rods ride the lugs 7,
which are attached to the under side of the flanged heads 4 so that the sockets
are movable upon said rods.
Positioned upon the top walls 8 of the drawer compartments are the strips 9
which terminate short of the inner sides of the said compartments to form a
space for the purpose of receiving the rods 6 and the lugs and flanges of the
heads 4 and located upon the upper faces of said strips 9 are the spacing
boards 10 which project beyond the inner end of said strips 9 to prevent the
withdrawal of the sockets when the elevating rods are elevated. 11 indicates
the top board of the casing, which is provided with the longitudinally extending
slots 12 adjacent its ends for the movement therein of the elevating rods 13 of
the seat sections. The elevating rods 13 are provided with spiral ratchet threads
terminating short of their lower ends, so as to leave the smooth portions 15,
which fit snugly within the sockets. An air cushion is formed there beneath
when the rods are lowered thus permitting the pawls for holding the elevating
rods at the desired elevation to be disengaged therefrom, and the seat sections
lowered without noise or jar. Small apertures 16 may be made in the lower

page_text: parts of said sockets to permit of the gradual admission or expulsion of air into
or from the sockets as the elevating rods are raised or lowered respectively.
The shafts 17 are rotably supported at their inner ends upon the strip 18,
which is attached to the upper ends of the drawer compartments and extends
transversely the central way 2. The outer ends of these shafts extend through
the end walls of the casing and the plates 19 secured thereto and are provided
at said outer ends with knobs for the purpose of manually rotating same for
operating the pawls as hereinafter described. The said plates 19 have their
central portions sunken within the end portions of the casing to receive the
said knobs. The strip 18 also serves as a stop against which the elongated
flanges 5 abut to limit the movement thereof. Upon the top of each head 4 is
a housing or casing 21, through which the shaft 17 loosely extends, and slidably
mounted upon said shaft within the casing is a pawl 22, having a portion of
its inner edge cut out to receive the strip of resilient material 23", so that as the
seat section is drawn upward the operation will be noiseless, as the resilient
strip sliding on the ratchet will deaden the sound of the ratchet. Each pawl is
provided with a feather 24 which engages a way 25 formed in the shaft 17 and
is normally held in engagement with the ratchet thread of the elevating rod
by a spring 23 so that when it is desired to lower the seat section rapidly,
shaft 17 is given a partial rotation which disengages the pawl from the ratchet
rod and permits the seat section to lower.
Upon the upper end of each elevating rod 13 is a head 27, which engages in
the transversely extending guides 28 formed on the under side of each seat
section 281, said head being formed with a slot 29, which is engaged by the
spring-actuated bolt 330, the stem of which extends through the side wall of the
scat section, where it is provided with a knob 31 for manual operation. By
disengaging this holt from the head of the elevating rod, the seat section may
be moved transversely of the casing, or by giving the rod a partial rotation.
said seat sections may be moved upon the elevating rods in a direction longi-
tudinally of the casing so that the seat sections may be further separated when
the limit of movement of the sockets within the casing is reached.
I will now describe the bolt for uniting the seat sections, which is formed
with the securing plate 30, in which the disk or plate 31ª is rotably secured,
said plate being provided with a guide loop 32, in which the bolt 33 is movable
laterally, said bolt being provided with the stop 34 to prevent its being with-
drawn therefrom, and with the handle portion 35. The keeper for this bolt
consists of the plate 36, which is secured to the adjacent seat section and having
the circular plate 37 rotably secured therein similar to the plate 31, said plate
carrying the loop or keeper 38 to receive the bolt. When this bolt is engaging
the keeper, it will be understood that the seats cannot be rotated so that they
are not separated by the operator in sitting thereon, or rising therefrom, but
when one of the seat sections is drawn upward or moved longitudinally, the bolt
automatically disengages its keeper by reason of said bolt and keeper being
swivelled to the respective seat sections.
A music rack 39 is formed on one side of the casing, and the drawers 30 are
provided with the drawer compartments, said drawers having the rings 41 for
withdrawing the same from the casing. It will be noticed that the seat sections
may be drawn upward by the loops 43, the pawls permitting said movement;
and as soon as the upward movement of the sections is discontinued, the pawls
will re-engage in the ratchets of the elevating rods to retain the same in the
elevated position. When it is desired to lower either seat section quickly and
without rotating same, the shaft 17 carrying the pawl is manually rotated
causing the disengagement of the pawl from the ratchet threads, when the seat
section will gradually lower without jar, owing to the air-cushion formed between
the lower end of the elevating rod and the bottom of the socket. When the seat
section has been lowered to the desired position, it may be retained in said
position by releasing the shaft 17 whereupon the spring-actuated pawl engages

page_text: with the ratchet. The seat sections may also be raised or lowered by rotating
the same to cause the travel of the spiral ratchet upon the engaging pawl. It
will thus be seen that I have so constructed the device that the seat sections are
capable of independent vertical and horizontal, longitudinal and transverse
adjustment and may be raised or lowered either by revolving the same or by the
rectilinear movement thereof, so that the vertical adjustment may be accom-
plished slowly or rapidly, as desired.
I do not desire to limit myself to the specific details of construction but
reserve to myself the right to change, modify or vary such details that properly
come within the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of a spiral ratchet-rod, a pawl adapted to engage therewith,
laterally-movable means for supporting and guiding the ratchet-rod and support-
ing the pawl, a seat supported by said ratchet-rod and laterally movable thereon
and means adapted normally to restrain and to be manually operated to permit
the said lateral movement of the seat upon the ratchet-rod.
2. The combination of a spiral ratchet-rod, a pawl adapted to engage there-
with, means for manually operating the pawl to disengage it from the ratchet-
rod, the pawl adapted normally to restrain the downward rectilinear movement
and to permit the upward rectilinear movement of the rod and to permit the
upward and downward rotating movement of said rod.
3. The combination with a supporting-base of a spiral ratchet-rod, a pawl
adapted to engage therewith, means, laterally movable with respect to the sup-
porting-base, for supporting and guiding the ratchet-rod and supporting the
pawl, a rotatably-mounted shaft adapted to actuate the pawl by its rotation but
to permit the lateral movement of the pawl upon it, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a support, of independently vertically adjustable
seat portions, movable laterally thereon, and an automatic self-releasing bolt for
preventing the independent rotation of the seat portions, but adapted to release
same when they are moved vertically or laterally, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the casing, drawer-compartments formed therein and
forming a way therebetween, a flanged socket movable in said with the
flanges thereof engaging and moving upon the upper walls of the drawer-com-
partments, an elevating-rod adjustable vertically in said socket and a seat portion
carried by said elevating-rod, substantially as described.
way,
6. The combination with a support, of a socket movable therein, an elevating-
rod movable in said socket and provided with a ratchet, a shaft rotatably mounted
upon the support, a pawl carried by the socket and adapted to engage the ratchet,
said pawl being slidable upon the shaft but locked from rotation thereon,
whereby when the said shaft is operated, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet,
and a seat portion carried by the elevating-rod, substantially as described.
7. An improved article of furniture comprising a casing; drawer-compartments
formed therein, said compartments forming between them a way which extends
longitudinally of the casing, a sleeve movable in said way, a board secured to
the casing above the top of the drawer-compartments and slotted in line with
the way, the walls of the slot of said board being provided with flanges, flanges
upon the sleeve adapted to move between the flanges of the slotted board and
the top of the drawer-compartments, an elevating-rod within the sleeve, a seat
portion upon the elevating-rod, and means for retaining the elevating rod at the
proper elevation, substantially as described.
8. An improved article of furniture comprising a casing, drawer-compartments
formed therein, said compartments forming between them a way which extends
5 longitudinally of the casing, a sleeve movable in said way, a board secured to
the casing above the top of the drawer-compartments and slotted in a line with

page_text: the way, the walls of the slot of said board provided with flanges, flanges upou
the sleeve adapted to move between the flanges of the slotted board and the
tops of the drawer-compartments, a stop formed on said board for limiting the
movement of the sleeve in one direction, an elevating-rod within the sleeve, a
seat portion upon the elevating-rod, and means for retaining the elevating-rod
at the proper elevation, substantially as described.
9. An article of the class described comprising a base; sleeves movable longi-
tudinally in the same, elevating-rods movable in the sleeves, blocks carried by
the upper ends of the elevating-rods, flanges upon the said blocks, seat portions
provided with flanged strips upon their under sides which engage the flanges of
the blocks whereby the same may be moved thereon, and bolts adapted to project
through suitable supports upon the bottom of the seat portions and engage the
slots in the blocks whereby the seat portions may be adjusted and secured in
their adjustment upon the blocks, substantially as described.
10. An article of the class described comprising a base, sleeves movable
therein, elevating-rods movable in the sleeves, a means for retaining the elevat-
ing-rods at the desired elevation, blocks secured to the upper ends of the
elevating-rods, flanges formed on the blocks extending transversely the base,
flanged strips upon the upper side of the seat portions which are adapted to engage
the blocks whereby the same may be moved upon the blocks and bolts carried
by the seat portions and adapted to engage the blocks for securing the seat
portions in proper adjustment upon the blocks whereby the seat portions may be
adjusted transversely the base and by revolving the same can be adjusted longi-
tudinally the base, substantially as described.
11. In an article of furniture the combination of a casing with compartments
therein, a way extending longitudinally the casing, a socket movable in said
way, means for supporting and guiding said socket, an elevating-rod supported
by said socket, a scat portion supported by said rod and having an independent
horizontal movement thereon, locking means for normally restraining said hori-
zontal movement until manually operated and adjustable means of supporting
the rod at any desired elevation in said socket, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.