IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OB CAMP STOOLS, OR SEATS, TABLES, AND BEDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lorenzo Field, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Photographic Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING
OB CAMP STOOLS, OR SEATS, TABLES, AND BEDS."
Sealed the 22nd September 1877, and dated the 28th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lorenzo Field at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1877.
LORENZO FIELD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Photographic
Cabinet Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR CAMP STOOLS, OR SEATS, TABLES,
AND BEDS:"
The object of my Invention is to give to the said stools, seats, and tables a square
base and top when opened or expanded instead of the triangular base and top of
the ordinary camp stool, and thereby to make them more stable and convenient in
use. In the case of stools and seats made according to my Invention, the square
top affords a much more agreeable and convenient seat than the ordinary
triangular top.
Folding or camp stools made according to my Invention may be conveniently
combined into a folding or camp bed, as herein-after explained.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a folding or camp stool. I make
the framing of the stool of four bars or rods of wood or other sufficiently strong
and light material, and I joint these four bars together by preference at or near
their middle. These bars are triangular in cross section, the two sides forming the
inner part of the bar being at right angles to one another. The outer or exposed
angles of the bar are bevilled. The middle of each bar, or the part at which it is
jointed to the other bars, is square in cross section, the hole through which the axis
on which it turns passes, being situated diagonally across the said square part, a
slight concavity is made at the inner angle of the bar where the said hole is made,
and inclined depressions are made on the inner faces of the bar near the hole, one
depression being between the hole and one end of the bar, and the other between
the hole and the other end of the bar. These depressions permit the bars to turn
in the direction proper to open the stool and serve as stops to limit the motion of
the bars. The four bars are connected together by a compound axis of iron or

page_text: steel. This axis consists of four cylindrical rods, all in the same plane, and
connected together at right angles to one another. They may either be made by
crossing two cylindrical rods at their middles and welding the crossing parts, or
they may be made by stamping, forging, or otherwise. After the four bars have
been put on their respective axes, washers are placed on the protruding of the axes,
and the said ends are rivetted on the said washers, and the said bars are thereby
secured to their axes.
The top of the stool may be made of a strong fabric having an edging of webbing
caps or loops on the under side fitting on the tops of the said bars.
The application of my Invention to folding seats other than stools, and to folding
tables, differs in no essential respect from its application to stools.
In making folding or camp chairs one or two of the rods are lengthened to form
a back, and in making a camp or folding table the bars are made of the length
required to support the top at the usual height. The top, in case of a table, is by
preference made rigid or capable of folding diagonally.
By combining several of the camp stools described they constitute a bed. The
several stools combined as a bed may either be provided with the ordinary tops of
strong fabric, or they may be made to support one top of strong fabric of sufficient
size to cover the number of stools combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Lorenzo Field in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th October
1877.
LORENZO FIELD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Photographic
Cabinet Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING OR CAMP STOOLS, OR SEATS, TABLES,
AND BEDS."
The object of my Invention is to give to the said stools, seats, and tables a square
base and top when opened or expanded instead of the triangular base and top of
the ordinary camp stool, and thereby to make them more stable and convenient in
use. In the case of stools and seats made according to my Invention, the square
top affords a much more agreeable and convenient seat than the ordinary
triangular top.
Folding or camp stools made according to my Invention may be conveniently
combined with a folding or camp bed, as herein-after explained.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a folding or camp stool. I make
the framing of the stool of four bars or rods of wood or other sufficiently strong
and light material, and I joint these four bars together by preference at or near
their middles. These bars are triangular in cross section, the two sides forming the
inner part of the bar, being at right angles to one another. The outer or exposed
angles of the bars are bevilled. The middle of each bar, or the part at which it is
jointed to the other bars, is square in cross section, the hole through which the axis
on which it turns passes being situated diagonally across the said square part. A
slight concavity is made at the inner angle of the bar where the said hole is made,
and inclined depressions are made on the inner faces of the bar near the hole, one
depression being between the hole and one end of the bar, and the other between
the hole and the other end of the bar. These depressions permit the bars to turn
in the direction proper to open the stool, and serve as stops to limit the motion of
the bars. The four bars are connected together by a compound axis of iron or
steel. This axis consists of four cylindrical rods or arms, all in the same plane, and
connected together at right angles to one another. They may either be made by
crossing two cylindrical rods at their middles and welding the crossing parts, or
they may be made by stamping, forging, or otherwise. After the four bars have
been put on their respective axes, washers are placed on the protruding ends of the

page_text: axes, and the said ends are rivetted on the said washers, and the bars are thereby
secured to their axes.
The top of the stool may be made of a strong fabric having an edging of webbing
caps or loops on the under side fitting on the tops of the said bars.
The application of my Invention to folding seats other than stools, and to folding
tables, differs in no essential respect from its application to stools.
In making folding or camp chairs one or two of the bars are lengthened to form
a back, or a separate back is applied, and in making a camp or folding table the bars
are made of the length required to support the top at the usual height. The top,
in case of a table, is by preference made rigid or capable of folding. A camp bed is
made as herein-after described.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a folding or camp stool opened or expanded
for use, constructed according to my Invention, and Figure 2 represents the same
closed or folded up; Figure 3 represents a cross section of the same taken a little
above the compound or cruciform axis of the stool on the line a, b, Figure 2, and
also represents a section of two of the bars taken through the joint holes; Figure 4
represents side elevations and a cross section of a portion of one of the bars of the
framing of the stool; and Figure 5 represents the compound axis of the stool
separately. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
The framing of the stool consists of four bars or rods of wood or other strong
and light material, marked respectively c, d, e, f, the said bars being jointed together
at their middles by the compound axis g. This compound axis consists of four
arms, all in the same plane, and connected together at right angles to one another,
as best seen in Figures 3 and 5. Upon the four arms of this compound axis g the
four bars c, d, e, f, respectively turn the said bars, being provided with holes h, h,
through which the arms of the compound axis g are passed. After the four bars c,
d, e, f, have been put on their respective axes g, metallic washers i, i, are placed on
the protruding ends of the said axes g, and the said ends are rivetted on the said
washers. The bars of the framing are thereby secured to their axes.
The construction of the bars c, d, e, f, is best seen in Figures 3 and 4. Each bar,
above and below the middle part, is of a triangular figure in cross section, as seen
in Figure 4, the two sides k, l, of each bar, which form the inner part of the bar,
being situated at right angles to one another. The other side of the bar, marked 1º,
forms the outer part of the bar. The middle of each bar, or that part at which it
is jointed to the other bars, is square in cross section, as seen in Figure 3, which
said Figure is taken through the joints of the bars, the hole h in each bar, through
which the axis on which it turns passes, being situated diagonally across the said
square part of the bar. The triangular figure of the bars above and below the
middle part is produced by chamfering the bars, for the sake of lightness, in the
manner indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 4. A slight concavity is made at
the inner angle of the square part of the bar where the hole h is made, and inclined
depressions m, n, are made on the inner faces of the bar near the joint hole. The
position of these depressions is best seen in the detached bars, Figure 3. They are also
seen at Figures 2 and 4. The wood above the depression m on one face of the bar is
also slightly chamfered or bevilled, as shewn at m², Figure 4, and the wood below
the depression m on the other face of the bar is similarly chamfered or bevilled, as
shewn at m³, Figure 4. These depressions and chamferings m, m³, m³, permit the
bars to turn in the direction proper to open the stool, and the depressions m, m,
serve as stops to limit the motion of the bars.
When a stool, constructed as described, is opened out or expanded, as illustrated
in Figure 1, the framing of the stool has a square base and top. The top of the
stool consists of a square piece of fabric or canvas or webbing, marked p, a cap or
loop p at the under side of each corner of the square top fitting on the tops of the
'

page_text: four bars o, d, e, f, of the framing. To fold the stool the top p is removed and the
ends of the bars are pressed together, when they fold or close upon another, as
represented in Figure 2. To facilitate the opening of the square-seated stool for
use, knobs or studs q, q, are fixed on the opposite bars e, f, near the top of the stool.
By grasping the knobs q, q, and pulling them apart the stool is opened or expanded.
Figure 6 represents, in perspective, opened or expanded, and Figure 7, in elevation.
closed, a camp stool constructed according to my Invention, which, when closed, as
in Figure 7, may be used as a walking stick. In this modification two of the bars
c, d, are prolonged at c, d, the prolonged parts having a semicircular figure in cross
section. The top p of the stool is provided with two long pockets or caps p³, p³,
for engaging upon the prolonged parts o², d², of the bars, as represented. When the
framing of the stool is closed, after the removal of the top p, as seen in Figure 7,
the prolonged parts c², d², form a cylindrical continuation of the closed stool, and on
the bottoms of the said parts c, d, a ferrule is placed. The walking stick stool is
completed by a screw cap or head 8, which is screwed upon the lower or base ends
of the four bars of the stool framing. These screwed parts are marked t* in
Figure 6.
Figure 8 represents, in perspective, a camp or folding chair constructed according
to my Invention, and Figure 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the same.
For constructing a folding chair I use a camp stool framing and top of the kind
herein-before described, but I combine with the said stool framing and top a back t
and straps, u, u, and connections for the said back and straps. The said back tis
composed of three parts hinged together so as to be capable of folding for transit.
On the upper end of each of the bars c, d, of the camp stool framing, which are
situated at the back of the seat, I fix an eye of the kind shewn in Figure 9 and
marked w, and I fix near each of the bottom corners of the folding back ta hook v,
which said hooks are hooked upon or engaged with the eyes won the bars of the
stool framing. The back t is held in its place by the straps u, u. The tops of these
straps are hooked upon the hooks x at the upper corners of the folding back t, and
the bottom ends of the said straps are provided with holes which are engaged with
headed studs at y on the upper ends of the bars e, f, situated at the front of the
Beats. The straps u, u, when the chair is folded up, serve to bind the several parts
together for transit. Instead of the detachable back t and straps u, u, two of the
bars of the framing may be prolonged to form the back, as described and represented
with respect to the walking stick camp stool, Figures 6 and 7.
In constructing folding tables according to my Invention, I use with a framing of
the construction described a square top composed by preference of three pieces of
wood hinged together so that they may fold upon one another. When the top is
expanded the parts of it are retained in their expanded positions by jointed end
pieces which pass under the ends of the three pieces of wood. These end pieces,
when the top is folded up, are turned under the parts to which they are respectively
jointed. I do not, however, limit myself to the construction of top described, as a
rigid top in one piece or in two pieces, folding diagonally, may be employed. The
table top is fixed to the tops of the bars of the framing by means of pegs or pins
on the latter taking into holes in the former.
To prevent the framing closing by accident struts may be employed. These struts
consist of metal rods jointed at one end to the bars of the framing, and when the
framing is expanded the said struts are opened out and their free ends made to take
into holes in the adjacent bars. In this way the framing is propped open and made
very rigid. When the framing is closed these struts lie in slots made in the bars to
which they are respectively jointed. As these struts exactly resemble those commonly
employed in the tripod stands of camera obscuras, I do not think it necessary further
to explain them.
By combining several of the camp stools described they constitute a bed. The
several stools combined as a bed may either be provided with the ordinary tops of
strong fabric or they may be made to support one top of strong fabric of sufficient
size to cover the number of stools combined.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,―
The improvements in folding or camp stools or seats, tables, and beds herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, making the
framing of the said folding or camp stools or seats of four bars, connected at or
about their middles by a cruciform or compound axis, on which they turn, the said
bars, in their expanded state, forming a square base and top to the stool or seat
framing, and when in their closed or collapsed state having nearly the figure of a
single bar, the several parts being constructed and arranged substantially as
described and illustrated.
Also the modifications and additions to the said folding camp stool framings
herein-before described and illustrated for adapting the same to folding or camp
seats having backs, as well as to tables and beds.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lorenzo Field, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
LORENZO FIELD. (L.S.)