IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS SEATS AND COUCHES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hayes of Riga Wharf Canal Road Kingsland in
the County of Middlesex Engineer. for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOLDING CHAIRS SEATS AND COUCHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hayes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1882.
JAMES HAYES, of Riga Wharf, Canal Road, Kingsland, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS, SEATS, AND
COUCHES.
The object of my said invention is to afford increased facilities for arranging the
adjustment of the backs or heads of folding chairs seats and couches, and altering
the angle of inclination thereof, and also for the suitable tension or stretching of
the elastic seats or webbing usually applied to such articles.
The arm or arms, or their equivalents, is or are pivoted at their lower ends as
usual, but their upper ends are cut or formed so as to form a ratchet, or serrated or
other rack, which takes or fits into a suitably formed link; this link holds and
retains the ratchet arm when the strain is upon it, by taking into one of the
notches or stops of the ratchet, and immediately frees itself when the strain is
taken off by the back or head being moved forward by hand or otherwise. The
upper ends of the arms may be united by a cross rail.
The links are made, by preference, of brass or other metal, and may be formed
rectangular, elliptical, or oval, from one end of which a short arm projects which is
suitably attached by a pivot to the side rail of the back foot or head. Two such
links being usually fitted to such back foot or head.
The head, or the head and foot of couches may be fitted in a like manner.
The means whereby the flexible seat is automatically stretched or made taut is
by using one or more stretchers from the front to the back foot rails, which
stretchers are slotted to embrace such rails, having at one end thereof a fall slot

page_text: for dropping on to one rail, while the other end is hinged to its bar. These
stretchers may also be applied to existing folding chairs and analogous articles of
furniture. These stretchers may also have an arrangement for adjusting their.
length. By lifting the stretcher so as to release its fall-slot from the rail, the chair
or other article of furniture can be readily folded up.
My said improvements also consist of a novel and secure mode of fixing the
material composing the seat or its equivalent to the respective rails by forming a
groove into which the material is caused to enter and be firmly gripped and fixed
by means of a wire, rod, or other suitable material, held by screws, staples, or
otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Hayes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th December
1882.
JAMES HAYES late of Riga Wharf Canal Road but now of Whiston Street
Kingsland in the County of Middlesex Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING
CHAIRS SEATS AND COUCHES "
The object of my said invention is to afford increased facilities for arranging
the adjustment of the backs or heads of folding chairs seats and couches and
altering the angle of inclination thereof and also for the suitable attachment
and tension or stretching of the elastic seats or webbing usually applied to such
articles
The arm or arms, or their equivalents is or are pivoted at their lower ends as
usual, but their upper ends are cut or formed so as to form a ratchet or serrated or
other rack, which takes or fits into a suitably formed link; this link holds and
retains the ratchet arm when the strain is upon it, by taking into one of the
notches or stops of the ratchet and immediately frees itself when the strain is taken
off by the back or head being moved forward by hand or otherwise. The upper
ends of the arms may be united by a cross rail.
The links are made, by preference of brass or other metal and may be formed
rectangular, elliptical, or oval, from one end of which a short arm projects which
is suitably attached by a pivot to the side rail of the back foot or head. Two such
links being usually fitted to each such back foot or head
The head or the head and foot of couches may be fitted in a like manner.
The means whereby the flexible seat is automatically stretched or made taut is
by using one or more stretchers from the front to the back foot rails.
These stretchers may also be applied to existing folding chairs and analogous
articles of furniture
These stretchers may also have an arrangement for adjusting their length. By
lifting the stretcher so as to release it from the rail, the chair or other article of
furniture can be readily folded up
My said improvements also consist of a novel and secure mode of fixing the
material composing the seat or its equivalent to the respective rails by forming a
groove into which the material is caused to enter and be firmly gripped and fixed
by means of a wire, rod, or other suitable material, held by screws, staples or
otherwise
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood, reference
is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
Fig 1 is a side elevation of a folding chair constructed in accordance with my said
invention The dotted lines shewing some of the positions in which it may be
placed, a is one of the links taking into the ratchet and thereby fixing the back
and its inclination to the arm b. c is one form of stretcher, shewn enlarged in
Fig. 5, whereby the tension of the fabric forming the seat is effected.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the link which is attached to the back of the chair
by means of a strong screw through the hole d, the head of the screw being
countersunk, as shewn. e is a roller made of hard wood or ebony, working upon
the pin f¹, which with the pin f unites the two sides of the link.
Fig 4 shows the action of the link a upon a portion of the arm ratchet b; the
pin f engaging in the rack as shewn, and the distance of the pin f from the
fulcrum d (Fig 2) causing the weight of the arm 6 to make the roller e press
downwards upon the upper surface of the arm, as shown in Fig 4. On lifting the

page_text: arms the back can be raised or lowered. The back ends of the two arms bare
united by a cross rail to insure simultaneous action.
Fig 5 is an enlarged view of one of the stretchers c The front rail g (Fig 1)
enters the angular portion of the slot, (Fig. 5) at g¹, and the back rail at h (Fig 1)
is fitted in the hole h¹ (Fig 5). The necessary tension of the seat being effected
when in that position. Two of such stretchers may be fitted.
Figs 6 and 7 are plan views of adjustable stretchers attached to and acting upon
the rails g and h; The rail h revolves on its own centre, longitudinally, and the
stretcher c¹ can be raised therewith, when the chair is being folded. The stretcher c¹
can be also moved laterally in order to adjust the distance of g from h, and also
the tension of the seat. The slotted rack k engages with the dowel or pin / for
such purpose of adjustment as shewn in Fig. 6. i is an extra rail permanently
fixed, which assists the revolving rail h to bear the strain. In Fig 7 the adjust-
ment is effected by means of the spiral cam m revolving upon the screw n and
thereby causing sufficient pressure against the dowel or pin as shewn. The
stretcher c² is permanently screwed or attached to the revolving rail h, and can be.
lifted upwards in order to fold the chair.
Fig. 8 represents in section, my improved method of attaching or fixing the seat
to the framing is a section of one of the rails, which is grooved or hollowed out
at r. p is the fabric forming the seat. This is passed round and under the rail as
shewn. An iron or other rod q is fixed by means of staples 8 as shewn, which
insures the fabric being held firmly by the rail.
It is obvious that my said invention can, by means of slight modifications, be
adapted to couches and sofas of various kinds
Having thus described and ascertained my said invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I claim :-
1. The manufacture and use of adjustable folding chairs seats and couches
constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn on the
drawings
2. The manufacture and use of the links a in combination with the ratchet
arms b, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and shewn in
Figs 1. 2. 3 and 4
3. The manufacture and use of the stretchers c as severally described and shewn
in Figs 1. 5. 6 and 7
4. The mode of attaching or fixing the fabric substantially as herein before
described and shewn in Fig. 8.
In witness whereof I the said James Hayes have hereunto set my hand and
seal this fifth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
:
JAMES HAYES. (L.S.)