Improvements in Folding and other Chairs.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Apr., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding and other Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER BARR, of 2 Bothwell Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object by an improved, simple, and inexpensive con-
struction to render the backs of folding and other chairs easily adjustable in two
positions, the back being nearly vertical in one position and inclined considerably
backwards in the other. It is one economical advantage of my improved construction
that all the wood employed in making the chair, either of the folding or non-folding
kind may consist of straight pieces:
In carrying out my Invention the back of the chair is made with its side frame bars
extending down below the level of the chair seat; and the bottoms of these bars,
which are by preference connected together by a crossbar, are connected by short
metal links to centre pins fixed to the legs of the chair. At about the level of the
seat the side frames of the back are connected to the frame of the seat or to the tops
of the legs at the back by grooves and pins or other equivalent arrangement allowing
of a slight vertical and angular movement of the back. When the back is in its
nearly vertical position the links at the bottoms of its side bars lie horizontally back-
wards from their centre pins; and in order to place the back in its other position it
has simply to be raised a little and moved angularly to turn the links over into their
opposite positions. In either of its positions the back rests quite firmly, the bottoms
of its side bars bearing on the legs or on stops; or the movements of the links may
be limited by stops. Chairs made with the improved two-position back may be
constructed with or without side arms; but when side arms are used they may be
hinged at their back ends to the back and at or near their front parts to the upper ends
of bars having their lower ends hinged to the seat frame or legs. When this
arrangement of side arms is adopted the position of the back may be changed by
suitably moving the side arms and without rising from the seat.
The improved back may be combined with the ordinary cross-legged construction
and therewith form a complete folding chair.
Dated this Eighth day of June 1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER BARR, of 2 Bothwell Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of siad invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say:
My said Invention has for its object by an improved, simple, and inexpensive con-
struction to render the backs of folding and other chairs easily adjustable in two
positions, the back being nearly vertical in one position and inclined considerably
backwards in the other. The improved back may be combined with the ordinary
cross-legged construction of folding chair and therewith form a complete folding chair,
and chairs made with the improved two position back may be constructed with or
without side arms. It is one economical advantage of my improved construction that
all the wood employed in making the chair, either of the folding or non-folding kind
may consist of straight pieces.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be here-
inafter referred to and showing a folding chair as made with my improvements.
Figures, 1, and 2, on the accompanying sheet of drawings, are a plan and a side
elevation, respectively, showing the chair with the back in the inclined position, and
figure, 3, is a side elevation showing the chair with its back in the vertical position.
In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my Invention the back of the chair is made with its side frame
bars, 4, extending down below the level of the chair seat, 5, and the bottoms of these
bars, 4, which are by preference connected together by a crossbar, 6, are connected by
short metal links, 7, to centre pins fixed to the legs, 8, which extend from the front to
the back of the chair. The side frame bars, 4, of the back are made with grooves, 9,
on their inner sides extending from beneath the level of the seat, 5, upwards, and
pins, fixed in the tops of the legs, 10, which extend from the back to the front of the
chair, work in these grooves, 9, so as to allow of a slight vertical and angular move-
ment of the back; and of the chair being folded when desired. The legs, 8, are
connected together, as usual, by cross bars, 11, 12, and the legs, 10, are also connected
together by similar bars, 13, 14, the bar, 13, however being made with its ends
bevilled and slightly projecting so as to form a support for the back when in its
inclined position. Side arms, 15, are hinged at their back ends to the side bars, 4, of
the back, and near their front parts to the upper ends of bars, 16, having their lower
ends hinged to the legs, S. When the back is in its nearly vertical position as shown
in figure, 3, the links, 7, at the bottoms of its side bars, 4, lie horizontally backwards
from their centre pins; and in order to place the back in the position shown in
figures, 1, and 2, it has simply to be raised a little and moved angularly to turn the
links over into their opposite positions. The movement of the back can be effected by

page_text: suitably moving the side arms, 15, and without rising from the scat, 5. In either of its
positions the back rests quite firmly, the bottoms of its side bars, 4, bearing on the
lega, 8, or, if preferred, on stops attached thereto, which stops may be used to
limit the movement of the links; and when in the inclined position the back receives
additional support by bearing on the projecting parts of the cross bar, 13, and also by
the cross bar, 6, bearing on the legs, 10.
Leather, canvas, or other suitable material is used to form the seat and back being
stretched between and fixed to the cross bars 11, 13, to form the seat and between the
bars, 4, to form the back.
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 :-
Making folding and other chairs with backs adjustable in two positions such backs
being constructed and connected to the other parts of the chairs substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described and show in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this binhth day of M 1007
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.