IMPROVED SITTING & RECLINING CHAIR
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOSHUA HENRY EDWARDS Alexandra House Alexandra Road W. Kensington
Park London, W. Cabinet-maker & Wood-carver do hereby declare the nature of
this invention for my IMPROVED SITTING & RECLINING CHAIR to be as
follows:-
-
The Chair consists of two principal portions, viz., the frame, whether folding or
rigid; & the seat & back, which are hinged or piu or otherwise jointed together so
as to allow of being extended from the sitting to the reclining position-The back
of the chair is swung on pivots or otherwise in the rear upper part of frame-the
seat merely rests on another portion of the frame, at liberty; both supports (to
back & seat) being so adjusted that a person sitting in the chair, can, by a slight
push of the shoulders on the upper part of the back (which moves it to the rear &
consequently the seat, which is attached to its lower end, to the front, thus
bringing the two more on the same plane), change to any degree of recline he may
please, or reverse the position at will, even with his arms folded together; the
weight of the body retaining it so till overcome by the muscular force exerted,
which exertion eases the weight on the seat & allows it to slip the more easily-
but for further security, if so desired, a thumb-nut or other fastening may be
applied to the side or sides of the seat to prevent it sliding in the frame, when the
back & seat will be held firm in any one position.
"
The invention forms a comfortable, & in its folding form, a very convenient
lounging seat equally applicable to the boudoir or the library, the garden or the
lawn, the camp or ocean steamer, or the carriage by rail or road-Arms can be
attached or not as desired.
Your applicant humbly claims as his invention the separate back & seat hinged
or jointed together, the modes of supporting & adjusting the same.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOSHUA HENRY EDWARDS, of Alexandra House, Alexandra Road, W. Ken-
sington Park, London, W. Cabinet Maker and Wood Carver, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVED SITTING AND RECLINING CHAIR," and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The chair consists of two principal portions, viz: frame (whether folding or rigid)
and the seat and back, which are hinged, or pin (or otherwise) jointed together,
so as to allow of being extended from the sitting to the reclining position.-The
back of the chair is swung on pivots or otherwise, in the rear upper part of the
frame at about the height of the small of the sitter's back. The front portion of
the seat merely rests (at liberty) on another portion of the frame; both supports
(to the back and seat) together with the leverage of the back, being so adjusted
that a person sitting in the chair can, by a slight push of the shoulders against the
upper part of the back; which action moves the back to the rear, and consequently
moves the seat (which is attached to its lower end) towards the front, thus bringing
the back and seat more nearly to the same plane. The sitter may thus change to
any degree of recline he may desire, and alter such position at will, even with his
arms folded together; the weights of the different parts of the body retaining such
position until overcome by the muscular force exerted, which exertion eases the
weight on the seat, and allows the latter to slip more readily. But, for further
security (as in the case of invalids or nervous persons) a thumb nut, or other
suitable fastening, may be applied to the side or sides of the seat to prevent it from
sliding in the frame, when the back and seat will be held firmly in any position, or
at any angle.
This invention forms a comfortable, and (in its folding form) a very convenient
lounging seat, equally applicable to the Boudoir or the Library, the Garden or the
Lawn, the Camp or Ocean Steamer, or the Carriage by rail or road, or can be used
as a Couch,
Arms may be applied to the chair, if desired; and, in the case of the folding
arrangement, such arms may be fitted with adjustable hooks or catches, so as to
raise or lower the seat.
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, shewing my improved chair in an ordinary position
for sitting upon. Fig. 2 is a side view shewing another position of the back and
seat relatively to each other; and Fig. 3 shews my improved chair fitted with
arms. a is the seat, b the back, d and 'e are the staves forming the frame.
When the chair is not intended to be folded, the portions d and e of the frame
may be rigidly fixed together at the desired angle relatively to each other, or
formed as in the case of ordinary chairs. But when it is required as a folding
chair, pins are inserted at c for that purpose, and the angle is secured either by
stop rails ff, or by means of the arms shewn in Fig. 3.

page_text: The back of the seat a is supported by pins at a¹, where it is jointed to the
back b. The front of the seat simply rests upon a rail or stave at g, and is free to
slide thereon backwards and forwards.
In the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3, the height of the seat is made adjustable.
A rack is formed at b¹ into which the pin at d¹ enters, and whereby the back of
the seat a is supported. The frame e is prolonged at e¹, and such prolongation is
fitted with a moveable metallic tongue h, which enters one of the notches at i
sunk in the arm k. A link at unites the frame d, with the arm k, and allows for
adjustment. The seat rests freely on the rail g, as in Figs 1 and 2. m is a book
to prevent the seat a from slipping off the rail or support g.
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 method of supporting the seats of chairs, of the description aforesaid,
by attaching the back part thereof to the lower end of the swing back, and
resting the forward part thereof freely on a rail, substantially as herein before
described and shewn on the drawings.
2 The method of adjusting the relative angles of the seat and swing back by
the action of the sitter without appliances of any kind for effecting the same,
substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
3 The method of adjusting the height of the back and seat by means of a
serrated or other rack formed in the back bars, substantially as described and
shewn in Fig. 3 of the drawings.
4 The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts, together
forming my Improved sitting and reclining chair, substantially as herein before
described and shewn on the drawings.
DL: 051 J
1
"17007
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.