Improvements in Pianoforte or Orchestra Stools.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
Improvements in Pianoforte or Orchestra Stools.
I THOMAS GAPES of 15 Clova Road Forest Gate in the County of Essex,
Mercantile Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to improvements in pianoforte or orchestre stools and
consists in means for raising or adjusting the seat to any desired height.
In order to carry out my invention I attach to the under part of a seat which
may be of plain wood or upholstered four ratched rods or supports, said rods to
slide telescopically within four metal tubes, constituting the legs of said stool, the
legs or tubes being screwed or otherwise fixed to frame, to which is attached two
oscillating metal handles the extremities of which end in catches or pawls (4 in all)
the weight of handles causing said catches or pawls to engage with aforesaid
ratched rods and automatically securing seat in position on lifting said seat to
desired height; the said seat being lowered by raising handles which relieve catches
and cause seat to fall into original position.
I may conseal the whole mechanism within a frame of wood or other material so
as to match other furniture.
DALL 1011
1004
improvements in Pianoforte or Orchestra Stools.
I, THOMAS GAPES of 15 Clova Road, Forest Gate in the County of Essex,
Mercantile Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has relation to improvements in pianoforte and orchestra stools,
and consists in means for elevating or lowering the seat of the same to any desired
height.
The seat, which is upholstered, has directed from the underside of it, four or other
number of ratchet-toothed rods or supports, which take and slide telescopically
within a like number of metal tubes constituting the legs of the stool, which legs are
formed into a frame by cross ties or bracings.
Carried by, and jointedly connected to, a cross stay of the leg framing, are
combined handles and catches, which automatically engage with the teeth of rack
toothed rods and prevent their descent, or retain them in any adjusted position to
which they may have been brought. The lifting of the handles brings the catch
ends from out of the path of, and clear of the teeth, when the rack-toothed legs or
upper frame carrying the seat can be adjustably lowered.
The catch mechanism is concealed as much as possible from view, and the legs
and other parts of the stool may be made en suite with other furniture or decorated
in any desired way.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation a music stool
constructed according to my invention.

page_text: Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of the same upon the dotted lines A
Figure 1, showing the arrangement of the handles for operating the pawls or
catches and for taking them into and out of engagement with the ratchet teeth on
the legs.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the chair, with one of the hollow legs in section.
Figure 4 shows an end view of one of the pawl catches and its releasing and
operating handle separately, and Figure 5 is a topside plan of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
a is the seat of the stool, supported upon its underside by four depending rods b,
having ratchet-shaped teeth formed respectively upon their sides, and constituting,
with the seat a top framing. These said rods b, take into and slide telescopically
within the hollow interiors c', of legs or tubes c, which are braced together by
ties c², c³, and constitute a supporting frame, crossed at the upper parts of the two
opposite sides by pawl handles e, jointed at e², to a bracket frame f, and with the
terminal catch ends e, engaging with the shoulders 62, of the ratchet teeth b¹ formed
upon the legs b, as aforesaid.
To prevent the withdrawal of the seat rods from the legs, stops g, in the form of
pins, are provided at the lower ends of the said rods and are designed to come
against stop collars c³, formed near the entrances to the legs.
e,
which
Assuming that the seat is required to be lowered, then raise the handles
take the pawls e³, from the shoulders 63, of the teeth b', when the same can be
lowered to the required height, and then affixed in the adjustable position by
releasing the handles, which act as counterpoises to the catch ends and automatically
take them into engagement with the teeth.
To raise the seat, it is only necessary to lift the same to the desired height when
the inclines of the ratchet teeth of the rods wipe over the pawl ends and push them
out of the way, which said catch ends are caused to fall at the back of the shoulders
successively by the counterpoising handles.
Instead of employing hollow legs in which the seat rods work, I may employ
open-sided confining guides in which the said rods work and slide.
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 :-
First. A raising-and-lowering pianoforte or orchestra stool consisting of a seat,
having depending from its underside toothed or rack-toothed rods or bars, which
take and slide within or upon legs or supports of a frame, which said toothed bars
are adjustably held by a catch or catches or their equivalent, substantially as
described and set forth.
Secondly. In raising-and-lowering pianoforte or orchestra stools, as referred to
in the preceding claim, employing in conjunction with the toothed rods or bars,
counterpoising handles and catch pawls, substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth.
י
T
THOMAS GAPES,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.