Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
I, JOHN ROWAN, of 55 Esplanade, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Ship Furnisher, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object and comprises the making of the seats or bottoms
of chairs and settees reversible, with a stuffed close covered bottom on the one side,
and covered with cane, wire or open work on the other side, the one for forming a
warm soft seat, and the other for forming a cool seat, specially suitable for ships and
other vessels trading between warm and cold climates, so that the seat may be reversed
to suit the climate, or the season of the year.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist in fitting a loose portable frame
within the main frame carried by the centre support or feet from the floor and carrying
the back and arms. This main frame would be open and have a strong bar below
when supported on swivelling tops to a central standard, and the open inner top-part
of the frame would be formed with a check in it to support the new portable open
frame of the bottom or seat part, which part might be about an inch thick, and an
inch and a half or so wide, and rest in the said check or edge groove. To one side
of this removable bottom would be mounted in a usual manner the stuffed bottom,
with strong canvas or straps below, and leather above, nailed or otherwise secured to
the frame some little distance from the edge all round, which would rest in the check
when the seat was inverted, without injuring the leather, and on the other side of this
portable bottom would be mounted or fitted the cane or other open bottom, also
leaving sufficient width at the edge of the frame, that when this is inverted, it would
rest in the check of the main frame, without injuring the cane or other material
forming the open bottom. Thus these portable frames or bottoms when inserted into
their check or recess in the main frame, would be flush therewith, whether turned
07

page_text: with the cane or stuffed side upwards, and the portable frame would have at one or
both sides a sunk swivelling ring or other equivalent for lifting out the portable seat
and reversing it. The frames of these portable seats might be made round rect-
angular or angled, or widest in front to suit the form of the main frame of the chair ;
and for settees or long seats, these reversible frames would be made in a usual
long rectangular form to suit the main frames of such settees or couches; or other-
wise in some cases they might be made to slide out and in in grooves in the main
frames from the front of the seat when having parallel or rectangular sides.

page_text: Improvements in Ship and other Chairs and Settees.
1, JOHN ROWAN, of 55 Esplanade. Greenock, Renfrewshire, Ship Furnisher, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object and comprises the making of the seat parts or
bottoms of chairs and seitecs reversible. with a stuffed close covered bottoni on the
one side, and covered with cane, wire or open work on the other side, the one for
forming a warm soft seat, and the other for forming a cool seat, specially suitable
for ships and other vessels trading between warm and cold climates, so that the seat
may be reversed to suit the climate, or the season of the year.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appender
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a front
elevation of the top wood frame part A, A¹, of a ship's saloon chair with the usual
swivelling stand, and with the portable seat part B in section, constructed in
accordance with and illustrative of the improvements of my invention and in
which the seat part A¹ of the frame is shown as formed with a round rocess in it
at A² for receiving and carrying a loose annular portable frame or reversible seat B,
which is shown formed or fitted with a close stuffed bottom on the underside, and
a cane bottom c on the upper side of the seat part B. Figure 2 is a plan of this
portable seat part B showing cane bottom side c upwards; and Figure 3 is a similar
view showing the stuffed close covered bottom on the upper side of the reversible
seat B. While Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 1
Figure 3.
- - 1 in
---
Referring to these Drawings:-The nature and novelty of any invention consist in
fitting a loose portable frame B within a groove A of the seat part A' of the main
back frame and arms A, all carried by the usual centre support or feet from the floor,
partly shown in the Drawings. This main frame A is made open at A², and has a
strong bar A3 below, for supporting it on the usual swivelling top or standard from
the floor; and the open inner top part of the frame A is formed with a check A² in
it to support the new portable open annular frame B of the bottom or seat part,
which part might be about an inch thick, and an inch-and-half or two inches or so
wide for strength, and rest in the said check or edge groove A². To one side of
this removable bottom frame B is mounted in a usual manner the stuffed bottom b, with
strong canvas or straps & below, and leather or other ordinary seat covering above
nailed or otherwise secured to the frame B some little distance from the edge all
round, which would rest in the check A2 when the seat I was inverted, without
injuring the leather; and on the other side of this portable bottom B is mounted or

page_text: fitted the cane or other open bottom c also leaving sufficient width at the edge of the
frame B, that when this is inverted, it would rest in the check A2 of the main
frame A. without injuring the cane or other material forming the open bottom or
the stuffed bottom. Thus these portable frames or bottoms B, when inserted into
their check or recess A² in the main frame A, would be flush therewith, whether
turned with the cane or the stuffed side upwards: and the portable frame B has at
one side (but it might be at both sides) a sunk swivelling ring B¹ or other cqui-
valent, for lifting out the portable scat B and reversing it, the ring B¹ acting
equally well from either side and the open space between the foundation part 1 of
the stuffed seat and the cane seat c forms an air space to keep the latter cool. The
frames B of these portable seats, although by preference shown round as for ship's
seats, might be made rectangular or angled, or widest in front, to suit the form of
the main frame A A¹ of the chair; and for settees or long seats, these reversible
frames B would be made in a usual long rectangular form to suit the main frames
of such settees or couches; or otherwise, in some cases they might be made to slide
out and in in grooves in the main frames from the front of the seat when having
parallel or rectangular sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The constructing of ship's and other chairs and settees in two main parts
consisting in the combination of a fixed horizontal frame A¹ and a portable reversible
seat frame B, substantially as and for the purposes and advantages herein described,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The constructing of the main stationary frames A of ships and other
chairs and settees, with a hollow top part having a check or edge groove A² to support
a portable upper seat frame, all substantially as and for the purposes and advantages
herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In ship's and other chairs and settees, the construction and use of a portable
reversible seat frame B, having a stuffed close covered bottom on the one side, and
a cane, wire, or open lattice work bottom c on the opposite side, all substantially as
and for the purposes and advantages herein described, in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1887.