A NEW OR IMPROVED HEAD REST
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbort and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED HEAD REST."
A communication from abroad by Lothar Heffter and Theodor Schuppli, both
of Zawiercia Poland, in the Russian Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "A NEW OR
IMPROVED HEAD REST." A communication from abroad by Lothar Heffter and
Theodor Schuppli, both of Zawiercie, Poland, in the Russian Empire.
The Invention bas for its object to afford a support to the head or neck of
persons when writing, reading or drawing, and to keep the head at the desired
distance from the table without interfering with the necessary movements.
The Invention consists in a support of any convenient form, which may be
lengthened or shortened at will, one end being capable of attachment to a table,
while the other end supports the head or neck. The desired motion may be allowed
by providing the crutch or support with a hinge at the lower end, or with a
movable cross piece at the top, and for changing the length of the support it may
be made of two pieces, which are screwed into each other or slide like the parts of
a telescope. Or the cross piece may be pivoted or otherwise attached to a fork
which forms a nut movable on a spindle. The cross piece, which is made concave
and round like the top part of a crutch, may rest on a spiral spring, and be guided
by a pin projecting into the top end of the supporting bar.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
January 1881.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
" A NEW OR
IMPROVED HEAD REST." A communication from abroad by Lothar Heffter and
Theodor Schuppli, both of Zawiercie, Poland, in the Russian Empire.
--The Invention has for its object to afford-a-support. or stay to the head or neck
of persons when writing, reading, or drawing, without interfering with the necessary
movements. This purpose is reached by means of an instrument consisting sub-
stantially of a rod or support capable of being lengthened at will, and adapted to
be fixed to a table by any suitable device, while the top is provided with a
transverso pieco which fits the rounding of the neck.
The variation of the length serves not only to adapt the head rest or crutch to
every person, but also to gradually accustom the eyes of short sighted people to
greater distances by a gradual increase of the height of the rod.
In order to make it more convenient for the neck to rest against the instrument,
it is advantageous to make the latter movable, which may be effected by a hinge at
the base of the crutch, or by a movable transverse piece at the top of the latter, or
"by the simultaneous application-of-these-two-devices.--
Because the rod can be made in various shapes, and for instance, serve as a pencil
case or similar receptacle, and because the mode of attaching the instrument to the
table, as well as the shape and mode of application of the transverse piece, may be
varied in many ways, the accompanying Drawings can only show a few examples
of construction, the details of which may be varied without departing from the
ground of the present Invention.
I do not therefore limit myself to the particular shapes, arrangement, and
combination of parts shown for the purpose of illustration.
In Figure 1, A is the transverse piece and B1, B2, the rod, the part B' being
internally threaded at Bla to receive the lengthening spindle C, which is secured
to B; D is the foot for attaching the instrument; it is hinged, and may be secured
to the rod and to the table in a manner indicated by the Drawing.
Figure 2 illustrates another sort of crutch, A being again the transverse piece,
and B the rod, partly hollowed out for the reception of b and C; D is the foot with
means of attachment; a, a helical spring upon which rests the piece A; b, a guide
spindle for preventing a canting of A upon the spring; c is a movable pin or key
with chain for fixing the height of the rod.
Figure 3 shows another example of crutch, A being the transverse piece capablo
of turning on its axis d, d; C, the lengthening screw, and B the rod; e, e, is a fork
having at the top two holes to receive the journals d, d, and in the centre an
internal thread el, which fits over the screw C.
The three crutches shown are adapted to any ordinary table. The height of the
crutch head rest may be adjusted as required by the person using it; the
transverse piece is applicable with any width of neck without undue pressure, and
follows any motion of the neck in such a manner that a person using it when
writing may move the head forward and backward without hindrance, without
losing the support afforded by the crutch.
In the instrument described and illustrated, the following elements or features
are subject to modifications:-
-
1. The mode of lengthening, which may be effected at the base, in the centre, or

page_text: at the top of the support or rod by means of screws, pins, keys, or buttons, &c., as
illustrated by Figures 1-4.
2. The mode or means of attaching the instrument to the table, the most
important means being illustrated by Figure 5.
3. The transverse pieces, which may have various shapes, and be secured to the
support or rod in different ways.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, A.D. 1881.
HT HADDAN (TQ)
H. J. HADDAN (re)