Improvements in Suspension Baby Walkers, also applicable as Chairs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1892-Accept:d, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspension Baby Walkers, also applicable
as Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER SMITH, of 17 Commerce Street, Arbroath, in the County of
Forfar, Wine & Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved suspension baby walker and chair.
According to this invention the body of the child is enclosed in a padded corset-
like hinged frame or jacket hollowed out to fit under the arm pits and secured upon
the child by a strap and buckle. The said jacket is supported at the back by a
spring support or "suspender," consisting of an inverted U-shaped flat steel bar,
one arm of which is adjustably secured by a set screw to the framework of the
apparatus, the free arm being bent inward to bear against the first mentioned arm,
but being capable of separation from it when the "suspender" is to be withdrawn,
so as to clear a portion of the framework normally occupying a position within the
bend of the "suspender." The jacket is attached to the bent end of the free arm
of the "suspender." The said supporting framework of the apparatus consists of
three equidistant vertical supports or uprights, the two outer ones being in one
piece bent somewhat to the form of an inverted U, the centre of which is united
to the upper extremity of the third or central upright. This junction is the part
normally enclosed in the bend of the spring "suspender." Near the upper part of
this frame the uprights are united by a semicircular bar, and its lower part is
secured to an eliptical ring mounted on rubber-tyred pulleys or castors. The
eliptical form of this ring allows of its clearing the child's heels in walking. A
crescent-shaped table may be secured at its ends to the upper portion of the said
outer uprights and at its centre to a hinged support bearing upon the front part of
the said eliptical ring, thereby affording a support for the child's playthings and
.he like. The said table may be reversed to serve as a seat, in which case its
e:tremities are secured to the projecting ends of the semicircular bar of the frame.
and a hook carried at its centre part is inserted in one of several holes in the lower
end of the free arm of the spring "suspender," a number of these holes being
provided to allow of the vertical adjustment of the said suspender and the jacket
attached thereto. When the table is used as a seat the hinged support is folded
up and secured by a spring clip to its underside.
In a modified arrangement the table is permanently attached to a framework
consisting of four uprights united by three hoops, the two upper ones being circular
and the lower one eliptical.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspension Baby Walkers, also applicable
as Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER SMITH, of 17, Commerce Street, Arbroath, in the County of
Forfar, Wine and Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a new or improved baby-walker also applicable for use
as a chair.
near their
In carrying out my invention I provide a framework having three legs united
upper ends by means of a bar bent to a semicircular form and at their
lower ends by means of an elliptical ring, the said framework being designed to
run upon casters. I also provide a jacket or corset designed to be fastened around
a child and hollowed out to fit under the arm pits, the said jacket being supported
at the back by a spring-support sliding in a socket on the framework and adapted
to be fixed in any desired position by means of a set-screw. I further provide a
table which when desired may be utilized as a seat when the apparatus is to be
used as a chair. In this case I also arrange a foot-stool at the front of the
elliptical ring.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus arranged for use as a
baby-walker; and,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus when arranged to be used as a
chair:
Figure 3 is a plan view of the framework of the apparatus with the table or seat,
the jacket or corset and the foot-stool removed:
Figure 4 is a section on the line xx, Figure 3, but shewing the jacket, the table
turned as a seat and the foot-stool in position:
Figure 5 is a detail view of the standard by means of which the jacket is
supported:
Figure 6 is a plan view of the jacket or corset; and,
Figure 7 is a plan view of the table or seat.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a, a, a' indicate the three legs of the framework, the two former of which, in
order to give rigidity to the frame, are formed of a single piece of material bent
as shewn in the drawings; bis the semi-circular bar for holding the legs rigidly
in position at their upper ends, and c is the elliptical ring for holding the legs
rigidly at their lower ends; the said ring being of elliptical shape in order to
prevent the child's feet from coming into contact with it in walking. The parts
of the said framework may be made of wood, metal or other suitable material
either solid or tubular.
The semi-circular bar b is directly connected with the legs a, a, but indirectly
with the leg a¹ by means of the bracket d, which bracket is also connected with the
upper bent portion of the legs a, a, as shewn at e in Figure 4, and provided with a
socket in which the standard f, which carries the jacket or corset, slides. The
elliptical ring c is also connected to the legs by means of brackets 9, 9 which serve
for carrying the casters h, h, as shewn. ¹ is an additional caster placed at the
front of the elliptical ring and serving to prevent the frame from tipping. The
caster wheels have preferably grooved rims carrying india-rubber tyres.
i indicates the jacket or corset which is preferably composed of three sections, ³,³,
the section i¹ being firmly secured to the standard and the sections *, pivotted
to the section i¹. These sections are suitably padded and covered and provided
with a strap and buckle for securing the jacket or corset around the child,

page_text: ; is the table which is provided with hooks by means of which it may be
connected to eyes upon the legs a, a and with a hinged support & designed to
bear upon the front of the said elliptical ring, as shewn in Figure 1, and to engage
with a catch upon the said ring, as shewn in Figure 3.
1,1 are two rings fixed upon the table and designed when the latter is to be used
as a seat to pass over the projecting ends of the semi-circular bar b, as shewn in
Figure 2. The table is also provided with a stud which, when the apparatus is
arranged as a chair, engages in one of the holes f¹ formed in the extension-piece ƒ³
When the table is used as a seat
of the support f, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
the hinged support is folded and held up under the same by a spring-clip k², as
shewn in Figure 4.
m is the foot-stool which is supported upon the elliptical ring c by means of
legs m³, m, m2, the two former of which are formed at their lower ends as spring-
clips designed to clip around the ring c, as shewn in Figure 2, whilst the latter
rests against the ring in the manner shewn in Figure 4.
When using my apparatus either as a baby-walker or as a chair, it is obvious that
the position of the jacket may be altered to suit children of different ages by
moving the standard f carrying the said jacket in its socket and securing it therein
by means of a set-screw n. The several holes f¹ formed in the extension-piece f³
enable the seat to be properly supported in any position of the jacket.
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:-
1. A baby-walker having a framework constructed substantially in the manner
described and provided with a jacket or corset mounted upon an adjustable spring
standard, substantially as set forth.
2. In a baby-walker the employment of a table also adapted to be used as a seat,
substantially as described.
3. In a baby-walker having a table also designed to serve as a seat the arrange-
ment of a foot-stool, substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved baby-walker also adapted to be
used as a chair, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 29th day of April 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.