Improvements in Seats for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by HENRY STAFFORD HALE, of 48, North 6th Street,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Seats for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to car seats, and particularly to that class employing
a shifting seat back which may be shifted from one side of the seat cushion to
the other to reverse the direction of the seat.
It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a car seat of this character
occupying a minimum lateral space, and having sufficient width without restrict-
ing the aisle space.
To this end I locate one or both the stationary side frames, which are below
the seat cushion, at a substantial distance inward from the edge of the seat
cushion frame and bring the shifting side arms close up to the ends of the seat
cushion, guiding them at their lower ends upon the inset side frames below the
cushion.
It is another object of my invention to provide a sufficient space below the
front of the seat cushion for the storage of luggage, and this object I accom-
plish by arranging the foot rests upon the lower ends of the shifting side arms.
These shifting side arms move bodily from one side of the stationary frames to
the other when the seat back is shifted, and consequently bring the foot rests
at all times at the rear of the seat leaving the front portion open and un-
obstructed.
My invention also relates to improvements in the means for tilting the seat
cushion when the side arms and seat back are shifted, in order that no lateral
space may be lost by the employment of such devices. It also relates to a lock-
ing device for automatically locking the shifting arms in their extreme positions,
and also to the means for operatively connecting the shifting side arms together
and transmitting power to the inner side arms from the outer side arms, to
which the force is usually applied.
In carrying out my invention I employ two side frames secured to the floor.
Above these side frames is located the seat cushion and its frame, which pro-
jects beyond the side frames at either or both ends. Shifting side arms are
arranged at each side and carry the shifting seat back at their upper ends and
have their lower ends bent inward beyond the projecting end of the seat cushion
and guided in their transverse movements by the lower portion of the side frame.
If the side frames are inset at one side only the inwardly bent shifting side arms
will be used at one side only. In my preferred construction the side frames are
slotted or provided with openings, and the lower inwardly bent ends of the shift-
ing side arms extend through these openings or slots and are guided in their
movement at the inner side of the side frames. In one construction the lower

page_text: ends of the shifting side arms are provided with lugs which engage and are
guided by curved guiding ribs on the innersides of the side frames. In another
construction the lower ends of the shifting side arms are provided with racks which
engage and travel upon pinions journaled on a shaft between the side frame.
In this construction the two pinions, being connected together by a shaft trans-
mit power from the outer shifting side arm to the inner shifting side arm. In
the construction in which the shifting side arms are guided by the lugs and
curved guides this transmission of power from one side arm to the other is
obtained by slotted plates carried by the ends of the shifting arms and engaging
fingers carried on a rock shaft extending longitudinally between the side frames
and journaled therein.
In one construction the seat cushion frame is not provided with arm rests, but
to enable such arm rests to be used when desired without increasing the lateral
space occupied by the seat, the seat back may be made sufficiently narrow to
pass between the arm rests when it is shifted, and the upper end of the side arm
at one or both ends may be bent inward so as to clear the arm rests.
To effect the tilting of the seat cushion and its frame the seat cushion frame
is pivoted to the side frames and is provided, preferably on each end, with a
transverse guide which engages a lug or projection carried by the side arms, so
as that as the side arms are shifted the seat cushion will be rocked on its pivot
and caused to assume the proper inclination to the seat back.
To enable the seat cushion to be made as wide as possible, while the seat as a
whole occupies the least lateral space, these guides on the seat cushion frame by
which the cushion is tilted are secured to the base of the frame at its ends, and
the side frames to which they are pivoted are located slightly within the ends of
the seat cushion. This enables the shifting side arms to be kept up close to the
end of the seat cushion so that no lateral space is lost. In one construction I
provide locking dogs pivoted one at each end of the guide of the seat cushion
frame and adapted to drop in front of lugs on one of the side arms to lock
the side arm and seat back in its extreme positions. These dogs may be pro-
vided with finger pieces by which they may be lifted to unlock the side arm.
Other arrangements of locking devices may be employed.
Instead of employing stationary foot rests carried by the side frames and
located one at each side, I locate the foot rest upon the broadened ends of the
shifting side frames. These foot rests extend transversely from one side arm to
the other, so that when the side arms are shifted from one side to the other
these foot rests will be located at the rear of the seat, leaving the front portion
unobstructed, and the rearmost foot rest will be in position to act as a rest for the
feet of the passengers sitting in the rear seat.
Dated this 15th day of June 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Seats for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:
My invention relates to car seats, and particularly to that class which employs 5

page_text: a shifting seat back which may be shifted from one side of the seat cushion to
the other to reverse the direction of the seat.
It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a car seat of this character
occupying a minimum lateral space, and having sufficient length without restrict-
ing the aisle space.
To this end I locate one or both of the stationary side frames, which are
below the seat cushion, at a substantial distance inward from the edge of the seat
cushion frame and bring the shifting side arms close up to the ends of the seat
cushion, bending their lower portions under the seat cushion frame and bringing
their lower ends adjacent to the inset side frames, by which they are supported
or guided.
It is another object of my invention to provide sufficient space below the
front of the seat cushion for the storage of luggage, and this object I accom-
plish by arranging the foot rest upon the lower ends of the shifting side arms
which move bodily from one side of the stationary frames to the other when the
seat back is shifted and consequently bring the foot rest at all times at the rear
of the seat, leaving the front portion unobstructed.
My invention also relates to improvements in the means for tilting the seat
cushion when the seat back is shifted, whereby minimum lateral space is
occupied by such devices, to means for locking the shifting arms in their extreme
positions, and to the devices for operatively connecting the shifting side arms
and transmitting power from one to the other.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a car seat embodying part of my
invention Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same on the
line of Fig. 1 with the side arms in an intermediate vertical position;
Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the locking device; l'igs. 5 and 6 are views similar
to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively showing other forms and features of the invention.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4: A, A, are the stationary side frames and are
located below the seat cushion frame C which projects beyond them at either or
both ends.
B is the shifting seat back carried by the shifting side arms 1), D', the lower
ends of which are supported and guided by the side frames A A, as by the curved
guides E and lugs a d.
To enable a minimum floor space to be occupied by the seat, one or both of
the side frames A, A, may be bent or inset a substantial distance, so that the
seat cushion and seat back projects beyond the lower part. In this case the
lower portion of the corresponding shifting side arm is bent to bring its end
adjacent to the lower portion of the side arm. In my preferred construction
the lower ends of the side arms extend through apertures a in the side frames
and are guided by the ribs E on the inner side.
For transmitting motion from one side arm to the other their ends are pro-
vided with slotted plates F, F, which engage fingers G, G, carried by a rock
shaft H journalled longitudinally between the side frames A, A. Other suitable
motion transmitting connections may be used.
For tilting the seat cushion, its frame is pivoted at e to the side frames, and is
provided preferably at each end, with a transverse guide I which engages a lug
or projection on the adjacent shifting side arm, so that as the side arms are
shifted the seat cushion will be rocked and caused to assume the proper inclina-
tion to the seat back. To enable the seat cushion to be made as long as possible
while the seat as a whole occupies minimum space, the guides I are secured to
the base of the seat cushion frame at its ends and the side frames A. A, to which
they are pivoted are located on the inner side. This enables the side arms to
be brought close up to the ends of the seat cushion.
J, J are locking dogs pivoted one at each end of one of the guides I adapted
to engage the lug 6 on the adjacent side arm and lock it in its extreme positions.
These dogs may be provided with finger pieces ; by which they may be lifted to
unlock the side arms. Other suitable locking devices may be employed.

page_text: In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the seat cushion frame is provided
with an arm rest K. This is shown at one end only but may be used at both ends.
The seat back B is made sufficiently short to pass within the arm rest, and the
upper end of the side arm is arched or bent over the arm rest as at k.
In this construction the means for transmitting motion from one side arm
to the other consists of racks L on the ends of the side arms which engage
pinions on the rock shaft H.
For the purpose of affording ample space below the seat for the storage of
luggage, I have dispensed with the usual stationary foot rests such as are shown
in Figs. 1 and 2, and instead thereof I arrange the foot rests M, M on the ends
of the shifting side arms. As shown these foot rests consist of bars usually con-
structed of wood extending longitudinally under the seat from one side arm to
the other. As the side arms shift bodily from one side to the other the foot rests
shift with them and occupy a position at the rear of the seat as shown in Fig. 6,
the bar M acting as the rest in one position and the bar M' in the other. Instead
of constructing the foot rest of two bars M M', a single bar of sufficient width may
be employed. The arms rests K may be cut out or made open at the sides as at n.
This enables the passenger in the end of the seat to turn with his limbs extending
through the opening n so as to afford greater freedom of access for a second
passenger in entering or leaving the seat. The opening at the back of the seat
is closed by the shifting side arm.
I do not mean to limit my invention to the details of construction which have
been shown as they may readily be varied without departing from it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:-
:-
1. A car seat in which the side frame, on one or both ends, is inset to a sub-
stantial extent with reference to the outer end of the seat cushion, and the corre-
sponding shifting side arm which carries the seat back is extended inwardly
at its lower end and is movably supported at the inset side frame.
2. A car seat in which the side frame, on one or both ends, is inset to a sub-
stantial extent with reference to the outer end of the seat cushion, and the corre-
sponding shifting side arm which carries the seat back is extended inwardly at
its lower end and is movably supported at the inset side frame and in which
the seat cushion is provided at one or both ends with an arm rest inside of the
shifting side arm said side arm being bent or arched over it at the top for con-
nection with the seat back.
3. In a car seat the seat cushion frame provided at one or both ends with an arm
rest K having its sides open or cut away as at n.
4. In a car seat the shifting side arms extending below the seat cushion and
movable bodily from one side of the seat to the other, and a foot rest carried by
the shifting side arms below the seat cushion and movable bodily with them.
5. A car seat in which the side frame at one or both ends is inset to a sub-
stantial distance from the end of the seat cushion, and the shifting side arm is
bent inward under the projecting end of the seat cushion.
G. In a car seat, side frames located below the seat cushion, shifting side arms
guided by said side frames and movable bodily thereon, a tilting seat cushion
and guides between the tilting seat cushion and the shifting side arms, whereby
the seat cushion is tilted when the side:
shifted bodily in reversing the
car seat.
10
7. In a car seat, side frames located below the seat cushion, shifting side arms
guided by said side frames and movable bodily thereon, a tilting seat cushion and
guides between the tilting seat cushion and the shifting side arms, whereby the
seat cushion is tilted when the side arms are shifted bodily in reversing the car
seat and the automatic locking devices for locking the side arms in their extreme
positions.

page_text: 8. A car seat having side frames and shifting side arms located on the out-
side of the side frames and having their lower ends below the seat cushion
extended on the inner side of said side frame and motion transmitting connec-
tions between the lower ends of the shifting side arms.
9. In a car seat the side frames below the seat cushion inset at one or both
ends beyond the end of the seat cushion frame, and the seat cushion frame
pivoted to the side arms and extending on the outer side thereof.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Dated th day of
1000.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.