IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Betjemann, of 545, New Oxford
Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS."
Sealed the 9th November 1853, and dated the 4th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Betje-
mann at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th June 1853.
I, HENRY JOHN BETJEMANN, of 545, New Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of combining suitable parts so as to produce
a chair having the combined capabilities of reclining, rocking, and
revolving. The seat is hinged to the back, and the back is connected
to a foot board by connecting rods, the foot rail being hinged to the
seat so as to rock with the seat and back. The arms are hinged to the
back, and slide on the side rails of the seat, and the position of
the back is regulated by stops or catches, which retain it at any
desired inclination. The chair is carried by a separate frame on

page_text: legs or supports, and an intermediate frame is employed, which
turns on a central axis, so as to obtain rotation to the seat when
desired, and a stop or stops are used to prevent rotation when wished.
The seat is connected with the intermediate frame by four springs one
at each side, and one at the front and back; these springs, by preference,
are of steel, bent to an eliptical form, and joined at the ends; those at
back and front are so connected to the seat that in rocking the two
springs are extended, so that both have a greater and a greater tendency
to come back to their original form; and the two springs at the sides
are used to carry the seat, and give clasticity thereto. The rocking of
the chair may, when desired, be prevented by a stop or stops. In some
cases I cause the upper part of the chair to have a movement to raise
or lower it, and the arms may be made to fold. The chair may also,
if desired, have apparatus applied thereto to cause it to be revolved by
the person reclining thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry John Betjemann in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 3rd December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JENRY JOHN BETJEMANN, of 545, New Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry John Betjemann, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry John Betjemann, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry John
Betjemann, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry John Betjemann, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry John Betjemann, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of combining suitable parts so as to produce
a chair having the combined capabilities of reclining, rocking, and
revolving. The scat is hinged to the back, and the back is connected
to a foot board by connecting rods, the foot rail being hinged to the
seat so as to rock with the scat and back. The arms are hinged to
the back, and slide on the side rails of the seat, and the position of the
back is regulated by stops or catches, which retain it at any desired
inclination. The chair is carried by a separate frame on legs or supports,
and an intermediate frame is employed, which turns on a central axis,
so as to obtain rotation to the seat when desired, and a stop or stops
are used to prevent rotation when wished. The seat is connected with
the intermediate frame by four springs, one at each side, and one at
the front and back; these springs, by preference, are of steel, bent to au
cliptical form, and joined at the ends; those at back and front are so
connected to the scat that in rocking the two springs are extended,
so that both have a greater and a greater tendency to come back to
their original form; and the two springs at the sides are used to carry
the seat, and give elasticity thereto. The rocking of the chair may,
when desired, be prevented by a stop or stops. In some cases I cause
the upper part of the chair to have a movement to raise or lower it,
and the armis may be made to fold. The chair may also, if desired,
bave apparatus applied thereto to cause it to be revolved by the person
reclining thereon.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which the same is performed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shows parts of a side view of a chair; and Figure 2, is
a plan of some of the parts. a, a, are the two side rails of the chair,
and b, c, are the front and back rails thereof. On these rails the scat
is fixed or formed. d, d, are parts of the arms, which are capable of
moving to and fro on the side rails, the parts d', d', descending through
slots e, e, in the side rails, and these parts are retained in any desired
position by means of racks f, f, on the axis f', which is supported at
either end by means of bearings in the side rails a, a. These racks ff
retain the arms by projections d², d², and the entering the notches in
the racks. The arms d, d, are at their back ends attached by hinges
to the side framing g, g, of the back. When it is desired to alter the
inclination of the back the handle h, is depressed, which acting on the
back end of the lever i, depresses it, and thus raises the racks away
from the projections d², d; the back is then to be placed to the incli-
nation desired, and the racks allowed to descend, when the back of the
chair will be retained by the racks at that inclination. The frame a, a,
b, c, is supported and governed in its action by springs j, k, l, 1, in the
following manner, is a bent or cranked plate or bar, the upper
end of which is fixed to the front rail b, and its lower or cranked end
is fixed to the upper part of the eliptical spring j. To the back rail c,
is fixed the cranked plate or bar e', which at its lower or cranked
end is fixed to the under part of the eliptical spring h. To each of the
side rails a, a, is fixed a cranked or bent plate a¹, which at its lower
or cranked end is formed with a neck or axis, which enters into a
bearing fixed to the under part of one of the springs 7. The chair is
supported by a lower frame, which; as shewn, consists of four legs m, m,
m, m, and the upper parts of the chair are carried by such lower frame,
and turns freely on a vertical axis, and the upper and lower parts of
the chair are connected by the star plate u, which at its under side has
a neck or axis n', which enters a suitable bearing or socket in the
upper part of the lower frame m, m. The star frame n, consists of

page_text: four radial arms n², n³, n, n; the arm n², is cranked and connected
to the front spring j, at its under side, by means of a pin joint, as
shewn. The radial arm n³, is cranked upwards, and is attached to
the upper part of the spring k, by a pin joint, as shewn. The
radial arms n, n³, are fixed respectively to the upper parts of the
springs 1, 1. By which arrangement it will be seen that the weight
of the person sitting in the chair tends to open out or extend the
springs 1, 1, and thus offer elasticity to the seat. The springs j, k, act in
opposition to each other; thus, when the person inclines against the
back of the chair it tends to open or extend the spring k, and such will
also be the case in regard to the spring j, so that both these springs
will have a tendency to return to their ordinary state; and the reverse
action, in regard to the springs j, k, will follow on the person sitting in
the chair inclining forwards the springs j, k, by such action of the person
tending to flatten the springs j. k. The rocking capability of the chair
in a direction from front to back may, when desired, be stopped by
means of the prop o, which is hinged at its upper end, as shewn, and it
has a curved projection o', under which the end of the lever comes,
which, when depressed at its other end by the handle 2, and lever p',
lifts the prop away, and allows the back of the chair to have free move-
ment up and down. ,, are connecting rods attached at one end to the
back of the chair, and at the other end to the hinged flap or framer;
hence, by inclining the back of the chair the connecting rods will raise the
flap or frame r, into the position shewn by dotted lines. The flap or
frame r, it will be seen, is so formed that it can be raised without
interfering with the leg rests s, s, when in their folded position, so that
either the leg rests s, s, or the frame or flap 7, may be used as found
convenient; s, s', are hinged folding supports for the leg rests s, s. If
it be desired to have the power to stop the capability of rotation of the
upper parts of the chair on the lower frame m, m, the axis may be
arranged to have a suitable key or axis passed through it to stop its
capability to rotate in its socket or bearing; and, when desired, chairs
may be made with less extent of action by using only two springs, one
at front and one at back. Figure 3, shows a side elevation of a chair
according to this modification; Figure 4, being a plan thereof. Figure 5,

page_text: shows parts of a side elevation, and Figure 6, parts of a plan of the
same chair on a larger scale. In this arrangement of chair the com-
bination differs only in regard to the absence of the two side springs 1, 1,
and in place of the necks or axes on the lower ends of the plates, which
are fixed to the side rails a, and descend below those rails, entering
bearings on the springs 1, as before described, those axes or necks enter
bearings carried by two of the radial arms of the star plate, which is
carried and turns by its axis in the socket or bearing at the upper part
of the lower frame m, m. The description above given in regard to
Figures 1, and 2, applies to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, like parts in those
Figures being marked with the same letters of reference. If desired, a
reading or writing desk may be applied to one of the arms of the chair,
as is well understood.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to any of the parts separately. But what I claim is, the
combination of parts herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Betjemann, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
throo
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
HENRY J. BETJEMANN. (L.S.)