Improvements in Adjustable Backs for Chairs, Sofas, Bed-rests, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 5th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
Improvements in Adjustable Backs for Chairs, Sofas, Bed-rests, and
the like.
I, ARMAND MAUCHAIN, Grand Quai No. 32, Geneva, in the Republic of Switzerland,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
The object of the invention is to provide a piece of furniture such as a seat,
chair, sofa, bench, bed, or the like with a support for the lumbar region, that is
to say for that part of the spinal column which, being weaker, is most in need of
a support.
In the ordinary seats, the backs are very seldom arranged so as to answer this
purpose, and if they are so arranged for persons of a certain size, they do not
answer for persons of a different size or build.
It is of great importance from an hygienic point of view to have the lumbar
region well supported, not only on account of the rest thus secured for the person
who is sitting down, but also because such person will necessarily take, without
fatigue, a position in which breathing can be more freely performed than when
sitting down on a seat unprovided with such support.
The above mentioned purpose is served by what I term a movable lumbar back
which may be combined with any dorsal back, movable or rigid, adapted to be
applied to any piece of furniture used as a seat or the like.
The mobility of the lumbar back can be obtained by various means.
In carrying my invention into practice the movable lumbar back is connected
with the posts of the ordinary back, which may be of any suitable shape, by means
of a device enabling the person who is leaning against it to change his or her position
with regard to the height without leaving the seat, and to secure the said lumbar
back at the desired height.
In one modification each of the standards or posts of the chair or the like carries a
rack bar whilst the movable lumbar back carries two hooks having a curved portion
for embracing the rack bar and a tooth serving to engage with the said rack bars.
By the aid of this very simple device the movable lumbar back can be very easily
secured in any desired position.
In another modification the back is rigid and is provided with two sliding pieces
adapted to slide along the posts and each having a bolt or rivet intended to catch
in one of the teeth of the racks provided on the said posts.
The movable lumbar back may be formed of flat springs provided with two shoes
which encompass the posts. The back being very elastic will readily adapt itself: to
the exact shape of the back of the person bearing against it while at the same time
supporting it, the said elasticity moreover providing sufficient friction of the shoes
and sliding-pieces on the posts to keep the same in their places when they are not

page_text: caused to slide up or down. Instead of being formed of flat springs, the back may
also be composed of spiral springs, for the fixed back.
The fixed back may be rigid or elastic. In the former case its shape must be a
suitable one so as not to thwart the action of the movable lumbar back; in the latter
case it must be more elastic than the movable lumbar back.
In another form the back is rigid and engages with its ends in grooves of the posts
said grooves being provided with suitable notches to receive the clicks secured to the
ends of the back.
The movable lumbar back may be formed of a piece which is rigid but at same
time curved, and of flat springs the ends of which bear upon both the ends of the said
rigid piece and are secured there by means of screws passing through elongated holes
provided in the flat springs. The latter are thus enabled to bend. The said springs
may of course be covered over with some suitable fabric or material.
For a piano-stool the movable lumbar back may be hooked to one or two racks
similar to those above described, and which are secured to the fixed back.
When the movable lumbar back is applied to a bed-rest of the well-known kind for
use in hospitals; it is also provided with sliding-pieces adapted to slide on the posts
and with spring-clicks enabling the said back to be secured at the desired height;
the sliding-pieces are moreover provided with arms which will follow them in their
up-and-down motion.
The improved movable lumbar back can be applied to the backs of seats in railway-
carriages, or to school-benches or the like. The movable lumbar back is provided
with a hinged part having at its extremities tenons catching into the teeth of racks
secured to the back.
The connection of the movable lumbar back with the fixed back of the piece of
furniture to which it is to be applied may be varied in many ways, and the devices
just described are only given by way of example.
The materials or combinations of materials used in the manufacture of the said
movable lumbar back can also be of various kinds.
Dated this 5th
100K
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Adjustable Backs for Chairs, Sofas, Bed-rests, and
the like.
I, ARMAND MAUCHAIN, Grand Quai No. 32, Geneva, in the Republic of Switzerland,
Merchant 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide a piece of furniture such as a seat,
chair, sofa, bench, bed, or the like with a support for the lumbar region, that is to
say for that part of the spinal column which, being weaker, is most in need of a
.support.
In the ordinary seats, the backs are very seldom arranged so as to answer this
purpose, and if they are so arranged for persons of a certain size, they do not answer
for persons of a different size or build.
It is of great importance from an hygienic point of view to have the lumbar region
well supported not only on account of the rest thus secured for the person who is
sitting down, but also because such person will necessarily take, without fatigue, a
position in which breathing can be more freely performed than when sitting down on
a seat unprovided with such support.
The above mentioned purpose is served by what I term a movable lumbar back

page_text: which may be combined with any dorsal back, movable or rigid, adapted to be applied
to any piece of furniture used as a seat or the like.
The mobility of the lumbar back can be obtained by various means.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings I have shown how my invention may be
carried into effect.
Figure represents a chair called Vienna and Figure 2 a garden chair, both
provided with my movable lumbar back.
Figures 1A and 1B represent on a larger scale two devices for fixing the movable
lumbar back, capable of being applied either to the chair represented in Figure 1, or
to that represented in Figure 6.
Figure 3 shows a wooden chair also provided with the said movable lumbar back.
Figure 4 is a front elevation and Figure 5 a plan-view of another way of arranging
the back of the chair shown in Figure 3.
Figure 6 shows the back of a piano-stool provided with my movable lumbar back.
Figure 7 shows a bed provided with one of the well-known bed-rests, also provided
with my movable lumbar back.
Figure 8 shows a back for benches with movable lumbar back.
In all the figures, similar letters of reference refer to the same parts.
A is the movable lumbar back connected with the posts B and C of the ordinary
back which may be of any suitable shape, by means of a device enabling the person
who is leaning against it to change bis or her position with regard to the height
without leaving the seat, and to secure the said lumbar back at the desired
height.
In Figure 1 each of the standards C and B carries a rack bar B' or C¹ whilst the
movable lumbar back A is provided with two bent plates A' formed either as indicated
in Figure 1 or as in Figure 1B having a curved portion a¹ embracing the back
bar B or C and a tooth a+ serving to engage with the said rack bars. By the aid
of this very simple device the movable lumbar back A can be very easily secured in
any desired position.
In Figure 1B the back A is rigid and is provided with two sliding pieces a¹ adapted
to slide along the posts B and each piece having a projection a* intended to catch
in one of the teeth of the racks provided on the said posts, B and C.
In Figure 2 the movable lumbar back A may be formed of flat springs provided
with two shoes or sliding pieces a¹ and a which encompass the posts B and C. The
back A being very elastic will readily adapt itself to the exact shape of the back of
the person leaning against it while at the same time supporting it, the said elasticity
moreover providing sufficient friction of the shoes or sliding-pieces a¹ a² on the
posts B and C to keep the same in their places when they are not caused to slide up-
or-down. Instead of being formed of flat springs, the back A may also be composed
of spiral springs, as shown at D, Figure 2, for the fixed back.
The fixed back D may be rigid or elastic. In the former case its shape must
be a suitable one so as not to thwart the action of the movable lumbar back; in
the latter case (see Figures 2 and 7) it must be more elastic than the movable lumbar
back.
In Figure 3 the back A is rigid and engages with its ends in grooves b of the
posts B and C, said grooves being provided with suitable notches to receive the
clicks a secured to the ends of the back A.
The movable lumbar back may be formed as indicated in the Figures 4 and 5 of a
piece A which is rigid but at same time curved, and of flat springs A³ the ends of
which bear upon both the ends of the said rigid piece and are secured there by means
of screws passing through slots provided in the flat springs A. The latter are thus
enabled to bend as indicated in Figure 5. The said springs may of course be covered
over with some suitable fabric or material.
For a piano-stool the movable lumbar back A may be hooked to one or two racks
similar to those illustrated in Figure 1, and which are secured to the fixed back for
instance as indicated in Figure 6.
Figure 7 shows the movable lumbar back A as applied to a bed-rest of the well-known

page_text: kind for use in hospitals; it is also provided with sliding-pieces a¹ and a² adapted to
slide on the posts B and C, and with spring-clicks a+ enabling the said back to be
secured at the desired height; the sliding-pieces a¹ and a³ are moreover provided
with arms E which will follow them in their up-and-down motion.
Figure 8 illustrates the way in which my improved movable lumbar back can be
applied to the backs of seats in railway-carriages, or to school-benches or the like.
The movable lumbar back A is provided with a hinged part A³ having at its
extremities tenons catching into the teeth of racks secured to the back F.
The connection of the movable lumbar back with the fixed back of the piece of
furniture to which it is to be applied may be varied in many ways, and the devices
just described are only given by way of example.
The materials or combinations of materials used in the manufacture of the said
movable lumbar back can also be of various kinds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to te performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A movable lumbar back arranged so as to be applied to any wooden or
metallic piece of furniture on which one may sit down and support when desirous
one's back.
2. A movable rigid lumbar back A having shoes a¹ and a³ adapted to engage
with the teeth of the racks provided on the posts B and C of any suitable fixed
back.
3. A movable elastic lumbar back A having shoes a' and a adapted to be
frictionally applied to the posts B and C of any fixed back.
4. A movable lumbar back formed of one or more flat springs, or of one or more
spiral springs.
5. A movable lumbar back formed of the combination of a curved rigid piece and
of one or more flat springs.
6. The combination of a suitable article of furniture with a fixed or movable
back to which is applied a movable projecting lumbar back, rigid or elastic, connected
with the posts of the back, and secured to the latter by any suitable means so as to
be capable of being moved by the person who is leaning against it.
Dated this 17th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..