Improvements in Chairs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June 1891-Accented, 4th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chairs.
I, NILS VILEN, of Gothenburg, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Master-Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:―
My invention relates to chairs more particularly designed for use in theatres and
other places of entertainment where it is necessary to seat as many persons as
possible and where the rows of chairs must therefore be placed very close
together.
According to my invention I so arrange the chair that the seat can be moved by
a person simply pushing it with his or her legs or knees, when he or she has risen
from the chair, room being then afforded to allow the said person to stand between
the side frames of the chair, there being then no difficulty in passing seats already
occupied. The chairs can therefore be placed so close behind one another that
there remains only just sufficient space for a person to pass between the rows.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a chair constructed according to my invention,
the seat being shewn in the position in which it is when the chair is occupied :
Figure 2 is a similar view but shewing the position of the seat when the occupant
has pushed it back in order to allow another person to pass :
Figure 3 is a plan of the chair; and,
Figure 4 represents two elevations of the rollers hereinafter described on which
the seat runs.
The chair consists as usual of two side frames A united by cross-pieces B and C.
On the inner side of the frames A. are rails D placed underneath the seat and
running upwards along the back uprights of the chair. The seat E is provided
with rollers secured to its under side, the said rollers being adapted to run upon
the rails D which in this manner serve to support the seat E. The rollers may be
covered with india-rubber or leather in order to render them noiseless when the
seat is moved.
By this construction it will be readily understood that a person on rising from
the chair can push the seat E thereof up against the back into the position shewn
in Figure 2 simply by pushing the seat backwards with his or her legs or knees.
In order to prevent the seat from sliding too far forward and thus tipping over, a
cross-bar G is provided on its under side at or near its back edge, which cross-bar,
when the scat is in its lowered position, rests against the cross-piece B, as shewn
in Figure 1.
If the chair be made so that the fore edge of the seat E, when the latter is in its
lowered position, projects beyond the fore legs, the back edge of the seat can
advantageously be provided with a hook, by means of which it may be attached to
the cross-piece C in order that the seats may be permanently moved out of the way
when they are not in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A chair having its seat movable upon wheels or rollers running upon rails
fixed to the side frames and back uprights of the chair in such a manner that the
seat can be pushed backwards 50 as to assume an approximately vertical position at

page_text: the back of the chair and thus afford space enough to allow a person to stand
between the side frames of the chair, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved chair hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 1st day of June 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.