Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of the Cushioned Backs connected with the Seats of Railway and other Carriages.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of the Cushioned
Backs connected with the Seats of Railway and other Carriages.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM FOX, of 53 Princess Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Solicitor, and JOHN LAROUX HULME of 37 Everton Road,
Manchester aforesaid, Warehouse Manager, do hereby declare, the nature of the
said invention, to be as follows:-
--
Our invention relates to the cushioned backs or surfaces connected with the seats
of railway and other carriages and its principal object is to dispense wholly or
partly with hair and other similar materials commonly used for padding such
cushioned surfaces.
Our invention consists in forming a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable
material, the two long sides of the frame when in position are horizontal and
extend across the carriage, one long side is near the seat and the other at the
highest point of the cushioned part above it.
The two narrow ends of the frame fit close to the sides of the carriage, and they
are shaped on their front faces to the curve in which the cushion is to be formed,
and upon this said rectangular frame, elastic woven wire fabric is tightly stretched
from one end to the other of the lengthway of the frame, and the ends of the wire
fabric are secured by nails or other means to the curved ends of the frame and the
nailed parts are covered by a piece of wood at each end.
The edges of the wire fabric are also secured at intervals on each side to the two
long sides of the said frame.
Upon the outside of the wire fabric thick felt is stretched and secured, and upon
the felt, pile or suitable cloth is stretched and attached.
A number of flat springs curved to the form desired are or may be secured at
one of their ends to that long side of the frame near the seat to assist in sustaining
any pressure coming against the surface of the cushion, these springs giving way
to some extent to the pressure acting against them.
A bar curved on its face or edge to the surface of the stretched woven wire may
be substituted for each of the flat springs if desired, and supported from the said
frame by any suitable helical or other springs.
Where seats are divided from one another, as is common in first class railway
carriages, the springs may be dispensed with and a rigid bar curved to the surface
of the stretched woven wire may be secured to the said frame at each point
opposite to that where the dividing partition will come.
Cushioned backs according to our invention are applicable where the lengthway
of the seats passes in the direction of the lengthway of the carriages, and the
frames for the elastic woven wire fabric are modified according to the position they
are intended to occupy.
Dated this First day of April 1891.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of the Cushioned
Backs connected with the Seats of Railway and other Carriages.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM FOX, of 53 Princess Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Solicitor, and JOHN LAROUX HULME, of 37 Everton Road,
Manchester aforesaid, Warehouse Manager, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the cushioned backs or surfaces connected with the
seats of railway and other carriages and its principal object is to dispense wholly
or partly with hair and other similar materials commonly used for padding such
cushioned surfaces.
Our invention consists in forming a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable
material, the two long sides of the frame when in position are horizontal and extend
across the carriage, one long side is near the seat and the other at the highest point
of the cushioned part above it.
The two narrow ends of the frame fit close to the sides of the carriages, and they
are shaped on their front faces to the curve in which the cushion is to be formed
and upon this said rectangular frame clastic woven wire fabric is tightly stretched
from one end to the other of the lengthway of the frame, and the ends of the wire
fabric are secured by nails or other means to the curved ends of the frame and the
nailed parts are covered by a piece of wood at each end.
The edges of the wire fabric are also secured at intervals on each side to the
two long sides of the said frame.
Upon the outside of the wire fabric thick felt or other suitable material is
stretched and secured, and upon the felt, pile or suitable cloth is stretched and
attached.
A number of flat springs curved to the form desired are or may be secured at
one of their ends to that long side of the frame near the seat to assist in sustaining
any pressure coming against the surface of the cushion, these springs giving way to
some extent to the pressure acting against them.
A bar or thin metal plate curved on its face or edge, or bent to the surface. of
the stretched woven wire may be substituted for each of the flat springs if desired,
and supported from the said frame by any suitable helical or other springs or
helical springs alone may be substituted for the bar or metal plate.
Where seats are divided from one another, as is common in first class railway
carriages, the springs may be dispensed with and a rigid bar curved to the surface
of the stretched woven wire may be secured to the said frame at each point
opposite to that where the dividing partition will come, or the frames are or may
be made in short lengths equal to the distance of the dividing partitions are apart.
Cushioned backs according to our invention are applicable where the lengthway
of the seats passes in the direction of the lengthway of the carriages, and the
frames for the elastic woven wire fabric are modified according to the position they
are intended to occupy.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end of a frame and Fig. 2 is an end sectional
elevation illustrating one modification of our invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating
another modification of our invention.
In Figs. 1 and 3 only one end of the frame is shown, the other part which is the
same as that shown is supposed to be broken away.
When these cushioned backs are to extend across the carriage they are made of
suitable length, so that their two ends fit close to the sides of the inside of the
vehicle.
The frame is formed by two bars or rails made of wood by preference, a, being

page_text: the lower, and a', the upper rail, and at each end, a bar of wood a², is secured, the
front edges of which pieces are curved to the shape of the intended cushioned
surface, see Fig. 2.
Elastic woven wire fabric b, represented in dotted line in Figs. 2 and 4, which is
formed by helical wires, the helical loops of one wire entering those of the adjoining
wire in the act of making them such elastic woven wire fabric being a well known
material.
These elastic woven wire fabrics are stretched in the direction in which the
helical wires are formed and interwoven, one end of the wire fabric being attached
to one end of the bar or piece a², of the frame, and is then stretched to the required
tension, and is then secured to the other end (a) of the frame. The ends of the
wire fabric are secured by nails (which is a well known mode of securing the ends
of such fabrics) to the outer end of the wood bar a², and then there is a strip of
wood a³, nailed or otherwise secured over the ends of the wire fabric to the side of
the bar a*.
When stretched upon the frame in the manner described, the front of the wire
fabric presents a tight and elastic surface, and from end to end of the frame and is
in the curve required for the backs of the passengers to rest against, the lower
edge of the bar a, being near the surface of the bare seat when without the sent or
cushion.
The two longitudinal edges of the wire fabric are attached by wire staples or
other means, one edge to the upper edge of the rail a', and the other edge to the
lower edge of the rail «, but the wire fabric is not stretched or if so, only to a
slight extent, in the direction between the two longitudinal rails a, and a¹..
It is upon these rails a, and a', that the strain of the stretched wire fabric comes,
and if required one or more iron rods may be arranged to extend between the two
end pieces a², to take a part of the longitudinal strain.
There are or may be at intervals along the length of the frame flat springs c,
curved to the stretched surface of the wire fabric, the lower ends of which flat
springs, (one of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2) being secured by bolts to the
lower rail or bar a, of the frame.
The upper free end of each flat spring e, is curved backwards and is or may be
padded so as not to be felt when the cushioned surface is pressed against by the
back of the passenger.
The outer surface of the wire fabric 6, is covered by preference with thick felt d,
which is nailed or otherwise secured to the edges of the frame and over the felt d,
there is another and outer cover e, of any desired fabric or material secured in like
manner to the edges of the frame.
In cases where there are partitions between the seats or arm rests, there may be
a bar of wood or metal extending between the upper and lower longitudinal bars a,
and a', of the frame, the face of such bars being curved to the same curve as the
ends a².
In such cases as last mentioned, the frame may be made if desired in sections of
a length to extend to where the partition or arm rest is to come, so that in such
cases the backs of the passengers cannot come opposite and against the end bars (a²)
of the frames thus formed in sections.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification of our invention which is or may be
similar to that herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2,-except that
the lower bar or rail a is deeper and it acts to sustain one end of a series of
springs c, the other ends of which come against the inner surface of the wire
fabric, these helical springs c¹, being of the well known form of those used for
spring mattresses and cushions and help the stretched elastic wire fabric to sustain
heavy pressures coming against the surface of the cushion.
f, is a metal bar intended to assist the rails a, and a', to sustain the strain of the
stretched elastic wire fabric b, and pressures which may come upon such fabric.
We prefer to use the thick felt fabric described, between the wire fabric and

page_text: outer cover, but it may be dispensed with if an outer cover of sufficiently thick
material is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
1. The combination of a frame of suitable shape and material and elastic woven
wire fabric stretched thereon in the lengthway of the frame and secured to the
curved ends thereof, thick felt or other suitable material covering the elastic woven
wire fabric, and upon which felt or its equivalent, there is an outer cover of any
desired fabric, or an outer cover dispensing with the thick felt or its equivalent,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The combination of the following parts or materials, a frame of suitable
shape and material, an elastic woven wire fabric flat curved springs attached at
one end to the said frame and acting on the inner side of the said elastic woven
wire fabric, thick felt or equivalent material, and an outer cover of any desire
fabric or an
outer cover dispensing with the thick felt or its equivalent,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
3. The combination of the following parts or materials, a frame of suitable shape
and material, an elastic woven wire fabric, helical springs acting between the said
frame and the inner side of the said woven wire fabric, thick felt or equivalent
material and an outer cover of any desired material, or an outer cover dispensing
with the felt or its equivalent, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-second day of December 1891.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.