IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOLDING CHAIRS."-A communication from abroad by James Gourley
English and Edwin Francis Mersick, residing at New Haven, State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th August 1865.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in folding chairs. The
folding chair is composed of cross legs with a flexible or stiff seat, and combined
with the cross legs and seat there are a back and arms, the back being
attached to the rear and upper ends of front legs by hinge joints, while the
arms are connected in like manner with the front and upper ends of the rear
legs and upper part of the back. In this manner there is formed a cross-leg
chair with a seat and back and arms, the whole constituting a folding arms

page_text: chair, so arranged that the folding of the chair is or may be effected by
drawing the legs together, and by swinging the back over and backwards.
When the chair is made with a stiff seat the same is hinged to the front rail and
supported by the rear rail, and for the purpose of holding the seat within the
folding frame of the chair there is a strap fastened to the front and rear of
the under side of the seat, and passing over the rails. There may be combined
with the stiff seat, attached to the front and supported by the rear rails of the
folding arm chair, a cam or its equivalent for the purpose of raising the seat
out of side contact with the upper part of rear legs when the chair is being
folded, and there may be studs or projections in the rear of the seat for the
purpose of suitably bracing the chair when open for use; when the chair is
made with a flexible seat I attach the material to the rear and front rail of
the seat support, thereby forming a seat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSPIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the said
George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS," a communication to me
from abroad by James Gourlay English and Edwin Francis Mersick, persons
resident at New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: 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 George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in folding chairs. The
folding chair is composed of cross legs, with a flexible or stiff seat, and com-
bined with the cross legs and seat there are a back and arms, the back being
attached to the rear and upper ends of front legs by binge joints, while the
arms are connected in like manner with the front and upper ends of the near
legs and upper part of the back. In this manner there is formed a cross-leg
chair with a seat and back, and arms, the whole constituting a folding arm-
chair, so arranged that the folding of the chair is or may be effected by
drawing the legs together, and by swinging the back over and backwards.
When the chair is made with a stiff seat the same is hinged to the front rail
and supported by the rear rail, and for the purpose of holding the seat within
the folding frame of the chair there is a strap fastened to the front and rear
of the under side of the seat, and passing over the rails. There may be com-
bined with the stiff seat, attached to the front and supported by the rear rails
of the folding arm-chair, a cam or its equivalent for the purpose of raising
the seat out of side contact with the upper part of rear legs when the chair
is being folded, and there may be studs or projections in the rear of the seat
for the purpose of suitably bracing the chair when open for use. When the
chair is made with a flexible seat I attach the material to the rear and front
rail of the seat support, thereby forming a seat.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed is shown a chair constructed as above
described. The chair shown has a stiff seat composed of a wooden frame
with canework across it. Figure 1 is a front view of the chair when open;
Figure 2, a vertical section of the same; and Figure 3 shows a section of the
chair when folded together. A and B are the legs crossing upon a pin r,
these support the seat C by means of two bars c and d, which unite the tops
of the rear legs A, and front legs B respectively. The bar c is extended
sideways through and beyond the legs and forms the joints upon which the
lower ends of the arms D are pivotted. The back of the chair is composed
of two standards E, united transversely by means of bars or slats G; these
standards are held in place by being united with the arms D and legs B by

page_text: means of pivot joints a and b; the front of the seat is held loosely by loops
attached to the bottom of the seat passing around the bar c, while the rear of
the seat is held by a strap connected therewith, running under the bar d, and
attached to bar c, or under the front of seat. are projections at the back of
the seat for the purpose of bracing the chair when open for use; .y is an
incline for the purpose of raising the seat when the chair is being folded.
When the chair is made with a flexible seat the material for the same is
attached firmly in front to the bar c, and in rear to the bar d. If it be
desired that the chair should occupy a very small space when folded up, then
the parts of the chair are made straight in place of being curved as shewn in
the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEO. 1. BUUSFIELD. (L.S.)