IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEATS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEATS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."-A communication from Pierre Scholtus,
of Paris in the Empire of France Piano Manufacturer
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEATS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."-A communication from Pierre Scholtus,
of Paris in the Emuire of Trance Piano Manufacturer
Sealed the 29th June 1855, and dated the 20th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEATS
AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," a communication from Pierre Scholtus,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, Piano Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of seats,
whether as chairs, music stools, or ottomans, wherein the interior of such seat
is fitted up as a bureau with drawers or pigeon holes, and with a compartment
for music, arranged after the fashion of the ordinary "canterburys " at present
in use.
According to one of the modifications, the cushion or actual seat is made
adjustable in height by the aid of a central screw spindle and nut, the screw
being either attached to the seat or to the top of the pedestal which supports
the same. This pedestal may be constructed of any desired form, according to

page_text: the taste of the manufacturer; for example, it may either be square, polygonal,
round, or oval. The top or. cover of the pedestal through which the screw
works is made moveable, either by sliding off, or by being fitted with a hinged
joint on one side, and when it is required to use the interior of the seat, the
cover with the cushion attached thereto is opened back, like the lid of a box,
and the interior of the seat is left exposed. This portion of the pedestal may
be fitted up as an ordinary music holder only, whether fixed or moveable, or
with a nest of drawers if desired; in the latter case, however, one of the sides
of the pedestal would require to open, or the interior, may be, occupied, half as
a music holder, and half as a nest of drawers, for containing ladies' work or
other articles. The lower, portion or base of the pedestal contains a large
drawer, which fills up the whole of the internal space of the base, and corre-
sponds in shape thereto. This drawer is fitted with a hinged cover or lid on
the top, and on its under side near the front are fitted two castors, which
support the front end of the drawer when out, and greatly facilitates the
movement of the same; this drawer serves as a footstool when out, the feet
resting upon the hinged lid of the same.
"In adapting this stool or seat for an organ, it may be made sloping at
the top, which would also be made to project or overhang in front beyond
the pedestal, in order to give greater freedom to the feet of the performer.
Adjustable feet and nuts to give the requisite inclination may be fitted to the
stool, or spring bolts may be used, so as to retain the seat in a horizontal
position, until required for use; and ordinary chair back may be fitted to the
seat, which, when the bottom drawer or footstool is drawn out, would answer
well as a "prie-dieu." "By a slightly different arrangement of the interior of
the pedestal it may be made to serve as a cellaret, the sides being made to
open for that 'purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman," "send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEATS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," a
communication from Pierre Scholtus; of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Piano Manufacturer; upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the said
John Henry Johnson,' 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 "John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings; and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
seats, whether as chairs, music stools, or ottomans, wherein the interior of such
seat is fitted up as a bureau with drawers or pigeon holes, and with a 'com-
partment for music, arranged after the fashion of the ordinary "canterburys"
at present in use:
According to one of the modifications, the cushion or actual seat is made
adjustable in height by the aid of a central screw spindle and nut, the screw
being either attached to the seat or to the top of the pedestal which supports
the same. This pedestal may be constructed of any desired form, according to
the taste of the manufacturer; for example, it may either be square, polygonal
round, or oval. The top or cover of the pedestal through' which the screw
works is made moveable, either by sliding off, or by being fitted with a hinged
joint on one side, and when it is required to use the interior of the seat, the
cover with the cushion attached thereto is opened back; similar to the lid of a
box, and the interior of the seat is left exposed:
This portion of the pedestal may be fitted up as an ordinary music holder
only, or with a nest of drawers if desired; in the latter case; however, one of
the sides of the pedestal would require to open; or the interior may be occupied,
half as a music holder, and half as a nest of drawers, for containing ladies"

page_text: work or other articles. The lower portion or base of the pedestal.contains a
large drawer, which may fill up the whole of the internal space of the base, and
correspond in shape thereto.
This drawer is fitted with a hinged cover or lid on the top, and on its under
side near the front are fitted two castors, which support the front end of the
drawer when out, and greatly facilitate the sliding of the same. This drawer
. serves as a footstool when drawn out, the feet resting upon the hinged lid
attached thereto. In adapting this stool or seat for an organ stool, it may be
made sloping at the top, which would also be made to project or overhang in
front beyond the pedestal, in order to give greater freedom to the feet of the
performer. Adjustable feet and nuts to give the requisite inclination may be
fitted to the stool; or spring bolts may be used, so as to retain the seat in a
horizontal position until required for use. An ordinary chair back may be
fitted to the seat, which, when the bottom drawer or footstool is drawn out,
would answer well as a " prie-dieu," or devotional chair. By a slightly
different arrangement of the interior of the pedestal it may be made to serve
as a cellaret, the sides being made to open for that purpose.
And in order that the said Invention may be more properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a front elevation of an ottoman con-
structed according to this Invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same,
taken parallel to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section, taken at right angles to
Figure 2, with the cover opened, and the drawer at the bottom extended; and
Figure 4 is a side elevation of an ottoman fitted with a back, so that it may
be used as a chair.
The seat A is fixed to the box or body B by means of the screw b, attached
to the cover c at its lower end, and turning in the nut a, fixed to the seat A,
as shewn in Figure 2. This arrangement may, however, be reversed, the nut
being fixed to the lid C and the screw to the seat A, the object of both
arrangements being to allow of the adjustment of the height of the seat.
When used as an organ stool, it is important that the seat should be slightly
inclined, in order to give more freedom to the feet in peddling. This is effected
either by allowing the cover C to be slightly inclined when shut, or, what is
better still, by using screws in connection with the hind feet of the stool, in
which the feet themselves may turn as nuts, thereby raising and lowering them
at will. It would also be advisable to furnish the stool with a catch or spring
bolt, in order to retain the. seat in any inclined position in which it may be
placed:

page_text: The interior of the ottoman, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, may be arranged
in a precisely similar manner to the articles of furniture at present in use for
holding music, so that by opening the lid any volume or piece of music may
be removed. In the example shewn in the Drawings the interior of the box is
fixed, but it may of course be made to pull out, similar to a drawer; or it might
be composed of several drawers, placed one above the other; but this would be
obviously less convenient as a music holder, although it would afford facility
for holding other articles.
Both these methods are represented in Figure 2. One portion E of the
ottoman is fitted up as a music case, whilst the other portion is fitted with a
set of drawers F. It will be readily understood that the seat may be fitted up
entirely with drawers or entirely as a music holder, as at Figure 3; or it may
be made one half with drawers, and the other half fitted up as a music
holder (see Figure 2). It is proposed also to make the sides of the ottoman
open in such a manner as to render it applicable as a spirit holder or cellaret.
The lower part of this piece of furniture is fitted with a drawer G, running
on small castors g, g, to facilitate its movement; it is fitted with a hinged lid,
as will be seen on referring to the Drawing (Figure 3), and when extended,
as shewn in this Figure, it will serve as a footstool, or as a seat for children.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general construction
and arrangement of hollow seats for containing music and other articles, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.B.)