AMBULATORY FURNITURE FOR APARTMENTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George White, of 34, Dowgate Hill, Cannon Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "AMBULATORY FURNITURE
FOR APARTMENTS."-A communication from Mr. Von Mannstein, of
Vienna, Austria.
Sealed the 23rd November 1858, and dated the 28th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George White at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
August 1858.
I, GEORGE WHITE, of 34 Dowgate. Hill, Cannon Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AMBULATORY
FURNITURE FOR APARTMENTS" (a communication,) to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in new arrangements of various pieces of furniture,
allowing them of being easily taken to pieces, flapped, or slid together, and
then packed up with facility on a waggon, so as to form what I call ambu-
latory furniture for apartments. The feet of the tables and chairs are fixed
to the body or the seats, either by hinges or by mortice and tenon, or screw
and nut, thus allowing them to be flapped together or to be unloosened from
the body, or the seat, whereas, when required for use, suitable tie rods, made
extensible by screw and nut, keep them in position. The back and sides of
the arm-chairs also turn on hinges, and may be fixed by hooks and eyes. The
bedsteads have their sides provided with hinges in the middle of their length,
Price 8d1

page_text: and also the front and back parts, so as to allow of folding the bedstead up to
form a flat square box, with room for store in the interior, this latter being
likewise the case with the rest of the furniture. The spring mattrass, or the
seats and backs of the easy chairs, consist of a folding frame, over the top of
which are fixed elastic steel bands, caused to bulge out more or less according
to the elasticity required; or the sides of the frame may be formed of a lattice-
work, the construction of which is based on the principle of the lazy-tongs, so
as to allow of being extended or contracted with facility; this arrangement of
latticework I intend to apply to various objects, such as the sides of waggons,
for making roofs, tents, &c. The bottom of the bedstead I either form also of
such latticework, or of a sort of double railing, the poles or bars of which
alternately glide between each other; on this lattice or railing are applied
boards, to which are fixed the ordinary springs, as used for spring mattresses.
The wardrobes are furnished with double sides, turning on hinges, for allowing
them to be folded up over the door, so that the crest and foot being taken off,
the entire forms a packing chest; the same may be done with the table, by
inserting boards between the four legs of the said table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Paten, filed
by the said George White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, GEORGE
WHITE, of 34, Dowgate Hill, Cannon Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eight day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did. for Herself. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me.
the said George White, Her special licence that I, the said George White,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George White, my executors, administrators, 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 "AMBULATORY FURNI-
TURE FOR APARTMENTS," a communication from Mr. Von Mannstein, of Vienna,
Austria, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George White

page_text: my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 White, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:--
The Invention relates to new arrangements of various parts of furniture,
allowing their being easily taken to pieces, flapped, or slid together, and then
packed up with facility on a waggon, so as to form what I call an ambu-
latory furnished apartment. Whoever has been compelled to have his furni-
ture transported from one place to another, whether in the interest of trade, or
on his own account, must have experienced that, in spite of the most careful
and costly packing, it has still been more or less damaged. An Invention
which now enables every one to remove the most costly furniture uninjured,
without any particular packing, and on every ordinary cart, and thereby
reducing the expences of transport to one-half, must certainly be of public
interest. To answer this purpose the furniture is so contrived that the same
may either be taken to pieces, flapped, or slid together to a third or fourth of
its usual bulk, and sent or conveyed on carts, which may also be constructed
on the same diminishing system. Package is dispensable, as the tables,
chiffonnieres, book cases, and drawers become packing chests; the beds too
serve the same purpose without thereby losing anything of their elegant forms,
even the bolsters and cushions, distinguished for the lightness and cheapness,
being hollow, may serve to pack small articles in.
The annexed Sheets of Drawings show illustrations of the various parts of
the Invention; corresponding parts in each principal Figure, and in those
showing the details of this latter, are indicated by the same letters of reference.
To arrive at the above-mentioned advantages, the elasticity of the materials
is made available by wedges, bars, or rods, Fig. 1, 2, 3, and 4; by pegs,
Fig. 1 inclusive 6; then by screws, which fit their corresponding sockets, and
drive the constituent parts together, or which press the driven-in pegs firmly in
their places, as in Fig. 5 and 6, or by hooks and wedges, Fig. 6 and 8, or by
means of bolts combined with hinges: further with compressible latticework,
as in Fig. 15 and 16, which is also made use of as a sort of mattress or sitting
cushion, and which can be considerably diminished; and, lastly, for cars, tents,

page_text: pontoons, or boats, as in Fig. 21, 22, 23. All the methods mentioned here
to disjoin, fasten, or compress, can be applied singly or together to any of the
furniture or moveables now in use. For furnishing further a whole set of
such furniture, a new kind of upholstery, on the same system, is given in the
Figs. 9, 11, to 13, and 18, everywhere applicable where cushions may be
necessary, and which offer the same advantages as those till now in use; at
the same time dispensing with a quantity of the materials now necessary.
Another advantage offered is, being hollow, allows of its being used to pack
many articles in. Of this furniture particular mention may be made of the
wardrobes, and a sort of table, Figs. 8, 10, and 14, which are constructed in
such manner that the former can be used as packing chests, and the latter as
trunk, thereby presenting many substantial advantages. The form, size, and
materials used are the same as those generally made use of for other furniture
and moveables; however, the same can or cannot be fixed as the purchaser
must determine. The whole putting together of this furniture, cars, tents,
and boats is new, and consequently this mode of diminishing, disjoining,
putting together, and applying, some as packing room, is claimed
Invention.
as the
I will now enter more fully into the details of the various parts of the
Invention, and indicate also the manner in which the same is put into practical
effect.
Fig. 1 is a table with 4 curved feet, the entire represented as cut through
the middle. E II. is the ground plan, or rather reverse leaf of the table,
with frame fastened thereto. A represents the finished part, with a whole
and a half foot B, following the line a, c, of the ground plan. E II. is the
intersected part in the construction, can be seen; C is the frame with the
holes, into which the oblique pegs bare driven. When the feet are placed
the piece e is then driven in, whereby the pegs b are pressed firmly into the
holes a, causing a firm connexion with the frame, through tension, and so the
table stands firmly; D is the outer border of the leaf. In the empty space
between C and D the disjointed feet are packed; this mode of fastening may
be applied to all tables where the feet are joined underneath, or by staves or
rods, only it then requires a somewhat stronger frame than usual.
Fig. 2 is a writing desk, with drawer. A is the part seen finished; B, the
part cut through by the line e', c', in the plan E; C, the view; A, the half
side B, line a¹, b¹, and the plan d'. f'; F, the fork-formed part without
foot with the peg b, seen from the front; G, the same from the side, with a
part of the projecting slides a, the intersected leaves lie over and show the pin
holes. E, the ground plan or slab of the desk, with the pin holes c seen from

page_text: below. The same system is here applied as in Fig. 1, an ornamental ledge
being pressed between the feet to produce firmness. The drawers i are
pushed between the forks F (feet-joints), and run on grooves and springs into
one another. The crests are fixed on the slab of the desk by means of pins.
Fig. 3, a fauteuil (easy chair), in frame without unholstery. A is the chair
frame seen from below, with the fect folded up; B, the back laid on the chair
frame b, from above; C, the different parts. Here, and in Fig. 4, the pegs
come into application, which move in holes and so form a sort of hinge. a
are the supports of the side arms, which are fastened to the frame b; the two
back supports have holes at the bottom for the pegs of the back; the inside of
the chair frame has also several, before and behind i, as the peg r and the rail
o move in the said holes i. The feet are fastened on this rail o, and it has a
projection n, with a hole; into this hole a rod à is placed, which after the
feet are placed, may be screwed shorter or longer; by means of screwing the
rod h, the necessary firmness is attained. As soon as the rod is taken out,
the feet can be laid in; D is the rod with screw, on a large scale; instead
of the rod h, a bar may be pressed in.
ledge, which move in the holes & in the
laid down. In the middle of g, backwards, is a bolt or hook which holds fast
the back when raised by means of a ring, with the opening of which the back
can be laid forward as in B. The arms a have also pegs te before and behind,
which move into head holes of the supports, stretch over the back, and so
keep the whole fast; at Z is a ring, into which the hook at the side of the
back fits, which may be replaced by a spring.
The back has pegs & in its under
supports a, whereby the same can be
Fig. 4 is a chair, based on the system of moveable pegs. The front feet.
are fastened to a rail, which has two pins a which run into the frame; the back
of this chair, with the feet, has in its middle rail also two pins e, which move
into the frame when the chair is set up; a rod or bar b is pressed between the
rails or feet, and thus keeps the whole asunder. When this is taken away,
the front feet are laid back, the back ones laid forward, and thus folded up
occupies little space, as A shows.
Fig. 5 is a chair, where the attractive and expanding screws are employed
to give the necessary firmness, or to allow of its being easily disjointed. A,
the whole chair; B, its different points. The back ledge a of the frame b is
drawn by the screw e to the cross-rail e of the hack i, through the socket r;
the peg z sinks into the peg hole in the back i, and holds it fast. The front.
feet have a conical pin e, which is pressed into the sides of the hole by the
crosspiece s, and the screw which passes through the latter.
In Fig. 5, both sorts of screws are applied, and such a chair or any furni-

page_text: ture of this sort is superior in strength to glued.
It will be seen that the
other systems provided with the screw may be applied; for example, the back
part fastened with screws to the cross rail of the back of a chair, sofa, &c.,
the front feet furnished with pegs to drive in when set up, fasten with wedge
or bar, and so the two combined are applied; Fig. 6 is an arm chair,
A the chair, B the component parts, the fastening is that of Fig. 5, or that of
Figs. 3 and 5 combined. The arm a has a peg b below, which is driven into
the incision in c, and kept fast by a screw. The arm a has a hook d below
on the back, which catches into the ring e on the back, and thus keeps the
back firm. Instead of the latter a spring may be fitted on; is the view of
the two modes of fastening as in Fig. 5. In this manner all sorts of fur-
niture for sitting or lying can be disjointed and made quite fast; at the same
time the different systems may be applied together without losing in disjoin-
ing or solidity; Fig. 9 shows a part of a cushion frame where the springs
are unnecessary, and thus saves much material. Such a cushion skeleton
combined with the frame forms a hollow space adapted for packing articles
in. a is the frame of a chair, sofa, &c.; b, the inside parts of the firmly
screwed steel bands to the frame a. In the middle above is a straight steel
band e rivited to the springs, partly to keep them separate, and partly to give
uniform strength. In Figs. 11, 12, and 13, are the other kinds of hollow
cushions applied to a bed; a forms the frame on which, as above, the spring
bands are screwed and fastened with a rod. Between every steel band b,
girths care tentered and fastened to the springs, thereby securing an agreeable
elasticity. These cushion skeletons may be covered with linen girths or any
stuff. On the whole they may be treated as the furniture now in use, with
this difference, that not one-half of the present material is requisite. The
spring bands in the back cushion skeleton may be made tense or not at plea-
sure the steel bands are screwed on to the top of the back, and fastened to
an iron bar at the bottom, which bar being provided with eyes, runs on the
sides of the back, and can be pushed up or down. Above on the right and
left of the back, and on the iron rod below where the bands are fixed, are
tendons or girths which may be tightened or loosened by means of buckles.
If the girths are drawn, the springs can be tentered at pleasure; if let loose
they become straight, and the back may be then laid forward on the seat
and packed easily. Fig. 18, mattress with latticework. Fig. 18 shows the
frame of a compressible mattress, the sides of which consist of latticework
F. A, B, shows the length of the sides and form of the latticework frame.
The line 1, 2, shows the section; B. shows the half drawn out, the other is
shown in A compressed. This latticework is fastened by the rods m, which

page_text: are in connexion with the end of the latticework, and shut the mattress
broadwise. B' shows the construction of the bottom made of boards o, which
are fixed to the railwork as C shows and seen from below angle i. A part of
this angle i is fastened to the bottom board with three screws; that part
which lies on the lattrice rod r, with one central screw to allow its moving with
the latticework. The bottom boards o are so cut that the springs x fixed
thereto do not get out of place on compression, the upper parts of these
springs are buckled together as in the other mattresses. Fig. 10, a chiffonniere
(wardrobe). A, view of the raised box, half represented, with foot and crest;
B shows the other half as packing chest, with the handles a, and provided
with iron edging b; C, ground plan, line 1, 2; the other articles are the
intersections of parts of the crest and fastenings of the sides o of the chest,
which are double, to serve as packing chest, and fixed on as in B, and ground
plan C, to form the lid o. E is the view from above, half wardrobe, half
chest. D, a corner of the crest d seen from above, which is put together
with hinges n, and can be folded up; the upper part is fastened to the sides
with hooks; is the same seen from the side, showing how it sits. At the
intersection C is o, a side part fixed over the chest as lid, used as packing
chest; this part o is laid back forming the side of the chest. In R, the
upper part and side leaves o, o, of the chest can be laid forwards or back-
wards, by means of a hinge and wheel i; the feet are fitted on with pegs, where
they sit firmly through tension, or through the pressure of screws. In the
same manner as the crest, a socle may be fitted on, which forms the feet, the
sides may also be pushed on by means of grooves. When the side parts o, 0,
are pushed forwards, thus forming the lid of the packing chest, an iron rod b
is fixed above and below, for more security, as was shown in B and E. Fig. 8.
is a table frame which, together with the top or slab, may be turned into a
strong packing chest. The frame A, composed of bars, forms a skeleton,
which may be surrounded with an iron band top and bottom for safety sake.
Into the frame a table slab is laid on the adjoint piece a as bottom.
boards of other tables form the sides of the box. Fig. 8, II.; on this again
a board is laid, which forms the second bottom; the space between this and
the under board is used for packing. On the second board, the legs of the
four tables are laid, on which then the table top forms the lid of the chest.
The boards are placed with the surface inwards. A table frame may also
be put into the upper room, which leaves space for the feet. On such a table
the feet are fastened by means of pressing screws, as in Fig. 5; the board is
fastened firmly by means of a screw from below to a middle piece. Above the
last table board which forms the lid, the frame b projects a little, that a rod of
The

page_text: iron c may have room to be pushed into the two holes e on both sides, which
are lined with iron, to produce greater firmness. In the middle of this
frame b is a lock, into which a hook placed at r on the bolt c fits. The chest
packed, the last board laid on, the bolt c pushed forwards, and the lock shut,
a complete and safe box is formed, as is shown in the half side Fig. 8, II. R.
If now opened and the board taken out, the bolt c must be put in again and
locked; now the boards, which as B shows, consist of two pieces, are put on,
and screws inserted through the holes o in the bolt c, which fit the sockets
under the boards, and thus hold them firmly, forming a good and steady table.
C, D, and E, are separate parts to pack the tables and bolt. a is a table board
furnished beneath with a slide b, into which, where the feet come in the four
corners, a groove c is cut, into which the peg d is firmly driven. This peg has an
incision e, into which when the foot is placed a wedge is driven; when this
wedge is driven in, the table stands quite firmly. Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14, a
bed consisting of two equal boxes or frames, joined by the hinges b¹ for the
purpose, that when the two boxes are laid together and shut, they form a
hollow space or trunk, in which the linen, bed cover, and other articles may
be packed. Fig. 12, a ground plan of the box a, a part of the position of the
springs b, and girth c, is seen from below. B, the side view also half finished;
the other the section in which the frame is omitted. E is front view, o is
the layer of horsehair. The under part D is the hollow or packing space
formed by folding up. The box or frame a has holes i in the corners, through
which the rods r fixed to the feet are put. The parts B and C of this bed
frame bear the upholstery work o, but are separated from E, which forms the
top and bottom, and is fitted on the rod r. In the crests s, which are bored.
a rod w is struck in above, this is joined to another Z, which when taken off
may be folded up at the hinges. These rods are for curtains. The hinges m
are seen on a larger scale in M, which shows that the rod cannot bend down,
but must be straight. In the middle where the frame or box a is closed by
means of hinges, a joint x is formed. The foot is peculiarly formed, having
above two pegs n; each box has a hole i¹ in the under corner, where it joins
the other by means of hinges, into which these pegs fit; is now the foot with
the pegs n pushed in, the two boxes are firmly joined. At the joint a bar r
can be pushed in by means of a groove, whereby it is covered.
may be fastened to the foot, and driven in with the pegs n.
the view of the foot plate from above; f, from the side r, is from below,
and the side of the Figs. 11, 12, where the joint a is covered, when the bar r
is put in. Fig. 14 shows the bed in B; D, folded up as trunk; b', the
hinges. Fig. 20 is also a bed with application of pegs and hinges, shown as
The bar itself
Near F is h,

page_text: box; A, the same, half side view, a as box the other half, with the front part
taken away. C; the ground plan of the same; B, the section of the box and
bed half drawn out, with raised lid b, in the direction of the line 1, 2, in c;
the frames c forming the sides are joined by hinges; e, the front and back parts
of the box a. On one of the frames c is a foot d, so put on that on opening the
bed and joining the frame, joint i is covered, but when closed as box, fills the
opening above. E is the connexion of the two frames together with the foot d
shown on a large scale; x in C, the spaces into which mattresses and bedding
are received. D is this chest A exhibited as complete and firm bedstead. F
shows the same bed D with mattress bolster laid in. If the middle one is
taken out, turned, and the feet o put in, the bottom board of the same forms a
table, and the other two mattresses seats. For this purpose rings r are screwed
on to the inner part of the frame, and the same let into the side of the mattress
into which the feet are put. Fig. 19 is a bed with application of the before
mentioned lattice-rail a, masked as a pier-chest (trumcau). A, the rails com-
pressed, covered by a sort of door when set up. B is the pier-chest drawn out
as a bed. The lid b is open, and the sides thrown back so as to form a plane
with the back of the bed or chest. The one of these side parts is furnished
with a little drawer a', which folds together with hinges. The other with a
seat b¹, which can be let down; both have supports. The sides of this bed
have on the end rail taken from below, an adjoint piece o, which runs in a
groover, and fastened with a pin, which forms the point of support of the top
and end. Drawn together as chest, the inner space hides the mattress,
bolsters, &c., and the pier-chest (trumeau) forms a completely furnished bed.
Fig. 17 represents a child's bed made of latticework a; which when drawn
out as in Fig. 16 forms a complete bedstead for grown-up persons. A is the
view of the length, B the breadth of the bed; both Drawings are cut through
by the line 1, 2. In both Drawings is I the full view; II with the front
taken off; the view is represented in the ground plan or bottom C, line 1, 2,
in A, and by the line 1, 3, in B, where is seen the position of the rail bearing
the bottom, which cuts through the whole breadth of the same. In D and E
are represented parts of this rail a, which is fastened to the two ends. Every
second rail of this latticework made of iron is elongated and bent over; on
this elongation rings e are screwed, through which the rods c are easily pushed.
The bottom C composed of the rods c shows that every alternate rod is fixed,
one to the top, the other to the bottom, while the end always lies in the rings e.
If now the sides are pushed forwards or backwards, the bottom lengthens itself
with the same, or diminishes with the rails on all sides; M shows, on a larger
scale the mode of fastening the rods c to the rails. On one end they have a

page_text: screw with a plate as head; this fits into the opening g, provided with a sliti
in the screwed on plate, on the lattice rails, by which the rods are moveable. F
are bolts fixed into the feet of the bed, on which the eyes d fixed, run up and
down; these eyes or broad rings d are enlarged on G and H; G put on the
rod, F the same empty, seen from above; H, the mode of fastening them; I,
the joining of the upper rail with the under by means of hinges i, that they
may be let down. This joining is seen enlarged in K, from the front in L.
Fig. 21 is the lattice work system employed for cars, and A shows the compressed
railwork a as side. The rails in this latticework are lengthened and partly of
iron, as they serve to fasten the axles, the wheels, and hold the middle piece o,
which forms a point of support to the under pole; this is here supplied by the
pole x, and is shown in C, with its holes. In B, the half of the bottom of the
car is shown; the boards n forming the same, are fastened to the moveable rods
of the latticework, in the same manner as the bottom boards of the mattresses
Fig. 18, and draw out or together with the rails as in B. On one side of the
bottom a is a long running screw, which lies in the channel b, fixed to the
back part of the car, which runs into the socket c in the front part; this screw
can be turned by means of a key, whereby the car, together with its bottom,
may be lengthened or shortened. Although this may be done, still the frames
must be joined together to fix the chosen length. This is done by the rod x,
which joins the front and back frame, which is like that in every other car, as
well as the other parts of the same. This rod z, joined to the turn plate by
the pin, runs through two bored bars or rods o (shown on a larger scale in C),
into which it is fixed at the appointed spot by means of screws or pins. When
this fastening is loosened the car can be expanded or diminished at pleasure.
By bending the rod z it may go through the length of the bottom, so that it
cannot be seen. These manifold jointed rails lessen by their own spring power
the shock to persons, as well as to the articles conveyed. Fig. 22 are these
rails employed as roof or tent. The construction is seen in the Drawing, and
is like that used for umbrellas. The rails a are stuck by means of rings b
on the two poles which form the holding point. On every second or third rail
bars c are fixed, which move with pins. On the lower part of the rail work
other bars d are fastened, which have forks e at the end on which the bars c
also move by means of hinges. A waterproof stuff is stretched over the bars c,
and when the whole is opened like an umbrella it forms a good protecting roof,
when drawn together the whole occupies very little space. A enlarged, the
rod c is seen from above with its fastening; B, the same from the side; C, the
rod d with fork e, and rod c; Fig. 23 shows the skeleton used as boat. The
bars A, together with the bottom B, are covered with a waterproof stuff inside

page_text: or out. This is the inside. The construction and joining of the sides is like
the bottom of the mattress and car.
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 above described
arrangements of furniture, allowing them of being taken to pieces, flapped or
slid together so as to be considerably reduced in bulk, for the purpose of
permitting them to be easily removed from one place to another, thereby
dispensing with any particular package, and so as to form what I call an
ambulatory furnished apartment.
In witness whereof, I, the said George White, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
RICHARD PERRIN.
GEO. WHITE. (L.S.)