Improvements in Adjustable Stools or Seats.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Adjustable Stools or Seats.
We, WILLIAM SEATON MCLENNAN and THOMAS MORTON, both of 16, Henrietta
Street, in the County of Glasgow, North Britain, Chair Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say:-
Our said invention has for its object to improve the construction of adjustable
stools or seats so that the height of the seat can be readily adjusted within certain
limits and so that the seat will be thoroughly secure in any desired position. Our
improved seats have also the further advantage that they can be raised or lowered
so as to be either level when intended to be used by a performer upon a pianoforte
for instance or so as to be at varying angles for the use of performers upon the
harmonium and the like.
In carrying out our invention according to one modification the adjustable seat
is, by preference of a rectangular form and is so made that it can travel vertically
inside the lower frame work of the stool or seat, which is made with vertical
uprights at the four corners having racks on their sides. On the underside of the
seat four levers are pivoted so that their outer ends project, one at each corner
beyond the ends of the seat and engage with the racks on the uprights. The inner
ends of the levers are attached to springs connected so as to extend transversely
about the middle of the underside of the seat, which springs tend to pull the inner
ends of the levers laterally inwards and thus cause their outer projecting ends to
move laterally outwards and insure that they engage properly with the teeth of
the racks. The rack teeth are slightly hook shaped and the outer ends of the
levers inclined to insure the levers engaging properly with the rack teeth. The
inner ends of each pair of levers are also attached to a handle or knob by pulling
which the action of the springs is overcome and the outer projecting ends of the
levers removed from the racks. The seat can then be raised or lowered as desired
and so as to be either level or angled as hereinbefore described and on letting go
the handles the springs will insure that the projecting ends of the levers engage
with the particular rack teeth opposite which each happens to be at the desired
height. To raise the seat from a lower to a higher position and so as to be either
level or angled it is not necessary to pull out the handles on the levers as the seat
can simply be pulled upwards either at back and front or either side, the pro-
jecting ends of the levers and the rack teeth being so shaped relative to each other
that the ends of the levers can glide over the surface of the rack in rising.
According to a second modification the racks, levers, and actuating parts are
dispensed with: and the seat is simply made in two parts hinged at its middle so
that it can fold upwards only, at that part. The seat has projecting parts at
each end which rest on transverse bearers connecting the uprights of the lower
framework at each end and the seat is notched or provided with other suitable
device at each corner to engage with the uprights and prevent end on movement.
There may be any desired number of the transverse bearers and to raise or lower
the seat the middle part is raised until the projecting parts are removed from the
bearers on which they were resting. When the seat has been raised or lowered.

page_text: as desired it is straightened out again so as to cause the projecting, end parts to
engage with the bearers at the desired height.
Dated this Soventh day of duil 1909
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.
Improvements in Adjustable Stools or Seats.
We, WILLIAM SEATON MCLENNAN and THOMAS MORTON, both of 16, Henrietta
Street, in the County of Glasgow, North Britain, Chair Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
-
Our said invention has for its object to improve the construction of adjustable
stools or seats so that the height of the seat can be readily adjusted within certain
limits and so that the seat will be thoroughly secure in any desired position. Our
improved seats have also the further advantage that they can be raised or lowered
so as to be either level when intended to be used by a performer upon a pianoforte
for instance or so as to be at varying angles for the use of performers upon the
harmonium and the like.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to in particularly describing our improvements.
Figure 1, is a side elevation and Figure 2, a front elevation showing our improved
stool with the seat level. Figure 3, is a side elevation showing the seat angled.
Figure 4, is an inverted plan of the seat. In these drawings the same reference
letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
As shown in the drawings the adjustable seat, A, is, by preference, of a rect-
angular form and is made so that it can travel vertically inside uprights, B,
forming the four corners of the frame work of the stool or seat. The lower parts
of the uprights, 13, are connected together by spars, C, as in some existing forms
of stools so as to form a receptacle for music or the like. Or instead of the spars
drawers or trays may be fixed between the uprights for the same purpose. On the
inside of each upright, B, a rack, D, is fixed. On the underside of the seat, A,"
four levers, E, are each pivoted at F, so that their outer ends project one at each
corner beyond the ends of the seat, A, and engage with the racks, D, on the
uprights, B. The inner ends of the levers, E, are attached to springs, G, con-
nected so as to extend transversely about the middle of the underside of the seat, A,
which springs tend to pull the inner ends of the levers, E, laterally inwards and
thus cause their outer projecting ends to move laterally outwards and insure that
they engage properly with the teeth of the racks, D. The rack teeth are slightly
hook-shaped and the outer ends of the levers, E, inclined to insure the levers
engaging properly with the rack teeth. The outer parts of the levers, E, are
guided and supported by being made with slots through which extend small guide
bars, H, fixed to the underside of the seat, A, and the inner parts of the levers are
kept off the underside of the seat by working over small guides, J, fixed in the
seat. The inner ends of each pair of levers, E, are also attached to a handle or
knob, K, by pulling which the action of the springs, G, is overcome and the outer
projecting ends of the levers removed from the racks, D. The seat, A, can then
he raised or lowered as desired and so as to be either level as shown in Figures 1,
and 2, or angled more or less as shewn in Figure, 3; and on letting go the

page_text: handles, K, the springs, G, will insure that the projecting end of each of the
levers, E, engages with the particular tooth of the rack, D, opposite which each
happens to be at the desired height. To raise the seat, A, from a lower to a higher
position and so as to be either level or angled it is not necessary to pull out the
handles, K, on the levers, E, as the seat can simply be pulled upwards either at
back and front or either side, the projecting ends of the levers and the rack
teeth, D, being so shaped relatively to each other that the ends of the levers can
glide over the surfaces of the rack in rising. The seat can also be lowered by
pushing it backwards or forwards the action disengaging the lever ends from
the racks at the side from which the seat is pushed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In an adjustable stool or seat making the frame of the stool with vertical
uprights at the four corners the uprights having racks on their sides and the under-
side of the seat having pivoted to it four levers the outer ends of which project,
one at each corner, the inner ends of the levers being attached to springs extending
across the seat, and each pair of levers being made with or without a handle or
knob all substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. Making the teeth of the racks hook-shaped as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Dated this Sixth dor of Tonu 1800
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.