Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Height of the Seats in Music Stools and other Furniture.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Height of the Seats
in Music Stools and other Furniture.
We, GEORGE CLULOW, Managing Director of Henry Brooks & Company,
Limited, of 31, Lyme Street, Camden Town, Manufacturer, HENRY THOMAS
MUSTO, the Elder, of 126, Skidmore Street, Mile End, and HENRY THOMAS
MUSTO, the Younger, of 35, Grafton Road, Kentish Town, Engineers, all in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to means for regulating and adjusting the heights of
the seats of music stools and other articles of furniture, so that they may be the
more conveniently used by different persons requiring different heights of sent.
The object of the invention is to enable the seat of a music stool or other
article of furniture to be raised quickly, silently and with ease from its lowest
to its highest, or an intermediate, position, and to be capable of being again
lowered as desired by mechanism not liable to get out of order and economical
in manufacture, combining simplicity of parts with rapidity and facility in
operation.
In carrying out the invention the stool, which may be square oblong or of other
convenient form, is formed with an underframe and legs much as heretofore, and on
this underframe are mounted plates or parts which may be screwed thereto, said
plates being designed to support the parts employed to effect the raising and
lowering of the seat. These parts consist at each side of two cross legs or parts
which are hinged at their middle or other convenient part, and these cross legs
or parts are in pairs joined by horizontal plates, bars or parts which carry
bearings for a horizontal rod running lengthwise of the stool, or at right angles
to the cross bars. This horizontal rod is formed with screws having opposite
inclinations each screw working in a corresponding thread in the bearing in each
cross bar.
Mounted on the ends of this rod are handles by which to impart rotary
motion to it. Also mounted thereon are bearings which are connected to the scat
which rests on the parts forming the raising and lowering apparatus, the bearings-
engaging the rod being screwed or otherwise attached thereto. The cross legs or
parts are further connected, say their lower halves, by short links at each side in
pairs or other numbers, to a centre or it may be a cross rod attached to the, plates
mounted on the under body. The centres of the cross legs or parts may be formed
by a cross rod, crossing from side to side of the raising or lowering means, or the
two corresponding cross legs on either side of the apparatus may be rigidly con-
nected with each other if desired provision being made for a swivel nut in the centre
of the cross bar connecting the said cross legs.
The lower ends of the cross legs or parts are free to ride on parts of the plates
attached to the underbody, whether with or without the interposition of anti-
friction devices, or they may run on the under body itself. Anti-friction devices
may be interposed at either of the parts if desired.
The number and arrangement of the parts may be somewhat varied to suit
circumstances of particular cases.
It is preferred to make the lower ends of the cross legs with extended feet or
bases, to give a better riding action.
In operation by turning the screwed rod in one direction the cross bars are
allowed to part, and the cross legs to gradually assume a position approaching to
the horizontal, lowering the seat to its greatest extent, whereas by turning the said
rod in an opposite direction the cross bars or parts are made to approach, the cross

page_text: legs are raised, assuming an angle more and more obtuse with the base plate and
raising the seat to its highest position if the motion be continued.
If the rotation of the rod is stopped at any point the height of the seat will
remain without further adjustment until the rod be again rotated.
According to another modification there are attached to the framing of the stool
or article of furniture, plates or parts, which carry or form bearings for arms or
supporting surfaces which bear against the underside of the seat and carry bearings
for the sockets which are tapped with threads corresponding to the thread of a rod
running longitudinally or otherwise of the seat.
These arms or supporting surfaces are in pairs inclining in opposite directions
and the rod is tapped towards either end with screw threads which have opposite
inclinations. At the ends of the rod are handles for operating it in a rotatory
direction.
This rod also carries other sockets or bearings which are attached to the under-
side of the scat. To an arm or projection from the lower part of one or each of
the arms or supporting surfaces is attached a link which is carried up in an inclined
direction to and connected with a projection or part of the opposite arm or
supporting surface, but above the line of its axis.
Or when two such links are employed one will be connected below the centre of
motion of the one supporting surface and crossed to a point above the centre
of motion of the opposite surface and vice versa, the second link will be connected to
the two supporting surfaces in a reverse manner.
In operation to raise the seat it is only necessary to grasp the handle at one or
other side of the stool or article of furniture and by rotating the screw rod the two
threads engaging the tapped sockets, these are drawn together swinging the
supporting surfaces on their centres and raising the seat to the desired height.
For lowering the seat the reverse operation takes place, the connecting link aiding
to keep the parts steady and facilitating proper action.
According to another modification, the oppositely inclined arms, coöperating
with the tapped rod having the operating handles, have each of them at their lower
ends toothed quadrants the teeth of which intersect and engage so that movement
to the one inclined arm is made to accurately conform to that of the opposite arm
as both are operated by the reverse threads of the screw.
For long stools, or where the size of the quadrants has to be limited, the
quadrants may be centred and have arms linked to the supporting arms of the seat
so that the raising or lowering motion of the screwed axis is conveyed to the
supporting arms, by them to the links and by the links to the arms projecting from
the quadrants so as to rock them in unison on their centres.
By these means great steadiness of operation is attained with simplicity and
smallness in number of parts.
Dated the 22nd day of May 1890.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Height of the Seats
in Music Stools and other Furniture.
We, GEORGE CLULOW, Managing Director of Henry Brooks & Company,
Limited, of 31, Lyme Street, Camden Town, Manufacturer, HENRY THOMAS
MUSTO, the Elder, of 126, Skidmore Street, Mile End, and HENRY THOMAS
MUSTO, the Younger, of 35, Grafton Road, Kentish Town, Engineers, all in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for regulating and adjusting the heights of the

page_text: seats of music stools and other articles of furniture, so that they may be the more
conveniently used by different persons requiring different heights of seat.
The object of the invention is to enable the seat of a music stool or other article
of furniture to be raised quickly, silently and with ease from its lowest to its
highest, or an intermediate, position, and to be capable of being again lowered as
desired by mechanism not liable to get out of order, and economical in manu-
facture, combining simplicity of parts with rapidity and facility in operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section of a stool or seat looking say at the front thereof and
with the parts that are raised in their highest position.
Figure 2 shows the like view of the same parts in their lowest position.
Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the stool taken at right angles to Figure 1
and so as to show how the crossed legs take their supporting bearings.
Figure 4 shows a plan view of the parts but with the top or stuffed seat
and its framing removed so as to permit the mechanism for raising and lowering
to be clearly seen.
Figure 5 is an edge or side view of one of the legs in detail separately.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the other and inner leg, and Figure 8 is an edge or
side view of the latter.
Figure 9 shows a modification of the arrangements, in section corresponding to
Figure 1, in which segments of rack teeth form the links between the supporting
legs to secure their uniform operation and in this figure the parts are shown in
their raised position.
Figure 10 shows the same parts as in the last figure but in their lowest position.
Figure 11 shows a plan view of the parts but with the seat and its framing
removed.
Figure 12 shows one of the legs and segments of teeth in edge view and
Figure 13 shows the same as seen on its face looking outwards from the meeting
line of the segment teeth.
Figure 14 shows a vertical longitudinal section of a double seat or longer stool,
part of the middle portion being broken away for convenience in the drawing.
Figure 15 shows a plan of the same with the top or stuffed seat and its frame
removed:
a is the top or seat of the stool, which may be square, oblong or of other con-
venient form here shown as oblong and designed to be sat upon broadside on to the
instrument played upon in the case of a music stool or like seat and stool is formed
with an underframe 6 and legs c much as heretofore, and on this underframe bare
mounted plates d or parts which may be screwed thereto, said plates d being
designed to support the parts employed to effect the raising and lowering of the
seat.
These parts consist at each side of the two cross legs e, e¹ or framed parts which
are hinged at their middle ex or other convenient part on a central pin or axis g
and these cross legs e, e¹ or corresponding parts are in pairs joined by transverse
framing plates, bars or parts e², ed which carry supports or bearings, centred in
recesses e on pins e' thereby forming sockets for a horizontal rod running length-
wise of the stool, or at right angles to the transverse bars e², e³. This horizontal
rod f is formed with screw threads f³, thereon having each opposite inclinations,
each screw thread on the rod f working in a corresponding thread in the bearing f
or in each cross bar ee. Mounted on the ends of this rod f are handles
by turning either or both of which the user is enabled to impart rotary motion to
that handle and thereby to the longitudinal rod f. Also mounted on this rod fare
bearings hh which by their ears are capable of being connected to the underside
framing of the seat a which rests on these parts and thereby on the parts formning
the raising and lowering apparatus, and by these bearings engaging the rod being

page_text: so screwed or otherwise attached' thereto the whole is held together. The cross
legs or parts es el are further connected; say at their lower halves, by short
links, at each side, these links being preferably in pairs or other numbers, and
these links i, are in pairs borne on to a centre or it may be a cross rod i attached
to the plates d mounted on the under body. The centres of the cross legs or
parts e, è may be formed by a cross rod gas here' shown from side to side of the
raising or lowering means, or the two corresponding cross legs on either side of the
apparatus may be rigidly connected with each other if desired provision being made
for a swivel nut in the centre of the cross bar connecting the said cross legs.
The lower ends of the cross legs or parts e, e¹ at ee are free to ride on ledges
flanges or like parts d' of the plates d attached to the under body b, whether with or
without the interposition of anti-friction devices, or they may run on the under
body itself. Anti-friction devices may be interposed at either of the parts if
desired.
The number and arrangement of the parts may be somewhat varied to suit
circumstances of particular cases.
In special cases it is preferred to make the lower ends of the cross legs with
extended feet or bases, to give a better riding action.
In operation by turning the handles for either of them and thereby the
screwed rod in one direction the cross bars e² e are allowed to part and the
cross legs e, e¹ to gradually assume a position approaching to the horizontal,
lowering the seat a to its greatest extent, and on the other hand by turning
the said rod in an opposite direction the cross bars or parts e², e³ are made
to approach, the cross legs e, e¹ are raised assuming an angle more and more
obtuse with the base plate d and raising the seat a to its highest position if the
motion be continued..
If the rotation of the rod f is stopped at any point the height of the seat will
remain without further adjustment and until the rod be again rotated.
According to the modification shown by Figures 9-13, the oppositely inclined
arms, co-operating with the tapped rod having the operating handles, have each of
them at their lower ends toothed quadrants the teeth of which intersect and engage
so that movement to the one inclined arm is made to accurately conform to
that of the opposite arm as both are operated by the reverse threads of the
screw.
a is the seat; a' is the framing supporting it; h, are the bearings attached
thereto in which rotates the rod provided with screw threads, inclined
in opposite directions, and engaging the threaded bearings f¹, f2 respectively
affixed to the inclined arms e, e' these inclined arms e, e' are respectively centred
at e, to the plate d attached to the frame b, supported on the legs c, c. Each
inclined arm e, e¹ is provided with a segment e', ' and teeth es, which teeth engage
each other and so ensure reciprocal movement of the two arms e, el as those arms
are caused to pivot on their centres, et, e by the movement to or fro of the screwed
bearings f, f, as the rod is turned by the handles f, f.
For long stools, or where the size of the quadrants has to be limited, the
quadrants may be centred and have arms linked to the supporting arms of the seat so
that the raising or lowering motion of the screwed axis is conveyed to the supporting
arms, by them to the links and by the links to the arms projecting from the
quadrants so as rock them in unison on their centres.
Fig. 14 shews in vertical section, and Fig. 15 in plan, parts adapted for carrying
out this last modification.
In this arrangement the parts operate substantially the same as in the arrange-
ment shewn in Figs. 9-13 but the inclined arm e formed with the toothed arc e
is made shorter and linked to another inclined arm elo by two straps or links el el
which are respectively attached to the short arm els at (1) and to the extra inclined
arm at (2). This inclined arm e¹ is centred in the plate d at e¹ and connected
to the screwed socket f' which is also mounted on the screwed axis f. The opera-
tion of the inclined arin e and its toothed arc is the same as in the previous

page_text: arrangement. The arc operates the shorter arm e¹s and by its links ell els
operates with the inclined arm e¹0 to aid in regulating the rising and falling of the
seat.
By these means great steadiness of operation is attained with simplicity and
smallness in number of parts.
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 a music stool or other article of furniture, apparatus for regulating the
height of the seat or seats relatively to the underframe, consisting of a horizontal
double screwed axis supporting a seat or seats and supported by screwed
bearings carried by rocking arms pivoted on the underframe and so connected
that these supporting arms are caused to work in unison as set forth.
2. In a music stool or other article of furniture the arrangement and com-
bination or use of parts consisting of a horizontal screwed axis supporting the
seat or seats, gearing with screwed bearings operating cross arms as e e¹, said
arms bearing on the underframe or a plate or plates attached thereto and being
linked together by links as i i¹ adapted to control their motion in unison
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a music stool or other article of furniture the arrangement and combina-
tion or use of parts consisting of a horizontal screwed axis supporting the seat or seats
gearing with screwed bearings operating rock arms as e e centred to the under-
frame and controlled to work in unison by means of tooth segments substantially
as set forth in respect of Figs. 9. 10. 11. 12 and 13.
Dated the 21st day of February 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.