An Improved Camp Stool.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Improved Camp Stool.
We, SAMUEL JAMES TARR, Coachmaker, and FREDERICK WILLIAM TARR,
Clerk, both of 31 Albany Road, Ashley Hill, Bristol, in the County of
Gloucestershire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved camp stool, which consists of parts of
light strong wood cut to various shapes hinged and pivoted together so that the
whole apparatus can be folded up together to enable a person to carry the same in
a pocket.
In carrying our invention into practice we cut in strong wood five pieces and
hinge the same together making four joints so as to form the seat, and on to the
two outside pieces are screwed suitable blocks. To the underside of the middle
piece is pivoted vertically a wood stretcher or support this said support lies length-
wise when in its normal position, but by turning the stretcher transversely and by
means of a stud pin and catch it locks the five seat pieces together rigidly, also
giving at the same time the requisite side splay or bevel to the legs and making
the seat concave at top. The aforesaid seat is supported by three legs which are
hinged about half way from the bottom so as to fold cach leg into two parts, the
said legs when opened out are secured by pivoted lever hasps or by any other
metallic fitting. The top ends of the upper halves are pivoted horizontally to the
blocks, and to one flap of hinge the other flap of which is fixed to the seat, and
by means of metallic hooks or stretchers, (two to each leg,) running at angles
from seat to legs are thus fixed in order to produce a rigid camp stool.
When the camp stool is folded up, the legs, stretchers or supports, and metallic
hooks will all lay lengthwise parallel with the seat joints thus allowing the seat to
fold around and envelope all the other parts and fittings the whole making a
compact stool small enough for any ordinary size coat pocket.
A handle of any suitable construction may be attached to the aforesaid stool for
carrying same by hand.
We do not particularly bind ourselves to any particular fitting or fittings to be
used, in the construction of the herein before described stool as it is obvious that
we may adopt any shape or class of fittings suitable to the formation of the camp
stool above described.
Dated this 17th of November 1906
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicants,

page_text: An improved Camp Stool.
We, SAMUEL JAMES TARR, Coachmaker, and FREDERICK WILLIAM TARR,
Clerk, both of 31 Albany Road, Ashley Hill, Bristol, in the County of
Gloucestershire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to an improved camp stool, which consists of parts of
light strong wood cut to various shapes hinged and pivoted together so that the
whole apparatus can be folded up together to enable a person to carry the same in
a pocket.
And in order that our invention may be thoroughly understood, we now proceed
to describe the accompanying drawing thereof, reference being had to letters and
figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1, is a bottom view of the stool folded up with the handle projecting.
Fig. 2, is a back elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a plan of the stool showing the parts when first opened outwards.
Fig. 4, is a side view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, is a plan of the seat.
Fig. 6, is the front elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7, is a front elevation of the stool.
Fig. 8, is a side elevation of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9, is a plan of the underside of the parts of the stool when opened
outwards.
In carrying our invention into practice we cut in strong wood five pieces a, b, c, d,
and e, and hinge the same together making four joints so as to form the seat, and
on to the two outside pieces a, and e, are screwed suitable blocks a³. To the
underside of the middle piece e is pivoted vertically a wood stretcher for support
this said support lies lengthwise as in Figs. 1, 3, and 9, when in its normal position,
but by turning the stretcher f transversely and by means of a stud pin a' and
catch it locks the five seat pieces together rigidly as shown in Figs. 7, and 8,
also giving at the same time the requisite side splay to side legs or bevel to the
legs and making the seat concave at top. The aforesaid seat is supported by three
legs n and n' which are hinged about half way from the bottom so as to fold each
leg into two parts, the said legs when opened out are secured by pivoted lever
hasps or by any other metallic fitting. The top ends of the upper halves n' of
the side legs are pivoted horizontally to the blocks a³, whilst the back leg is pivoted
to the metal clip k; and to one flap of hinge the other flap of which is fixed to the
seat, and by means of metallic books or stretchers a', (two to each leg,) running
at angles from seat to legs are thus fixed in order to produce a rigid camp stool.
If preferable the blocks a³ may be substituted by metal clips.
When the camp stool is folded up and secured by a fastening a as in Fig. 1, the
legs, stretchers or supports, and metallic hooks will all lay lengthwise parallel
with the seat joints thus allowing the seat to fold around and envelope all the
other parts and fittings, the whole making a compact stool small enough for any
ordinary size coat pocket.
A handle of any suitable construction may be attached to the aforesaid stool
for carrying same by hand.
The seat is constructed of five parts a, b, c, d, and e, hinged together the whole
lengths or at intervals of the lengths of the long edges, as a to b, b to c, e to d,
and d to e. The hinges h may be of the butt, stop, or spring kind; or may be

page_text: self hinges where a, b, c, d, e, is of metal. The flaps of the hinges may be
connected from knuckle to knuckle right across from a to e or may be separate.
There are four joins in all so as to allow the seat to fold to form four sides of a
box-like recess in which the legs and under portions of the stool are enclosed as in
a box without ends; c forming the bottom, 6 the back, d the front, and a and e
the top in two parts as in Fig. 6, the unhinged or unjointed edges of a and e
meeting along the middle and being kept closed by a clasp or other suitable
fastening across from a to e.
Although the drawings are prepared as showing wood and metal combined as
being preferably suitable materials for the construction of the seat, it may be made
of any one separate material or any materials in combination which is or are of
sufficient strength, lightness, and rigidity, to support the weight of an average
adult person and permit of easy portage. That is to say, that the five
parts a, b, c, d, e, may be wholly of metal, aluminium, light steel and such like.
might be employed, in which case stop-hinges could be formed in and be
continuation or portion of the various parts, a, b, c, d, e, being in such a case self-
hinged, or any ordinary hinge may be employed as with wood. In a combination.
of materials for the purpose, metal may be used with, amongst others, wood, wood
pulp, pressed wood, paper pulp and such like, and the seat top. may be covered
with any material.
In any case the seat must be allowed to fold in the manner before mentioned.
The seat may be made of the "beehive" shape to accommodate three legs only
for its support or it may be made rectangular to accommodate four legs, the
principle of folding the stool remains exactly the same in both instances, only in
the beehive shape a, e, e, take one leg each while in the rectangular shape a and e
take two legs each and c does not take any; the crossbar remains in the same
position in both shapes and acts exactly in the same manner.
The crossbar support fis pivoted at the middle to the centre of the underside of
seat piece e about which the crossbarf makes a quarter of a turn, lying lengthwise
of c when the seat is closed, and turning across from a to e when open; and to the
undersides of a and e each end of the crossbar fis secured by a catch or other
suitable fastening so as to hold the five parts of the seat rigid laterally and give
the necessary under support also the required side splay to the side legs n..
The legs, shown in wood as being preferably suitable for their construction, may,
like the seat, be made of any material or materials separate or combined possessing
sufficient strength, lightness and rigidity to support the weight of an average adult
and permit of easy portage. They may be entirely of metal in angular, hollow or
U section in which case the knee hinge joint A would be formed in and be a
continuation of the same material and the joint fastening may be a bolt, catch I,
slide, spring or anything else that will fulfill the requirement of holding the joint
rigid in use. The top ends of the legs n' are secured to the seat by means of metal
clips k of U section (or to blocks) to which they are pivoted to fold, but with
metal legs it will of course be understood that a spring hinge or eccentric
knuckle hinge would answer the purpose equally well and may be used in place of
the clip.
The metal clips of U section may be made separate or they may be made as
part and continuation of the seat-hinge flaps, that is if the hinges extend right
across from a to e.
In order to secure the utmost possible rigidity in so light a construction as our
pocket camp-stool, we have put to each leg two light metal wires a¹ each pair of
which fasten from two points in the legs a little below the leg pivots at k to points
in the underside of seat at a, e, and e, each pair forming a wide angle of which the
leg is the corner. The two for the middle or hind leg are pivoted to, and fold
upon a and e. Those for the side legs are pivoted upon, and fold with, the side
legs themselves. The securing of the moveable ends of these wires may be
accomplished by simply thrusting the ends into holes as in Figs. 7, and 8, or the
ends may be split to form a spring or they may be secured on the solitaire principle

page_text: or by any other suitable means. It will be understood that the bearing strength
of the stool in supporting a dead weight is as nearly as possible the same without
these wires, and that they might be dispensed with.
Although our campstool has been designed for easy portage in a coat pocket we
affix a handle a² that the stool may if preferred be carried by hand as being more
suitable for ladies.
The handle a not necessarily to be in exact construction as shown in the
drawing, but may be affixed in any other suitable manner, and of other material
such as leather.
Our pocket camp-stool is specially suitable for sports, seaside, picnics, tennis,
cricket, parks, anglers, artists and bicyclists.
It can be used as a flat seat to put on a rock by spreading open the seat only
and allowing the legs to remain folded. It can be used as a low stool by setting
up the legs only halfway. It can be used, when lying down, as a headrest by
letting the folded legs lie across the crossbar.
We do not particularly bind ourselves to any particular fitting or fittings to be
used in the construction of the hereinbefore described stool as it is obvious that we
may adopt any shape or class of fittings suitable to the formation of the camp stool
above described.
If preferable I may dispense with the blocks a³.
The advantages of our invention are as follows:-
1. That by our improved method of folding a camp stool the utmost compactness
is secured in the neatest and least troublesome manner.
2. That by our innovation of a pivoted crossbar the utmost strength and support
is given-to:a-folding-seat-of-this-construction_and_that_by_the_use_of_the_crossbar
the maximum of rigidity is attained making the seat very comfortable to sit
upon.
3. That our method of making a folding campstool seat of rigid material or
materials is an advance on the old method of carpet or canvas almost exclusively
employed for such purpose hitherto.
4. That our pocket campstool fulfills at once all the requirements of a portable
campstool, viz.compactness, strength, lightness, utility, easy portage and easy
manipulation.
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 camp stools, the combination of the various parts as fully described in the
above specification and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2. In camp stools, the combination of the various parts or their equivalents,
substantially as herein described for the purpose specified.
3: In camp stools, the method of folding a camp stool in compactness and secured
in the least troublesome manner, substantially as described.
4. In camp stools, the method of a pivoted crossbar giving strength and support
to the folding seat hinged together, and connected to the pivoted and hinged legs
and also the pivoted wires or stretchers, substantially as herein described and for
the purpose specified.
5. In camp stools, the method and construction of pivoted hinged legs with
fastenings, attached to a folding seat, and the crossbar with stud pin and fastenings,
the clips, blocks and pivoted wires or their equivalents, substantially as herein
described for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of May 1897
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicants.