IMPROVEMENTS CANDER COMMODES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Domenico Tomasini, of Great Coram Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Upholsterer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
CANDER COMMODES"
Sealed the 7th August 1857, and dated the 26th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Domenico Tomasini at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1857.
I, DOMENICO TOMASINI, of Great Coram Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EASY CHAIRS AND CHAMBER COMMODES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of easy chairs and
chamber commodes relates, first, to the application of a spring to the back
of the chair in such a manner that it may be made to press against and sup-
port the lumbar region of the back of the person seated in the chair, thereby
affording very considerable support and rest to an invalid when seated in the
chair.
My Invention relates, secondly, to an improved mode of adapting a night
convenience to an easy chair, the object being effected in such a manner that
neither the pan nor any of its appendages can be seen by a casual observer,
nor will the external appearance of the chair be interfered with in any way.
In carrying out this part of my Invention, the seat or cushion of the chair
is made moveable, as in an ordinary Trafalgar chair. Beneath this moveable
cushion is a moveable wooden seat with a proper opening or hole made therein,

page_text: and beneath this is the commode or night convenience, which I prefer to make
of metal, say zinc. The commode, which is also capable of being removed
bodily when required, rests upon flanges or other supports attached to the
framing of the chair, and it consists of a soil pan with a suitable valve at
bottom, so as to admit of the soil being discharged therefrom into a reservoir
or chamber, which forms the lower part of the apparatus, and upon which the
pan and its appendages are fixed. The back of the chair is made hollow, and
by preference of metal, and forms a reservoir for a supply of water to clean the
pan after being used. This hollow back or reservoir is of course a fixture,
and forms part of the chair itself, and a communication with the moveable
pan is effected by means of a flexible pipe provided with a cock for injecting
water into the pan. The square of the spindle of this cock is inserted into a
socket provided with a lever, whereby the socket and the cock fixed therein is
turned to allow water to flow through the flexible pipe. This socket is also pro-
vided with another lever or arm, whereby the valve of the pan is worked so that
the valve and the water supply may be both brought into action simultaneously.
The socket is worked by means of a cord or chain, attached at one end to
one of the levers, and provided at the other end with a button, which is placed
near the fore end of one of the arms of the chair. If a slide valve is used
for the pan, I place a piece of sponge behind it for the purpose of cleaning the
same every time it is drawn back, and a small stream of water is thrown on to
the sponge whenever the valve is opened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Domenico Tomasini in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DOMENICO
TOMASINI, of Great Coram Street, in the County of Middlesex, Upholsterer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Domenico Tomasini, Her special license that I, the said
Domenico Tomasini, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Domenico Tomasini, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EASY CHAIRS AND CHAMBER
COMMODES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Domenico
Tomasini, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to 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 Domenico Tomasini, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):—
My Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Easy Chairs and
Chamber Commodes" relates, first, to the application of a spring to the back
of the chair in such a manner that it may be made to press against and sup-
port the lumbar region of the back of the person seated in the chair, thereby
affording very considerable support and rest to an invalid when seated in the
chair. This improvement may be effected in a variety of ways by the appli-
cation of either vulcanized india-rubber or metallic springs.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn at A in Fig. 1 a coiled metal
spring adapted to the back of a chair for the purpose, but it is evident that
a flat spring or a strong india-rubber band may be made to answer the same
end.
My Invention relates, secondly, to an improved mode of adapting a night
convenience to an easy chair, the object being effected in such a manner that
neither the pan nor any of its appendages can be seen by a casual observer, nor
will the external appearance of the chair be interfered with in any way.
The manner of carrying out this part of my Invention will be understood
by referring to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional
view of an easy chair with my improvements adapted thereto; Fig. 2 is
another sectional view of the same, taken at right angles to the section repre-
5 sented in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view. The seat or cushion a of
the chair is made moveable as in an ordinary Trafalgar chair, and beneath this
moveable cushion is a moveable wooden seat b, with a proper opening or hole
made therein, and beneath this is the commode or night convenience c, d, e,
which I prefer to make of metal, say zinc. The commode is also capable of

page_text: being removed bodily when required, and rests upon flanges or supports attached
to the framing of the chair, as at 1, 1, 1, 1, and it consists of a soil pan d, with
a suitable opening e at bottom, so as to admit of the soil being discharged
therefrom into a reservoir or chamber c, which forms the lower part of the
apparatus, and upon which the pan d and its appendages are fixed.
It will be seen that the sides of the vessel c are inclined inwards, this vessel
being made of such a form as to prevent it from being seen without a careful
inspection. The opening at the bottom of the pan c is closed by a valve e,
which is fitted to slide to and fro in suitable grooves, and is operated in the
manner hereafter explained. The back f, f, or other convenient part of the
chair, is made hollow, and by preference of metal, and forms a reservoir for a
supply of water to. clean the pan after being used. This hollow back or reser-
voir f, f, is of course a fixture, and forms part of the chair itself, and a commu-
nication with the moveable pan d is effected by means of a flexible pipe g
provided with a cock h for injecting water into the pan d. The square of the
spindle of this cock h is inserted into a socket provided with a lever i (Fig. 3),
whereby the socket and the cock h fixed therein is turned to allow water to
flow through the flexible pipe g into the pan. This socket is also provided
with another lever or arm j, whereby the valve e of the pan is worked, so that
the valve and the water supply may be both brought into action simultaneously.
The socket or cock h is worked by means of a cord or chain k, attached at one
end to the lever i, and is provided at the other end with a button 2, which is
placed near the fore end of one of the arms of the chair. When a slide valve
is used for the pan, as shewn at e in the Figures, I place a piece of sponge m
behind it for the purpose of cleaning the same every time it is drawn back,
and whenever the valve e is opened a small stream of water is thrown on to
the sponge by passing down the channel n at the back part of the pan, and by
that means the sponge is always kept clean.
When the chair is intended to be used as a commode or night convenience,
the hollow back, or other part of the chair that forms the water reservoir must
be filled with water, for which purpose a portion of the top of the back part
of the chair is hinged as shewn at o in Fig. 1, so that it may be turned back in
order to give access to the opening at the upper part of the hollow back, and
through which opening the hollow back or reservoir may be filled. It will be
understood that the sides or arms of the chair may be made hollow as well as
the back in order to increase the capacity of the water reservoir. It will be
seen that the soil chamber or vessel c is made of such a capacity as will admit
of the convenience being used several times without removing the pan; but
when this operation is required to be done, the cushion a and wooden seat b

page_text: must be removed; the connection between the water reservoir in the back of
the chair and the pan d must also be dissevered at g, so that the cock h may
be lifted out of its socket on the top of the soil chamber c. The cord or
chain which works the levers i and j must then be detached therefrom, and
then the pan d, the soil chamber c, and their appendages, can be lifted out
of their seat and removed. The vessel or chamber c can then be emptied on
removing the cap p from an opening or aperture made at one corner of the
chamber, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, after which the pan and its appendages
may be replaced in the chair, and when all the attachments have been renewed,
the apparatus will be again ready for use.
Having now described my "improvements in the construction of easy chairs
and chamber commodes," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not mean or intend to confine
myself rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts above shewn
and described, as they may, doubtless, be varied without departing from the
nature and object of my Invention, nor do I intend to claim the exclusive
right to adapt or apply a night stool or chamber commode to an easy chair;
but that which I consider to be new, and desire to claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is,-
First, the mode herein shewn and described of supporting the lumbar region
of the back.
Second, the mode of constructing night commodes, and adapting such con-
veniences to easy chairs, couches, railway and other vehicles. I claim par-
ticularly making the back or other parts of the chair or seat hollow, so as to
form a reservoir to bold water, for the purposes above set forth. I also claim
the mode of constructing and working the valve, and the application of a
sponge or other soft substance thereto, as above shewn and described, for the
purpose of keeping the valve clean.
In witness whereof, I, the said Domenico Tomasini, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
DOMENICO TOMASINI. (L.S.)