Fan Attachment for Rocking Chairs.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct.,
1898
Fan Attachment for Rocking Chairs.
We, PATRICK HENRY MASTERSON, of No. 2007, 7th Avenue, and WILLIAM JAMES
BRADLEY, of 1606, Eighth Avenue, both of Altoona, Blair Co., Pa., U.S.A., Loco-
motive Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
follows:
a.s
The object of this invention is to provide mechanism for agitating the air
and thus cooling the atmosphere around a person seated upon a rocking chair.
The invention comprises two bell-crank levers pivoted at their elbows to the
front and rear parts of the rockers of a chair, in such manner that the extremity
of one arm of each lever (which preferably provided with a caster) bears upon
the floor whilst the other arms are connected by a rod. This rod is connected
to a pivoted toothed segment which meshes with a pinion on the lower end of
a rod vertically journalled to the sides of the chair and having a fan at its upper
end. Springs attached to the levers tend to keep them constantly on the floor.
It will be understood that the rocking of the chair will impart a rotary motion
to the fan.
1 1
10th dow of November 1897
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicants.
Fan Attachment for Rocking Chairs.
We, PATRICK HENRY MASTERSON, of No. 2007, 7th Avenue, and WILLIAM JAMES
BRADLEY, of 1606, Eighth Avenue, both of Altoona, Blair County, Pa., U.S.A.,
Locomotive Engineers, 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:―
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fan attach-
ments for rocking chairs, and has for its object, to provide a simple and efficient
means for fanning the occupant of the chair by the rocking of the same.
The invention further aims to provide a device of the above referred to class
that will be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, effectual in its
operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, this
device may be quickly and easily attached to an ordinary rocking chair.
A still further object of the invention is to construct a device of the above

page_text: class whereby the device may be removed, or the device locked in such a manner
that the chair can be used without operating the fan, if it be so desired.
With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the
novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more
specifically described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying
drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like letters of refer-
ence indicate similar parts throughout the several views, in which—
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair with the attachment in position, showing
my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side view of segment and arm. Fig. 3 is a side
view of a portion of the rods to shew the manner of detaching the same. Fig. 4
is a side view of the cog-wheel on the end of the rod.
Referring to the different parts by letters, a represents the crank arms, pro-
vided at their lower ends with casters bib, said crank arms being fulcrumed
at c to the rocker d. The upper ends of these crank arms are provided with
pins c¹, which form a pivotal connection with the horizontal connecting bar f.
One end of this bar is preferably slotted, as shewn at e; said slot engaging pin c
in the crank arms a, which can be locked up adjacent to the rockers out of
contact with the floor, by adjusting a thumb nut on the pin e¹ in the slot e.
The connecting bar f is pivotally attached to one end of a rod h, the other
end of said rod being similarly attached to an arm k of a segment ; said arm
and segment being fulcrumed to a plate m, secured to the side of the chair. The
bar is provided with an adjustable sliding sleeve fl to admit of adjusting the
bar h. The segment is provided on its outer face with a series of cogs adapted
to engage the cog wheel n, carried on the lower part of the rod o; said rod
being secured to the plate m by a lip or bearing p. The rod is also secured to
a side arm q of the chair by the keeper r, and is provided with a sliding collar s,
to permit of removing the upper portion of the rod and using the chair without
the fans. On the upper end of this rod is secured a double adjustable socket t,
in which are secured the fans u. Said sockets are connected to a sliding collar v
provided with a set-screw at v¹. One end of the coiled wire spring w is secured
to one of the crank arms a and the other end to the connecting bar f; said
spring tending to keep the casters of the crank-arms in engagement with the
floor.
The operation of my improved fan-attachment will be readily understood from
the views of the same I have shewn in the drawings, but to illustrate the same
more clearly to those unskilled in the art we will assume that the parts have
been secured in their respective positions, as shewn in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
As the operator rocks the chair forward, the casters of the front crank arm
will engage the floor, forcing the upper end of the arm backward and causing
the rod h to operate the segment to engage the cog wheel n thus rotating the
fans carried by the rod. As the movement of the chair is reversed, the rear
crank arm will engage the floor, also reversing the motion of the rod and rotating
the same and the fans in the opposite direction, the spring w keeping the front
crank-arm in engagement with the floor. By this construction, a continuous
breeze is communicated to the occupant of the chair, and it will be observed
that the fans may be adjusted so as to force the air in the desired direction.
This device can also be attached to a cradle, the operation being substantially
the same.
It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of con-
struction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
(1). In a fan attachment for rocking-chairs, the combination of the crank
arm, fulcrumed to the rocker, a connecting bar pivotally engaging at one end,

page_text: to one of the crank arms and provided with a slot engaging a lug carried by the
front crank arm, a rod pivoted to an adjustable sliding sleeve, and to a segment,
engaging a cog-wheel secured to the side of the chair, and carrying fans on its
upper end, substantially as shewn and described.
(2). In a fan attachment, the combination of the supporting rod, carrying
the fans, said rod carrying on the lower end a cog-wheel adapted to engage a
segment, said segment connected by a pivoted rod to an adjustable sliding sleeve,
carried by the connecting bar, said connecting bar pivoted at one end to a crank
arm fulcrumed to the rocker, and provided at the other end with a longitudinal
slot engaging a pin carried by the front crank-arm, a spiral spring, one end of
which is fastened to the connecting bar, and the other end to the front crank-
arm, adapted to hold it normally in engagement with the floor, during the for-
ward and rearward motion of the chair, and communicating motion to the fans,
substantially as shewn and described.
(3). In a fan attachment, the combination of a detachable supporting rod,
carrying on one end an adjustable fan socket provided with braces engaging
an adjustable sliding sleeve, carried by said rod, and on the opposite end a
sliding sleeve adapted to hold the rod in operative engagement with a rod
journalled to the side of the chair, and provided with a cog-wheel, a segment
secured to the chair and provided with an arm, said cog-wheel engaging the
segment operated by crank-arms, fulcrumed to the rocker and connected by a bar
and rod to the arm of the segment, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 25th day of July 1898
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicants.