A FOLDING BATH OR INVALID CHAIR
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otto Wolff, Engineer and Patent Agent of N° 12 Schloss
Strasse in the City of Dresden in the Kingdom of Saxony and German
Empire for an Invention of "A FOLDING BATH OR INVALID CHAIR" Com-
municated to him by Friedrich Gustav Leupold of the City of Dresden,
aforesaid.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Otto Wolff at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th April 1883.
OTTO WOLFF Engineer and Patent Agent of N° 12 Schloss Strasse in the City
of Dresden in the Kingdom of Saxony and German Empire. "A FOLDING BATH
OR INVALID CHAIR a cominunication to me by Friedrich Gustav Leupold of the
City of Dresden aforesaid.
This Invention relates to improvements in folding bath and invalid chairs and
consists of the various constructive arrangements so that the parts of the said
folding bath or invalid chair can be folded together into the smallest possible
compass.
All the chief parts of this chair such as back, arms, hindwheels and footboard
with front wheel are moveably connected with the boxlike seat.
The back is connected to the seat by two double jointed hinges and is held up
by suitable hooks which catch in the eyes, links or openings attached to the
outside of the arms or side supports which latter are attached to the seat by means
of suitable hinges and are prevented from moving sidewise when placed upright
by means of a pivot or pin which catches in the side wall of the seat. If the
hooks are released the arm can be raised somewhat to the rear when a pin or
pivot is also released so that the arms can be folded down onto the seat by means
of the hinge.
In order to fold down the back of the said chair the same is pressed somewhat
forward, then turned on the upper hinge and then pressed back and laid flat.
In order to hold the back in this position the hooks are inserted in suitablo
eyes or catches which are attached in suitable position to the side walls of the
seat..
The two rear wheels turn on their journals which are connected to the spring
supports. Each of these said spring supports can be turned towards the interior
of the seat by means of two joints. When placed vertical these spring supports

page_text: carry the side frames to the seat and are held in position by a how or strap, as a
Bascule fastening or bolt catches in the axle to the wheels.
Those parts of the hinges which are hung in or attached to the seat are arranged
to move in a circular groove in the side piece to the seat.
The object of this arrangement is to bring the wheels as far to the rear under
the seat as is possible when the chair is folded open so that the centre of gravity is
located to the front of the same in order to prevent the chair from tipping or falling
over to the back
•
In order to be able to fold the rear or hind wheels up into the boxlike part of
the seat, for storage or transport, the said Bascule fastening or bolt is released and
'the bow or strap turned down on the bottom of the box.
The one wheel with a spring support is inclined somewhat towards the interior
the hinge parts pushed as far as possible towards the seat and then the wheel and
the spring support folded down.
The same is also the case with the second wheel so that both of the rear or hind
wheels, the spring supports and the arresting or fastening bow or strap are folded
up in the seat part of the chair.
The front wheel is attached in a fork which said fork is attached to a cross piece
by means of a suitable pin or pivot
An adjustable disc is attached to the fork in which said disc the pivot or pin
attached to the spring catches so as to hold the front wheel in correct position for
driving.
The said cross piece is carried at both ends in the side rails of the foot board and
can be readily turned. The projecting footboard is firmly attached to the cross piece.
A cross rod in the said dash board or foot protector is moveably arranged in slots
in the frame in the vertical plane and gears or catches by means of its protruding
ends in the plate like or widened part of the side rails to the footboard so that the
vertical position of the fork and the front wheel is fixed.
A suitable ornament introduced between the frame and the cross rod acts as a
spring and presses the ends of the said cross rod firmly in the grooves of the side
rails to the footboard.
If the spring is so compressed that the pin to the same is released from its
connection or gear with the disc, the front wheel and the fork can be turned
equal to 90°.
If now the said cross rod is pressed upwards and the catch to the cross piece
released the fork with the said front wheel can be folded inwards and laid under
the foot board. The footboard is connected to the lower edge of the seat by means
of two suitable hinges. That part of the hinge attached to the footboard is in the
form of a circular plate or disc which said circular plate or disc is provided with
two grooves in which one of the pins or pivots of a Bascule fastening similar to
that employed for holding the hand wheels, catches when the footboard is opened
for driving, whereas the. bolt or pin catches in the second groove or cavity when
the footboard is folded together.
.
A suitable handle is arranged in the front part of the said carriage or stool to
hold the same in open condition and to carry the same when the carriage or stool
is folded up.
In order to be able to employ the chair as carriage or perambulator for children
a second part or box is constructed in similar form to that containing the wheels,
back and arms of the chair and both of these parts so connected to each other
by means of suitable hinges that when they are folded together they form
one box.
In this manner and by omitting the front wheel, the footboard and the foot
support a four wheeled carriage is produced which can be folded together, is
provided with two handles and can be carried like an ordinary trunk or box,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.filed
by the said Otto Wolff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th October
1883.
OTTO WOLFF Engineer and Patent Agent of N° 12 Schloss Strasse in the City
of Dresden in the Kingdom of Saxony and German Empire. 'A FOLDING BATHI'
OR INVALID CHAIR a communication to me by Friedrich Gustav Leupold of the
City of Dresden aforesaid.
33
This Invention relates to improvements in folding bath and invalid chairs and
consists of the various constructive arrangements so that the parts of the said
folding bath or invalid chair can be folded together into the smallest possible
compass.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a top view or plan of the chair, Figure 3 is
a vertical section on the line I I in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a longitudinal section,
Figure 5 details of the same, Figure 6 is an elevation of the front wheel and the
parts belonging to the same, Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the chair in folded
condition, Figure 8 is a cross section of the same.
All the chief parts of this chair such as back, arms hindwheels and footboard
with front wheel are moveably connected with the box like seat. The back g is
connected to the seat by two double jointed hinges and is held up by the
hooks 88 which catch in the eyes, links or openings t t attached to the outside of
the arms or side supports f which latter are attached to the seat by means of
suitable hinges w and are prevented from moving sidewise when placed upright by
means of the pivot or pin u which catches in the side wall of the seat. If the
hooks ss are released the arm f can be raised somewhat to the rear when the pin
pivot or dowel u is also released so that the arms ƒ ƒ can be folded down onto the
seat by means of the hinge w.
In order to fold down the back g the same is pressed somewhat forward, then
turned on the upper hinge and then pressed back and laid flat so as to assume the
position shown in dotted lines Figure 4.
In order to hold the back in this position the hooks ss are inserted in the eyes
or catches vv, Figure 1, which are attached in suitable position to the side walls of
the seat.
The two rear wheels a a¹ turn on their journals which are connected to the spring
supports ccl.
Each of these said spring supports can be turned towards the interior of the seat
by means of two joints m m.-When placed vertical these spring supports c c¹
carry the side frames to the seat and are held in position by the bow or strap k
as the Bascule fastening or bolt shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 catches in the axle to the
wheels.
Those parts of the hinges m m¹ which are hung in or attached to the seat are
arranged to move in a circular groove in the side piece to the seat. The object
of this arrangement is to bring the wheels so far to the rear under the seat as is
possible when the chair is folded open so that the centre of gravity is located to
the front of the same in order to prevent the chair from tipping or falling over to
the back. In order to be able to fold the rear or hind wheels a a¹ up into the
boxlike part of the seat for storage or transport the Bascule fastening or bolt is
released and the bow or strap k turned down on the bottom of the box.
The one wheel with the spring support c is inclined somewhat towards the interior,
he hinge parts m m' pushed as far as possible towards the seat and then the wheel
nd the spring support folded down.

page_text: The same is also the case with the second wheel so that both of the rear or
hind wheels a a¹ the spring supports cc and the arresting or fastening bow or
strap k are folded up in the seat part of the chair as shown in Figure 7.
The front wheel 6 is attached in a fork i which said fork is attached to the cross
picce q by means of a suitable pin or pivot.
An adjustable disc o is attached to the fork in which said disc the pivot or pin
attached to the spring p catches so as to hold the wheel b in correct position for
driving as shown in Figures 1 and 6.
The cross piece q is carried at both ends in the side rails of the foot board d and
can be readily turned.
The protecting footboard e is firmly attached to the cross piece q. The cross
rod in the said dash board or foot protector is moveably arranged in slots in the
frame g in the vertical plane and gears or catches by means of its protruding
ends in the plate like or widened part of the side rails to the footboard d so that
the vertical position of the fork i and the front wheel b is fixed.
P
The ornament g² introduced between the frame g' and the cross rod z acts as
spring and presses the ends of z firmly in the grooves of the side rails to the foot
board. If the spring p is so compressed that the pin to the same is released from its
connection or gear with the disc o, the wheel b and the fork i can be turned equal
to 90°. If now the cross rod is pressed upwards and the catch to the cross piece q
released, the fork i with the wheel b can be folded inwards and laid under the
footboard d as shown in Figures 7, 8.
The footboard d is connected to the lower edge of the seat by means of two
hinges vv. That part of the joint attached to the footboard d is in the form of a
circular plate or disc, is provided with two grooves in which one of the pins or
pivots of a Bascule fastening similar to that employed for holding the hand
wheels, catches when the footboard is opened for driving whereas the bolt or pin
catches in the second groove or cavity when the footboard is folded together.
Figure 7. The part 7 serves as handle to hold the carriage or stool in open
condition and to carry the same when the same is folded up.
In order to be able to employ the chair as carriage or perambulator for children,
a second part or box is constructed in similar form to that containing the wheels,
back and arms of the chair and both of these parts so connected to each other by
means of suitable hinges that when they are folded together they form one box.
In this manner and by omitting the front wheel b, the footboard d and the foot
support a four wheeled carriage is produced which can be folded together, is
provided with two handles and can be carried like an ordinary trunk or box.
Having now described my said invention for improvements in folding bath or
invalid chairs and the manner in which the same is to or inay be carried into effect
I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is :-
1. The general construction, arrangement and employment of the parts of my
improved folding bath or invalid chair substantially as and for the purpose described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement of the back of the said chair which is connected to the
seat by means of two double jointed bands or hinges in combination with the
hook 8, by means of which the back of the said chair can be placed erect or laid
down and is held in these positions substantially as and for the purpose described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of the arms f with the seat to which said seat the arms
are attached by means of the hinges w so that the aforesaid arms can be laid or
folded down or placed crect and which are in the latter case coupled to the seat
and back by means of the pin or pivot u and eye or loopt substantially as and
for the purpose described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangement of the rear or hind wheels a a¹ on the spring supports cc
which are attached to the hinges m m'and move in circular or semicircular grooves
in the same so that the said spring supports c c¹ and the wheels a a' can be folded

page_text: into the box like seat and whereby the movement of the hinges m m¹ in the said
grooves assures a greater security against the chair tipping over substantially as
and for the purpose described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
5. Retaining the rear or hind wheels a a' in erect position by means of the
Bascule fastening or bolt the pin of which gears or catches into a recess or cavity
in the axle substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
6. The arrangement and application of the fork i so that the same can turn in
the cross piece g in combination with the stop movement which is attained by
means of the spring p gearing into the adjusting disc o for the purpose of altering
the position of the front wheel b substantially as and for the purpose described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
7. The arrangement of the parts as mentioned above in claim 6 and the
moveable arrangement of the cross piece q in the side rails to the footboard in
combination with the attachment by means of the cross rod z which is pressed
into suitable grooves by means of the spring ornament g³ so that the front wheel
may be fixed for driving or be turned and folded up under the footboard d by
releasing the two steps p and q substantially as and for the purpose described and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
8. The combination of the footboard d with the seat by means of suitable
hinges vv which are held tight by the Bascule fastening or bolt k in order to be
able to open the footboard for driving or to fold the same up under the seat
substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
9. The arrangement and employment of the parts so that the said folding
chair can be used as carriage or perambulator for children which said perambulator
or chair can be folded up into the form of an ordinary travelling box or trunk
substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Otto Wolff have hereunto set my hand and seal
this Thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand eight.
hundred and eighty three.
Witnesses
C. R. SCHMID
F. MULLER
} of Dresden
OTTO WOLFF (L.S.)