Improvements in Folding Chairs.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1899
Complete Specification.Left, 3rd Mar. 1899— Accented 8th Apr
1800
pplication, 2010 mar., 1899
Complete Specification.Left. 3rd Mar. 1899-Accepted 8th Apr 1800
Improvements in Folding Chairs.
21 1,
We, ARTHUR HOSMER, Lumberman, and CHARLES HERBERT SILLIMAN, Banker,
both citizens "of the United States of America, residing at Fort Worth, in the
County of Tarrant and State of Texas, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to folding chairs and more particularly to folding chairs
which will automatically rotate one quarter around or rotate 90 degrees, and the
objects are to provide chairs by which the seating capacity of a house or hall may
-be increased and by which is lessened the danger of loss of life, or injury to
occupants, in a crowded house in case of fire or other accident, and which will
allow many exits both at the sides and at the ends of a house or hall, and which
can be used to great advantage wherever stationary chairs are needed or can be
used in as much as floors can be cleaned with less labour than with other chairs.
The chairs are pivotally mounted on stationary supports. The supports have
round heads, preferably flat on top, and necks extending down to shoulders on the
supports. Two inclined planes constitute the shoulders. The inclines commence
on the opposite sides of the neck. Each incline extends one half around' the
support and stops at two inches or more below the point at which the opposite
incline begins. The chairs are held on the supports by means of caps which cover
the heads of the supports and which are made in two parts and bolted or other-
wise secured together. The cap sections have flanges which extend partly under
the heads of the supports over the shoulders of the supports. The bottom of
the inclines are inclined planes corresponding exactly with the inclines of the
shoulders. Antifriction rollers are placed between the adjacent surfaces of the
inclined planes. The seat of the chair rests on arms projecting out on each side
of the cap. The arms may be formed integral with one of the cap sections. The
arms extend the width of the seat and then upwards high enough to form rests
for the arms of a person's body and are then extended to form the rests and
are pivotally connected to the back of the chair. There are lugs formed on and
projecting back from the supporting arms and the rear corners of the seat are pivotally
connected to these lugs: Lugs project from the bottom corners of the back of
the chair forward on each side of the seat. These lugs have slots therein which
slots are inclined backwards and upwards-and there are trunnions projecting from
each side of the seat which operate in these slots, These trunnions slide up these
slots when the seat is raised and slide down the slots when the seat is brought
down. These elements are the means for raising and lowering the seat. When
the seat is raised the bottom of the backtis shoved backward and the top of the
back is brought slightly forward. A key is provided for locking the seat in
position for occupation This key penetrates the cap above referred to and
the head of the support and is pivotally connected to a lug projecting. from the
bottom brace of the back of the chair. When the seat is raised the back of the
chair withdraws the key from the head. As soon as the seat is raised the chair
T
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page_text: 3
automatically turns one quarter around. When the chair is thus turned the seat
is locked up and cannot be brought down until the chair is turned back to the
position for occupation. Lowering the seat inserts the key in the head and locks
the chair in position for occupation.
The chairs are to be generally arranged in pairs so that when the seats are
raised each pair of chairs will turn their backs to each other and thus form aisles
from front to back of the house or hall, the aisles running between each pair of
chairs, and leave the usual aisles across the house or hall. The seats are not
mounted on the centers of the caps, each pair of chairs have their supports nearer
to each other than the supports are to the adjacent supports. Looking at a pair
of chairs from the front it will be seen that the left supporting arm of the left
chair is two or three inches longer than the right arm of the same chair, and that
the right arm of the right chair is two or three inches longer than the left arm
of the same chair. This makes it possible to have considerable distance between
each pair of chairs for aisles when the chairs have been rotated one quarter
around.
There may be several variations in constructing the chairs. Each pair of chairs
may be mounted on one support and have the same construction for the caps and
heads. Instead of making the caps in two sections and having a head on the
support larger than the neck the caps may be made in one section, and the head
of the support made the same size as the neck and a depending arm formed on the
cap to engage a lug formed on the support below the shoulders of the support for
limiting the turning of the cap on the support when the chairs are being turned
back to the position for occupation.
Dated this 7th day of February 1899.
'A. L. JACKSON,
300, Main Street, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.,
Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in Fo
We, ARTHUR HOSMER, Lumberman, and CHARLES HERBERT SILLIMAN, Banker,
both citizens of the United States of America, residing at Fort Worth, in the
County of Tarrant and State of Texas, 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 folding chairs and more particularly to folding chairs
which will automatically rotate one quarter around or rotate 90 degrees, and the
objects are to provide chairs by which the seating capacity of a house or hall may
be increased and by which is lessened the danger of loss of life, or injury to
occupants, in a crowded house in case of fire or other accident, and which will
allow many exits both at the sides and at the ends of a house or hall, and which
can be used to great advantage wherever stationary chairs are needed or can be
used in as much as the floors can be cleaned with less labor than with other chairs or
seats.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this
application.
Fig. 1 is a view showing three chairs in front elevation in position for occupa-
tion. Fig. 2 is a view showing the same chairs with the seats folded and the
chairs turned one quarter around. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly broken and
partly in section with a part of the cap removed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section

page_text: through the neck of the support, showing sections of the shoulders of the support
and sections of the flange of the cap. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the chair when the
seat is folded. Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view of the support and cap.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bottom piece of the back, also showing in section
the side braces of the back. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the bottom piece of
the back. Fig. 8 is a broken view, illustrating a variation in the cap and the
support. Fig. 9 is a broken view of the same, partly in section.
Similar characters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several
views.
The chairs are pivotally mounted on stationary supports 1. The supports have
round heads +, preferably flat on top, and necks 2 extending down to shoulders 27
on the supports. Two inclined planes constitute the shoulders. The inclines
commence on opposite sides of the neck and each incline extends one half around
the neck of the support and stops at two inches or more below the point at which
the opposite incline begins. The chairs are held on the supports by means of
caps
which cover the heads of the supports and which are made in two sections 3
and 5 and the sections are bolted or otherwise secured together. The cap sections
have flanges 6 which extend partly under the head 4 and over the shoulders
of the support. The bottom of the flanges are inclined planes 28 corresponding
exactly to the inclines of the shoulders. Antifriction rollers 7 are placed between
the adjacent surfaces of the inclined planes. The seat 13 of the chair rests on
arms 9 projecting out on each side of the cap. The arms may be formed integral
with one of the cap sections and extended up by the sides of the seat, forming
uprights 91 which extend high enough to form rests for the arms of a person's
body and are then extended back to form the rests and are pivotally connected to
the back braces 10 of the chair. There are arms 12 formed on and projecting
back from the supporting arms 9 and the rear corners of the seat 13 are pivotally
connected to the arms 12. The seat 13 has braces 14 which extend beyond the
back of the seat and have lugs 15 which are engaged by the arms 12. The seat
is folded and unfolded by means of these arms and lugs. The back 16 of the chair
has braces 10 and these braces have elongated lugs 17 formed on the bottom
parts thereof. These elongated lugs project forward on each side of the seat 13
and have slots 19 therein which slots are inclined upward and backward. The
seat has trunnion's 18 forward of the rear corners which are engaged by the
lugs 17, these lugs with the slots 19 constituting bearings or boxes for the
trunnions 18. The bottom brace 20 of the back has lugs 21 which project up-
wards and are securely attached by riveting or bolting to the braces 10 on, the
outside thereof. The chairs are locked in position for occupation by means of
keys 23. The key 23 penetrates the head 4 and the cap section 5 and a socket 24
formed on the cap section 5. The, socket 24 prevents the key from falling from its
position when the key is withdrawn from the head 4. The key 23 is pivotally
connected to an arm or lug 22 formed on the bottom brace 20 of the back. The
operation can now be understood. The back part of the seat 13 is pivoted in the
arms 12 by means of the lugs 15 and the seat is folded and unfolded, by means of
these elements. When the seat is raised the trunnions 18 slide up the slots 19
and in so doing force the bottom part of the back of the chair backward and
the top of the back slightly forward. This operation brings the seat and the
back to the position shown in Fig. 4 and at the same time withdraws the key 23.
from the head 4. When this is done the chair immediately rotates. one quarter
around, the antifriction, rollers 7 which are mounted in recesses in the flanges 6
running down the inclined planes of the shoulders. When the seats are folded and
and turned one quarter around they cannot be brought down because the key 23
locks them up. The seats cannot be let down until they are brought in position
for occupation. When the seats are brought in position for occupation the keys
are ready to be forced in the heads again. While the seats are being brought
down the trunnions 18 slide down the slots 19 and thus force the bottom of the
back of the chair forward and this operation forces the keys in the heads. The

page_text: aisles formed by the rotation and folding of the seats cannot be blocked because
the seats are locked up as above described. This is an advantage in case of a
panic in a crowded house. It will be noticed that the seats are not centrally
mounted on the supports. The chairs are arranged in pairs and each pair fold
up and turn their backs to each other. Looking at a pair of chairs from the
front it will be seen that the left supporting arm 9 of the left chair is longer
than the right supporting arm of the same chair and that the right supporting arm
of the right chair is longer than the left supporting arm of the same chair. The
advantage gained by such arrangement of the seats on the supports is that the
aisles are made wide enough although all the chairs are exactly the same distance
apart.
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate slight variations in the construction of the cap and the
support. The head is left off of the neck of the support. The cap can be made in
one piece. Something is needed to stop the rotation of the chairs when being
turned back to their positions for occupation. In the form above described, the
head performs this function. In the variation an arm 25 is formed on the
cap which engages a lug 26 on the side of the support for performing
this function. Another variation that
made
may be
is that both
chairs of a pair could be mounted on one support with two heads and caps as
already described.
The seats can be raised high enough to allow persons to pass in front without
raising the seats far enough to cause the keys to be withdrawn. The keys are
withdrawn only when the seats are raised to within an inch or thereabout of
the backward limit.
1.
.
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 folding chair provided with a cap attached to the bottom thereof and
a stationary support; said cap and said support each having a pair of inclines
extending far enough to allow said chair to rotate automatically one fourth
around when folded, antifriction rollers being placed between the adjacent surfaces
of said inclines.
2. In a folding chair provided with a cap attached to the bottom thereof and
a stationary support; said cap being pivotally mounted and having a pair of
inclines extending one half around the support, said support having two inclines
adjacent to the inclines of said cap constituting the shoulder of said support,
antifriction rollers being placed between said inclines, whereby the chair is auto-
matically rotated one fourth around when folded.
3. In a folding chair provided with a pivoted cap and a stationary support; a
key for locking the chair in position for occupation, said cap having a socket
formed thereon with the opening extending in the cap, said support having a
head provided with an aperture in alignment with the opening in said cap when
said chair is in position- for occupation, and means for withdrawing and inserting
said key from and in said openings.
4. In a folding chair provided with a pivoted cap and a stationary support; a
key for locking said chair in position for occupation and an arm formed on the
back of the chair adapted to withdraw said key and thereby release the chair at
the instant the chair is folded.
5. In a folding chair provided with a pivoted cap and a stationary support; a
key for locking the seat of the chair in a folded position and an arm or lug
formed on the back of the chair and pivotally connected to said key whereby
said seat can be released and brought to a position for occupation.
6. In a folding chair provided with a pivoted cap and a stationary support;
said cap having an annular interior flange provided with two inclines on the
underside thereof, said support having a head above said flange and a shoulder
below said flange formed into inclines corresponding with the inclines of said

page_text: flange, antifriction rollers being placed between the adjacent surfaces of said
inclines.
7. Folding chairs arranged in pairs and having stationary supports and caps
pivoted thereon, the cap and the support of each chair having pairs of inclines
extending far enough to cause said chairs to rotate automatically one fourth
around when folded, antifriction rollers being mounted in the inclines of said
cap, said inclines being so arranged as to cause said chairs to turn their backs to
each other when rotated.
8. Folding chairs arranged in pairs and having stationary supports and caps
pivoted thereon, said chairs being placed off their centers away from each other
and said caps and supports having pairs of inclines and antifriction rollers between
the adjacent surfaces thereof whereby said chairs turn their backs to each other
and drop below the position for occupation between said supports.
9. Folding chairs arranged in pairs and having stationary supports and caps
pivoted thereon, keys for locking said chairs in position for occupation and for
locking the seats of the chairs in folded position, and means for releasing said
parts automatically, said chairs being placed off their centers away from each
other, the support and the cap of each chair having each a pair of inclines and
antifriction rollers between the adjacent surfaces thereof whereby said chairs will
drop down below the position for occupation and turn their backs to each other
between said supports when folded.
10. A folding chair having a stationary support, a cap pivoted thereon, support-
ing arms for the seat formed integral with said cap and projecting upwards and
then backwards and pivotally connected to the back of the chair, arms formed on
and projecting backward from said supporting arms, lugs on the rear corners of
the seat for engaging said arms, trunions on said seat forward of said lugs,
bearings for said trunions attached to the back of the chair, and a key pivotally
connected to the back of the chair for locking and releasing the seat and the
chair.
Dated this 7th day of Wahm 1900