EASILY ALTERING THE HEIGHTS OF STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES AND AUTOMATICALLY FIXING THEM AT ANY REQUIRED HEIGHT
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, MATTHEW JAMES ROWCLIFFE, Cabinet-maker, residing at 9 Richmond
Buildings, Soho Square, London W., in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for EASILY ALTERING THE HEIGHTS OF
STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES AND AUTOMATICALLY FIXING
THEM AT ANY REQUIRED HEIGHT, to be as follows:-
'
The Drawings annexed hereto show the Invention as applied to a music stool,
of an oblong shape, and having two drawers for music.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the under side of the top of the stool.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through A.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section down one side of the stool, so as to expose the
peculiar nature of my Invention.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the music stool, showing the parts in their proper
places..
The same letter corresponds in each Drawing.
B is a lever rigidly fixed to the bar M, which is hinged to the frame of the top
of the stool by the two hinges C, and which projects out to the front of the seat
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each end of the bar M, presses, when the lever is
lifted, on the tops of the metal rods (D), which pass down through the slides (E),
and press on the metal cylinders (F). These solid metal cylinders are placed in
triangular openings (G) cut out of the ends of the slides. In Fig. 3 is shown
how F is kept pressed up in its place by means of the spiral spring H, with a
pin inside the spring, carrying a button (J). The end face of the slide, as well
as that of the adjoining frame, and the cylinder-box, is lined with a plate of metal ;
or the slide could be entirely made of the metal.
The action takes place as follows:-On applying a slight pressure at the end of
the lever, the bar M is pressed down on to the ends of the two rods (D), causing
them to press on the cylinders (F), and relieve them from their pressure against
the metal faces of the slide and frame respectively. In this position, the top can
be lifted up or let down to any required height without any hindrance. When
the proper height is obtained, the finger is taken off from the end of the lever, and
the bar rises back into its place, thus taking off the pressure on the rods. The
ID 617

page_text: spiral springs now come into action, and press the metal cylinders upwards, and,
in consequence of the sloping sides, the cylinders grip the slides and the frames,
and refuse to move, no matter what the pressure placed on the top of the seat, in
fact the stronger the pressure the more firmly do they hold.
To allow of the movement required for the lever, the under side of the seat-frame
is cut away, as shown in Fig. 2.
This Invention may be applied in a more simple manner than the above to any
article which has only one prop, as in a table with a single central leg, by allowing
the lever to act directly on the end of the single rod, which would actuate the
single cylinder.
The Invention may be applied to chairs, stools, and other seats, tables, bedsteads,
music stands, and other articles.

page_text: I, MATTHEW JAMES ROWCLIFFE, Cabinet Maker, residing at 9 Richmond
Buildings, Soho Square, London W., in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for EASILY ALTERING THE HEIGHTS OF
STOOLS, CHAIRS, TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES AND AUTOMATICALLY FIXING
THEM AT ANY REQUIRED HEIGHT and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
The Drawings annexed hereto show the Invention as applied to a music stool of
an oblong shape, and having two drawers for music.
Fig. I is a plan of the underside of the top or seat of the stool.
Fig. II is a vertical section through A (Fig. 1).
Fig. III is a vertical section down one side of the stool, so as to expose the
principal working parts of the said Invention.
Fig. IV is a perspective view of the music stool showing the parts in their
proper places.
The same letter corresponds in each Drawing.
B is a lever rigidly fixed to the bar M, which is hinged to the frame of the top
of the stool by the two hinges C, and which projects out to the front of the seat
as shown in Figs. I and II. Each end of the bar M presses, when the lever is
lifted, on to the tops of the metal rods D, which pass down through the slides E,
but I do not confine myself to this particular method of transmitting the pressure
at the end of A to the rods. In some cases it is advantageous to use the hinges (C)
themselves to press down the rods, which is easily accomplished by shifting the
relative positions of said hinges a little nearer the sides of the stool, and having
them of such a width that they cover over the ends of the rods. The rods press
on the solid cylinders F, which may be made of any kind of metal, or of a
combination of wood and metal, or of any substitute therefor, but are preferably
made of solid brass or iron, and are placed in triangular openings G, cut out of
the ends of the slides E: The end face of each slide, as well as that of the
adjoining frame, and the cylinder cavity, is lined with metal, preferably with the
same kind of metal as is used for the cylinders, but not necessarily so, or the slide
itself could be made entirely of metal. The cylinder F, as shown in Fig. II is
kept pressed up in its place by means of the spiral spring H, having a pin inside
carrying a button J.
The action takes place as follows. On applying a slight pressure at the end of
the lever, the bar M is pressed down on to the ends of the two rods D, causing
them to press on the cylinders F, and relieve them from their pressure against the
metal faces of the slide and frame respectively. In this position the top can be
lifted up or let down to any required height without any hindrance. When the
proper height is obtained the finger is taken off from the end of the lever, which
falls down, causing the bar M to rise, thus taking off the pressure from the rods.
The spiral springs now come into action, and press the metal cylinders upwards,
and, in consequence of the sloping sides, the cylinders grip the slides and the
frames, and refuse to move, no matter. what the pressure placed on the top of the
seat, in fact the greater the pressure the more firmly do they hold. To allow
the movement required for the lever the underside of the seat frame is cut away
as shown in Fig. ÎI.
This Invention may be applied in a more simple manner than the above to any
article which has only one prop, as a table with a single central leg, by allowing

page_text: lever M to act directly on the end of the single rod, which would actuate the
gle cylinder.
This Invention may be applied to chairs, stools, and other seats, tables, bedsteads,
sic stands, and other articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
ention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
aim is
. In a stool, chair, table, or other similar article, the combination of a lever with
a rod for the purpose of pressing down a cylinder substantially in the manner
and for the purpose hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
I. In a stool, chair, table, or other similar article, the combination of a spiral
spring having pin guide and button, with a cylinder, for the purpose of
restoring the cylinder into its place, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
II. In a stool, chair, table, or other similar article, the combination of the cylinder
with the metal lined cavity having a sloping side, and cut out of the
movable slide, which is of metal, or has a metal face, and is in contact with
the metal face attached to the article itself, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein before described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.