Improvements in or relating to Folding Seats and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Folding Seats and the like.
I, THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER of 14 and 15 Brittox, Devizes, in the County of
Wilts, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to folding seats and similar articles and to the arrangement
of the folding portions, the back and legs, and the means for fixing them in their
open position ready for work. To the back of the seat portion I hinge or joint the
uprights which at their upper ends carry the strip or back proper against which
the backs of the persons using the seat or form rest, the arrangement being such
that the back and its supports fold down flat upon the form or seat when not
required for use.
The legs are of substantially usual construction and may be hinged or jointed
underneath the seat or form, extending somewhat out behind the seat so as to leave
room between them and the edge of the seat for the ends of the back uprights when
opened out for use. As great strain would be placed upon the hinge or joint
between the back uprights and the seat if special support were not provided I
extend the back upright of each of the legs and carry it up behind the back
upright so that the strain which would otherwise come upon the back hinges may
be taken by the leg extensions. When opened out in this position the seat is
perfectly firm and the only danger to be guarded against is the folding up of the
legs which would let the scat down. This may be provided against by a number
of different means as for instance sliding or turning bolts or catches, spring catches
or the like, but the form of catch which I prefer to adopt is a spring catch which
may be arranged in the leg extensions so as to be out of sight when in use; this
spring catch may be constructed as follows :-
Upon a suitable plate adapted to be let in and screwed to the leg extension I
pivot an arm or lever preferably at the back of the plate and extending through it
and carrying a hooked catch on the front or outside of the plate. This arm may
be spring controlled in any convenient manner. Upon the face of the plate is a
tapered or other suitable stop or projection corresponding with and located near
the spring catch when the latter is drawn back. Upon the back support is a slotted
plate and a suitable recess is provided in the back support to admit the spring
catch and the tapered stop. The end of the spring catch is bevelled like an
ordinary door latch and the arrangement is such that when the legs are opened
out with the extensions standing up the back is then folded out against them
and the plate of the back presses against the spring catch moving it so as to
allow the plate to pass over the extension plate stop; the spring catch then returns
to its normal position locking the two plates together and thus securely holding
both back and legs in their opened-out or operative position.
Any suitable means may be provided for releasing the spring catch a con-
venient arrangement being an extension of the pivotted arm either in the line
of its axis or perpendicular thereto by which the said arm may be moved when
required.
Where it is desired to dispense with the above described catch or fastening,the
back supports may be provided with extensions reaching below the level of the seat
and the legs, constructed substantially as before, may be hinged or pivotted so as
to open out beside instead of in the same line with the back supports. The
ordinary strut may be hinged or pivotted to the underside of the seat. When this
strut is opened out it retains the legs in their open or operative position while the

page_text: legs which may be provided with any suitable catch stop or equivalent for the
purpose retain the back.
Dated this 26th day of November 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Folding Seats and the like.
I, THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER of 14 and 15 Brittox, Devizes, in the County of
Wilts, House Furnisher, 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 which relates to folding seats and similar articles and to the
arrangement of the folding portions, the back and legs, and the means for fixing
them in their open position ready for work, will be best understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a back perspective view showing the seat opened out for use,
Figure 2 being a cross section of the same.
Figure 3 is a view of the underside of the seat folded up.
Figure 4 is a back view of a modification.
Figure 5 a perspective view showing a particular fastening and
Figure 6 shows a spring bolt for locking the parts in their open position.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
To the back of the seat portion A. I hinge or joint the uprights B which at their
upper ends carry the strip or back B against which the backs of the persons using
the seat or form rest, the arrangement being such that the back and its supports
fold down flat upon the form or seat when not required for use as indicated in dotted
lines in Figures 2 and 3.
The legs Care of substantially usual construction and may be hinged or jointed
as at C underneath the seat or form, extending somewhat out behind the seat A so
as to leave room between them and the edge of the seat for the ends B2 of the back
uprights when opened out for use as shown in Figure 2. As great strain would
be placed upon the hinge or joint between the back uprights B and the seat A. if
special support were not provided I extend the legs and carry them at C¹ up behind
the back upright so that the strain which would otherwise come upon the back
hinges may be taken by the leg extensions. When opened out in this manner the
seat is perfectly firm and the only danger to be guarded against is the folding up of
the legs which would let the seat down. This may be provided against by a
number of different means as for instance sliding or turning bolts or catches, spring
catches or the like; but the form of catch which I prefer to adopt is a spring
catch which may be arranged in the leg extensions so as to be out of sight
when in use; this spring catch which is illustrated in Figure 6 may be constructed
as follows:
Upon a suitable plate D adapted to be let in and screwed to the leg extension I
pivot an arm or lever E preferably at the back of the plate and extending through
it and carrying a hooked catch E on the front or outside of the plate. This arm
may be spring controlled in any convenient manner as by the spring F Figure. 6.
Upon the face of the plate is a tapered or other suitable stop or projection D'
corresponding with and located near the spring catch when the latter is drawn
baok. Upon the back support is a slotted plate G and a suitable recess is provided
in the back support to admit the spring catch and the tapered stop. The end of
the spring catch is bevelled like an ordinary door latch and the arrangement is such
that when the legs are opened out with the extensions standing up as in Figure 1
the back is then folded out against them and the plate G on the back presses
against the spring catch moving it sideways by turning lever E upon its pivot E

page_text: so as to allow the plate G to pass over the stop D'; the spring catch then returns
to its normal position locking the two plates together, and thus securely holding
both back and legs in their opened-out or operative position..
Any suitable means may be provided for releasing the spring catch a convenient
arrangement being an extension E3 of the pivotted arm E either in the line of its
axis or as shown in the drawing perpendicular thereto, by which the said arm may
be moved when required.
Where it is desired to dispense with the above described catch or fastening the
back supports may be provided as shown in Figure 4 with extensions B2 reaching
below the level of the seat A and the legs, constructed substantially as before, may
he hinged or pirotted so as to open out beside, instead of (as in Figure 1) in the
same line with, the back supports. The ordinary strut H may be hinged or
pivotted to the underside of the seat A as indicated in Figure 1; in Figure 4 it is
not required as the extensions B2 of the backs B prevent the legs C from folding up
while the seat is in use, and to take the strain off the hinges of the back supports B
I prefer to secure stop plates 2 to them so that when the seat is open as in Figure +
said plates will bear against the backs of the legs C as shown. When this strut is
opened out it retains the legs in their open or operative position while the legs
which as already explained may be provided with any suitable catch stop or
equivalent for the purpose retain the back.
One of these stops has already been described and illustrated in Figure 6; a
modified form is shown in Figure 5. This consists of a curved plate 1 screwed
or otherwise fastened upon the extension C₁ of the leg C and when the leg is
opened out embracing two sides of the back B and thus preventing the latter
from folding up until the leg has first been folded. The bit of wire J let into
or fastened upon B facilitates movement of plate I upon B and prevents it from
scraping or damaging B.
The folding up is a simple matter; the strut H is turned upon its hinges so
as to lie flat against the underside of the seat A the legs C are then folded
towards each other and also lie flat against the underside of A, the ends of the
strut H lying in the recesses C2 provided for the purpose. Turning the legs
releases the back which can now be folded upon the upper side of seat A as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2; the seat completely folded is shown
in Figure.3, the legs C being retained in their folded position by the wire or
other catches K.
In the arrangement Figure 4 spring or other catches may be employed to
hold the parts B' against the legs and prevent the back from folding over, but
as the back has no tendency to fall forward onto the seat such catches are not
essential.
Instead of the spring bolt of Figure 6 any device which will prevent both the
back from moving forward away from the leg extension and the leg exten-
sion C from moving sideways away from the back B may be employed; either a
loop or clip pivoted upon B and adapted to fit over C, or a sliding bolt fastened
upon B and entering into the end of C would be such a device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a folding seat where both back and legs are respectively hinged or jointed
to the seat the one arranged to fold on top and the others underneath the employ-
ment of leg extensions such as C adapted to support the back above the hinge or
joint when the seat is set up substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a folding seat the combination with legs and strut such as C and H of
catches for holding the two together when folded up arranged substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a folding seat the combination with leg extensions such as C¹ and back B

page_text: of a curved plate such as I substantially as -and for the purpose described and
illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a folding seat in which the back and legs are both hinged or jointed to the
seat but so as to fold in different planes the combination with back B and leg
extensions C¹ of a bolt catch loop or equivalent so arranged as to prevent movement
of either of the parts substantially in the manner described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In a folding seat the spring bolt substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a folding seat having back and legs respectively hinged or jointed to the
seat and adapted to fold upon the seat in different directions, the combination with
the legs of extensions such as C' and with the back of extensions such as B2 for
the purpose of retaining the seat in its set-up position substantially as described
and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Datad this Ninth day of July 1892
THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.