Improved Means for Facilitating the Repair of Caned Chairs and other Furniture.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
Improved Means for Facilitating the Repair of Caned Chairs
and other Furniture.
I, ALFRED THONET, of 1 Brandstätte 2, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
The extensive use made of pieces of furniture having seats and backs made of
plaited cane, is to a certain degree checked by the difficulty of renewing such seats
and backs when damaged. It is not everywhere easy to have the cane-work
renewed on the spot, and in many cases the whole piece of furniture has to be sent
away for repair, the consequence being disproportionate expenses and inconvenience
arising from the absence of the furniture from the house.
It has been sought to obviate this inconvenience by making originally the seat
of the piece of furniture in two parts, one of which constituted the outer seat-frame,
firmly connected to the remainder of the frame of the piece of furniture, and
having no cane-work whatever, while the second part constituted the seat proper
and consisted of an exchangeable interior caned frame, encompassed by the
former.
It is obvious that this arrangement increases the cost of manufacture of the
furniture, and leads forcibly to the necessity of modifying the usual sectional form
of the stationary seat-frame, in order that the latter may afford a firm hold to the
interior removable caned frame, that has to be inserted within it. Consequently,
the renewing of the plaited caue by way of exchanging the seat provided with the
same can only be effected in pieces of furniture specially constructed with a view to
render such exchange practicable.
The present invention relates to flat caned hoops, which any person can easily
and rapidly affix to the stationary seat or back of the piece of furniture, (which
seat or back may be shaped as usual and made in one part) after the damaged
cane-work has been removed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the bottom of a chair, the cane seat of which has
been renewed by fitting upon it such a flat caned hoop.
Figures 2 and 3 are top views of the said caned hoops.
a is the seat-frame, firmly connected to the feet a¹ of the chair, and which has
originally been caned in the usual manner. Should the cane become damaged, it is
entirely removed, and the Hat caned hoop b, is laid on the frame a and fastened to
it by gluing, nailing or screwing, in such a manner that the cane-work c with which
it is provided replaces the removed cane of the frame a.
The hoop b, of circular, trapezoidal or other shape, according to requirements,
bas a flat sectional form, for the purpose of avoiding any unnecessary increase
in the height of the seat, and also of facilitating transportation in great quantities.
The hoop can be made of any suitable material, crossed veneers, celluloid, pressed
wood or paper-fibre and hard rubber, are particularly appropriate for this
purpose.
It is obvious that such flat caned hoops are in the same manner applicable
|for replacing, when damaged, the caned backs of pieces of furniture.

page_text: 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
Flat supplementary caned hoops, as above described, for renewing, when damaged,
the seats and the backs of pieces of furniture.
Dated this 11th day of June 1894.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.