Year: 1899

page_text: I, JENNIE FREW WEST, Gentlewoman, of Glenwood, Volusia County, Florida,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to detachable back rests for chairs and other seats,
more especially of that kind which are not upholstered and made to conform to
the shape of a person's back.
The object of this invention is to provide certain new and useful improvements
in back rests which can be hooked over or otherwise applied to the backs of seats,
whereby said rests are rendered more resilient, capable of adjustment to suit the
comfort of the person making use of the device, permit of ventillation, and which
will be of more serviceable and superior, though cheaper construction than those
articles of the kind at present in use.
A back rest constructed in accordance with my improvements comprises two
hooks which are adapted to be placed over the top edge of a seat back and which
have a screw-stud projecting from the face of that part of the hook which pro-
jects over the front of the seat back. A narrow strip of thin steel or other suitable
springy metal, such as hammered brass, bowed or formed to conform to the backs
of seats, which may be slightly upholstered, has its upper end slotted longitudi-
nally to pass over the screw-studs aforementioned; there being one such strip for
each hook. The strips are capable of adjustment to any height upon the studs
by means of nuts on the studs.
Two bowed strips of metal have their ends rivetted to the strips aforedescribed
in such manner that that portion of them between their ends projects outwardly
in a curve. Midway their length they are connected, horizontally, by a strip of
metal curved inwardly and arranged parallel to a strip which connects the strips
depending from the hooks. Right and left handed screw-studs project inwardly
between the two strips and engage in opposite ends of a nut. A piece of wire
webbing has spiral springs projecting from its edges which connect it to the
opposite bowed and outwardly projecting strips, between which it is stretched
to form a resilient back for a person sitting upon the seat.
By loosening the nut on the studs projecting from the hooks the back rest can
be lowered or raised to adapt it to the comfort of a short or tall person using the
device. The distance to which it is desired to have the back rest project can also
be regulated by turning the nut on the inwardly projecting studs between hori-
zontally arranged connecting strips in either one or the other direction.
In an alternative form of the invention I secure what are commonly known as
"C-springs" to each of the strips depending from the hooks, by means of rivets
or the like. These springs are connected by horizontal strips between which the
inwardly projecting studs and nut, forming the aforedescribed tension device,
may be arranged. The spring webbing is secured between the outer bowed por-
tions of the springs. This form of the back rest will rock accordingly as the
person seated leans forwardly or backwardly.

page_text: In a more simple form of the back rest the strips depending from the hooks
are dispensed with and the hooks formed on one end of each C-spring. The springs
are connected by horizontally arranged strips and webbing made up of interlaced
spiral springs, or with webbing combined with spiral springs as aforedescribed.
Dated this fith day of February 1899.
I, JENNIE FREW-WEST, Gentlewoman, of Glenwood, Volusia County, Florida,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and, by the following statement:-
This invention relates to detachable back rests for chairs and other seats,
more especially that kind which are not upholstered and made to conform to
the shape of a person's back.
The object of this invention is to provide certain new and useful improvements
in back rests which can be hooked over or otherwise applied to the backs of seats,
whereby said rests are rendered more resilient, capable of adjustment to suit the
comfort of the person making use of the device, permit of ventilation, and which
will be of more serviceable and superior, though cheaper construction, than those
articles of the kind at present in use.
Reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat to which one form of my invention is
applied; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of this form of the device. Fig. 3 is a
front view of an alternative form of the invention; Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 5 an end elevation thereof. Fig. 6 is a front view of an alternative form of
the invention, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is a side elevation
of a further alternative form.
My improved back-rest comprises two pieces of metal A which, as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2, are bent to substantially conform to the back of a seat, and are
connected near their extremities by transverse bars B, B₁ secured to them by
bolts bor the like, and at their upper ends formed into hooks a by means of
which they can be suspended from the back of a chair or seat. A curved spring C
is secured to each of the parts A by bolts c or the like, and are united midway
their length by a transversely arranged bar D secured to them by bolts d or
the like. The bar D is curved inwardly and away from the wire or other suitable
webbing E which extends between the springs C and is attached to them by any
well known method. The curvature of the bar 1) allows for inward compression
of the webbing when a person rests against it.
In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 I have shewn the back-rest as consisting of Cee-springs C',
which are connected transversely at their extremities by cross-bars B2, B3 to
which they are fastened to the bolts or the like. The wire or other webbing
extends between the springs C, and the transverse bars B2, B3, and as shewn, is
combined with spiral springs F, which are attached to the edges of the webbing
and the springs C and the bars B2, B3 by any well known method, or the springs
may be dispensed with and webbing as shewn in Fig. 1 be used. In order to
distend the springs Claterally and outwardly I provide the inwardly curved
cross-bar G attached centrally to the front of the springs Cat g, and the
oppositely arranged parallel transverse bar H attached centrally to the rear of the
$

page_text: coincident strip uniting the backs of said springs, all substantially as and for
the purposes herein before set forth, and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
(5) A back rest for chairs and other seats consisting of curved strips united at
their ends to form Cee-springs, cross-strips between said springs, hooks formed
at or secured to the ends of said springs and a spring or other webbing secured
between said Cee-springs, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before
set forth, and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
(6) A back rest for chairs and other seats, consisting of curved strips united
at their ends to form Cee-springs, cross-strips between said springs,, hooks inte-
grally formed at the ends of said springs, a spring or other webbing secured
Between said Cee-springs, a springy strip connecting the outer parts of said
springs, and a tension device, such as described situated between said springy
strip and a coincident strip uniting the backs of said springs, all substantially
as and for the purposes herein before set forth, and illustrated in the drawings
hereunto annexed.
(7) In a back rest for chairs comprising the parts described and claimed, the
webbing united to the springs and cross-strips of the back rest by means of spiral
springs substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, and illus-
trated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 24th day of October 1899
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: springs Cat h. The cross bar G has a central projecting stud I and a similar
stud J projects centrally from the bar H, the said studs being united by the
fly-nut K, it being threaded right and left-handed at opposite ends to which the
studs I and J correspond. By means of this nut the curved cross-bar G and the
bar H can be forced apart or permitted to approach each other and thus the
position of the springs C and the tension on the springs F and the webbing E
be slightly regulated. Hooked strips of metal A' are secured to the back of each
rear strip of metal for suspending the back rest from a chair or other seat.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a form of the invention comprising two outwardly
curved strips of metal A2 which are slotted at their upper ends as at M to
permit the passage therethrough of a stud N projecting from the body or shank
of a hook a¹ and fitted with fly-nuts O. By this provision the hook can be raised
or lowered in order to adjust the back rest to any desired height. The rear of
Cee-springs C are rivetted or otherwise secured to the strips A2 at a² and are
united by cross-bars BB5 between which and the outer curved portions of the
springs the webbing extends. In this form of the invention (and also in that form
shewn in Figs. 3, 4 and 5) the springs C can rock according as the sitter
leans forwardly or backwardly.
Fig. 8 illustrates a simple form of the invention comprising two springs C³
united by the cross-bars BB and the webbing. In this form the springs are
capable of being suspended on the back of a seat by means of the hooks a³ which
are secured to the ends of the upper cross-har 136
Although the tension device is described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5
only, it will be understood that by the addition of cross-bars as indicated by the
letters H, G, it could be readily applied to the other forms of the invention. In
Fig. 1 the cross-bar D would be used in the manner described with reference to
the cross-bar G in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.
In operation, the hooks are placed over to top rail of the chair or other seat,
as shewn in Fig. 1. When the back rests are provided with the means for
adjustment described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5, and the required tension is
attained by the manipulation of the nut K in one or the other direction, and the
height of the rest adjusted by the nuts O.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim ist:-
1
(1) A back rest for chairs and other seats consisting of a pair of hooks, curved
springs secured to said hooks, an inwardly curved bar uniting said springs, and
spring or other webbing secured between said springs substantially as and for
the purposes herein before set forth, and as illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
(2) A back rest for chairs and other seats consisting of longitudinally adjust-
able hooks, springs secured to the hooks or parts composing same, strips connect-
ing said springs, and a device such as described for regulating the tension of said
springs, and spring or other webbing secured between the springs substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, and illustrated in the drawings
hereunto annexed.
(3) A back rest for chairs and other seats, consisting of a pair of hooks, strips
adjustably secured to and depending therefrom, Cee or other springs secured to
said strips so as to be capable of rocking movement thereon, a webbing connecting
said springs, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth, and
illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
(4) A back rest for chairs and other seats, consisting of a pair of hooks, strips
adjustably secured to and depending therefrom, Cee or other springs secured to
said strips so as to be capable of rocking movement thereon, a webbing connect-
ing said springs, a springy strip connecting the outer parts of said springs, and a
tension device, such as described, situated between said springy strip and a