A NEW ARTICLE OF NURSERY FURNITURE, OR GYMNASTIC EXERCISING CHAIR AND PROAL
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Clifton, of New Oxford Street, in the County.
of Middlesex, Manufacturer of Perambulators, for the Invention of "A
NEW ARTICLE OF NURSERY FURNITURE, OR GYMNASTIC EXERCISING CHAIR AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Clifton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
February 1858.
I, JAMES CLIFTON, of New Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer of Perambulators, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW ARTICLE OF NURSERY FURNITURE, OR GYMNASTIC Ex-
ERCISING CHAIR AND SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN," (a communication from a foreigner
residing abroad) to be as follows:-
This article of furniture consists of a skeleton frame, the whole or a part
of the frame uniting at top in the form of an arch or otherwise; at bottom.
the frames are provided with castors. There are two or more hoops for
keeping the side frames apart and extended. One hoop is fixed to the
frames at about eighteen inches from the ground, more or less. From the
upper part of the frame there is suspended, by india-rubber or other elastic
cord, a broad padded ring, the outer edge of which just comes within the
frames, and when the elastic cords are stretched rests upon the hoop before
named as fixed about eighteen inches from the ground.

page_text: The inner edge of the ring is furnished with a seat with holes cut in it for
a child's legs to pass through, and enable the child either to touch the ground]
with his feet, when heavy enough to sufficiently extend the elastic cords, or the
child may keep his feet from the ground and sit in or be supported by the seat.
The article is made sufficiently light to enable a child to propel itself in
walking, and the supporting side frames are so spread, out that the child
cannot turn the apparatus over, get it through doors, or sufficiently near the
fire for mischief. Various toys may be supported from the upper part of the
frame for the child to amuse itself with. The child while sitting or standing
can jump itself up and down, the elastic cords assisting it. Instead of
suspending the child's supporting ring from above, springs may be fitted to the
ring from below, but I prefer the arrangement first described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Clifton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CLIFTON, of New Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer of
Perambulators, send greeting.
E
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Clifton, Her special licence that I, the said James
Clifton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Clifton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A
NEW ARTICLE OF NURSERY FURNITURE OR GYMNASTIC EXERCISING CHAIR AND
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN," (a communication from a foreigner residing abroad),
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Clifton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters'
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Clifton, do hereby declare the'
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
This article of furniture consists of a skeleton frame, the whole or part of
the frame uniting at top in the form of an arch or otherwise. At bottom the
frames are provided with castors. There are two or more hoops for keeping
the side frames apart and extended; one hoop is fixed to the frames at about
eighteen inches from the ground, more or less. From the upper part of the
frame there is suspended by india-rubber, or other elastic cord, a broad padded
ring, the outer edge of which just comes within the frames, and when the
elastic cords are stretched rests upon the hoop before named as fixed about
eighteen inches from the ground. The inner edge of the ring is furnished
with a seat with holes cut in it for a child's legs to pass through and enable
the child either to touch the ground with his feet when heavy enough to
sufficiently extend the elastic cords, or the child may keep his feet from the'
ground and sit in or be supported by the seat. The article is made sufficiently
light to enable a child to propel itself in walking, and the supporting side
frames are so spread out that the child cannot turn the apparatus over, get it
through doors, or sufficiently near the fire for mischief. Various toys may be
supported from the upper part of the frame for the child to amuse itself with.
The child while sitting or standing can jump itself up and down, the elastic
cords assisting it. Instead of suspending the child's supporting ring from
above, springs may be fitted to the ring from below, but I prefer the arrange-
ment first described.
In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the gymnastic
exercising chair, shewing two limbs of the skeleton frame; Figure 2 is an
elevation from a different point of view, partly in section, and with one limb of
the frame removed; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the chair on a smaller
scale. A, A, A, A, are four limbs composing the skeleton frame made to unite
at top; B, B', are hoops for keeping the limbs of the frame in position; C, C,
are elastic cords connected by strap and buckle at their upper ends to the limbs
of the frame at their lower ends; they are connected to and support a broad
padded ring D, to the inside of which may be attached a seat E, so formed as
to permit a child's legs to hang down therefrom; F is a piece of drapery or
skirt to hide the seat and protect the child's body and legs from cold, draught,

page_text: &c. The seat E may be dispensed with if desired. The hoop B' also forms
a stop, to prevent the ring D descending lower when the elastic cords are
extended by a child's movements in the seat or within the ring.
I do not limit myself to the shape of gymnastic chair shewn in the Drawings,
nor to the number of limbs for forming the skeleton frame, nor is it necessary
that they should unite in the form of an arch at top, as the shape and number
of limbs may be varied, and need only extend upwards sufficiently high to:
carry the suspending elastic cords; and instead of being carried up even to
such height where springs were fitted under the ring, as has been already
mentioned, their length might be considerably, diminished.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the new article of nursery furniture or gymnastic exercising chair.
and support for children herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
And, second, the fixing in a frame, capable of being propelled by a child,
of a seat, support, or ring, suspended or supported by springs which will
yield to the movements or dancings of a, child, and partake of up-and-down
motions..
In witness whereof, I, the. said James Clifton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES CLIFTON. (L.S.)