IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, AND IN CONNECTIONS USED THEREWITH
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOLDING CHAIRS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, AND IN CONNECTIONS
USED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad by Auguste Emmanuel
Eliaers, of Paris, France.
Scaled the 29th December 1876, and dated the 14th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th July 1876.
ALEXANDER MELville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE, AND IN CONNECTIONS USED THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of folding chairs and
scats and other articles of furniture, and also to hinges and other connections and
attachments used therewith, whereby these articles may be made to assume any
inclination, or be fixed in any position desired.
In constructing a folding chair according to this Invention the chair back is
jointed to the legs by hinges of peculiar construction, the one-half of each hinge
being attached to the legs, and the other half to a cross rail in which the two
uprights of the back are fixed. The plates of the hinges are not recessed into the
wood, which is therefore not weakened. The one pair of legs are connected at the
upper part by the back cross rail, to which one end of the canvas seating is attached,
the other end being attached to the front rail connecting the other pair of legs. A
cross rail fixed to the lower ends of the back uprights abuts, as in ordinary folding
chairs, either against the legs or back cross rail, according to the degree of inclination
to be given to the back.
Another improvement relates to a folding arm chair having a canvas seating and
back in one piece, one improvement consists in making the side rails to which the
seating is attached in one piece. Hinges similar to those before referred to connect
the side rails to the legs, and when the chair is opened the upper end of each leg is
received in a recess made in the side rails, whereby the latter are firmly retained or
fixed in position; upon each side rail are fixed two uprights, the two back ones
for the back of the chair, and the two front ones for the elbows or arm rests, which
are supported upon the front and back uprights. The canvas back is attached to
[Price Gdl

page_text: the back frame in the ordinary manner by having its edges wrapped round the
uprights and secured by sewing or otherwise, and in order to prevent the ends of
the uprights from protruding the sheath so formed by lapping the canvas around
the uprights may be closed at top, which forms an additional support to the
backing, and also prevents it puckering. The canvas backing below the elbows is
provided with button-hole shaped metal eyelets which hook on to the heads of screws
or studs fixed on the upright.
In order to adapt a cane or stuffed seat to such an arrangement of folding arm
chair the seat frame is hinged to the left-hand back and elbow uprights, and the back
to the right-hand back upright. The seat frame is provided with dowel pins, which
fit into holes in the right-hand side cross rail in order to keep the legs extended when
the chair is open, while the back frame is attached to its left-hand upright by
latches or other fastenings. In order to fold up the chair the back is unlatched
and folded back against the right-hand upright, the seat is raised and folded against
the opposite upright, the side frames are then turned down against the legs which
are closed together, they being pivoted together on a common axis as usual. I
also construct a seat with vertical folding legs which double up in order to convert
the seat into a footstool, the one pair of seat legs being hinged directly to and
folding against the under side of the seat frame, and the other pair are formed in
two lengths hinged together, the upper parts being fixed permanently to the seat
frame, and the lower parts folding against the other pair of legs. The legs of each
pair are united by cross rails, and both pairs of legs are held in the vertical position
by folding or jointed stretchers of peculiar construction. Additional short legs
or feet are fixed to the under side of the seat between the other longer legs to serve
as supports when the long legs are folded up, and the seat is used as a footstool.
Tables may also be fitted with folding legs in a similar manner to the above.
The hinges for the seat legs are stamped out of sheet metal of the form required,
and they may be made with either flat or curved plates to fit exactly on the parts
to which they are applied.
Further improvements relate to arm chairs having revolving seats suitable for
office use or pianoforto stools. I construct the chair with a central pillar and
claw, in which is a female screw to receive a screw rod carrying a wood or metal
cross frame forming a support for the seat, which is capable of being adjusted at
various inclinations upon the cross frame. This is effected by pivoting the seat
frame at the two sides upon the ends of the cross frame, introducing a spring
between the seat and the cross frame, said spring having a constant tendency to
raise the seat at the back, and supporting the front of the seat by a rack secured to
the cross frame by a spring bolt.
A particular arrangement of volute spring is used, whose base is received in a
cup attached to the under side of the seat, and its apex fits in an inverted T piece,
lodged in a groove in the cross frame, and forming a joint to allow the spring to
play freely. The position of the spring may be reversed if preferred.
The rack is pendant from the under side of the frame to which it is jointed, and it
passes through a mortise in the arm of the cross frame. The spring bolt which
takes into holes in the rack is mounted in a socket fixed on the cross frame and is
provided with two nibs, which fall into corresponding notches in the socket when
the sent is fixed in position, or which, when the bolt is drawn back by its knob and
turned a quarter round, bear against the end of the socket to keep the bolt discon-
nected from the rack for the purpose of adjusting the seat. The spring bolt may
also be operated from the side or back of the chair, if desired, by means of a suitable
arrangement of levers.
Another improvement relates to adjusting the backs of arm chairs so as to regulate
the slope within certain limits. For this purpose the curved back frame is hinged
or jointed upon two short pillars, one on either side carried on the seat framing,
while the bottom rail of the back frame rests at the middle upon a spring similar to
the ouc above described. Tho arms of the chair are jointed to the back frame,
and are free to slide or be fixed on their uprights or supports, being provided

page_text: for this purpose with a spring bolt arrangement analogous to that above described.
The spring bolt is fitted in a socket fixed vertically to the arm uprights, this socket
has a T head provided with friction rollers running in a T shaped groove on the
under side of tlie arm to facilitate the sliding movement of the arm upon its upright.
The upper end of the bolt takes into holes in this groove, and the lower end is
provided with a catch or thumb piece, by which the bolt is withdrawn or released.
By this means the sitter is enabled to give any desired inclination to the chair.
The joint by which each arm is connected to the back frame is of peculiar
construction, being composed of a socket fixed on the arm in which a pivot pin is
fitted, said pin being free to turn, although retained by a nut in a plate on the back
frame, a key pin passing through the pivot and socket to connect the whole
together.
By combining a folding chair and the convertible seat or footstool herein-before
described a sort of reclining chair is formed. The folding or jointed stretchers
employed in either case are of improved construction, with the object of avoiding
the liability of pinching the fingers when extending the legs. This object is partly
effected by rounding the angles of both limbs of the stretcher, and partly by fixing
a locking stud on the one limb, which is caused to take into a curved groove in the
other limb, against the end of which it bears when the joint is completely extended.
In order to regulate the degree to which the joints may be extended] a hole is
made at the end of the groove through which a file may be introduced to increase
the length of the groove
if
necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
January 1877.
15
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING CHAIRS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Auguste Emmanuel Eliaers, of
Paris, France.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of folding chairs and
seats and other articles of furniture, and also to hinge joints and other connections
and attachments used therewith, whereby these articles may be made to assume
any inclination, or be fixed in any position desired.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 of which
shows a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front view of a folding chair constructed
according to this Invention, while Figure 3 shows the chair folded up. The chair
back is jointed to the legs P1 by two hinges C of a peculiar construction, shown
detached in Figures 13, 14, and 15, the one half of each hinge being attached to
the legs Pl, and the other half to a cross bar T, in which the two uprights M of
the back are fixed. The plates of the hinges are screwed on without being recessed
into the wood, which is therefore not weakened. The one pair of legs P¹ are con-
nected at the upper part by the back cross bar p³, to which one end of the canvas
seating is attached, the other end being attached to the front bar p connecting the
other pair of legs P. A. cross bar t fixed to the lower ends of the back uprights M
abuts, as in ordinary folding chairs, either against the legs P' or the back cross
bar p, which determines the degree of inclination of the back.
The arrangement may be modified, either as shown in Figure 1bis and 3,
by
employing hinges C of the modified form shown at C¹ in Figure 15, or by substi-
tuting hinges of the form shown in Figures 10 to 12 for those shown in Figures 13
to 15 bis, and cutting the legs P¹ obliquely to form an abutment for the back up-
rights M when the seat is opened, as shown in Figures 1 and 3ter.
In both these modifications the cross bar T is dispensed with, and the uprights M
are in a line with the legs P¹ and hinged to the ends thereof.

page_text: Figures 4 and 5 show front and side views of a folding arm chair having both a
canvas seating and back, and constructed according to this Invention.
One improvement consists in making the side bars 2 to which the seating is
attached in one piece. Hinges C, similar to those before referred to, connect the
side bars p to the legs P, and when the chair is opened the upper end of each leg P
is received in a notch or recess made in the side bars p, whereby the latter are
firmly retained or fixed in position. Upon each side bar P are fixed two uprights
M, m; the two back uprights M have attached the canvas back D, and support
the back ends of the elbows A; and the two front ones m support the front ends
of the elbows or arms. The canvas back D is attached to the back uprights M in
the ordinary manner by having its edges wrapped round the uprights and secured
by sewing or otherwise, forming sheaths d, which extend down as far as the elbows..
In order to prevent the ends of the uprights from protruding the sheath so formed
by lapping the canvass around the uprights M may be closed at top, which forms
an additional support to the backing, and also prevents it dropping into folds.
This closing of the top of the sheath constitutes one of the improvements of this
Invention. Below the elbows the sheaths are not used, but the backing is lapped
round the uprights and secured by button-hole shaped metal eyelets a near the
edge of the backing, which hook on to the heads of screws or studs v fixed on the
uprights M, as shown more clearly in the detached views, Figures 16, 17 and 18.
Figures 6 and 7 show views in the folded and open positions of a similar folding
The seat frame S is
arm chair, but provided with a cane or stuffed back and seat.
hinged to the left-hand back and elbow uprights M, m, and the back D to the
right-hand back upright M: The seat frame S is provided with dowel pins g,
which fit into holes in the right-hand side rail p in order to keep the legs extended
when the chair is open, while the back frame is attached to its left-hand upright M
by latches or other fastenings. In order to fold up the chair the back is unlatched'
and folded back against the right-hand uprights M, m; the seat is raised and
folded against the opposite uprights, the side frames are then turned down against
the legs P, which are closed together, they being pivoted together on a common
axis c. Figure 7 represents the chair thus folded, and by supposing the seat S
and the back D removed it will also represent the chair described with reference
to Figures 4 and 5.
Figures 8 and 9 show views of a seat with vertical folding legs, which double up
in order to convert the seat into a footstool. The one pair of legs P, Figure 8, of
seat are hinged directly to and fold against the under side of the seat frame, and
the other pair of legs P₁ are sawn at into two lengths and united by hinges C¹,
the upper parts being fixed permanently to the seat frame, and the lower parts
folding against the other pair of legs. The two legs of each pair P, P¹, are united
by cross rails or otherwise, and both pairs of legs are held in the vertical position
by folding or jointed stretchers F of improved construction, see Figure S, and also
detached views Figures 32 to 35. Additional short legs or feet p, p, are fixed to
the under side of the seat frame between the other longer legs to serve as supports
when the long legs are folded up, and the seat is used as a footstool, as in Figure 9.
Tables may also be fitted with folding legs in a similar manner to the above.
The hinges C for the convertible seat legs, shown separately in Figures 10, 11,
and 12, are stamped out of sheet metal of the form shown, and they may be made
with either flat or curved plates to fit exactly on the parts to which they are applied.
The hinges, shown in Figures 1.3 to 15bis, are of cast iron or sheet metal stamped,
the plates being differently formed to suit the position in which they are to be
placed.
Figures 19 and 20 show a transverse section and front view of an arm chair
having a revolving scat suitable for office use or as a pianoforte stool. I construct
the chair with a central pillar and claw P, in which is a female screw to receive a
screw rod V carrying a cross frame of wood or iron forming a support for the seat,
which is capable of being adjusted within certain limits at various inclinations
upon the cross frame. This is effected by pivoting the seat frame at the two sides

page_text: upon the ends of the arms c, c', of the cross frame so as to admit of the seat being
inclined either backwards or forwards, and introducing a spring R between the
seat and the back end of the cross frame, said spring having a constant tendency
to raise the seat at the back. The front of the seat is supported by a rack so as
to allow of its being fixed at any inclination desired.
I
This arrangement is separately shown in Figures 21 and 22. The rack t is
pendant from the under side of the seat frame to which it is jointed, and it passes
through a mortise in the enlarged end of the front arm of the cross frame. A
spring bolt takes into holes in the rack. It is mounted in a socket & fixed on the
cross frame by a plate p and is provided with a milled head band two shoulders b¹,
which fall into corresponding recesses in the socket when the seat is fixed in
position, or which, when the bolt is drawn back by its head and turned a quarter
round, bear against the end of the socket d to keep the bolt drawn back and dis-
connected from the rack for the purpose of adjusting the seat. The spring bolt
may also be operated from the side or back of the chair if desired by means of a
suitable arrangement of levers. When operated from the side, as shown in Figure
20bis, a bell crank c is placed at the centre of the cross frame, and has connected to
it two rods, one of which is attached to the spring bolt g (which is in this case
placed at the rear side of socket c), and the other to a milled button b with
shoulders as before, and situated at the extremity of arm c or c¹ of the cross frame.
The spring R, which is separately represented in Figure 23, is of peculiar con-
struction, being composed of a flat steel strip coiled of a conical spiral form, the
base of the cone being received in a metal cup screwed to the under side of the
seat and its apex fitting on an inverted T piece lodged in a groove made in
arm so as to form a joint which allows of the spring playing freely. The spring
and connections may be reversed in position if desired.
Figures 24 and 25 represent a mode of adjusting the backs of arm chairs so as
to regulate the slope within certain limits.
For this purpose the curved back frame D is hinged or jointed upon two short
pillars C, one at either side (shown separately in Figures 26 and 27), carried on the
seat framing, while the botton rail of the back frame rests at the middle upon a
spring R similar to the one above described and shown in Figure 23.
The arms B of the chair are jointed at a to the back frame and are free to slide
or be fixed on their uprights or supports m, being provided for this purpose with
a spring bolt arrangement, which is shown detached in Figures 28 and 29: It
consists of a spring bolt g fitted in a socket d fixed vertically by means of a plate p
to the arm uprights m. This socket has a T head provided with friction rollers o
running in a shaped groove in the arm at the under side to facilitate the sliding
movement of the arm upon its upright. The upper end of the bolt takes into
holes in this groove, and the lower end is provided with a catch or thumb picce b,
by which the bolt is withdrawn or released. By this means the sitter is enabled to
give any desired inclination to the chair back. The joint by which each arm B is
connected to the back frame D is of peculiar construction, being composed of a
flanged socket d, Figure 30, fixed in the arın B, in which socket a pivot pin tis
fitted, said pin being free to turn in a plate d' on the back frame D although
retained by a nut at the back of said plate; a ping passes through the arm B,
pivot pin t, and socket d to connect the whole together. The plates or sockets
d, d, are screwed the one to the arm B and the other to back D.
Figure 31 represents an elevation of a folding chair combined with the con-
vertible seat or footstool herein-before described so as to form a sort of reclining
chair, the folding or jointed stretchers employed being of improved construction.
The improvements in the jointed stretchers are made with the object of avoiding
the liability of pinching the fingers when extending the legs. This object is partly
effected by rounding the angles of both limbs A, B, of the stretchers, as in Figures 32
and 33, or Figures 34 and 35, and partly by fixing a locking stud on the one
limb which is caused to take into a curved groove b in the other limb B against
the end of which it bears when the joint is completely extended.

page_text: In order to regulate the degree to which the joints may be extended a hole is
made at the end or ends of the groove b, through which a rat-tail file may be intro-
duced to increase the length of the groove if necessary. When the footstool is
placed in front of the folding arm chair, as shown in Figure 31, a kind of reclining
chair is formed. The stool may also similarly be combined with the chair shown
in Figures 24 and 25, the two articles being of any form or style: When the stool
is not required the long legs are folded under so that it may rest on the short legs,
which are provided with casters to facilitate moving the stool.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letter Patent is, the improved construction of folding chairs
and seats and other articles of furniture herein shown and described, together
with the improved hinges, joints, springs, stretchers, and other connections whereby
the different parts of the chairs or other articles may be moved and fixed in any
position desired.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand cight hundred and seventy-seven.
A..M. CLARK. (L.S.).