AN IMPROVED LOUNGING CHAIR
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LOUNGING CHAIR."
A communication from abroad by William Palmer, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America.
-
Scaled the 26th September 1871, and dated the 19th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th July 1871.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex; Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LOUNGING CHAIR,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a lounging chair that is
intended more especially for use in railway carriages or on board ship
as a reclining chair to take the place of the usual sleeping berths, but
which
may also be employed in the house or garden.

page_text: The Invention consists in a chair mounted on a pillar, on either side
of which are divided racks to receive a pawl connected with a foot rest
hinged to the under side of the chair frame, so that the rest can be
supported when the chair is turned round. The pillar is divided into
two parts, and the lower part or base may be firmly fixed to the floor
and is provided with a hole to receive a pivot attached to the upper
part or column, which column is firmly secured to the under side of
the scat frame.
In order to prevent the seat from turning accidentally a lug or stop
at the foot of the column is made to enter one of two notches in the
upper part of the base. By lifting the chair and column until the lug
is clear of its notch the seat may be turned to reverse its position, and
then be held by the lug entering the other notch upon the base. The
back of the chair is hinged to the chair arms, and is sustained in position
by links which work in slots in the chair arms.
These links are pro-
vided with slots and notches to take over pins passing through the chair
arms so as to hold the back at the desired inclination, downward
projections allowing of the links being lifted to change the inclination
of the back. The head rest, which may be raised or lowered at pleasure,
is sustained by a pawl and rack and is guided and kept in its proper
position by slide bars which enter sockets upon the back. The seat
is made of a moveable board having projecting pins which enter holes
in the seat frame.
When it is desired to elevate the front edge of the seat the board is
lifted out and reversed so that the pins rest upon the scat frame and
mice it un
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 3
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty- 3

page_text: fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED LOUNGING CHAIR," being a communication to me from
abroad by William Palmer, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Edward Newton, 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 performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that
is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a lounging chair that is
intended more especially for use in railway carriages or on board ship
as a reclining chair to take the place of the usual sleeping berths,
but which may also be employed in the house or garden.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the
improved lounging chair partly in section; Fig. 2 is a back elevation;
and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chair.
b
The Invention consists in a chair mounted on a pillar or column, on
either side of which are divided racks a, a, to receive a pawle 6 pivotted
to a foot rest c, which foot rest is hinged at d to the under side of the
chair frame A so that the foot rest can be supported when the chair is
turned round. The pillar or column is divided into two parts, the lower
part e being firmly bolted or otherwise secured to the floor, and is

page_text: provided with a hole to receive a pivot fattached to the upper part g
which is firmly secured to the under side of the seat frame A. It will
be seen that the racks a, a, upon opposite ends of the base e are pro-
vided with a continuation a', which continuation is fixed to the upper
part of the column or pillar, so that in either position of the chair
one of the racks a will coincide with the rack continuation a¹, and thus
afford a sufficient length of rack for the varied adjustment of the foot
rest, as desired. It is preferred to construct the racks in this manner.
as being stronger than a single rack attached to the under side of the
scat.
of the foot
In order to prevent the chair from turning accidentally, a lug or
stop on the upper part of the column g is made to enter one of two
notches upon opposite sides of and in the lower part e. When it is
desired to reverse the position of the chair the pawle
rest c must first be raised by means of a cord 6¹ attached thereto and led
upwards through the foot rest to one of the chair arms, and the chair
is then lifted until the lug h is clear of its notch, when the chair must
be turned until the lug enters the other notch upon the base e, and
will thus be held firmly in its new position. The back of the chair i is
pivotted at to the chair arms k, which arms are fixed to the seat
frame A. The back is sustained in position by means of links / which
work in slots in the chair arms. These links are provided with slots
and notches m, shewn in dotted lines, Fig. 1, which take over pins
passing through the chair arms, by which means the back is held at
any desired inclination; downward projections n allow of the links being
lifted by the person sitting in the chair so as to change the inclination
of the back. The head rest o, which may be raised or lowered at
pleasure, is sustained at the desired height by a pawle p and rack q
and is guided and kept in its proper position by slide bars r, r, by pre-
ference of half-round form, which enter sockets 8, 8, of a similar form
fitted upon the back of the chair. The teeth of the rack q should be
under cut, as shewn in Fig. 1, so that the pawle cannot fall out of the
rack by its own weight when the back is inclined. The seat is formed
of a moveable frame t having projecting pins u, which enter holes v in
the seat frame A:
When the back of the chair is inclined and it is desired to render
the chair more comfortable the front edge of the seat may be elevated.
This is effected by lifting the frame / and reversing it so that the nins 24

page_text: will rest upon the front of the seat frame A and raise it up, as shewn in
dotted lines, Fig. 1.
Having now described the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Lounging Chair," which has been communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. The arrangement above described whereby I am enabled to
adjust the footboard of a lounging chair which is capable of swivelling
on its central support.
Secondly. The arrangement of reversible seat or cushion frame t, as
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have herc-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.