Improvements in or relating to Folding Chairs and Stools.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Folding Chairs and Stools.
I, ALFRED CHARLES GREENE, of 62, Belmont Street, Southport, in the County
of Lancaster, Coal Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a folding chair, stool or the like
in which the canvas or other material forming the seat or back can be removed.
Hitherto the canvas or other material 'has been permanently nailed to the
chair so that it cannot be taken off without great difficulty, and this is felt to
be a disadvantage.
In carrying my invention into effect I lace or otherwise fasten the canvas or
other material to the rails of the seat frame at top and bottom so as to make it
easily removable. In one arrangement I fix a strip of metal to each end of
the canvas or other material of the top and bottom so as to strengthen the material
and prevent it fraying. Holes are made at intervals in the canvas ends through
the metallic strip, and in the rails of the chair frame I fix projecting studs with
or without eye pieces at end, the distance apart of these studs being exactly the
same as the pitch of the holes or eyelets in the canvas.
In use, the canvas at the ends is passed around the rails and the holes engaged
with the projecting studs, which firmly hold the canvas in place and resist any
tendency to separate. As a further security however a bar may be slipped
through the eyelets at end of studs. In place of studs, hooks might be provided,
adapted to engage in the holes or eyelets in the canvas. In another
arrangement the ends of the canvas with the metal strengthening can
be made with oblong holes to admit a number of T headed screws, which
are screwed into the horizontal rails of the chair frame. The canvas ends are
then slipped on to these T heads, thus holding them, while if the T heads are
turned so as to come out of register with the oblong holes the canvas will be
locked in place and cannot accidentally come off.
In another arrangement I have a piece of metal screwed to the bar and bent
to half a circle, or the wood of the bar is cut so that it will leave a projection
to this extent, and to the side rails adjacent to the cross rail I fix on the inside,
short metal tubes. A rod is fixed to the end of the canvas, and to fix the canvas
the rod will be put against the 'curved part of the bar, and each end inserted
into the tubes or catches. This will allow the canvas seat being taken off or put
on quickly. In another plan I may form a groove in the under side of the bars,
so that the metal or wood bar at end of canvas can be slipped into it, and do
away with the necessity for the metal attachment. Or, a metal movable screwed
tube might be fixed to the outer bars of the chair and a cutting made in a
slanting direction in the thickness of the wood of these outer bars, so that the
ends of the canvas covered metal bars could be slipped into them and fastened by
means of a catch. Other arrangements however could be adopted for easily
fixing and removing the canvas from the chair frame. Thus for example the

page_text: canvas metal ends could be fitted with nut headed bolts, or there could be put
hooks on which the holes in metalled ends could be slipped over, or rings might
even be fastened to the canvas to slip over hooks on the rails.
The invention is applicable for folding chairs of all descriptions, whether for
use in the house, in the garden, on shipboard or elsewhere. It can be applied
to the seats or backs of such chairs or both in conjunction. I have referred to
canvas as the material employed, but it is obvious that any other suitable material
may be used, and that such material may be plain or ornamented.
Dated this 4th day of October 1899.
Improvements in or relating to Folding Chairs and Stools.
I, ALFRED CHARLES GREENE, of 62, Belmont Street, Southport, in the County
of Lancaster, Coal Merchant, 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:-
This invention has for its object to provide a folding or other chair, stool or
the like in which the canvas or other material forming the seat is detachable from
the frame. Hitherto the canvas or other material has been permanently fixed to
the chair or stool so that it could not be taken off without great difficulty, and
when taken off could not be readily fixed again.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a deck or folding chair showing one way of
carrying out the invention;
Figure 2, an enlarged cross section through one of the cross rails thereof;
Figure 2, a slight modification of Figure 1;
Figure 3, an elevation of a portion of a chair showing another way of detachably
fixing the canvas; and
Figure 4, a cross section thereof;
Figures and 6, an elevation and cross section respectively of another way of
carrying out the invention;
Figure 7, a perspective view of the back portion of a chair showing a further
modification;
Figure 8, an enlarged cross section through the back rail; and
Figure 9, a detail thereof;
Figures 10, 11 and 12 similar views to Figures 7, 8 and 9 of another arrange-
ment;
Figures 13, 14 and 15 an elevation, cross section and perspective view of another
modification and
Figures 16 and 17 an elevation and cross section of another arrangement
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2:-
The material A, which hereinafter will be referred to as canvas, forming the
seat, is attached to the cross rails B of the chair by means of button holes a
in each end of the canvas engaging with ball headed studs or pins 6 fixed to the
underside of the rails B of the chair, or instead of button holes, eyelets C could
be let in the ends of the canvas or canvas ends covered with thin metal, such
eyelets being of the shape shown in Figure 2, the same being secured to the rail

page_text: of the chair by passing the largest part of the hole over the head of the stud
and pulling the canvas so that the smaller part of the hole will engage the
neck of the stud. In Figures 3 and 4, the canvas seating A is provided with
straps D having buckles & which pass through slits in the canvas to the under-
side of the same. To attach the canvas, it will be placed on the rail B of the
chair and the free ends of the straps 1) will be passed round the rail and the
end of the canvas and buckled to the buckle end of the strap, or in place of
straps, chains might be used. The attachment shown in Figures 5 and 6 consists
in providing oblong holes or slits E in the ends of the canvas or in metal strength-
ening strips secured thereto, which holes admit a number of wing or T-headed
screws F which are screwed into the horizontal rails B of the chair, the heads of
such screws.being free to turn on the shank. The slits or oblong holes are
passed over the heads of the studs or screws while the heads are in a line therewith,
such heads being afterwards turned so as to be at right angles with the holes,
thereby holding the canvas secure, or the studs could be hinged and adapted to
be turned down instead of having T heads. Referring to Figures 7, 8 and 9
which show the back portion of another form of chair, the canvas A is pro-
vided with a rod G which after being passed over and underneath the rail B of
the chair enters a recess H in the sides I of the chair, first through the horizontal
portion thereof, and afterwards entering the vertical portion. It will be evident
that brackets fixed to the inside of the sides I would serve the same purpose as
cutting the recess in the sides of the chair. In Figures 10, 11 and 12, round
eyelets J are let into the ends of the canvas. These slip over hooks K fixed
underneath the rails B of the chair. Instead of hooks pegs may be used. To
make the attachment more secure, a rod k preferably of metal is passed through
holes L in the sides of the chair and through each of the hooks K, or against
the pegs if such be used, metal discs M, Figure 12, being provided to cover
one or each of the holes L. thereby preventing the rod from slipping out.
Instead of having holes cut in the sides I of the chair, brackets or catches may be
fixed to the inside of frame I which would lock the rod in position. The
arrangement, shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15 is somewhat similar to that shown
in Figures 7, 8 and 9, except that the rod G rests against a curved metal strip N
fixed underneath the cross rail or bar 13 of the chair and one of its ends fits
into a socket 0, its other end being held by a sleeve P which screws onto a stud Q
fixed to the frame of the chair. Obviously if the sleeve P be unscrewed off
the stud Q it will free the rod G which can then be withdrawn from the socket O.
Instead of attaching the metal strip N to the rail of the chair I may form the
rail itself so as to have protuberances against which the rod G could rest.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 16 and 17, the rail B is a fixture, and
the bar G is hinged to the chair I. g is a catch or hook which holds the bar G
in its raised or locked position and 'B' are pins fixed to the rail B to engage the
eyeletted holes of the canvas. To secure the canvas in position, the canvas is
passed round the rail B until the eyelets engage the pins B¹, the bar G being
afterwards raised and held by the catch or hook g. It will be obvious that if the
bar G be lowered, as shown in dotted lines, the canvas can be readily removed.
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 is:
1. The improvement in folding chairs or stools, which consists in fastening the
fabric which supports the body of the occupant, to the cross rails or rungs of the
frame in such a manner that it can be detached or replaced, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination with a chair or stool having cross rails and a fabric to
support the body of the occupant, of straps with buckles attached to the end of
the fabric and adapted to pass round the rails of the chair or stool, whereby the

page_text: fabric is removably attached to such rails by the straps engaging the buckles,
substantially as described.
3. The combination with a chair or stool having cross rails or rungs and a
fabric to support the body of the occupant, of wing headed pins inserted 'in the
cross rails and oblong slits or holes in the ends of the fabric, whereby the fabric
can be removably secured to the rails by passing the wing headed pins 'or studs
through slits of the fabric and afterwards turning their heads at right angles
to such slits, whilst in some cases hinged pins or studs adapted to be turned down
may be used for the same purpose, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a chair or stool having cross rungs and a fabric to
support the body of the occupant, of a rod G secured to the end of the fabric and
adapted to enter recesses H in the side rails of 'the chair or stool, or in brackets
fixed to the inside of such rails, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with a chair or stool having cross rungs and a fabric
engaging said rungs, of eyelets J let into the ends of the fabric, hooks (or metal
pins) K fixed to the cross rungs, and a rod jadapted to pass through the hooks,
substantially as described.
6. The combination with a chair or stool having crossrungs and a fabric
engaging said rungs, of eyelets J let into the ends of the fabric, hooks K fixed
to the cross rungs, a rod G adapted to pass through the hooks and through the side
bars of the chair, and means for preventing endwise movement of the rod, substan-
tially as described.
7. In a chair or stool, the combination of the side bars or members I, a rung B
extending across between the same, means carried by said rung for engaging the
chair fabric and a bar secured beneath the said rung B adapted and arranged
to act in conjunction with said means carried by the rung, substantially as set
forth.
8. Folding chairs or stools, constructed, arranged and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the respective figures
of the drawings annexed.
3
T11000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.