IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOUNGING CHAIRS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street,
in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOUNGING CHAIRS."
-A communication from abroad by Auguste Emanuel Eliaers, of
Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 20th November 1868, and dated the 10th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1868.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOUNGING
CHAIRS," (a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Emanuel
Eliaers, of Paris, in the Empire of France,) to be as follows:-
The Invention which forms the subject of the present application
consists in certain improvements in the arrangement and construction

page_text: improvements have for object,
Firstly. To consolidate the whole piece of furniture.
Secondly. To render the mechanism of its articulation more simple
and more complete.
Thirdly. To extend its functions and increase its comfort by adding
thereto certain portions which do not exist in the systems hitherto
known.
The frame of the chair is composed of two side supports united by
cross rails so as to be perfectly rigid and stable; on these supports is
pivoted the ironwork which carries the seat, the back, the side brackets,
and elbow pieces. A cushion is mounted on a hinge to the front of the
seat, and between the side brackets slides a plank which serves as a
support to the feet. In one of the elbow pieces is mounted a socket,
to which is adapted the lever which carries the reading desk. A
special mechanism, herein-after described, serves to fix the movable
parts in any convenient position. The ironwork is composed of two
parts hinged together, a trunnion or gudgeon projecting therefrom
outside is supported and turns in each of the side supports, and a
lower trunnion projecting from the inside carries the seat, being fitted
in a socket fixed to the frame of the said seat. Four of these arrange-
ments are necessary to constitute the complete mechanism for inclining
the chair; they are all alike, with the exception that the two situated
on one side of the seat have the lower trunnion movable in order to
dismount the whole when packing the lounging chair for travelling.
The side brackets are screwed to the front part of the ironwork, and are
connected by two cross rails, being provided on the inner side with two
grooves in which slides a plank, to the lower edge of which a second
plank or footboard is secured by hinges; this latter can either be
opened out at right angles to the former or be folded up against it
under the cushion. The footboard is constantly drawn up by means of
a spring, and may be elongated, if desired, by pressure of the feet
thereon. The footboard also serves to raise and support the leg cushion
when required. To fix the movable parts in any desired position the
seat has jointed to it a curved iron bar pierced with several holes, into
one of which projects a pin or bolt attached to one of the cross rails
of the frame. The pin or bolt is acted upon by a coiled spring, and is
moved forward or withdrawn by an eccentric which is turned by means

page_text: may be
it is.
of a cross.handle.. The reading desk is mounted on a pivot, and
placed at any angle or inclination, and fixed by a pressure screw;
provided with an inkstand, a ledge, and a leaf holder. These lounging.
chairs may be made either in cabinet work or in metal, and the same
.arrangements, with slight variations, may be adapted to the seats of
carriages, theatres, or other fixed seats as well as to movable lounging
chairs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS: SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Mid-.
dlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth, day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Davies, Her special licence. that I, the
said George Davies, my executors, administrators, and, assigns, or such
others. as. I, the said George Davies, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
LOUNGING CHAIRS," (a communication to me from abroad by Auguste
Emanuel Eliaers, of Paris, in the Empire of France,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Davies, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Davies, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The Invention which forms the subject of the present application,
consists in certain improvements in the arrangement and construction of
articulated lounging chairs on the American system. The said improve-
ments have for object,―
Firstly. To consolidate the whole piece of furniture.
Secondly. To render the mechanism of its articulation more simple
and more complete.
Thirdly. To extend its functions and increase its comfort by adding
thereto certain portions which do not exist in the systems hitherto
known.
The frame of the chair is composed of two side supports united by
cross rails so as to be perfectly rigid and stable; on these supports is
pivoted the ironwork which carries the seat, the back, the side brackets,
and elbow pieces. A cushion is mounted on a hinge to the front of the
seat, and between the side brackets slides a plank which serves as a
support to the feet. In one of the elbow pieces is mounted a socket to
which is adaped the lever which carries the reading desk. A special
mechanism herein-after described serves to fix the movable parts in any
convenient position. The ironwork is composed of two parts hinged
together, a trunnion or gudgeon projecting therefrom outside is supported
and turns in each of the side supports, and a lower trunnion projecting.
from the inside carries the seat, being fitted in a socket fixed to the
frame of the said seat. Four of these arrangements are necessary to
constitute the complete mechanism for inclining the chair; they are all
alike with the exception that the two situated on one side of the seat
have the lower trunnion movable in order to dismount the whole when
packing the lounging chair for travelling. The side brackets are screwed
to the front part of the ironwork and are connected by two cross rails,
being provided on the inner side with two grooves in which slides a
plank to the lower edge of which a second plank or footboard is secured
by hinges, this latter can either be opened out at right angles to the
former or be folded up against it under the cushion. The footboard is
constantly drawn up by means of a spring, and may be elongated if

page_text: desired by pressure of the foot thereon. The footboard also serves to
raise and support the leg cushion when required. To fix the movable
parts in any desired position the seat has jointed to it a curved iron bar
pierced with several holes, into one of which projects a pin or bolt
attached to one of the cross rails of the frame. The pin or bolt is acted
upon by a coiled spring and is moved forward or withdrawn by an
eccentric, which is turned by means of a cross handle. The reading desk
is mounted on a pivot and may be placed at any angle or inclination, and
fixed by a pressure screw. It is provided with an inkstand, a ledge, and
a leaf holder. These lounging chairs may be made either in cabinet
work or in metal, and the same arrangements with slight variations may
be adapted to the scats of carriages, theatres, or other fixed seats as well
as to movable lounging chains.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improve-
ments in the Construction of Lounging Chairs," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may
be distinctly understood I havo annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof,
that is to say:--
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawings represents a side view of the
improved lounging chair; Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3 shows
the same inclined or partly thrown back.
A are the two sides supports connected together by the cross
rails a, a', so as to constitute a perfectly rigid and stable frame. On
these supports is pivotted the ironwork which carries the seat B, the
back D, the side brackets F, and elbow pieces E. This ironwork is
represented in detail at Figures 4 and 5. A cushion C is mounted
on a hinge at the front of the seat B, and between the side brackets F
slides a plank G which serves as a support to the feet. In one of
the elbow pieces E is mounted a socket to which is adapted the lever
which carries the reading desk H. A special mechanism is represented
in detail in Figures 8 and 9, and serves to fix the movable parts in
any convenient position. The ironwork (Figures 4 and 5) is composed
of two parts 6 and 6', which are hinged together at c, the trunnion d
turns in the frame A, the part 6 screwed to the under side of the
elbow pieces. The lower trunnions e on the uprights of the back D

page_text: carry the seat B, entering into sockets f fixed in the frame of the
latter. Four of these arrangements of ironwork constitute the complete
mechanism for inclining the chair. They are all alike, with the excep-
tion that the two situated on one side of the seat have the lower
trunnion movable in order to dismount the whole when packing the
chair for travelling. The side brackets F are screwed to the part of
the front ironwork; they are connected together by two cross rails g
and are provided on the inside with grooves in which the plank G
slides. This plank has connected to it by means of a hinge a second
plank G, which can open out perpendicular to the former or be folded
up close to it and hidden under the cushion C. One of the hinges
which connect the two planks G and G¹ is represented in detail at
Figures 6 and 7. It will be seen that it does not allow of being
opened further than a right angle; it carries a wheel h to roll on the
ground. The plank G is held by the plate springs ", which tend
constantly to draw it upwards, and it may be elongated when desired
by pressure of the feet against the plank G¹. The latter can also
serve as a support to raise the leg cushion C, as shown by the red
lines in Figure 3. To fix the movable parts in any desired position
the seat carries a curved iron bar j hinged to it at i; this bar is
pierced with holes, in one of which projects a pin or bolt k attached.
to a particular mechanism fixed on the cross rail a'. This mechanism
(shown at Figures 8 and 9) comprises a box forming a cap at m
for the passage of the bar j, and serving as a guide to the spring
bolt and an accentric movement connected to the bolt by a rod o.
The eccentric n is furnished with a cross handle p and a stop piece q;
it turns in a collar or clip &¹ to which the rod o is attached, and is so
keyed as to fix itself at each extremity of its course so as to hold the
bolt completely in or out according to the position given to the cross
handle p. The mechanism represented at Figure 10 may also be
employed for this purpose; it consists of a rod furnished with a
spring
(like that shown at Figure 8) and connected to a plate & ou
the projections & of which the eccentric n acts. The axis of this
eccentric passes through a slot n' and guides the plates in its move-
ment. The reading desk H is mounted on a pivot on the arm J and
may be fixed by a pressure screw v. The arm J turns at t in a
The reading desk may be
socket fixed in one of the elbow pieces E.
raised by means of a lengthening piece u, as shown in the detached
view Figure 2*. The reading desk can be placed at different inclina-

page_text: tions, and has an inkstand z, a small raised ledge x, a finger piece y
for holding the leaves of a book.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention
for "Improvements in the Construction of Lounging Chairs," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim
as the Invention communicated to me by the aforesaid Auguste
Emanuel Eliaers,-
Firstly. The particular arrangement of the ironwork for producing the
inclination of the back and other movable parts.
Secondly. The improved mechanism for fixing the lounging chair at
any desirable inclination.
Thirdly. The arrangement of the plank for supporting the feet or
raising the leg cushion at will.
And, fourthly. The general improved arrangement of the various parts
with regard to each other for increasing the ease and comfort of the
occupant.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.