AN IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, both
resident in Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR."
Sealed the 20th December 1867, and dated the 26th July 1867.
their Petition, on the 26th July 1867.
We, ROBERT REID and EDWARD HORNE CRAIGIE, both resident in Kil-
marnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR," to be as
follows:-
A frame or stool is mounted on castors, wheels, or otherwise, and in this
frame are fixed trunnions or bearings which suspend vertically or otherwise
two moveable frames arranged as oblong or other parallelograms, the angles
of which are hinged or moveable on centres or otherwise; the trunnions or
bearings are fixed at the centres or other convenient points of opposite
members of the parallelograms. The seat is fixed between the two lowest of
the remaining members of the parallelograms, the other two or top members
forming the arm rests of the chair, while the prolongations of two of the
members first mentioned upwards form or carry the back, and the prolongation
of the remaining two members properly modified form or carry the rest
for the legs. The trunnions or bearings are fixed in the end members and
11

page_text: work in suitable apertures formed in the frame, or if preferred they are fixed
is the frame and work in suitable apertures formed in the end members,
the seat and arm rests being always in a horizontal position, but the back and
leg rests approach to a perpendicular or a horizontal position in accordance
with the various positions which the sides and angles of the oblong or other
parallelogram or rhomboid assume at the will of the sitter; and in order
to provide for the chair being kept in any desirable position arrangements are
provided for fastening its parts in such position, as, for instance, by a quadrant
fixed to the moveable frame, and passing through or beside the frame or stool
first herein mentioned, thus keeping the chair in any required position by
means of a pin, bolt, or other fastener, and securing the same to the said
frame or stool at such points as are permitted by the orifices, teeth, or other
arrangements of the quadrant.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
REID 2 EDWARD HORNE CRAIGIE, both resident in Kilmarnock, in the
County of Ayr, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, Her special licence
that we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Reid
and Edward Horne Craigie, our 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 "AN
IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne Craigie, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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,

page_text: 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 we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne
Craigie, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and in the several illustrations, figures,
letters, and numerals marked thereon, the same reference letters and numerals
indicating the same or corresponding parts in all the Figures, all of which
we have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modifications
and means we are at present aware of for practically performing or putting
our said Invention into practice, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective elevation of the iron or other metal
frame of a reclining chair constructed in accordance with one modification of
our said Invention, and Figure 2 is a full size transverse sectional elevation,
detached, of that portion of the frame to which the holding quadrant or
segment and fixing pin are attached, showing their construction and action or
mode of holding the reclining part of the frame.
Figure 3 is a perspective or angular side elevation or view of a complete
reclining chain, constructed chiefly of wood, and having the holding or fixing
quadrant or segment and pin formed in metal attached thereto, the whole
being constructed in accordance with and showing another adaptation or
modification of our said Invention.
Figure 4 is a detached transverse vertical section of the parts of the chair
through the holding quadrant or segment and pin, drawn full size so as to
show more clearly their construction and mode of attachment thereto, and
also their action in holding the reclining or moving frame of the chair in the
desired position in relation to the stationary frame or stool of the chair, all to
be herein-after more fully described.
Figure is a side elevation at right angles to Figure 4 of the holding
quadrant or segment and part of the reclining frame to which it is attached;
and Figure 6 is a side elevation of the fixing pin and the collar or bush in
which it slides, both corresponding to Figure 4.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the stationary frame or stool which supports
the reclining or moving part or frame is composed of two strong iron side
standards A firmly bolted to each other (at a proper distance apart to receive
the reclining frame between them) by the transverse stays B, and the feet of
this frame may or may not be mounted on castors as desired, or otherwise

page_text: this frame A, A, may in some cases for invalids or greater portability be
mounted on two main side wheels and a guiding steering wheel mounted on a
swivelling frame at the back or front of the chair. In the upper part of each.
side standard A opposite to each other two journal bearings C are formed which
receive trunnions or journals C¹ fixed in the front and back frames D and E
suspended vertically in a lateral direction, projecting downwards and upwards
respectively, so as to form, when stuffed and finished, the parts for supporting
the parts of the legs below the knees and the back of the person using the
chair. When preferred the journals may be fixed in the frames and the bushes
or bearings for working on them be fixed or formed in the frames D and E;
these two frames D and E are jointed to each other at their upper and lower
ends respectively some little distance below and parallel to the journal
bearings at C by the frame F in a horizontal position so as to form, when
stuffed and finished, the seat portion of the chair, and also at some little
distance above these bearings C by the two parallelly-disposed rails G, which
when stuffed and finished form the "arms "or arm rests of the chair. The
whole of these parts of the reclining or moving frame D, E, F, G, are so
jointed or hinged to each other in the form of a parallelogram or rhomboid
at the angles f, g, and so swung upon the journals C' near the centre of that
part of the front and back members forming the ends of the horizontal oblong
parallelogram as to cause the seat and arms F and G to rise and fall slightly,
always in a horizontal position, when swung or oscillated in the journals and
bearings C¹, C, while the prolongations or long free ends of the front and
back frames D and E which project downwards and upwards respectively for
the rests for the legs and the back of the person reclining on the chair are
caused to assume any desired angle varying from the perpendicular to hori-
zontal, corresponding to or giving any reclining position of the body desired
between the sitting and lying posture respectively according to the position
and angle these various members of the whole reclining frame are set to or
made to assume, and which is most easily accomplished by the person
reclining in the chair, simply by drawing up the body and lower limbs
towards the perpendicular or stretching them out towards a horizontal
position. Between the lower part or the free extremities of the two side rails
of the frame D a footboard H is fixed, nearly at right angles thereto, for a
rest or support to the feet of the sitter, and which in some cases may when
desired be made to swivel and capable of being fixed at other angles in relation
to the frame D.
An important part of the said Invention of improved reclining chair has
reference to the arrangement for holding the reclining frame in the desired

page_text: reclining position when set to it, as before described, and it consists under one
modification as adapted to a metallic frame, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, of
the metal quadrant or segmental plate I with a series of lateral round holes I¹
formed in it concentric with one of the back journals C. The holding or fixing
pin J is so fitted and attached to slide into a hole or bush at K in the
stationary frame A convenient to the right hand of the sitter as to be capable
of being inserted into any of the holes I brought opposite to it in moving or
swivelling the chair to its desired position corresponding to these holes so as
to hold it there at the will of the sitter, and also be capable of being with-
drawn from the holes at any time by the person seated, so as to clear the
segment and allow the moving frame to be set to the required position, and
by a small screw or pin ; in the side of the main holding pin J it is allowed
to slide sufficiently for that purpose, and yet not be capable of removal or
dislocation, but be always ready to be pushed into any of the holes brought
opposite to it at pleasure.
In Figure 1 the reclining frame is shown as placed at an angle suitable for
a considerable reclining posture of the body, and in two other more extreme
positions towards the perpendicular and horizontal positions by red and blue
lines respectively.
In the modification of the Invention delineated in Figures 3 to 6 the
stationary and reclining frames are shown as constructed of wood, having
when stuffed and all complete and set with the front D and back E in the
sitting or nearly vertical position, as shown in Figure 3, much the appearance
of an ordinary arm easy chair. In this arrangement the stationary frame A
is stayed by strong flat rails B of wood, and the feet are mounted on castors a,
and the segmental plate with the retaining holes is formed of brass and sunk
into and screwed flush with the outer surface into the lower end of one limb
of the back frame E close to one of the oscillating journal C₁, and the brass
bush K of the sliding pin J is sunk into and secured or screwed to the wood
of the upper part of the frame A opposite the centre of the holes I¹.
Although a moving segmental plate with round holes and a fixing stationary
pin have been described for holding or fixing the reclining or moving frame
of the chair, yet still it will be seen that other equivalent arrangements may
be employed, such as fixing the segment I to the stationary frame A, and
attaching the fixing pin or bolt to the moving reclining frame, either worked
direct by the hand or by a short handle or lever attached to it brought to a
convenient position for the right hand of the sitter to actuate it, and, further,
that notches or projections might be used on the side of the segment I instead
of the round holes described, the point of the pin or bolt used being modified

page_text: to suit the same; and, further, that these holding round holes, notches, or
projections might be formed round the edge of the segmental plate I instead
of upon the side, and when desired a light spring might be used to retain the
pin or bolt into these holding recesses or on to or between the projection,
when such were used, acting either directly upon the bolt or pin or upon the
handle or lever employed for actuating the same.
Having thus particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that while
we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details herein shown and
described, neither do we claim to have invented every separate detail which
we have had occasion to show and describe, or the modes of fixing these or
putting them together by themselves separately, as such may have to some
extent been heretofore used; but what we believe to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is the general arrangement and construction of a
"reclining chair" or chairs fitted with a quadrant or segmental plate and pin
or bolt mechanical fixing arrangement, all substantially in the new or improved
manner herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Reid and Edward Horne
Craigie, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ROB REIDD
UL.S.J
RUB
KMID.
UL.S.J
EDWARD HORNE CRAIGIE. (L.S.)