IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS AND SEATS OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Reilly, the younger, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Chair Manufacturer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS AND SEATS OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Reilly at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
7th January 1853.
I, JAMES REILLY, the younger, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Chair Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS AND SEATS OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS,"
to be as follows:-
To the frame or body of the chair or seat I attach a cylinder or guide, the
interior of which is fitted with a rod or piston, having a spring in connection
with it so arranged as to give elasticity to the seat which is connected to the
rod or piston, at the same time affording the means of giving a swivel or
rotary motion; the elasticity may be given to any extent, either for ease or
comfort, or for giving a vertical up-and-down motion for amusement or
exercise. By placing the cylinder in a ball or universal joint any description
of Bee-saw or oscillating movements may also be given; or, instead of placing

page_text: the cylinder on the body or frame, it may be attached to the seat, the rod or
piston being connected to the framing. The improved chair or seat may either
have the ordinary legs,or they may be dispensed with,as desired; and the lower
part of the frame furnished with rockers or made partly spherical, so as to
afford another mode of giving see-saw or other amusing movements. Any
suitable number of cylinders and pistons may be employed, or in their stead
guides and rollers may be used. Treddles cau be attached, when desired, to the
cylinder or piston, in order to give the vertical movement; or handles placed
in any convenient position will answer the same purpose.
My said improved seat is applicable,-
Firstly, to baby or child's chairs, whether for the table, exercise, amusement,
or teaching them to walk.
Secondly, to chairs and stools in ordinary use for domestic purposes,
Thirdly, to easy chairs where ease and comfort are required.
Fourthly, to chairs and seats for railway or road carriages, cabs, steam
vessels, gardens, and places of amusement.
Fifthly, to sofas, couches, or similar articles of furniture.
Sixthly, to perambulators, the wheels of which I tyre with india-rubber or
gutta percha, to avoid the disagreeable noise now so generally complained of.
Seventhly, to rocking horses.
Eighthly, to music stools, and stools in general use for places of public
amusement.
The advantages of these seats for railway and other carriages, where the
space for each person is limited, will be very obvious, as each person will be
able to arrange or adjust himself to any position to avoid annoying his neigh-
bour, and still keep perfectly square in his seat; and for children and invalids
the advantages will be incalculable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Reilly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th July
1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
REILLY, the younger, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Chair Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord

page_text: Que thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Reilly, the younger, Her special licence that I, the said James
Reilly, the younger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Reilly the younger, 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 CHAIRS AND SEATS OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Reilly, the
younger, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Reilly, the younger, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
To the frame or body of the chair or seat I attach a cylinder or guide, the
interior of which is fitted with a rod or piston, having a spring or springs in
connection with it, so arranged as to give elasticity to the seat which is con-
nected to the rod or piston, affording at the same time the means of giving a
swivel or rotary motion. The elasticity giving the up-and-down motion for
amusement or exercise may be given to any extent according to the length
and strength of the springs, and by placing the cylinder on a ball or universal
joint any description of see-saw or oscillating movements may be obtained;
or, instead of placing the cylinder on the body or frame of the chair or seat,
it may be attached to the seat and the rod or piston connected to the framing.
My said improved chair or seat may be made with the ordinary legs or
they may be dispensed with as desired, and the lower part of the frame
furnished with rockers or made partly spherical, thus obtaining another
mode of see-saw or other amusing movements.
The manner in which my said Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and the
letters of reference thereon, in which a represents the legs supporting the top
or body b, to which is fixed the cylinder c, having in its interior the plug or

page_text: rod d, to which the chair or seat e is attached. Within the cylinder and
around the plug is a spiral spring, so that as often as the seat is pushed down
it may rebound. The handles fare for the purpose of turning the chair
round and assisting in the jerking or other movements. Although in the
Drawings I have only shewn a child's chair with one cylinder and piston, it is
evident that any suitable number of cylinders and pistons may be used; or in
their stead guides and rollers may be employed, and treddles can also be attached
when desired, to the cylinder or piston, in order to give the vertical movement;
or a handle or handles may be placed in any convenient position, having a
rotary motion which the occupant can use at pleasure. I also make a double
chair with a small table in the centre for the use and amusement of two or
more children, which also forms a cradle by removing the table, when the
to-and-fro or cradle motion will be found very useful.
My said Invention will be found applicable to many other kinds of seats
as well as children's chairs already described, and particularly t, --
Firstly, chairs and stools in ordinary use for domestic purposes.
Secondly, easy chairs where ease and comfort are required.
Thirdly, chairs or seats for railway or road carriages, cabs, ships' cabins,
gardens, or places of amusement.
Fourthly, sofas, couches, or similar articles of furniture.
Fifthly, perambulators, the wheels of which I tyre with india-rubber,
gutta percha, or similar material, to avoid the disagreeable noise now so
generally complained of.
Sixthly, rocking horses.
Seventhly, music stools and stools in general use for places of amusement.
The advantages of these seats for railway and other carriages, where the
space for each person is limited, will be very obvious, as each person will be
able to arrange or adjust himself to any position by means of the rotary
motion allowing him to sit cross-cornered and stretch out his legs, and still
sit perfectly square in his seat, without annoying his neighbour.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; neither do I claim a chair acting on suspension springs; but I claim
as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief has not
been hitherto used within the realm, the combination of cylinders, pistons,
and springs, with the necessary apparatus for working the same, to give the

page_text: various motions to chairs or seats applicable to the different purposes, as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Reilly, the younger, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named James Reilly, the
younger, in the presence of
JAMES REILLY, JNR. (L.S.).
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.