IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAIRS, SOFAS, BEDSTEADS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OP FURNITURE TO SIT OR RECLINE UPON
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hallen, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth; in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAIRS, SOFAS, BEDSTEADS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
OP FURNITURE TO SIT OR RECLINE UPON,"
Sealed the 14th April 1857, and dated the 15th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hallen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
October 1856.
I, EDWARD HALLEN, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAIRS, SOFAS, BEDSTEADS, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES OF FURNITURE TO SIT OR RECLINE UPON," to be as follows:-
First, in making chairs & stools to fold up into a small compass, whereby
great economy in room is effected.
Secondly, in making bedsteads to fold up, so as to make a chair or sofa,
with a back, with or without elbows.
Thirdly, in making the backs of chairs to incline at different angles with
the seat, and in constructing the elbows of chairs in such a manner that they
shall assist in keeping the backs of the chairs at different inclinations.

page_text: Fourthly, in making bedsteads to pack up in a small compass for con-
nience in travelling or other purposes.
Fifthly, in applying willow work or cordage of suitable material or various
colours to iron or other metal frames used for furniture for ornamental or
useful purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Hallen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
April 1857.
.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HALLEN, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her leirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Hallen, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Hallen,
my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Hallen, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAIRS, SOFAS, BEDSTEADS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
OF FURNITURE TO SIT OR RECLINE ON," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edward Hallen, 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 Edward Hallen, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
+
The first part of my Invention of making iron chairs and stools to fold up
into a small compass, whereby great economy of room is effected, consists of
two sides and an end of a rectangular frame joined to another of similar form

page_text: by suitable axes, so that when opened they cross each other and support the
seat and back of a chair, or the seat only when made for a stool. . My improved
seat and back of a chair are hinged to the upper part of the sides of one of
these frames, and the seat has fixed under its front a hook at one corner and
a staple at the other corner, which hook fits over one returned end of the front
support, and the staple fits over the other returned end of the same support,
which book and staple form stops to keep the supports from spreading out.
The back of the chair is supported by returned ends at the upper end of the
back support, which, being above the axes on which the chair back hinges, is
in the most favorable position for its support. When a stool is made, the
last-mentioned returned ends are not requisite. These seats & backs are
filled in with cane work (for the application of which material to iron frames
a Patent was granted to me in 1854, No. 1708), or with willow work or
cordage.of suitable materials or various colours.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows a plan of such a.chair folded up according to this
part of my Invention. a, a, show the returned ends of one of the supports g
against which the back c rests; b, b, the returned ends of the other support f
on which the front of the seat d rests.
Figure 2 is a side view of the folded chair. e in Figure 3 shows the
staple; and b, a returned end of the front support f, fixed in. the staple e,
which keeps the seat d fixed, and prevents the supports f & g spreading
out is one support, to the upper end of which the back cand seat d
are hinged at the axes i, i, the supports f & g are connected together at the.
axes h, h.
The second part of my Invention, in making bedsteads to fold up so as to
make a chair or sofa with a back, or with or without elbows, consists of a
rectangular frames, Figures 4, 5, 6, & 7, Sheet 1, of flat iron, to form the
seat, which is hinged to another rectangular frame m, of flat iron, with three
sides only, which forms the middle part of the bedstead, the open ends of
which are hinged to the open ends of another frame f of flat iron, having also
only three sides, which forms the foot part of the bedstead. In the two
back corners of the seat frames flat holes are, through which two flat pieces
of iron g, g, for back legs are put, having shoulders which support the back
part of the seat. In the front of the seat frame at each corner two flat iron
legs h, h, are screwed, which support the front of the seat frame s. The bottom
part of the front legs h, h, and back legs g, g, have holes in them to receive
the nipples of connecting rods, which nipples pass through eyes in the ends of
two side rods b, b, and the nipples of the before-mentioned connecting rods
being screwed; knobs or nuts are screwed to them, which secure the bottom

page_text: of the legs y, Y, & N, N.
The back legs y, y, above the seat have moles in them
to receive connecting rods, similar to those below the seat, and when arms are
required they also have holes in their ends through which the connecting rods
go, and then have nuts or knobs screwed to the nipples, which keep the back
of the arms firm. The ends of the fronts of the arms pass through the seat,
and are fastened by a turnbuckle or other suitable fastening to the seat frames;
to these arms pads are fixed, as usual. The middle frame m next the foot
part of the bedstead f is supported on a flat iron frame d of three sides, which
is fixed to the joints or hinges with the same pin which forms the hinges
connecting the frames m & f, so that when the middle and foot frames are
folded up this support d folds in between them. The foot frame f is also
supported by a three-sided flat support e, working on two pins rivetted to the
foot frame, and this support e folds up within the thickness of the iron of the
foot frame f. These supports d and e are kept upright by means of two rods
c, c, (jointed in the middle to fold up). The ends of these rods have screwed
nipples, which pass through a connecting rod fastened to the front legs h, h, and
through the lower part of the support e of the foot frame f. There is a hole
in one of these rods where it crosses the support d of the middle frame m to
drop over a pin which is on the bottom bar of the support d, which keeps
the whole firm when the two ends of the rods c, c, are fastened to the con-
necting rod between the legs h, h, and to the hottom of the support e. The
frames of the seat, middle, and foot frames are filled in with hoops or other
suitable materials, the long hoops jointed to fold with the frames m & f.
Fig. 4, Sheet 1, shows the side view of the bedstead when folded up; the
seat frames is below, the middle frame m folds over it, and one of the arms a
is placed between them. The foot frame f is folded over the middle frame m,
between which the other arm a is put, and there is ample room for the loose
rods and legs to go between the foldings of each frame, so that when tied
together it forms a close package.
Fig. 5 shows a plan of the bedstead when folded up, the foot frame f being
at the upper side, and the arms a, a, placed between the frames s, m and f.
Fig. 6 shows the plan of the bedstead when opened. s, the seat frame;
m, the middle frame; f, the foot frame; d, the support of the middle frame m;
e, the support of the foot frame f; 9, g, the. back legs.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the bedstead. a, one of the arms; b, one of the
side rods under the seat frame; c, c, the jointed rods to keep the supports d and
e upright; f, the foot frame; g, the back leg; h, the front leg; m, the middle
frame. In this elevation the frames s, m, and fare shown as thrown open to
form a bedstead, and also they are shown to form a chair, where the middle

page_text: frame m folds on to the seat frame s, and the foot frame f is thrown back and
rests against the top connecting rod of the back legs g, 9, and thus forms the
back of the chair. By leaving out the arms the chair has a back without
arms. A sofa is formed in a similar manner, and may be used as a sofa or
double bedstead.
The third part of my Invention consists in making the backs of chairs
to recline at different angles with the seat, and in constructing the elbows of.
chairs in such a manner that they shall assist in keeping the backs of chairs at
different inclinations. For this purpose I have shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying Drawings in Sheet 1 various ways. I
adopt, and use the same letters to denote similar parts.
Fig. 8 shows a plan of the elbow, which is screwed to a piece of wood or
other suitable material on which the pad is fixed. Inside this a spiral spring c.
is shown, which is acted upon by a rack d running inside the spring, which
has a nut or other fastening at its end pressing against the spring, when a
pressure is applied to the back e of the chair, which is fixed to the seat i, with
hinges or other suitable fastenings. This rack has notches in it, into which a
check fis forced, by a spring g acting on it, when the pressure of the finger is
taken off the lower side of this check f, which fixes the rack. The back end
of the rack is fixed to a bar or link h, which connects it to the back of the
chair, and this link by turning on the axes, which connect it with the rack and
back of the chair, causes the rack to move backwards and forwards in a hori-
zontal manner. This is applicable to elbows fixed to the seat firmly or hung
on hinges, as the axis connecting the link with the rack is made to be attached
or detached by screws or turnbuckles.
Fig. 9 shows an elevation of the elbow b, which is formed of two supports
at front and back, screwed to the seat i, and to a piece of wood or other suit-
able material, to which the pad and rack d are fitted, which combination forms
the elbow b. In this Figure the side view of the check f is seen fixed into
the last notch of the rack, which places the back e in its most upright position,
and when it is required that the back e should lean more, a person sitting on
the seat i, by pressing on the lower end of the check f with the finger, raises
it out of the rack, after which, by leaning against the back e, a greater incli-
nation of the back with the seat is made, and by taking the pressure of the
finger from the check, the spring g, which runs through and presses it down-
wards into a notch of the rack d, will keep the chair back at that inclination.
When again the back e is required more upright, by pressing the check
upwards and leaning the body of the sitter forwards, the spiral spring will by
its elastic force bring the back e of the chair into a more upright position; or

page_text: by dispensing with the notches in the rack and the check f, the back of the
sitter by leaning against the back e of the chair, causes the inclination to
be varied at will. The dotted lines show the inclination of the back and
position of the link h when more inclined.
Figure 10 shows a section through the upper part of the elbow where the
check f works.
Figure 11 shows an elevation of another plan of working the rack d inside
the pad of the elbow, to cause different inclinations of the back of a chair. In
this view the link his fixed to the woodwork of the pad with a pin, which
forms an axis for it to work on; the spiral spring c is let into this woodwork,
and the rack d forms part of the bent part of the elbow, and continues to the
end of the spiral spring, through which it runs, and its end is terminated by a
nut or other suitable fastening, fixed to the spiral spring at the end near the
link . At the other end of the spiral spring a collar or washer is let into the
woodwork and abuts against that end of the spiral spring, so that when the
check f is raised out of the notches and the back of the chair is pressed back,
this washer presses against the spring and slides with the whole of the pad
along the bar d towards towards the rear, at the same time the check f, which
is also fixed into the woodwork of the pad, moves with it towards the notches
behind, into which it is allowed to drop to keep the back more inclined.
The chair back resumes its former position by the same operation as described
before; the dotted lines show the relative positions of the back e, the back
part of the pad a, and link when more inclined than at first. The bent
end of the elbow b is fixed firmly to the seat i.
Figure 12 shows another plan which I adopt for inclining the backs of
chairs, wherein the back has a long 'slot m in it, and a connecting piece l
fastened to the woodwork of the pad of the elbow. This connecting piece has
one or more friction wheels fixed to the end of 7, which work outside the slot,
so that when the back is inclined, the piece works up it, and thus keeps the
pad in a horizontal position. This pad has a spiral spring in it, similar to the
one described in Fig. 11, and operated on in the same manner.
Figure 13 is a plan of the pad, shown in Figure 12, showing how the piece
is connected to the woodwork of the pad and to the friction wheels, and how it
passes through the slot in the back of the chair.
Figure 14 is another plan I adopt for inclining the backs of chairs to various
angles with the seats, and shows how the lower part of the back of the chair
is attached to the seat i by metallic springs, fixed firmly to it by screws, thumb
screws, or pins let. into slots in the seat and back, so that the back and seat
may be easily detatched from the springs when required for portable purposes.

page_text: These springs serve instead of hinges to connect the seat and back, and the
back is attached to the elbows, as before described, but no springs in the pads
of the elbows are used, the racks and checks being only adopted when the
backs are required to be kept at different angles; or I fix springs, as shown
in Figure 15, to the seat, and their upper ends press upon the back of the
chair opposite, or above or below the elbows, in which case the back of the
chair is connected with the seat by hinges, and kept at different angles by a
rack and check, as before described.
In Figure 16 is shown a plan I adopt for fixing the upper part of the
elbows to the back of a chair when the material of the back is of wood. In
this case the same kind of connecting piece and friction rollers n, n, I use, as
I have described in Figures 12 and 13; but instead of the rollers n, n, being
behind the back of the chair, I screw a plate o over a mortice made in the
woodwork of the back, in which plate a slot is made sufficiently. long and wide
to allow the connecting piece 7 to move freely therein when the back e is more
inclined, and at the back of this plate o the friction wheels n, n, run and are
concealed. In the elbows a spiral spring acts, similarly to those before
described in Figures 12 and 13.
The plans for inclining the backs of chairs to an angle with the seats, and
the manner of making the elbows so that they shall assist in keeping the
backs of chairs at different angles, described in the before-mentioned Figures 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15, I also adopt when making chairs of wood.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in making bedsteads to pack up in
a small compass for convenience in travelling or other purposes, which part of
my Invention is shown in Drawings in Sheet 2 and part of Sheet 1, where in
Sheet 2 all the Drawings are drawn to a scale of one inch to the foot, with
the exception of the detals, which are drawn full size.
In Sheet 2, No. I shows a plan, and No. 2 a side elevation, of a folding
bedstend, which consists of two frames of flat iron (covered with hoops) joined
together by hinges. These frames are supported on six legs when used as a
bedstead. The foot legs a, a, pass through holes in the corners of the foot
frame, and are fastened thereto by wedges, shown at Nos. 3 & 4 of the detailed
parts. The head legs b, b, are fastened in a similar manner to the corners of
the head frame, as shown at No. 5 of the details. The middle legs c, c, which
support the other two corners of the head frame are screwed into these corners,
and each through a projecting piece d, which is shown at full size at d in detail,
No. 6, which projecting piece is fastened to each corner of the head frame
next the foot frame, and helps the hinge next it to support part of the weight
of the foot frame e when unfolded, as shown by the dotted line, which rests:

page_text: upon it. These head and foot legs I also screw into holes in the corners of
the head and foot frames, in a similar manner as the middle legs. The head
boards are made of sheet iron or zinc, and fastened to the head posts by means
of pieces of half round or flat iron, rivetted together with the sheet iron or zinc-
between them; or one piece of half round or flat iron is rivetted to the sheet
iron, which half round or flat iron is formed into eyes at each end of the top-
and bottom of the head board, and thus slide down the head posts, as shown at:
f in detail, No. 5, and help to keep them firm and upright.. When the legs-
and bead board or head boards are detached from the frames, the frames are
folded together, and the space between contains these legs and the head board
or head boards, so that by tying the frames together the whole are in a small
space, as shown in details, No. 6. The advantage arising from this mode of
constructing a bedstead consists in the facility afforded of packing the legs and
head board or head boards between the fames when they are folded and tied
together to make a small package.
No. 7. shows a plan, and No. 8 an elevation, of flat frames (similar to
Nos. 1 and 2), but made to slide the one over the other, and at No. 9 the
details of the lugs g, g, show how, by being welded or rivetted to the foot
frame, they sustain part of the weight of the foot frame by resting on the
head frame, and how they catch against a projecting piece h, which is fastened
near the corners of the head frame, and thus are kept in their proper places
when the foot frame is drawn or slided from the head frame, which pieces h, h,
serve also the purpose of guides to the foot frame when it is pushed forward
or drawn backward by being inside of its inner edges, as shown by the dotted
lines, which show their position after the foot frame has slided over them
towards the head of the bedstead. At i, i, No. 7, the positions of two other
guides are shown, which are also scen at i, i, in the details, Nos. 10 and 11,.
and which are either rivetted or welded to the sides of the head frame near
the head, so that when the foot frame is slided along it rises up the inclined
plane of these guides until it has passed over them, when it drops down on
to the head frame, and in this position is prevented by these guides i, i, from
moving either sideways or back again unless when required.. The legs are
fixed to and detached from these frames in the same way as described for
No. 1 frames, and when required to be packed up the foot frame is reversed,
that is, the bottom side of it. is brought over, so as to place the bottom side
of the head frame to, the bottom side of the foot frame, by which means the.
hoops of the head frame and those of the foot frame are placed as far apart
as the frames and rivets will permit. They are then tied together, the head
board or head boards and legs having been previously placed between them,

page_text: as shown at details, No. 11, which show the head board and some of the legs
between the hoops, thus forming a compact package.
Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 15 show plans and front and side elevations of a
similar kind of flat framed iron bedstead for a canvass or hoop bottom, the
canvass shown laced different ways, whereto the same kind of legs, projecting
pieces d, d, and head board are applied, as before described for No. 1 frames,
and when detached in the same manner the head board and legs are packed
between the canvass or hooping, as in No. 1 frames.
Fig. 17, Sheet 1, shows a plan I adopt for an invalid bedstead; Figure 18,
the side elevation; Fig. 19, an elevation of the foot part; Fig. 20, a plan
of the foot part; and Fig. 21, a longitudinal section of the same bedstead,
wherein Fig. 17, the head and foot posts of the bedstead, are shown passing
through holes at each corner of the bedstead, and are of similar form to the
head posts described for No. 1 bedstead, Sheet 2, and are fixed in a similar
manner by passing through holes in each corner of a flat iron frame, and
afterwards secured by wedges driven through the posts to keep them tight.
This frame is supported also in the middle by having middle legs screwed to
it, and is provided with a stretcher, as usual.
On
The
In Figure 20 the foot end a of this frame is shown, under which a bar of
iron c, Fig. 19, is bolted to the posts at d, d, and on these foot posts pro-
jections are, on which the ends of the bar c, c, rest, to take the weights off the
screw bolts at d, d; the bar c is also screwed to the bar a to stiffen it.
the bar c pieces are shut at e, e, to carry the wheels f & g, Fig. 19.
other end of the bedstead at the head has a similar bar c and wheels f
and g.
The frame a, b, b, a, being the lower frame, has hoops rivetted to it, similar to
the hooping of other bedsteads, to carry the mattress, &c. On the top of the
mattress, which lies on the bottom of this frame, another frame h lies, shown
in the plan, Fig. 17, which has a frame composed of three pieces i, i, i, joined
to it near the centre by hinges j, j, and round this frame i, i, and part of the
frame h, from the hinges j, j, to the foot posts, canvass or other suitable
material is fixed, in which a hole k is left for the use of the patient. Above
the bar c, Fig. 19, is a foot board, composed of wood, having lugs 1, 1, 1,
screwed into it, which have pins on their lower parts to, fix into holes in the
end a of the bottom frame. The top of this board has two plates of iron
fixed to it, bent round the posts which support the bedstead, and serve to
carry the pulleys m, m, m, m, on pins rivetted through these plates. The
head posts of the bedstead have a similar head board and pulleys. When
the patient requires to use the pan, the wheel g is turned round by a handle,.
and the wheel g being keyed on a spindle running under the bedstead, the

page_text: other end of which has a similar wheel 9 keyed to it; these two wheels turn
the wheels f, f, at each end of the bedstead at the same time, and as the
wheels ff, have drums fixed to them, the wire ropes n, n, to which the
smaller ropes o, o, are fastened, wind round these drums and raise the lower
ends of the small ropes o, o, which are fastened to lugs p, p, shown in
Figures 17, 18, & 19, fixed to the frame h, h, which is thus raised, and when
sufficiently high the wheels are prevented turning by means of a pin pushed
through the bar c to go between the teeth of the wheel f. The attendant
can now leave the handle and place the pan under the hole in the canvass of
the frame h, and then raise the patient by means of a handle attached to the
frame, which has a strut q, Fig. 18, hinged to it, the feet of which fit into
the notches of of a rack r, and thus support the patient in a sitting position.
Reversing this operation lowers the frames i & h (when the pan is removed)
to their original position. The legs and bars c, c, when unscrewed, with the
wheels and head and foot boards, will easily pack between the top and bottom
frames h, h, & a, b, b, a, which, when tied together, will pack in a small
compass. This plan of raising the patient I apply to angle or other iron
frames, or to wooden bedsteads.
The fifth part of my Invention consists in applying willow work or cording
of suitable materials or various colours to iron frames of chairs or other
furniture to sit or recline on. For this purpose, in applying willow work,
I have holes made in the iron frames, through which a seating of cane or
other suitable material is laced, which serves as a seating for the willow work
to rest on. The willow work is then platted over the sides of the frame, in
a similar manner as that adopted in applying willow work of various colours
and designs to wooden chairs; or I use the willow work alone platted over
the sides of the frame, and as now used in wooden chairs, but without the
caning underneath. In applying cording to iron frames of chairs or other
furniture to sit or recline on, I have holes made in the sides of the iron
frames, and the cording is platted through them, in a similar manner to cane
work, and of various colours; or I bind the cording round the iron frames in
the same way willow work is now bound round the frames, and platted at its
intersections in wooden chairs, but either with or without the cane work.
underneath."
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim the parts
separately, nor do I confine myself to the exact details, provided the peculiar
character of my Invention be retained; but what I do claim is, the mode
herein, described of making chairs and stools to fuld up into a small compass.

page_text: Of making bedsteads to fold up, so as to make a chair or sofa with a back,
with or without elbows. Of making the backs of chairs to recline at different
angles with the seat and the elbows of chairs, so that they shall assist in
keeping the backs of chairs at different angles. Of making bedsteads to pack
up in a small compass. Of making an invalid bedstead. And in applying
willow work and cording of various designs and colours to iron frames of
chairs or other furniture to sit or recline on.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hallen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
EDWARD HALLEN. (L.S.)