IMPROVEMENTS IN A SELF-ACTING RECLINING CHAIR OR COUCH."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hazard, of Thanet Place, Temple Bar, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN A SELF-ACTING RECLINING CHAIR OR COUCH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hazard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1857.
I, ROBERT HAZARD, of Thanet Place, Temple Bar, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN A SELF-ACTING RECLINING CHAIR OR COUCH," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists chiefly in the manner of suspending the seat of the
chair, or the seat and back of the same, from the elbows, or some suitable
fixed support, so as to give any angle of inclination desired by the sitter.
The mode I propose to accomplish this object is by forming the elbows and
supporting legs or framework separate and distinct from the seat and back;
the seat and back forming a portion of the chair is then binged or coupled
together, and suspended from the elbows or fixed supports, thus allowing the
seat and back of the chair to oscilate or assume any angle of inclination which
may be desired by the sitter, having suitable springs and stops to fix the back
and seat to any particular angle; the framework being so made as to render it
easy of folding up for the convenience of carriage or stowing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Hazard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
HAZARD, of Thanet Place, Temple Bar, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Hazard, Fler special licence that I, the said Robert Hazard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Hazard, 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 A
SELF-ACTING RECLINING CHAIR OR COUся," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Bazard, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 immo-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said Robert Hazard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is
to say :)—
26
My Invention of improvements in a Self-acting Reclining Chair or
Couch consists in the manner of suspending the scat of the chair or couch,
or the seat and back of the same, from some suitable fixed support, so as to
give any desired angle of inclination. I propose to accomplish this object by
framing the arms and legs (or supports) together, fixing proper centres or
attachments to the same, on which to hang the seat and back of the chair or
couch, by joints, connecting links, or other suspenders; by this arrangement
the seat and back of the chair or couch will oscilate or swing to and fro, and
assume any angle of inclination desired by the sitter, and by having suitable

page_text: Figure 1 represents a self-acting reclining chair formed of wood or other
suitable material, the arms and legs framed together as a support or base;
the back and seat are hinged or coupled together, as shewn at b; the front part
of the seat is supported from the arms by links or connections c, c, the back
of the chair being supported or hung to the back part of arms; the seat and
back will work or swing on the centres a, a, a, a, d, d, and b, b. The effect of
this arrangement will be, that on sitting in the chair and leaning the body
backward, the weight upon the back will cause the seat to be brought forward,
making the angle of the seat and back more or less obtuse, according to the
wish of the sitter; upon relieving the weight of the body from the back, an
upright position is immediately regained. The continuation of this action will
produce an oscillating or swinging motion, or by remaining in any position any
required angle of inclination may be retained, and by the use of the stops
affixed to the chair the inclination may be made fixed and permanent.
Figure 2 represents the improved self-acting chair in a more portable form,
being made of iron or other metal, or any other suitable material; the
arrangement for centering and fixing being the same as in Figure 1, and
the same letters refer to the same parts and portions, save and except that
the arms are bolted or rivetted to the suspending rods or links c, c, also to the
back at a, a, and only becomes a fixture to the cross supports when placed in
the proper bearings provided on the same at h, h, and secured with screws,
ketches, or other suitable fastening.
Figure 3 represents the same chair as Figure 2, but at a more oblique
angle, and with foot rest attached, which is fixed by proper pins provided
upon the front links or suspenders, the said foot rest having a motion with the
seat and back of the chair.
Figure 4 represents the same chair folded, with the cross supports detached
for convenience of packing, &c., although the same chair can be folded
without detaching the cross supports and arms from the chair.
- Figure 5 represents a section of a self-acting reclining chair, where the front
links or suspenders are fixed under the seat, as marked at a, d, and c, while
the back of the chair is supported on centres above the seat as at a; the stop

page_text: enables the sitter to fix the chair in any desired angle; the dotted lines
shew the action of the chair.
Figure 6 represents a different form of chair, in which the back, seat, and
elbows are framed together and supported on centres on the framed legs or
supports at W, W, a swinging easy motion may be obtained.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of its construc-
tion, I would have it understood that I claim the arrangement of self-acting
reclining chairs, as described with reference to Figures No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6,
of the annexed Drawing; and I also claim the mode of suspending the seat
with the back of the chair from centres, either above or below the level of the
seat, and at such distances as will give the required angles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hazard, have hereunto set niy
haud and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
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