IMPROVE- MENTS IN CHAIRS AND COUCHES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Collier, of 23, Elizabeth Street, Eaton-
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHAIRS AND COUCHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Collier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 30th
August 1859.
I, GEORGE COLLIER, of 23, Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHAIRS AND COUCHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in chairs and couches, and
is applicable to chairs in which the horizontal or seat frame of the chair being
supported on suitable legs, has the back frame of the chair jointed to it, and.
the seat and back of the chair is formed of a single cushion or length of
flexible fabric attached at one end to the front rail of the seat frame, and at.
the other end to the upper rail of the back frame, the cushion or fabric hanging
freely between these points.
My Invention consists in applying springs to the back frames of chairs
constructed as above described, in such manner that the springs tend con-
stantly to hold the frame in an upright position. When. a person seated in a
chair thus constructed leans against the back of the same it will recede, the

page_text: back frame turning on the joint which connects it with the seat frame through
a greater or lesser angle, according to the amount of pressure applied, and
by applying sufficient pressure, the back may be brought to any desired incli-
nation. When the pressure is diminished, the back will return by the action
of the springs pressing as it rises with a moderate force against the back of
the person occupying the chair. Catches or other instruments may be
employed to hold the back frame stationary at any desired inclination to the
seat frame. By adding to a chair constructed as herein described an addi-
tional frame to form a continuation of the seat, the chair is converted into a
couch.
The Invention also consists in applying springs, acting in the manner
described, to chairs and couches in which the back is jointed at or near its
junction with the seat, so that it can fold down flat with the seat, to reduce
the space occupied by the chair when out of use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Collier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
COLLIER, of 23, Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Collier, Her special licence that I, the said George Collier,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Collier, 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 COUCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Collier, 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

page_text: 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. George Collier, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in chairs and couches, and
is applicable to chairs in which the horizontal or seat frame of the chair being
supported on suitable legs, has the back frame of the chair jointed to it, and
the seat and back of the chair is formed of a single cushion or length of
flexible fabric, attached at one end to the front rail of the seat frame, and at
the other end to the upper rail of the back frame, the, cushion or fabric hanging
freely between these points.
My Invention consists in applying springs to the back frames of chairs
constructed as above described, in such manner that the springs tend con-
stantly to hold the frame in an upright position. When a person seated in a
chair thus constructed leans against the back of the same it will recede, the
back frame turning on the joint which connects it with the seat frame
through a greater or lesser angle according to the amount of pressure applied,
and by applying sufficient pressure, the back may be brought to any desired
inclination. When the pressure is diminished, the back will return by the
action of the springs pressing as it rises with a moderate force against the
back of the person occupying the chair. Catches or other instruments may
be employed to hold the back frame stationary at any desired inclination to
the seat frame. By adding to a chair constructed as herein described an
additional frame to form a continuation of the seat, the chair is converted into
a couch.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of a folding chair constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 2 a back view; and Figure 3 a transverse section
thereof. a, b, are the two frames which constitute the lower part of the chair,
these frames intersect each other at c, and d, d, are the side framings to
which the back frame e, e, is attached, and on which it moves. The seat and
back f.f, is attached to the upper rail of the back, and to the front rail of the
lower part of the chair. In these respects the chair does not materially differ
from chairs which have before been extensively made under a previous Patent,

page_text: and my improvements consist in applying springs and apparatus to such
descriptions of chairs, in such manner that the back may be caused to have
a tendency, when permitted so to do, to assume its most upright position, and
when pressed.against by the back of the person sitting in the chair to assume
a more and more inclined position, the springs offering suitable resistance to
the going back of the back of the chair, and by suitable catches the back may.
be retained in any desired position; g, g, are a series of springs affixed to and
coiled round the. back rail h of the chair, and the ends of each spring are
attached to the back as shewn; i, i, are folding arms, one end of each of
which is pin-jointed to the back, and the other end is pin-jointed to the side
rail, the arms folding at the pin joint j. Each arm is capable of being
extended and contracted, and of being retained in any required position by a
catch and rack as shewn, or otherwise. In these respects the arms are simi-
larly constructed and combined to those used in other forms or constructions
of chairs where the backs are arranged to incline more and more back, and
therefore such arrangement or. combination of the parts of the arms of chairs
is not separately claimed by me, and the arrangement of the parts for retaining
the arms of chairs, (constructed according to my Invention, in the desired posi-
tions may be varied.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately, but what I claim is the combination herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Collier, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord' One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE COLLIER. (L.B.).