Improvements in or connected with Seats for Use in Shops and other Places.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Seats for Use in Shops and
other Places.
We, HORATIO CHARLES RUSSELL, Ladies' Outfitter, and CHARLES TELLS LATHAM,
Drapers' Manager, both of 1, 2 and 3, Sidney Place, and 2, 4 and 8, Wardour
Street, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is to provide seats specially adapted for use in
business houses and other places, which are particularly applicable for the use
of assistants in drapers' and other shops.
With this object in view we provide seats as hereafter described, which when
not in actual use, are automatically caused to recede into recesses from which
they are drawn when required; by this arrangement it is impossible for the
seats, when out of use, becoming obstructions to people passing, and moreover
by the construction and arrangement of our improved seats the space occupied
by the seat and fittings is such. that it does not cause obstruction, or prevent
the compartments below the counters, fixtures, or the like, being utilized for
the storage of goods as heretofore.
According to our invention we form a shallow recess extending horizontally
below a counter, or below the glass case usually fitted upon the top of a counter
frame, or in a series of shelves, commonly termed fixtures, and in such recess we
provide a seat, arranged to be drawn or turned horizontally out from such recess
into a position convenient for use, and we provide means whereby the said seat
is returned automatically into the recess when released.
In order that our invention may be readily understood, we will now describe
same with reference to the examples of construction, shewn in the accompanying
drawings, whereon similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the
figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of a counter having a glass case upon
same, and shewing a shop seat fitted according to our invention, Fig. 2 is an
elevation of the upper part of the back of the counter shewn at Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a plan view with the glass case removed..
Fig. 4 is a perspective view shewing a modified arrangement of means for
automatically returning the seat to the recess when out of use.
Fig. 5 is a per-
spective view of the seat detached.
Fig. 6 shews in plan view a modified construction of seat, and Fig. 7 shews
the seat fitted within fixtures or in a recess within a building.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A is the base of a counter, the top of which is
composed of a glass case B, or as will be well understood, the counter
top might be composed of a mahogany or other slab. Beneath such counter
top B we provide a horizontal fixed division C, of wood or other material, so
arranged that a shallow recess C is formed as shewn between the under surface
of the counter top and the division C.
Within the recess C¹ we provide a flat plate D of wood or other material

page_text: hereinafter termed the seat, the same being held to the division C by a metal
bracket E which passes over the seat D and is secured at each side to the division C
The bracket E forms not only an abutment to support the seat when drawn out
but also a guide which permits the latter to be slidden out from the recess C₁
into the position shewn by the dotted lines at Fig. 1, and in order to limit the
outward and inward motion of the seat D suitable stops are provided.
Such stops, to limit the outward motion of the seat, may be conveniently formed
as shewn at Figs. and 5, by a strip D¹, which may be of metal fixed at the
inner end of the seat, extending beyond the sides of same, and adapted to sup-
port laterally projecting and preferably resilient pads D³. The pads D2 may be
retained in position by entering recesses D³, Fig. 5, (where one of the pads is
removed), a pin 1 being provided, to prevent lateral displacement of the pad
after insertion. The inward movement of the seat is limited by resilient stops De
fixed to the partition C.
Attached to the inner end of the seat D there is a cord F passing over a
pulley Fat the back of the recess, through the partition C, and carrying at its
end a weight F which is free to rise and fall. The weight is located in a
casing A', of sufficient width to contain and guide the weight, and prevent the
latter being jammed by goods placed under the counter.
G is a finger piece, fixed to the outer end of the seat D, or a sunk socket handle
may be used for drawing the said scat out. The attachment of the cord to the
seat D may be effected by placing the end into.a groove D³ as shewn at Fig. 5,
and securing same therein by a staple.
The front part of the recess C₁ is closed by say closure pieces-C in order that
no opening shall exist between the seats.
In cases where the use of a weight is impracticable or inconvenient, we adopt
spring mechanism for returning the seat, when not in use, to its normal position,
and examples of such arrangements of mechanism are shewn at Fig. 4 and 6.
Referring to Fig. 4 the cord F attached to the seat D, is passed round a guide
pulley Fat the rear of the recess, and extending at right angles to the direction
of travel of the seat, is connected to an india rubber or other spring H which
latter is securely fastened at one end to a fixed part of the counter or structure.
At Fig. 6 an example is shewn wherein the seat instead of being arranged to
be drawn out in a rectilinear direction, is pivotted and arranged to be turned
outwardly. The seat D is pivotted upon the stud J fixed within the recess C¹,
the bracket E being so arranged, that upon the seat D being turned outwardly
for use, the inner end of the seat passes underneath the bracket E, and is thereby
provided with an upward abutment to support the weight of the user.
The mechanism for automatically returning and retaining the seat in its closed
position, consists, in this example, of the cord F fixed to the end of the seat D
at 17, which seat end may be curved and is grooved to receive and guide the
cord.
The cord F passes over a fixed pulley F¹ to a second pulley F, and from thence
to a metallic or other spring H, by which a continual tension is maintained upon
the cord F, and consequently the seat D, when free, automatically returns to its
normal position.
It will be readily understood that seats arranged according to this invention
may be fitted to other structures besides counters, for example, as shewn at
Fig. 7, a seat made according to this invention is fitted within a series of shelves
or fixtures, and of course the seats may be fixed at any height from the floor to
suit circumstances, and when applied to counters the seats need not necessarily
be fixed directly below the top.
When it is desired to use the seat, it is drawn or turned out and held until
the person intending to use same is seated; upon the person rising, the seat
will automatically return to its normal and closed position, and therefore it is
impossible, either through foregetfullness or from other causes, to leave the
seats projecting and thereby causing inconvenience and obstruction.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Constructing and arranging seats horizontally, in horizontal recesses, within
counters, or structures, such seats being so arranged as to be capable of being
slidden or turned out in a horizontal plane, from the recesses formed in such
structures when required for use, guides within the structures for guiding and
supporting the seats, and mechanism within the counters or structures, actuated
by springs or weights, for automatically returning and normally retaining the
seats in their closed positions within the recesses, when not in use, substantially
as set forth.
2. The construction and arrangement of seats horizontally, in horizontal recesses,
within counters or structures, and the mechanism within the counters or structures,
for automatically returning and normally retaining the seats in their closed posi-
tions, within the recesses, when not in use, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction and arrangement of seats horizontally in horizontal recesses,
within counters or structures, and the mechanism within the counters or structures,
for automatically returning and normally retaining the seats in their closed posi-
tions, within the recesses when not in use, substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The construction and arrangement of seats horizontally in horizontal recesses,
within counters or structures, and the mechanism within the counters or structures
for automatically returning and normally retaining the seats within the recesses,
when not in use, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 6 of the accom-
panying drawings.
5. The particular construction and combination of parts composing our
improved seats for use in shops and other places, arranged and acting sub-
stantially as, and for the purposes described, with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Doted thin 5th
J
1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.