AN IMPROVED CHAIR
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Siegmar Schwarz, of South Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, and Clothar Boettcher, of Cannon Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CHAIR."
Sealed the 8th February 1878, and dated the 11th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Siegmar Schwarz and
Clothar Boettcher at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th
August 1877.
SIEGMAR SCHWARZ, of South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, and
CLOTHAR BOETTCHER, of Cannon Street, in the City of London. "AN IMPROVED
CHAIR."
The object of this Invention is the construction of an improved chair, parti-
cularly applicable for the use of invalids, but also suitable for use as an ordinary
chair; and the Invention consists in so constructing the chair that the back thereof
shall automatically adjust itself to the back of the person sitting in the chair,
whatever be his or her position.
To carry out our Invention we employ a chair of the ordinary construction, with
the exception of the back, of which we make use of the two side uprights or upper
part of the back feet only, and make them shorter than usual. To each of these
uprights we pivot a vertical rod or bar of metal, such rods or bars being connected
together at top and bottom by bands of webbing or other suitable material. To
these bands we fix a suitable number of wooden strips or laths slightly curved.
The back of the chair will thus consist of a pivotted flexible frame, the pivots
allowing the inclination of the back of the chair to vary according to the position
of the person sitting in the chair; and the flexible bands allow the curved laths to
adjust themselves to fit to the back of the person, thus rendering the chair much
more easy and comfortable than chairs of the ordinary construction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Siegmar Schwarz and Clothar Boettcher in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th February 1878.
SIEGMAR SCHWARZ, of South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, and
CLOTHAR BOETTCHER, of Cannon Street, in the City of London. 'AN IMPROVED
CHAIR."
Our said Invention has for its object the construction of an improved chair, par-
ticularly applicable for the use of invalids, but also suitable for use as an ordinary
chair; and the Invention consists of a peculiar construction and arrangement of the
back of a chair whereby it shall automatically adjust itself to the back of the
person sitting in the chair, whatever be his or her position...
construction, with i
In carrying out our said Invention we employ a chair of the ordinary or other
exception of the back, of which we make use of the two side
uprights or upper part of the back legs only. To each of these uprights we pivot
an upright rod or bar of metal, such rods or bars being connected together at or
near the top and bottom thereof by bands of webbing or of india-rubber, or other
suitable material. To these bands we fix a suitable number of wooden or other strips
or laths, which we prefer to make slightly curved. The back of the chair will thus
consist of a pivotted flexible frame, the pivots, allowing the inclination of the
back of the chair to vary according to the position of the person sitting in the
chair, and the flexible or elastic bands allow the laths to adjust themselves so as to
fit closely to and partly around the back of the person, thus rendering the chair.
much more easy and comfortable than chairs of the ordinary construction.
It will be obvious that the same general construction and arrangement of self-
adjusting flexible back may be applied to the uprights of invalid or bed chairs, also
to couches and similar articles of furniture, also to the seats of special chairs, such
as invalid, reading, and easy chairs.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a perspective view of an ordinary chair
with our improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a front or face elevation of the back of our improved chair, and'
Figure 3 is a corresponding vertical section or edge view of the same, the said
Figures being drawn to a scale of about one-fourth the full size. .
A is the seat of the chair; and B, B, are the two uprights which usually form
the upward extension of the back legs of the chair. These uprights may or may
not be united by a rigid cross bar, but we prefer to unite them by a curved rail or
bar situate behind and clear of the adjustable back, which rail will tend to strengthen
the chair, and afford an easy means of lifting the same. The said uprights are
connected together by a pivotting self-adjusting flexible back composed essentially
of the two rods or bars C, C, passed through eyes in the pins or pivots D, D, fixed
in suitable bearings in the extremities of the uprights B, B.
. .If preferred the pivots D may be solid with the rods in lieu of the latter being
passed through eyes in the pivots, as shown.
E, E, represent two or more flexible bands of webbing or other suitable material
which are secured to the upper and lower ends of the pivotted rods C, and extend
with moderate tension from one rod to the other.
If preferred the webbing may be replaced by bands of india-rubber, or other
suitable material which shall be elastic as well as flexible.
F, F, are light strips or laths of wood or other suitable material, which we prefer
to curve slightly, as shown, so as the better to conform to the back of the person
seated in the chair, the said strips being secured by nailing or otherwise to the
transverse flexible or elastic supporting bands.
.

page_text: The dotted lines in Figure 3 illustrate the manner in which the back of the.
chair, by turning more or less upon its pivots or centres, adjusts itself to any
position of the back of the sitter by the mere pressure of the same against it.
If desired the pivots D may be acted upon by a spring, so as always to bring
the chair back into its normal position when not in use. The bearings for the
pivots may be of any convenient construction, and be made so as to be readily
fitted into or removed from the uprights should occasion require.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
we would observe in conclusion that we do not claim generally a chair back made
without a rigid cross bar, neither do we claim making the back of a chair of
flexible material, as chairs have been constructed with the uprights at the back,
connected by a piece. of leather or other like material, but incapable of pivotting
or of adjusting itself forward or backward, so as to give firm support to the loins or
lower part of the back of the sitter; but what we consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the construction of chairs or other like articles provided
with self-adjusting, pivotted, and flexible or elastic backs, arranged to operate sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described, and illustrated
by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clothar Boettcher, for myself and on behalf of
the said Siegmar Schwarz, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
C. BOETTCHER. (L.S.)