Combination Swing Platform for Bedding, Couch, or Chair, with Punkahs and Frame for Supporting Reading Lamp and Mosquito Curtains.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Combination Swing Platform for Bedding, Couch, or Chair, with
Punkahs and Frame for Supporting Reading Lamp and Mosquito
Curtains.
I, SAMUEL ROBERT BALLDON, of 1 Whitefriars Street, City of London, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a combination which can be used as an ordinary
verandah chair, suspended or stationary, (with a cover to give protection from sun or
dew), a bedstead with lamp-rests, framework for complete mosquito-room, and
side table.
The principal advantages of this invention are, that whether used as a verandah
chair, garden seat, or bedstead, there are always ready for working two Punkahs, a
hanging one as generally used in India, and a rotary one of three fans, these can be
worked by one man singly or together, creating in combination, a much greater
atmospheric disturbance than can be obtained from an ordinary hanging Punkah.
By the use of the rotary Punkah alone, this atmospheric disturbance can be conveyed
directly on to the face and head of the occupant of the chair or bedstead by the use of
the Punkahs in combination, the individual can be thoroughly fanned from head
to foot.
The hanging Punkah can be connected with others in the house and pulled in the
ordinary way by the Punkah-wallah. This Punkah can also be worked independently
of a Punkah-coolic, so long as the occupant of the chair will maintain the momentum
of the swaying motion, which can be done without any undue exertion.
The sense of restfulness obtainable from an ordinary chair bears no comparison to
that afforded by one which is suspended. Arm, long cane, or any kind of chair can
be used in this combination, and a gentle swaying movement maintained by pulling a
cord, which can be done without discomfort.
As a rule, Punkahs are not fixed in the verandahs of Indian houses, in consequence
of the chairs having to be frequently moved to avoid the sunshine. The substitution
of hand-worked Punkahs is both objectionable and inefficient even where Punkahs are
fixed, the radius of their action is necessarily limited; and if several persons are
sitting in the verandah only a few of them can obtain benefit from the Punkah.
Similar objections present themselves in the arrangement of bedrooms, Punkahs are
not always fixed in spare sleeping rooms, and when they are if guests are numerous (as in
verandahs) only two or three of them placed close together can get the benefit of the
Punkah. In this invention, as the Punkahs are attached, the combination as a bedstead
(suspended or stationary) can be placed in any position, and one or both Punkaha
worked from the bedside or from another room.
It is a common thing for Europeans in India to get under their bedroom mosquito
nets directly after dinner, when they would gladly sit in the verandah or
on the
"Chabootra" in the "Compound," if accommodation for reading and an effective
substitute for the inefficient hand-Punkah were obtainable. This Invention secures this
end. By fixing a hurricane or other Pankah-lamp (for which socket-rests are
provided) a person may sit reading in the verandah or on the "Chabootra," taking
the precaution (in the latter case) of covering the chair with a top-curtain to ward off
the dew; and if mosquitos or sand flies are troublesome by putting a net over the
chair. Instead of retiring at once from the dining rooin to the bedroom, the comfort
by the cooler outside atmosphere and the double Punkah power is thus obtained.
Rollers are provided to make easy the moving of the chair from the house to the
garden &c. The combination is very portable and will be found most useful to persons
travelling through the country or Camping out, conditions in which the comfort of a
Punkah has generally to be done without.

page_text: All that the purchaser has to provide, is the drapery for the frame of the hanging
Punkah, a wooden flooring to slip into the flooring frames 6' x 3' and the same for
the table 2'6"× 1' 9", the wood of ordinary packing cases
purpose.
Did thin 14th day of November 1888
will answer this
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Samuel Robert Baildon.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combination Swing Platform for Bedding, Couch, or Chair, with
Punkahs and Frame for Supporting Reading Lamp and Mosquito
Curtains.
I, SAMUEL ROBERT BAILDON, of 1 Whitefriars Street, City of London, Gentleman,
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.
This invention relates; First, to a combination frame containing a Verandah chair,
Garden chair, Bedstead, or other article, suspended or stationary within curtains as a
protection for the occupants from mosquitos, sand flies and the like, also with shades or
guards against the sun's rays.
The principal advantages of this invention are that whether used as a Verandah
chair, Garden seat, or Bedstead, there are always ready for working two Punkahs, a
hanging one A as generally used in India, and a rotary one of three fans B. These
can be worked by one man singly or together, creating in combination a
much greater atmospheric disturbanco than can be obtained from an ordinary hanging
Punkah.
By the use of the rotary Punkah alone, this atmospheric disturbanco can be conveyed
directly on to the face and head of the occupant of the chair or bedstead, by the use
of the Punkahs in combination the individual can be thoroughly fanned from head
to foot.
The hanging Punkab A can be connected with others in the house, and pulled
This Punkah can also be worked
in the ordinary way by the Punkah wallah.
independently of a Punkah-coolie, so long as the occupant of the chair will
maintain the momentum of the swaying motion, which can be done without any undue
exertion, see Figure 1.
The sense of restfulness obtainable from an ordinary stationary chair bears no
comparison to that afforded by one which is suspended. Arın, long cane, or any kind
of chair can be used in this combination, and a gentle swaying movement maintained
by pulling a cord, which can be done without discomfort.
Even
As a rule, Punkahs are not fixed in the verandahs of Indian houses in con-
sequence of the chairs having to be frequently moved to avoid the sunshine. The
substitution of hand-worked Punkabs is both objectionable and inefficient.
where Punkahs are fixed, the radius of their action is necessarilly limited, and if
several persons are sitting in the verandah, only a few of them can obtain benefit
from the Punkah.
Similar objections present themselves in the arrangement of the bedrooms. Punkahs
are not always fixed in spare sleeping rooms, and when they are, if guests are numerous
(as in verandahs) only two or three of them, placed close together, can get the benefit
of the Punkah. In this invention, as the Punkals are attached, the combination as a
bedstead (suspended or stationary) can be placed in any position, and one or both
Punkahs worked from the bedside, or from another room.
It is a common thing for Europeans in India to get under their bedroom musquito
nets directly after dinner when they would gladly sit in the verandah, or on the
" Chabootra in the "Compound" if accommodation for reading as an effective
substitute for the inefficient hand-Pinkah were obtainable. This invention secures

page_text: this end, by fixing a hurricane or other Punkah-lamp C (for which socket-rests in the
frame Dare provided) a person may sit reading in the verandah, or on the "Chabootra,"
taking the precaution (in the latter case) of covering the chair with a top curtain to
ward off the dew, and if musquitos or sand flies are troublesome by putting a net over
the chair. Instead of retiring at once from the dining room to the bedroom,
the comfort of the cooler outside atmosphere and the double Punkah power is thus
obtained.
Rollers E see Figures 1 and 3 are provided to make easy the moving of the chair
from the house to the garden.
The combination is very portable, and will be found most useful to persons travelling
through the country or camping out, conditions in which the comfort of a Punkah
has generally to be done without. The whole of the frame D, F, is preferably of iron
piping screwed together and extended as desired, as will be understood by reference to
the drawing, Figure 2.
All that the purchaser has to provide is the drapery for the frame of the
hanging Punkah, a wooden flooring & to slip into the platform frames 6' x 3', and the
same for the table 2′ 6″ × 1′ 9″. The wood of ordinary packing cases will answer
this purpose.
The motion of the hanging Punkah A is derived from a crank of the rotating
Punkah, as shown at Figure 4.
The size of the room can be limited to that of the bedstead frame proper for use out
of doors, with chairs placed on the platform instead of a mattress, or it can be enlarged
to the dimensions of an ordinary room for receiving one or more bedsteads,
chairs &c.
The two Punkahs can be worked in combination, or separately.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The apparatus shown on the annexed drawings for indoor or outdoor occupation,
and having two Punkahs, as and for the purpose described.
The 14th day of August 1880
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Samuel Robert Baildon.