Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 29th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
We WILLIAM HILLMAN, WILLIAM HENRY HERBERT and GEORGE BEVERLEY
COOPER all of the Premier Works, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Bicycle
Manufacturers, ROBERT ARNOLD DALTON of the Quadrant, Coventry aforesaid,
Gentleman, GEORGE FRANCIS TWIST of Keresley near Coventry aforesaid, Gentleman
and ALEXANDER ROTHERHAM of Coundon Hall near Coventry aforesaid, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object a novel construction of parts whereby the seat can
be readily adjusted in height and securely and firmly held in any position within
certain limits.
In carrying the invention into effect the seat is preferably made of rectangular
shape and it is connected to and supported upon the base or stand by four pairs of
articulated plates or leaves, the upper plate or leaf of each pair being jointed to the
seat frame whilst the lower plate or leaf is jointed to the base or stand.
The plates or leaves all incline inwards and those of each pair meet and are
articulated at the junction thereby forming a kind of bellows action support to the
seat.
In order to enable a seat thus supported to be adjusted and held in its adjusted
position we according to one arrangement pass a cross rod through the central
articulation or joint pins of two opposite pairs of plates or leaves one end of such
cross rod being fixed whilst the other is capable of sliding to and fro in its bearing;
around this cross rod we place a coiled spring which has a constant tendency to cause
the separation from each other of the two opposite central joints or articulations
against which it bears, or a spring or springs may be otherwise arranged to produce
a like effect.
A screwed rod with a lever handle is employed to press a loose plate or clip against
the sliding end of the cross rod and such screwed rod is provided with an off-set
which is acted upon by a strong spring with a constant tendency to cause the screwed
rod to bear tightly against the sliding cross rod.

page_text: The screwed rod and loose plate or bearing piece are fitted axially_of the joint or
articulation pin through which the free end of the cross rod slides. Thus when it is
required to adjust the seat, the lever handle is operated so as to relieve the sliding
cross rod from the pressure of the screwed rod, when if the seat is free from pressure
the spring will cause the further separation from each other of the joints of the articu-
lated plates or by the weight of the person on the seat such joints will be forced
towards each other, then by relieving the band from the lever handle, the spring
acting thereon will cause it to lock the sliding rod in its new position.
According to another arrangement the cross rod is fitted to slide freely at both ends
through its bearings in the joints of opposite pairs of articulated plates and in lieu of
the spring and screwed rod, we fix at the centre of such cross rod two eccentrics the
strap rods of which are connected to the joints of the other pairs of articulated plates;
on one end of the sliding cross rod we fix a lever handle by which such cross rod can
be partially rotated in one or the other direction so as to cause the separation from,
or approach towards each other, of the joints of the articulated plates or leaves and the
consequent raising or lowering of the seat.
The eccentric straps are so fitted as to apply friction to the eccentrics and thereby
prevent the accidental slipping thereof. We prefer to form the framing of the seat
and of the base or stand of angle iron and the legs of metal tube but other suitable
material may be employed.

page_text: We, WILLIAM HILLMAN, WILLIAM HENRY HERBERT and 'GEORGE BEVERLEY
COOPER all of the Premier Works Coventry in the County of Warwick, Bicycle
Manufacturers, ROBERT ARNOLD DALTON of the Quadrant, Coventry aforesaid,
Gentleman, GEORGE FRANCIS TWIST of Keresley near Coventry aforesaid Gentleman
and ALEXANDER ROTHERHAM of Coundon Hall near Coventry aforesaid, 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:-
The invention has for its object a novel construction of parts whereby the seat.can
be readily adjusted in height and securely and firmly held in any position within
certain limits.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is a
plan of an adjustable seat constructed according to our invention; and Figures 3 and 4
and 5 and 6 are views of a like seat provided with different arrangements of parts for
securing the seat in its adjusted position. In all the figures like parts are indicated
by similar letters of reference.
In carrying the invention into effect the seat frame a is preferably made of
rectangular shape and it is connected to and supported upon the base or stand 6 by
four pairs of articulated plates or leaves c c¹ the upper plate or leaf c of each pair being
jointed at d to the seat frame a whilst the lower plate or leaf c¹ of each pair is jointed
at e to the base or stand b.
The plates or leaves c c¹ all incline inwards and those of each pair meet at their
inner ends and are articulated at the junction thereby forming a kind of bellows
action support to the seat a.
In order to enable a seat thus supported to be adjusted and held in its adjusted
position, we according to the arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2 pass a cross rod g
through the central articulation or joint pins f of two opposite pairs of plates or
leaves cc', one end g¹ of such cross rod g being fixed whilst the other g' is capable of
sliding to and fro in its bearing; around this cross rod g we place a coiled spring h
which has a constant tendency to cause the separation from each other of the two
opposite central joints or articulations against which it bears; we would however
remark that a spring or springs may be otherwise arranged to produce a like effect.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2 a-screwed rod.i with a lever handle i¹.is
employed to press a loose plate or clip against the sliding end g* of the cross rod g
and such screwed rod i is provided with an off-set which is acted upon by a strong
spring with a constant tendency to cause the screwed rod-i to bear tightly against the
sliding cross rod .g.
The screwed rod i and loose plate, clip, or bearing piece are fitted axially. of the
joint or articulation, pin f.through which the free end of the cross.rod,g-slides.
Thus when it is required to adjust the seat a the lever handle ¹ is operated.so.as.to

page_text: screw back the rod i and thereby to relieve the sliding cross rod g from the pressure
of said screwed rod i when if the seat a is free from pressure the spring; will cause
the further separation from each other of the joints or articulations of the articulated
plates or leaves c, c', and thereby cause the seat a to rise whilst by the weight of the
person on the seat, such joints or articulations will be forced towards each other and
thereby cause the seat a to descend, then in either of the above cases on relieving the
hand from the lever handle ¹ the spring jacting on the screwed rod i will cause
the latter to lock the sliding rod g in its new position.
In the arrangement represented at Figures 3 and 4 the seat a supporting frame b
articulated plates or leaves c, c¹, cross rod g and spring h are constructed and fitted in
a similar manner to that of the arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2 but the screwed
rod i loose plate, clip or bearing piece and parts connected therewith for fixing the
seat a in its adjusted position are dispensed with and the following arrangement of
parts is used in lieu thereof.
A cross rod k is fitted at its ends in suitable bearings a¹ carried by the seat frame a
such cross rod k is provided at one end or it may be at each end with a knob or lever
handle by which it is operated and at or near its centre is fixed a descending arm ³
which is formed at its lower end with a forked guide and with a short toothed
rack to act in combination with a rack / fixed to a cross bar 61 carried by the frame
or stand b, the forked guide clips the said rack and thereby retains the said parts
in their correct relative position during the rising and falling of the seat a.
Thus when it is desired to adjust the seat a to a different height, the knob or lever
handle k¹ will be slightly raised so as to release the toothed rack k of the arm from
the fixed rack then by lifting, or by pressing on, the seat a it can readily be
raised or lowered to the desired position after which on freeing the knob or lever
handle its weight will carry the rack k of the arm into contact with the fixed
rack and will thus retain the seat a in its adjusted position.
In the arrangement represented at Figures 5 and instead of employing the racks k
and I described with respect to Figures 3 and 4 we adopt the following arrangement
of parts. The descending arm is mounted loosely on the cross rod k and at its
lower end are mounted levers which at their inner ends are formed with cams or
eccentrics to act on the fixed bar or upright 1*, and at their outer ends are connected
by wires or links to lever arms k fixed on the cross rod k and by springs, to
arms carried by the descending arm . By this arrangement the springs act
with a constant tendency to cause the cams or eccentrics on the inner ends of the
levers to firmly grip the fixed bar or upright between them and thereby hold the
seat firmly in any position. By slightly rotating the cross rod k the arnis k² are
caused to lift the outer ends of the levers and thereby take the pressure of the
cams or eccentrics at their inner ends off the fixed bar or upright * in which position
of the parts the seat can be raised or lowered as may be required, then by releasing the
cross rod the springs will by acting on the lever arms cause them again to grip
the fixed bar or upright * and secure the seat in its adjusted position. A spring fo
acts to keep the descending arm ³ up against the fixed bar or upright /*.
In the arrangements shown at Figures 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 the spring his pre-
ferably made of such strength as merely to balance the weight of the seat thereby
allowing the latter to be readily raised and lowered as above described.
We prefer to form the framing of the seat a and of the base or stand b, of angle
iron; the legs may be of metal tube, but wood legs may be used which are fitted into
sockets fixed to the corners of the base or stand b.
We would here remark that the arrangement described in our provisional Specifica-
tion in which eccentrics are used to effect the adjustment of the seat does not possess
such an amount of utility as to render it advisable to give any further description of
the same and for this reason we desire to disclaim and we do hereby disclaim such
arrangement.
The seat a may be covered and upholstered in any suitable manner so as to conceal
the operating parts.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :—
1. The peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts forming an
adjustable seat or music stool, substantially as herein shown and described with
respect to Figures 1 and 2.
2. The employment in adjustable seats or music stools of articulated plates or
leaves c, c¹ connected to the seat a, and base or stand 6 combined with any suitable
retaining means substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
3. The combination in adjustable seats or music stools of a seat a base or stand b
articulated plates or leaves C, c¹ cross rod
and spring substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts forming an
adjustable seat or music stool, substantially as herein shown and described with
respect to Figures 1 and 2.
2. The employment in adjustable seats or music stools of articulated plates or
leaves C, c¹ connected to the seat a, and base or stand 6 combined with any suitable
retaining means substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
3. The combination in adjustable seats or music stools of a seat a base or stand b
articulated plates or leaves c, c¹ cross rod g, and spring / substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
WM. HILLMAN.
W. H. HERBERT.
G. B. COOPER.
R. A. DALTON.
G. F. TWIST.
A. ROTHERHAM.
By Harris & Mills,
23 Sonthampton Buildings