USRE650E - Improved reclining-chair - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT @EET-CE.

AUGUSTUS ELIAERS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED RECLINING-CHAIR..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,198, dated May ll, i858 Reissue No. 650, dated January 25, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, AUGUSTUS ELIAERs, ot' Boston,.in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usel'ul Improvements in Reclining-Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the'following description, taken in connection with the ac coinpanyin g drawings hereinafter referred to, forms a full'and exact specilication of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my saidimprovements by which my invention may be dis tinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates of drawings represent my improvements.

In Plate 1, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved chair. Fig. 2is a central vertical section ot' the same. In Plate 2, Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the'parts in a dili'erent position. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detailed views, to be hereinafter referred to.

The present invention relates to that class of chairs that are design ed for reclining-eh airs and for invalids.

The principal features of my invention are- First. A novel arrangement of devices for supporting and actuating the back and the footrest, whereby they are more rigidly sustained in any position in which they may be placed.

by the occupant than by other chairs heretofore designed for a similar purpose.

Second. A combination of devices by which the back can be placed in a horizontal orv nearly horizontal position, so that the chair can be used for a couch or bed, and at the same time the back be rigidly supported. These results could not be obtained by the usual mode of construction, as will be hereinafter explained.'

Third. An adjustable foot-rest, which can be raised or lowered by the occupant at pleasure, and locked at any desired height, so as to adapt the foot-rest to different lengths ot' limbs.

a a in the drawings represent the supporting frame-work or legs of the chair.

b b is the back, hinged to the frame-work a a at c. To project-ions d d of theback are attached by pivots e e the curved arms ff, extending inside the frame-work c a, and having passed through them the shaft g, the ends of which enter the grooves h h formed i n the crossbars t" i of the framework a. a. To the ends ofthe arms ff are attached by pivot-joints at lc r the arms l l, that support the frame m n1, in which the foot-resta is placed, the arms Z l being hinged to the frame m m at o o, and the the frame m m hinged to the front bar of tle frame-work a (t.

pp are guiding-rails attached to the standards q q by pivot-joints o" 1'. On the rails p p slide the arms s s, which are hinged to the back b b at t t, as shown.

u u, Fig. 5, are right-angular lever-arms, the studs v u of which extend up through the arms s s and enter proper holes formed in the rails pp, for the purpose of holding the arms s s, and consequently the back, 85o., in any desired po sition. will be disengaged from the holes in the rails pp and allow the arms s s to slide either forward or backward thereon. Upon relieving the tensionupon the cord the studs v o will be made to enter again the holes in the rails p p by means of a bent spring, m.

y y are mortises formed in the back b b, into which the rails p p enter when the back is raised into a slightlyinclined position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the back can be depressed into ahori'zontal position and firmly supported there, being sustained by the arms ff, the shaft g of which, when the back is in a horizontal position, abutting against the end of the groove h, and also by the sliding arms s s, fastened to the rails p p, as described; and it will be observed that the supporting of the back rigidly in a horizontal position by means of the sliding arms s s is effected without shortening the arm of the chair, which otherwise than by the peculiar arrangement above described would be necessary, as, unless the rails p p were allowed to enter the back b Z at y y, the back b b could not be brought into a vertical position, and the rails p p, being hinged at t t, as before described, allow both the rails and the sliding arms to play slightly up and down, according as the back is raised or lowered, which, it. will be evident, is essential. The foot-rest frame m m, being connected by the arms Z l to the arms ff', as before explained, it will of course be raised By pulling a cord, yw, the studs c 'U' or lowered by the movements ofthe back, andwil'l, like the back, be rmly held in any desired position. The foot-rest a is attached to a sliding frame, a a', Fig. 4, which travels up and down in the frame m m, and is locked in any desired position, so as to adapt the foot-rest to the length of limb of the occupant by means of a rod, b', that is attached to a bevel-box, c', the flanges d d of which engage with suitable hooks on the ends of bolts e c', whereby, when the rod b is raised bya cord, e, the bevel-box c will be raised and withdraw the bolts e e from the side bars of the frame a a, Fig. 4. On releasing the cord e", the rod b and bevel-box c will be vforced downward and cause the bolts e e to enter again the side bars of the frame a' a', thereby locking the foot-rest at any desired point. On withdrawing the bolts c e' from the side bars of the frame-work a' a by the rod b ,the footlrest frame will be forced upward by means of spiral springs f f until the bolts e e are allowed to lock into the frame ct a'. f

A modiiication of my improvements is represented in Plate 2, Figs. 6 and 7, in which the back, instead of being hinged directly to the sliding arms s s, is attached to short arms g g', rigidly secured to the back, and each turning upon a pivot, h', in the sliding arms s s, the end of each arm being enlarged, as shown, and having a groove, d, formed therein, in lieu of a mortise in the back for the play of the arm g' when the back is raised or lowered. By this means I am enabled to obtain a longer arm even than by the irst-described arrangement, and it will be observed that no reclining-chair has previously been constructed in which a long arm could be used, and at the same time the back be placed in an entirely horizontal position and a vertical one also, and this without lowering the arms nearly inv contact with the seat, which is the case in the operation of most reclining-chairs.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall state my claims as follows:

1. The general arrangement of devices herein described for actuating and sustaiuin g both the back and foot-rest, the same consisting of the arms j7 j, attached to the back in a projectionthereof', and having a shaft which travels in grooves formed iu the supporting frame-work of the chair and the arms, the whole lbeing combined with the footrest frame, as set forth herein.

2. Ihe combination of devices herein described, whereby the back can be placed and held in any desired position, and at the same 'time the proper length of arms retained, the same consisting of the hinged 'rails p 19, sliding arms s s, locked upon said rails in any desirable manner, and -mortises to receive the said rails, as set forth.

3. The foot-rest constructed and arranged sabstantially as described, when combined with a spring or weight, or its equivalent, to operate as setforth, so that the said foot-rest may be raised or lowered at will to adapt itself to the length of the limb of the occupant, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a reclining-chair constructed as described, the peculiar joint between the back and arms, the same consisting of the arm g', attached to the back and turning upon a pivot in the groove or mortised sliding arm, whereby a very long arm may be obtained, as set forth.

AUGUSTUS ELIAERS.

Witnesses: Y

JOSEPH GAvE'rT, ALBERT W. BROWN.

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