US177193A - Improvement in chairs - Google Patents

Description

2Sheets-SheetL J. W; BARNES.

CHAIR. N0.177,19,3. Patented May .9, 187-6.

MPEIERS. PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

Z SheetsSheet2.

J. W. BARNES.

CHAIR.

wmgfg m mm m d i W 1/ z v. P T r K 4% J fiw ymfimw VW. yr W wmuzsszs:

ATTORNEYS.

N- PETERS. PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASH 'NITEI) STATES PATENT came.

QUINNEY, AND CHARLES C. GIBBS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,193, dated May 9, 1876; application filed January 5, 1876.

To all whom a may concern Be it known that LJAMES W. BARNES, of Navasota, in the county of Grimes and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chairs, Lounges, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, with one of the shoulder-supports in section; Fig. 2, a rear elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view; Fig. 4, a section of the shoulder-plate through line 00 a; of Fig. 2, showing the backward inclination of said plate. Fig. 5 shows the adjustment of the backward inclination of the shoulder-plate. Fig. 6 is a modification of the means forenablin g the occupant to getin or out of the chair.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved invalid-chair especially adapted-to the use of persons afliicted with pulmonary afi'ections, curvature or weakness of the spine, and other kindred diseases, but applicable also in some of its features of construction to chairs, lounges, or beds in general use. It consists in the construction of the shoulderplate or upper portion of the back of the chair; in the shoulder-supports attached thereto, and in the movable back, to enable the person to get in or out of the chair, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, A representsa chair of any ordinary or suitable construction 5 B, the movable back; 0,, the shoulder-plate, and D D the shoulder-supports. The said shoulder-supports consist of stifl inflexible upwardly-curved horns or crutch-shaped pieces, whose shanks are slotted at a, and fastened by a screw-stem and nut, b, to a hinged plate, 0, so as to be adjusted either forward or backward, or, if needs be, thrown entirely back upon the hinge and out of the way. The hinged plate 0 is made with a slide, 0, which is graduated and moves laterally in guideways 01, so that the shoulder-supports have not only an adjustment upon their hinges, but may be moved either forward or backward or laterally, according to the different sizes and respective needs of different occupants. These shoulder- 'su pports, as thus described, are arranged upon the outer extremities of the shoulder-plate, so as to rest beneath the arm-pits. They thus serve to hold back the shoulders and expand the lungs, and for this reason are specially advantageous to consumptives, Their principal and most advantageous use, however, is to support the body in cases of curvature and weakness of the spine, the supports in this case relieving the spine of nearly all of the weight of the body, and thus allowing the natural recuperation and straightening of the ciple that to straighten that which is bent the same must be bent in the opposite direction and beyond the straight line which it is desirable it should assume. This feature of the backward inclination of the sides of the shoulder-plate is applicable also to beds, lounges, 860., and the angle of the backward inclination will be about ten degrees, more or less. It may be varied, however, at will, by making the said shoulder-plate in two pieces, and.

hinging them in the center, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to give a variable inclination. 7

By constructing the shoulder-plate of two hinged leaves, and employing a block, S, or other convenient means, any desired inclination may be given to the sides of the shoulder-plate. When blocks are employed for the adjustment, either different sizes of the same are used or the different transverse dimensions of the same block are used for this purpose. To adapt the height of the back of the chair to the varying sizes of the dilferent occupants it is made with a vertical adjustment, the

back being slotted at 0 and clamped in different vertical positions by the plate f and screw stem and nut m. o

To enable the occupant to get readily into and out of the chair the back is hinged upon pivots 9 attached to the clamping devices, and.

is held in a vertical position by a iisprin g,"h. Said-spring allowsthe occupantin getting out of the chair to bend the back forward upon its pivots, so as to free himself from the arm-supports, and yet immediately restores theback to its verticalposition as soon astha chair is vacated. +1

I do not limit myself, howevelyto thismeans of facilitatin g getting into or out of the chair; and instead of using the pivots l m ay employ simply, in connection with the vertical adjust ment, a set of vertically-operating springs, and make the whole back slide up and down at will, a detent with ratchet-teeth being -employed in conjunction therewith to determine; the fixed position. 1

Having thus described my invention, what Irclaim as newis..

.1. The combination, withithe. upper portion 'of-the backofachair, ofstifi' inflexible arm-supports, adapted to fit beneath-the arm pits and support the body, substantially as andrfonthei purpose described.

Z- T h n d munp rts.Dtha in ilet H emhinat onwit it s re zstemjanfl ni I), the hinged plate 0, carrying aslide, c, and the guideways 01, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Th ,shonlde rn telconsist n .essentia y of twohinged leaves, in combination with a tsuitablaadjnstingq device, as and for the purpose described.

.4. The c'omhination of the shoulder-supports Dwith-the shoulder-plate 0, having a back-.

ward inclination from the center, as and for the purpose described.

5. The movable back, carrying shoulderaT lB ABNES.

Wi n ss s:

*B N, SOLON; 0. Jimmy.

Images