The Shaker tilting chair – named for its ball bearing or ball and socket[A] button mechanism assembled to the back two legs of a wooden chair – allowed a person to lean back in the chair without slipping or scraping the floor.[B]
U.S. Patent No 8771 drawing imagePatent 8771 image close-up of partsShaker ladder chair with ball swivels on rear legs for tilting
The device was a new practical way of being able to lean back without slipping while sitting in a common Shakerladder-back wooden chair.[1] It prevented damage to carpets and scraping the floors usually caused by the back legs of chairs when they slipped.[2]
The main feature of the Shaker ladder-back chair was a tilting ball and socket joint mechanism installed on the bottom of the two rear legs to keep the leg bottoms level.[3] Normally the inflection of the chair feet edges into wooden floors would cause deep scratches and into carpets would cause puncture tear holes.[4] The ball joint mechanism idea would prevent unnecessary punctures and stress to the chair components because the chair feet were kept level and flat even though the chair was tilted back.[5][6] Initially the swivel idea was developed using just wooden balls around 1834.[7][8] It was later realized that this new concept for tilting caused major stress to the chair.[9] More repair engineering work was required than initially foreseen.[9] This was due to the weakening of the leg caused by drilling involved in installation of the wooden ball joint mechanism.[9] Ultimately, the wooden ball concept was discarded and the production of this device ceased.[9]
Brother George O'Donnell of Shaker Village in New Lebanon, New York came up with a strong metal attachment device in 1852.[10] It replaced the wooden ball bearing that was inserted into the wooden legs and secured with a leather strap.[10] The metal ball-bearing mechanism was patented by him.[C][5][10][12] It consisted of brass ferrules and balls.[10] It was a practical strong metal attachment to the back two legs of wooden chairs to allow the sitter to tilt back without gouging the floor.[10] A version of O'Donnell's tilt device is still being used on chairs in the twenty-first century.[13]
The Shakers manufactured the "tilting chair" for sale in the 1870s to people outside their community labeling them with "Shaker's Trade Mark, Mt. Lebanon, N.Y." which was the place of the Shaker Village in the state of New York.[14] The tilting buttons on the two back legs that made it a tilting chair were sometimes referred to as "tilters", "swiveling tilter" or "ball and socket feet" that allowed the flat underside of the foot to stay level when the chair was tilted back.[15] In a catalog of New Lebanon Shaker chairs for sale it was an additional price of twenty five cents for button joint tilts to be added to a chair.[15] It was noted by historian Kassay that the general philosophy of a diner "tilting chair" was out of place in the Shaker community, as Believers were not allowed the luxury of after-meal relaxation time.[15]
^"Near the middle of the century the Shakers invented their tilting-chair device, which was inserted under the tips of the back legs to prevent slipping or marring of floors when the chair was tilted back against a wall".[1]
^According to Jerry V. Grant, Director of Collections and Research at "Shaker Museum Mount Lebanon": "The Shakers, while they patented some of their inventions, were prohibited by Church rules from profiting from such patents – that is, they did not sell patent rights for their inventions but rather patented things to protect themselves from having others patent their inventions and turning around and charging them for using their own inventions."[11] The Shakers thus were proactive in preventatives against Patent trolls.
Citations
^ abShea, John Gerald (May 5, 1992). Making Authentic Shaker Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics. p. 37. ISBN978-0-486-27003-6.
^Smy (18 February 2014). "The Shakers and Their Furniture". smystyle.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
^ "Shaker Tilting Chair". The Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
^ ab"Patent model side chair for button joint tilters George O. Donnel (born circa 1823) New Lebanon, New York, 1852". Selections from the Jane Katcher Collection of Americana. janekatchercollection.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
^Bronner, Simon J (2015). Encyclopedia of American Folklife. Routledge. pp. 1115, 1116. ISBN978-1-317-47195-0.
^"Patent of Geo. O'Donnell, of New Lebanon, New York. Chair. Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,771". United States Patent Office. March 2, 1852. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shaker chairs.
Patent model chair for button joint tilters by George O. Donnel of New Lebanon, New York, 1852
"Shaker Tilting Chair, watercolor and graphite on paper, Rendered by John W. Kelleher (artist)". Index of American Design. From the Tour: Shaker Crafts from the Index of American DesignShaker Tilting Chair rendition National Gallery of Art. 1937. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
shaker, tilting, chair, named, ball, bearing, ball, socket, button, mechanism, assembled, back, legs, wooden, chair, allowed, person, lean, back, chair, without, slipping, scraping, floor, patent, 8771, drawing, imagepatent, 8771, image, close, partsshaker, la. The Shaker tilting chair named for its ball bearing or ball and socket A button mechanism assembled to the back two legs of a wooden chair allowed a person to lean back in the chair without slipping or scraping the floor B U S Patent No 8771 drawing imagePatent 8771 image close up of partsShaker ladder chair with ball swivels on rear legs for tilting Contents 1 Description 2 References 2 1 Notes 2 2 Citations 3 External linksDescription EditThe device was a new practical way of being able to lean back without slipping while sitting in a common Shaker ladder back wooden chair 1 It prevented damage to carpets and scraping the floors usually caused by the back legs of chairs when they slipped 2 The main feature of the Shaker ladder back chair was a tilting ball and socket joint mechanism installed on the bottom of the two rear legs to keep the leg bottoms level 3 Normally the inflection of the chair feet edges into wooden floors would cause deep scratches and into carpets would cause puncture tear holes 4 The ball joint mechanism idea would prevent unnecessary punctures and stress to the chair components because the chair feet were kept level and flat even though the chair was tilted back 5 6 Initially the swivel idea was developed using just wooden balls around 1834 7 8 It was later realized that this new concept for tilting caused major stress to the chair 9 More repair engineering work was required than initially foreseen 9 This was due to the weakening of the leg caused by drilling involved in installation of the wooden ball joint mechanism 9 Ultimately the wooden ball concept was discarded and the production of this device ceased 9 Brother George O Donnell of Shaker Village in New Lebanon New York came up with a strong metal attachment device in 1852 10 It replaced the wooden ball bearing that was inserted into the wooden legs and secured with a leather strap 10 The metal ball bearing mechanism was patented by him C 5 10 12 It consisted of brass ferrules and balls 10 It was a practical strong metal attachment to the back two legs of wooden chairs to allow the sitter to tilt back without gouging the floor 10 A version of O Donnell s tilt device is still being used on chairs in the twenty first century 13 The Shakers manufactured the tilting chair for sale in the 1870s to people outside their community labeling them with Shaker s Trade Mark Mt Lebanon N Y which was the place of the Shaker Village in the state of New York 14 The tilting buttons on the two back legs that made it a tilting chair were sometimes referred to as tilters swiveling tilter or ball and socket feet that allowed the flat underside of the foot to stay level when the chair was tilted back 15 In a catalog of New Lebanon Shaker chairs for sale it was an additional price of twenty five cents for button joint tilts to be added to a chair 15 It was noted by historian Kassay that the general philosophy of a diner tilting chair was out of place in the Shaker community as Believers were not allowed the luxury of after meal relaxation time 15 References EditNotes Edit See also ball joint and Spherical bearing Near the middle of the century the Shakers invented their tilting chair device which was inserted under the tips of the back legs to prevent slipping or marring of floors when the chair was tilted back against a wall 1 According to Jerry V Grant Director of Collections and Research at Shaker Museum Mount Lebanon The Shakers while they patented some of their inventions were prohibited by Church rules from profiting from such patents that is they did not sell patent rights for their inventions but rather patented things to protect themselves from having others patent their inventions and turning around and charging them for using their own inventions 11 The Shakers thus were proactive in preventatives against Patent trolls Citations Edit a b Shea John Gerald May 5 1992 Making Authentic Shaker Furniture With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics p 37 ISBN 978 0 486 27003 6 Shaker Tilting Chair House amp Garden 1945 p 47 Smy 18 February 2014 The Shakers and Their Furniture smystyle com Retrieved June 3 2015 Shaker Tilting Chair The Collection National Gallery of Art Washington DC 2015 Retrieved June 1 2015 a b Patent model side chair for button joint tilters George O Donnel born circa 1823 New Lebanon New York 1852 Selections from the Jane Katcher Collection of Americana janekatchercollection com Retrieved June 3 2015 Bronner Simon J 2015 Encyclopedia of American Folklife Routledge pp 1115 1116 ISBN 978 1 317 47195 0 Katonah Gallery June 1 1983 Shaker works ISBN 9780915171002 Andrews Edward Deming Andrews Faith June 18 1999 Masterpieces of Shaker Furniture 1st Dover ed Dover Publications p 93 ISBN 978 0 486 40724 1 Retrieved June 3 2015 a b c d Sprigg June 1986 Shaker Design pbk S l W W Norton amp Company pp 74 75 ISBN 0 393 30544 9 Retrieved June 1 2015 a b c d e Miller M Stephen January 12 2010 Inspired Innovations A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity University Press of New England p 127 ISBN 978 1 58465 850 4 email Wednesday June 3 2015 10 41 AM Patent of Geo O Donnell of New Lebanon New York Chair Specification of Letters Patent No 8 771 United States Patent Office March 2 1852 Retrieved June 2 2015 Retrospect 2015 Quick History Quaker Design Apartment Therapy Retrieved June 2 2015 Segal Troy Learn About the Origins of Shaker Style American Furniture About com Home Archived from the original on 2015 06 02 Retrieved 2015 06 01 a b c Kassay John June 28 1980 The Book of Shaker Furniture University of Massachusetts Press p 127 ISBN 978 0 87023 275 6 via Internet Archive External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shaker chairs Patent model chair for button joint tilters by George O Donnel of New Lebanon New York 1852 Shaker Tilting Chair watercolor and graphite on paper Rendered by John W Kelleher artist Index of American Design From the Tour Shaker Crafts from the Index of American DesignShaker Tilting Chair rendition National Gallery of Art 1937 Retrieved June 2 2015 A chair button used on tilting chairs The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum Inc Historic Map Works 1921 Retrieved June 2 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shaker tilting chair amp oldid 1141175658, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
