Popnlar Science Mnnihly 



677 



Sitting Down in Comfort on 

 a Painter's Job 



THK simple skill of the sailor evolved a 

 seat in which he could paint the sides 

 of his ship or repair his topmost rigging. 

 It was merely a notched board set into a 

 looped rope-end — a child's swing, except 

 that it depended from one line instead of 

 two. It was an uncomfortable, one-handed 

 affair at best; yet it was, and is still, 

 used by steeple-jacks, painters and .'^ 

 such like, with small variation 

 The inventive mind had passed 

 it by until recently, when an 

 employee of a New York 

 electric company trans- 

 formed the old swing into 

 an aerial eas\--chair. 





<^WW':*W.'yfy^'''''''.. 



*?'fm mii I 



The chains are braced 

 just above the waist- 

 line by a steel bar 



Short chains to 

 hold pots and 

 brushes depend 

 from the back 

 of the seat 



The seat is a form-fitting, 

 pressed-steel affair sus- 

 pended at four points to in- 

 sure balance. The chains 

 are braced at a point just 

 above the waistline by a 

 steel bar. This prevents 

 pinching and gives the 

 chair a better "hang." .Ad- 

 justable chair-stirrups hang 

 from the front of the chair 



Adjustable stirrups hang 

 from the front of the chair 

 and enable the painter to 

 stand up when he wishes 



and prevent the cramping 

 strain of the weight of the 

 legs and feet upon the 

 under-thigh muscles. They 

 also add tremendously to 

 the flexibility of action. 

 With these stirrups it is 

 possible to straighten the 

 body into a standing pos- 

 ture and to maintain bal- 

 ance. A belt fastens around 

 the waist through the tri- 

 angular links at the brace- 

 bar and allows two-handed 

 action under the most try- 

 ing conditions. 



This belt makes acciden- 

 tal falling out of the chair 

 an utter impossibility. The 

 suspension-ring is equipped 

 with a hook designed to 

 simplify the hitching of the 

 hauling-rope, and holds the 

 hitch secureh'. Short chain.; 

 depend from the back of 

 the seat, on which pots, 

 brushes or tool-kits ma\- 

 be hooked. These chains 

 arc equipped with "sister" 

 or trap-hooks to secure the 

 articles carried. 



The painter simply ad- 

 justs the seat, buckles the 

 strap and pulls himself up 

 to the desired height 



