Showing posts with label Chairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chairs. Show all posts

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Evacuation Chairs and Stretchers - A Brief History

The art of recovering injured and incapacitated people has progressed a lot since the early stretchers that comprised two poles and a canvas agency to bear casualties. Unfluctuating as recently as the Primeval World War the recovery of people relied upon this lucid but resultant tool.

Today they are still common enough throughout the world but proficient has also been a development of more mechanical and personalised stretchers, or litters, as sound as evacuation chairs that takings tally of climatic conditions or differing terrain. Some of the earlier adaptions included horse stressed stretchers or ones that were mounted on wheeled carts, identical uniform to modern gurneys. These enabled casualities to be extracted from unstable situations at speed and required less people to manouver them.

During the battles of the First World War the French developed the Nimier stretcher that placed the patient in a seated position ( similar to an evac chair ), being a lot shorter it was easier to carry through the narrow confines of the trenches.

Research and development into the safest and secure methods for moving casualties has led to the design of many different evacuation chairs and rescue stretchers to suit the circumstances. Spinal boards are a popular inclusion where there is a likelihood of back injuries, these often include a neck brace to keep the spine immobalised and so minimise further damage.

Durable one piece disaster stretchers are another design made to face the rigours of patient recovery but whilst not foldable they can be stacked when stored. The stretcher has also been adapted so it can be mounted on a variety of transports, skis for snowy conditions, stretchers that incorporate floats for use in water. They can also be attached to All Terrain Vehicles, snowmobiles or buggie type cars.

Also when it is necessary to extract a person from a mountainous terrain, they can be pulled on ropes or attached to a helicopters winch. If an injured person has to be manually carried through mountains the stretcher can be fitted with special covers that protect the causality from falling rocks and boulders.

Scoop or Clamshell stretchers are the ones commonly found on sports fields where unconscious sports people or players with suspected back injuries are gently placed into the supporting frame for safe movement from the pitch and then onto a more suitable spine board for transport to hospital. Its split, section design makes it easy to put beneath a person and can be secured without the need for extensive and possibly dangerous movement of the patient.

Modern stretchers and evac chairs have seen massive developments over the last 100 years and nowadays there is a great selection for every climatic condition or circumstance. Medical research and design have ensured that casualties can be removed with the greatest of care and utmost support possible.

Monday, September 10, 2012

The History Of Folding Chairs And Its Modern Variants

Folding chairs have become a necessity. Little, crack is an outdoor situation off-track extensive advantage of them. In the UK they are also used for important indoor events analogous as funerals, sport games and birthday parties. In fact, the universal necessity of them is everywhere throughout the world. Feasibly, it is the portable nature of folding chairs which has given it an instant fame.

History

Although, folding chairs have been in constant treatment since many centuries, but it was Fredric Arnold Company in Brooklyn which up-to-date mass striking them, made of aluminum. Allying was the demand that the Brooklyn plant was just now producing more than 14, 000 chairs, every day. While most of us are aware of the function of folding chairs, few consumers ever inquire about its history.

Interestingly, the first recorded use of folding chairs goes back to Egyptian dynasty where folding stools were used for sitting and ceremonial purposes. In fact, one such famous chair was found in Tutankhamen ' s throne. The chair was elaborately engraved and included a back support. Historians also agree that chairs and stools were considered a status symbol in Egypt and Greece. Although, chairs of Army generals were simple in contrast to expansive seats for royalty, but both types signified grand status of their occupants. Most of these chairs were made from expensive wood which required skilled craftsmen to work diligently for many days. Such were the intricate details that modern experts still find it difficult to imitate. Actually, it is another reason that most of the historic folding chairs are on display at museums around the world.

Fame

It may not be an overstatement to suggest that Romans were the first to utilize folding chairs, extensively. The Curule chair was made famous by Romans who used it in every major ceremony. The finest example of Sellae Curules is displayed at a museum in Naples which also highlights the aristocratic nature of such chairs. Even these days, elite furniture stores of London and New York contain a replica chair made from expansive metal. Still, it was the Renaissance that saw large wooden folding chairs flourish as a common household tool. Renaissance chairs were first introduced in UK, but made popular by British naval officers in New England regions of United States. Historians agree that such chairs may have already been in extensive use in East Asian countries including Japan and China.

Modern Folding Chairs

Modern versions weight anywhere from five to ten pounds and is mostly made of metal. The most common type in UK is the one which pivot to fold at the seat level. Mechanism of folding may vary, but folding at seat level is usually preferred by the designers of metal chairs. Despite the abundance of these types of chairs, the historically famous side X stools and chairs are still used in many aristocratic houses around UK. These chairs are a restored version of historical folding chairs. Most of these chairs are made by renowned manufacturers who prefer the clothing to be hand - stitched. Normally, these designer chairs sell for more than 100 pounds.

Another primary market in the UK is premier league sports which often order huge inventory for multiple reinforced padded seats that can fall backwards to drain rainwater. Nevertheless, the modern technology has allowed designers to make steady changes in design thus allowing manufacturers to integrate beauty with craftsmanship. These skills are evident in designs of beach chairs, theatre seats and deckchairs.