What is a rocking chair?
A rocking chair is a type of chair with two curved pieces of wood, or rockers, attached to the legs on either side of the chair (i.e. one rocker connects the two legs on the left, and the other connects the two legs on the right). These pieces of wood allow the person sitting in the chair to rock back and forth, if they so desire, by shifting their weight or pushing off with their legs. This is opposed to standard chairs, which have four straight, narrow legs that sit flat on the ground. One could not rock in one of these chairs, and when they do not have all four legs on the ground they become unsteady and easily tip over, which is a negative for most people.
Many people find the rocking motion relaxing, and they are also often used by parents who are trying to rock their babies to sleep, making them perfect for a nursery. However, one can also sit in a rocking chair in a stationary fashion if they wish. Additionally, rocking chairs have the added benefit of allowing you to find your center of gravity when you sit, thus helping prevent discomfort, particularly in the back.
While the term rocking chair did not enter the dictionary until 1787, examples of rocking chairs date back to circa 1630. Early rocking chairs were made of wood, with wicker rocking chairs following that. Many, if not most, modern rocking chairs are still made of wood, but are cushioned to provide additional comfort. However, proving that even the simple act of sitting can be advanced by technology, many new variations on the rocking chair have been made. Most of these are made of metal and are designed to try and maximize the comfort of the individual.
There are also glider rocking chairs, sometimes known as platform rockers, in which a seat is attached to a base via double rocker four-bar linkage.
Source: http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/rocking/origin.html
A rocking chair is a chair mounted on rockers, which are two curved pieces, usually made of wood, that sit beneath the legs of the chair. When a person sits in a rocking chair, with slight pressure from feet on the ground, they can produce the slight rocking motion associated with these chairs. Since the 19th century, rocking chairs have been popular pieces of furniture in homes, and there is some rumor that Benjamin Franklin may have invented them. This piece of trivia is not necessarily true, and many furniture historians date invention to the early part of the 18th century, possibly not even in America but in England. Regardless of the inventor, various rocking chair styles became very popular in the 1800s, most of them made of sturdy wood. Wooden rocking chairs today still exist in abundance, but many favor more comfortable chairs with padding, which might be placed directly on the chair in the factory. Some chairs are elaborately upholstered. A few chairs that rock today include l
