s Passing through the Post.
Year: 1884

page_text: Articles Passing through the Post.
I, WILLIAM DICKSON of the General Post Office St Martins-le-Grand London,
Inspector Inland Branch do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SORTING TABLE FOR LETTERS OR OTHER ARTICLES
PASSING THROUGH THE POST, to.be as follows:-
Sorting tables as hitherto constructed for sorting letters or other articles in post
offices have been composed of the table proper and of three or other number of
superposed shelves above the table, these shelves being marked off with the names
of places on the particular "road" or division for which the letters have to be
sorted. The table and shelves have been immovably fixed to the legs or other
supports and the whole structure has generally been permanently fixed to the
floor. Additional sorting tables are often required but are not available.
Now my invention consists in so constructing movable sorting tables which
when not required for use can be folded or packed up into a comparatively small
compass; these tables can thus be carried into the sorting room when additional
tables are required and then opened out for use. For this purpose I employ end
frames or standards connected together by horizontal bars or strips of wood or
other suitable material. To these frames or standards or to their connecting bars
I hinge or pivot the table proper and also the superposed shelves so that the table
proper and each shelf can be turned either up or down upon its hinges or pivota
into a vertical position so as to lie close against the horizontal bars. The normal
position of the table proper and shelves is of course horizontal and the said table is
supported in this position by one or more legs which rest upon the floor but which
can be folded up under the table or against the standards or their connecting bars;
the shelves when in their normal or horizontal position are preferably supported by
short chains or rods attached to the standards. The spaces between the horizontal
bars or strips which connect the standards are filled up with wire netting or other
suitable open material. It will readily be understood that when a sorting table
constructed as above described has to be stowed away it can be folded into a small
compass by simply moving the table proper and shelves into the vertical position
and folding up the leg or legs which supported the table proper.
The table proper
should have vertical end pieces of wire netting or other suitable material to
D

page_text: prevent the letters falling off, and these end pieces would be made to turn down
upon the table when the latter had to be folded up.
My improved sorting tables may be constructed either singly or in pairs back to
back the same standards in the latter case answering for both; or two of them
may be hinged together end to end so as to fold the one against the other for
transport and stowage, or so as to allow of their being used either side by side or
back to back as may be found convenient.
- Ordinary sorting tables, that is to say, those fixed to the floor can also be made
or altered so that the table proper and shelves can be folded up in the manner
above described.

page_text: Articles Passing through the Post.)]
I WILLIAM DICKSON, of the General Post Office, St Martin's le Grand, London,
Inspector Inland Branch, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in.
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Sorting tables as hitherto constructed for use in sorting letters or other articles
in post offices have been composed of the table proper and of three or other
number of superposed shelves above the table these shelves being marked off with
the names of places on the particular "road" or division for which the letters have
to be sorted. The table and shelves have been immovably fixed to the legs or
other supports and the whole structure has generally been permanently fixed .to
the floor. Additional sorting tables are often required but are not available.
Now my Invention consists in so constructing movable sorting tables which,
when not required for use can be folded or packed up into a comparatively small
compass; these tables can thus be carried into the sorting room when additional
tables are required and then opened out for use. For this purpose I employ end
frames or standards connected together by horizontal bars or strips of wood or
other suitable material. To these frames or standards or to their connecting bars
I hinge or pivot the table proper and also the superposed shelves so that the table
proper and each shelf can be turned either up or down upon its hinges or pivots
into a vertical position so as to lie close against the horizontal bars. The normal
position of the table proper and shelves is of course horizontal and the said tablo is-
supported in this position by one or more legs which rest upon the floor but which
can be folded up under the table or against the standards or their connecting bars;
the shelves when in their normal or horizontal position are preferably supported by
a vertical bar at each end to which the shelves are joined, these bars resting at
their lower ends on the table to which they are not fixed. The spaces between
the horizontal bars or strips which connect the standards are filled in with wire
netting or other suitable open material. .It will readily be understood that when
a sorting table constructed as above described has to be stowed away it can be
folded into a small compass by simply moving the table proper and shelves into
the vertical position and folding up the leg or legs which supported the table
proper. The table proper should have vertical end pieces of wire netting or other
suitable material to prevent the letters falling off, and these end pieces would be
made to turn down upon the table when the latter had to be folded up.
My improved sorting tables may be constructed either singly or in pairs back to
back the same standards in the latter case answering for both; or two of them
may be hinged together end to end so as to fold the one against the other for
transport and stowage or so as to allow of their being used either side by side or
back to back as may be found convenient.
Ordinary sorting tables, that is to say, those fixed to the floor can also be made
or altered so that the table proper and shelves can be folded up in the manner
above described,

page_text: The manner in which my invention may best be carried into effect is shown in
Figures 1 and 2 on the annexed sheet, Figure 1 illustrating the sorting table in its
normal position, that is to say, open out for use and Figure 2 showing it folded or
closed up. a, a are end standards connected together by horizontal bars or
strips b, b.
c is the table proper; it is hinged at back to one of the bars b so that
it can be turned up into the position seen in Figure 2 where it may be secured by
one or more turn-buttons or catches d. e, e, e are the superposed shelves; they
are likewise hinged at back to the corresponding bars b so that they can be turned
up into the position seen in Figure 2. To the ends of the shelves e, e, e near their
front edge they are jointed to vertical bars f, f which in the normal position rest
on the table c and thus support all the shelves in the horizontal position. g, gare
legs to support the table at front; they are hinged to the standards a, a and can
he folded against them as seen in Figure 2. The spaces between the bars b, b are
filled in with wire netting h, h. i,i are vertical end pieces to the table; they are
made of wire netting and are hinged to the table so that they can be turned down
upon it when it has to be folded. up. The shelves e, e, e, and the top. bar b are.
marked off in, front with the names of the places on the particular. "road" or
division for which the letters have.to be sorted. In practice I prefer to mark them
on square or polygonal bars which can be turned on their axes so as to present
anotlier side or face with the names of places on a different road. These bars may
fit under metal strips that project from the upper edge of the front of the shelves
which are preferably of wood.
When the table has to be folded up, the end pieces i, i are turned down upon
the table c;the table c is then raised on its hinges into the vertical position as
seen in Figure 2 and in this movement it pushes up the vertical bars f. f and
therefore forces up the shelves e, e, e into the vertical position as is also seen in
Figure 2. When the table c is again lowered into the normal position, the shelves
do not descend with it but can be pulled down afterwards. This allows of the
table being used without the shelves when the shelves are not required.
.
Figure 3 represents the shelf portion of a sorting table made without the table
proper so that it can be stood on any ordinary table where such is available or
hung on a wall. This shelf portion is mado like that.shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Constructing sorting tables so that they can be folded or packed up into a
comparatively small compass substantially as hereinbefore described.
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