AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINING TABLES, EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING TOPS, APPLI- CABLE ALSO TO OTHER EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING PLANES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lawford, of 31, Berners Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF DINING TABLES, EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING TOPS, APPLI-
CABLE ALSO TO OTHER EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING PLANES."
Sealed the 9th March 1858, and dated the 10th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lawford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
September 1857.
I, HENRY LAWFORD, of No. 31, Berners Street, in the County of Middlesex,.
Designer, &c., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINING TABLES, EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING
TOPS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING PLANES," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is, that the flaps (or extra tops) shall rest (when
not required in the plane) underneath and parallel with the fixed tops, and so
draw out as the slides expand to expand the plane; when fell, to contract
also with the slides into the alloted space underneath the fixed tops.
To accomplish this I make the frame in the usual way, cutting away the
space required for the flaps from the top of the side rails; I fix the slides level
with the top side of the side rails so cut down, I fix a sliding rail to raise and

page_text: fall by a screw or incline plane, to which I attatch the flaps to raise them into
the plane; as the fixed tops slide from each other over the flaps, the first to
be taken into the plane become attatched by a joint catch, of sufficient length
to allow the flap to be raised into the plane, and so on for each flap, the catch
will slide back, the flaps will then joint with the fixed tops.
The rails fell, and the flaps will contract with the slides into the alloted
space underneath the fixed tops.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Lawford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LAWFORD, of 31, Berners Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Lawford, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Lawford,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Lawford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINING TABLES, EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING TOPS, APPLI-
CABLE ALSO TO OTHER EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING PLANES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Lawford, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Lawford, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:

page_text: The object of my Invention is, that the flaps (or extra tops) shall rest when
not required in the plane, underneath and parallel with the fixed tops, and so
draw out as the slides expand to expand the plane, to fall and contract also
into the alloted space underneath the fixed tops..
To accomplish this I make the frame in the usual way, leaving a space to
receive flaps (A, A, Figure 1,) by fixing the side rails the required distance
from the tops of the legs and making the slides level with the tops of the side
rails so fixed down. I secure the fixed tops to the frame and slides so arranged,
I fix the last (or bottom) flap to the rail B, Figure 2); I fit B to the sliding
rail C, with movements, making an incline plane with the slides when the
table is closed, (D, Figure 3,) I fix stops on the under side of the bottom flap,
arranged according to the width and the number of the flaps; I fix stops also
on the slides to come in contact as the slides expand. The fixed tops are
carried from each other and the flaps into the open space, and there stoped
in the grove of the rail C; the lifting movements are now acted upon by the
stops on the slides pressing against the stops on the under side, the bottom flap,
and the movements for one flap raised from the incline, perpendicular, raising
the flap into the plane, and stoped in that position by the leaver E, Figure 3,)
close the slides, and the extra flap is inserted in the plane.
For the second flap I continue to expand the slides, the first stops on the
slides pass under the stops on the flap, the first flap, attatched to one of the
tops by a catch or ordinary fastening, slide over the second or lower flap on soft
rolers fitted to the upper flap by frames to drop (as releived from bearing) per-
pendicular on the slides to suport the flaps (F, F, F, F, F, see also Figures 4
and 5.) The first flap passed off the lower flap, the second stops on the slides,
which are the thickness of the flap above the level of the slides, act as before
discribed to raise the second flap into the plane, illustrated by Figure 2, and
so on for the number of flaps the table may be made to contain. To close the
table I expand the slides, to free the pins I lift the leaver E, then close the
slides, and the flap last raised into the plane will lower the thickness of the
flap, (which is equil in thickness with the top) and slide underneath the flap
in the plane, the edge of the flap press against the rolers and turn the suports
back under the flap and pass on freely; I do as above discribed and draw
the fastenings for the next and remaining flap or flaps, I close the slides, the
flaps will lower and slide into the alloted space underneath the fixed tops,
represented by Figure 1.
In the above illustrations and discription I have the flaps and tops of equil
length, and the flaps equil in width to the length of the side rails; the flaps

page_text: may be made any portion of that length or width, and the table tops of any
other suitable dementions or form.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lawford, set my hand and seal,
this Ninth day March, One thousand eaight hundred and fifty-eaight.
HENKY LAWFORD. (L.S.)