Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887
I, ABRAHAM ASHWORTH of 95, Bridge Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Cabinet Maker 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:―
My invention is applicable in whole or in part to office desks, pedestal tables,
dressing tables, chests of drawers, and cabinets generally, and the object of my
invention is to enable the fastening and unfastening of all the drawers, cupboards or
desk flaps in any such piece of furniture to be accomplished at one operation and by
means of one key. In carrying my invention into effect I arrange one drawer,
preferably in the centre, to lock in the usual manner and in connection with this
drawer I arrange rocking shafts or levers in such position that they may be acted upon
by the said drawer, the closing of which will thereby fasten all the other drawers or
doors in the chest.
In desks or other articles provided with a top flap I arrange a catch to be acted
upon by the said drawer either directly or indirectly by means of rocking shafts or
levers, or I arrange a tongue of metal on the lower side of the said flap, which will
when the flap is shut and the drawer locked be below and behind the top of the bolt
of the lock of the said drawer, so that the flap cannot be raised until the said drawer
is unlocked.
I propose to make the flaps of writing desks in two pieces joined together by hinges
and arranged so that one half may be folded over the other and the two slid together
into a recess formed for their reception under the desk-head so that when the desk is
in use the flap may be stowed away out of sight.
I propose in some cases to arrange shelves hinged on vertical pins at the corners of
desks &c. which may when necessary be held in recesses provided for their reception
by arms on the rocking shafts before referred to.
Referring to the drawings accompanying this specification, Fig. 1 is the front
elevation of a desk fitted with my improvements. Fig. 2 is the end elevation and
Fig. 3 the plan of same. Fig. 4 is a plan of a rocking shaft and its actuating
mechanism with the central drawer closed. Fig. 5 is the same view with the said

page_text: drawer slightly opened. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the upper part of a rocking
shaft with the central drawer closed. Fig. 7 is a part section of desk through the
lock. Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 show the lock in detail.
a. 1, a. 1, are vertical rocking shafts carried in bearings at the top and bottom.
a. 2, u. 2, are arms on the rocking shafts which project inwards under the central
drawer. 3, are arms on the rocking shafts provided with projections on the end
as shown. When the central drawer is closed the blocks a, a, which are fixed to its
underside come into contact with the arms a, a, carrying the shafts a₁, a₁, and with
them the arms a, a, round into the position shewn in Fig. 4.
It will be seen that in this position the projections on the arms a3, 3, enter into
recesses formed in the sides of the side drawers, thereby holding them firmly closed.
It will also be seen that all the side drawers must be closed before the central drawer
can be pushed home. When the central drawer is closed it can be locked in the usual
manner thus securing the whole of the drawers in the cabinet or pedestal table.
When it is desired to unlock the drawers the central drawer is pulled out a short
distance. This brings projections on the blocks a. a. into contact with bell cranks a. a
causing them to revolve on vertical pins a. a and by pressing on the back sides of the
arms a. a. draw them forward into the position shewn in Fig. 5 thus releasing all
the drawers. In order to prevent the possibility of the bell cranks a. a. getting into
such a position that the central drawer cannot be closed, I attach rubber or other
suitable springs a. a. which when the central drawer is fully withdrawn hold the bell
cranks back against the stops alg. g:
.
The flap covering the desk is made in two parts b₁. b. hinged together so that b₁. can
be folded back on to b₂. which in its turn is hinged to sliding blocks b₂, the object of
the arrangement being that the flap can be folded together and pushed bodily back out
of sight into the recess b
The flap b. is provided with a tongue or tongues c. c. which when the flap is shut
and the central drawer locked lie below and behind the bolt of the lock c, as shewn
in Figs. 7 and 11, holding the tongues . c. firmly in position after the manner of a
"lewis bolt."
It will be seen that in my improved desk when desirable the flap may be left open
though all the drawers are secured.
d. d. are shelves hinged on vertical pins d. d. The shelves can be swung round
into any convenient position or into a recess provided for their reception where they
may be held by arms on the rocking shafts a₁. a₁₁
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 :-
(1.) The method of securing the whole or part of the drawers or cupboards in desks,
cabinets, and the like, by means of projections on rocking shafts actuated by the
movement of one part of the piece of furniture, which part may be secured by a lock,
substantially as described and shown.
(2.) The method of making the flaps of writing desks and the like in two pieces
joined together by hinges and arranged so that one half may be folded over the other
and the two slid together into a recess formed for their reception under the desk-head.
(3.) The method of securing the flaps of writing desks and the like by means of a
tongue or tongues which when the flap is shut and the drawer below locked project
below and behind the bolt of the lock substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of August 1887