Improvements in Sliding or Moveable Screens or Partitions for Dividing Off Rooms in Schools and other places.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sliding or Moveable Screens or Partitions for
Dividing Off Rooms in Schools and other places.
I, GEORGE CRAIG of 85, Duke Street, Leith in the County of Midlothian,
North Britain, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in sliding or moveable screens or
partitions for dividing off rooms in schools and other places.
The sliding screens travel on rails or in grooves in the ordinary way, in such
a manner that they can be extended out or closed in telescopically; at present
however even when they are all closed together, a certain amount of room is taken
up to the extent of the width of the door. My invention consists in getting rid of
this obstruction by throwing back the closed screen so that it lies flat against the
wall. This I effect by causing the closed screen to turn upon pivots or hinges.
I may provide each leaf or door of the screen with an arrangement of levers such
that by operating them with a key or lever, the ordinary travelling wheels are
raised off the rails and simultaneously a bolt is shot into a hole provided in the
floor so as to act as a pivot upon which the portions of the screen can turn; also
simultaneously the travelling wheel at the other end of each screen portion may
be raised off the rail and a castor or other wheel thrown into operation so as to
support the said or outer end of the screen portion in its radial travel. Or
I may employ any equivalent of the said mechanical arrangements for pivoting
the screen.
Dated this 22nd day of Anril 1893
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sliding or Moveable Screens or Partitions for
Dividing Off Rooms in Schools and other places.
I, GEORGE CRAIG of 85 Duke Street, Leith in the County of Midlothian,
North Britain, Architect, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in sliding or moveable screens or
partitions for dividing off rooms in schools and other places.
The sliding screens travel on rails or in grooves, in such a manner that they
can be extended out or closed in télescopically; at present however when they are
all closed together, a certain amount of room is taken up to the extent of the
width of the door. My invention consists in getting rid of this obstruction by
throwing back the closed screen so that it lies against the wall. This I effect by
causing the closed screen to turn upon pivots or hinges. I provide each leaf or
door of the screen or division with an arrangement of levers such that by operating
them with a key or lever, the ordinary travelling wheels are raised off the rails
or out of the grooves and a bolt is shot into a hole provided in the floor and
simultaneously a bolt fits into a socket in the lintel so as to act as top and bottom
pivots upon which the portions of the screen can turn; the travelling wheel at the

page_text: other end of each division is raised off the rail or out of the groove and a castor
or other wheel is thrown into operation so as to support the said or outer end of
the division in its radial travel.
On Sheet 1 Figure 1 is an elevation of a sliding screen divided into four hinged
divisions.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3.is a ecctional elevation, the section being taken along the line W. X.
Figure 1. and
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken along the line Y. Z.
Figure 1 showing the screens after they have been telescoped together and have.
been raised up ready to be swung back to the wall.
On Sheet 2, Figure 5 is a part elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of one of the
divisions raised up and ready to be swung back to the wall.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of the same, with one division partly in section to
show the bolt G.
Figure 7 is a part elevation of a division lowered and ready to be run out to
form a division.
Figure 8 is an end elevation of the same, partly in section one of the wheels
only being shown.
Each of the doors is fitted with two flanged wheels A at the bottom, which run
in grooves in the floor. The top of the screen runs into deep iron grooves E bolted
to the lintel. The bolt B on top inside edge of each division when the division is
raised, goes into socket B' in lintel and forms a hinge at top in the converting of
each division into a hinged door. The bolt is provided with a friction pulley C.
A long slip bolt D is at the outside end of each division to form a guide for the
division when converted into a sliding screen.
On the bottom of each division are placed two bolts; the one I on the inside
edge (or hinged side) forms a hinge for the division; the other, G, on the outside
edge is fitted with a wheel g. at bottom, and when these two bolts are forced down,
as hereinafter described, they lift the division out of grooves in floor; the inside
bolt goes into socket H in the floor and forms a hinge and the outside_bolt is
provided with a wheel to run on a curved metal plate K, Figures 2 and 5 the
divisions thus being folded against the wall.
TO CONVERT SLIDING SCREENS INTO HINGED DOORS.
Pull the divisions to the one side where the bolts are set into their sockets in
the floor, and in the lintel, for each division. Pull down the sliding bolts D at
outside edge and raise the divisions out of the grooves in the floor by placing the
portable bandles J Figure 5A into the square sockets ; Figures 5 and 7 in the
bolts F and G on the stiles of the divisions, the handles pointing upwards. Turn
the handles inwards to centre of division till handles point to the floor, the divisions
will then be raised out of the grooves; then swing the divisions back to the
wall, always taking the division nearest wall first, then the second, the third and
fourth, and so on.
To lower the divisions into the grooves, place the handles into their sockets the
handles pointing downwards to the floor, then raise the handles till they are
pointing upwards, the divisions will then be into the grooves, then push up the
sliding bolts at top of divisions after that the divisions will slide along the grooves
in the floor.
The screens can be divided into any number of divisions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-

page_text: substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The means for effecting the above, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The raising and lowering of the sliding screens for the purpose of closing or
opening the same, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The means for effecting the above, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894.
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agent.