IMPROVEMENTS IN TELESCOPIC TABLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES FRASER of 17 Shamrock Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Cabinetmaker do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN TELESCOPIC TABLES to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in telescopic tables, has reference
to the arrangement of gear for expanding or contracting the length of the table
and adding or removing one, two, three or more leaves, and my Invention also
relates to arrangements for stowing the extra leaves when not required below the
table top.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a rotating screw shaft running the
length of the table and mounted centrally beneath the table top, the one extremity
of the shaft being secured at the one or moveable end of the table. A nut is
secured to the telescopic framing beneath the table top, the said nut travelling
along the screw shaft as the said shaft is rotated, the telescopic framing being thus
expanded or contracted to make room for one, two or more leaves or to close up
the table. In accordance with my Invention the screw shaft is mounted in a lower
position beneath the table top than heretofore in order that sufficient depth may
be given between the underside of the table top and the screw shaft to hold a series
of leaves, preferably three, one above the other.
In order to operate the screw shaft thus arranged, with speed, I prefer to employ
a toothed wheel gearing with a pinion keyed upon the end of the shaft at the one
end of the table, the said wheel being provided with a short shaft projecting
through the frame of the table at the one end thereof, a crank handle being fitted
upon the square end of the short shaft when it is required to rotate the screw shaft
to expand or contract the length of the table.
In stowing the extra leaves under the table top, I construct a well between the
table top and the screwed shaft. The well is formed with stepped sides, the leaves
being graduated in width to fit the ledges, in order that each leaf may be separately
supported within the well, the depth of the ledges being preferably slightly greater
than that of the leaves in order that the leaves may not touch each other. The
ledges are preferably lined with baize cloth or other material to keep the leaves
from damage.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: I, JAMES FRASER of 17 Shamrock St. Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN TELESCOPIC TABLES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention, which relates to improvements in telescopic tables, has reference
to the arrangement of gear for expanding or contracting the length of the table
and adding or removing one, two, three or more leaves and to the arrangement and
construction of the leaf holder beneath the table top.
In carrying out my improvements, I employ a rotating screw shaft running the
length of the table and mounted centrally beneath the table top. The one extremity
of the screw shaft, at the moveable end of the table, has keyed upon it a pinion
geared into by a toothed wheel which is operated by a cranked handle from the
outside of the said moveable end of the table.
Between the said screwed shaft and the underside of the table top is arranged
my improved leaf holder.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed:-
Figure 1, of the accompanying sheets of drawings represents a longitudinal
sectional elevation of my improved telescope table.
Figure 2, is a transverse section.
Figure 3, a plan of the underside and Figure 4, an end elevation of the same.
The screw shaft a, is encased, when the table is closed up, as in Figure 1, within
the tube b, the said tube being secured to the under parts c, of the fixed framing of
the table by the small bracket or holder b¹, and by the corresponding bracket b³, the
bracket 63, also constituting a nut through which the screw shaft operates.-
A pinion d, is keyed upon the extremity of the screwed shaft a, and gearing with
it is the toothed wheel d. The plate e affords bearing centres for the end of the
screw shaft a, and for the short shaft of the toothed wheel d', the said wheel being
further supported by the band or bracket f. The outer end of the short shaft of
the toothed wheel d¹, is squared to receive the key of the cranked handle g. The
gearing hereinbefore described together with the screwed shaft is carried along with
this end of the table as the screw shaft is rotated through the fixed nut b-The
one half A of the table top is fixed upon the outer slides h, Figures 2 and 3, the
said slides, as the half A of the table is drawn out, being drawn out from the side-
by side position they before occupied, with the inner guides i, forming part of the
fixed under framing of the table, the arrangements of the slides, one with the other
being of the ordinary construction.
The leaf holder J, as shewn more particularly in Figure 2, is mounted between
the table top and the expanding shatt a, and
formed between the inner frame
portions k, of the table. The holder has its sides formed with graduated steps or
ledges j, Figure 2, each leaf 7, Figures 1 and 2, being laid upon its own ledge j, in
a longitudinal direction, the widths of the leaves being graduated to fit the
graduated ledges in the holder. The sides of the holder are preferably covered with

page_text: baize cloth or other suitable material to keep the leaves from damage; and as
shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the depths of the ledges are preferably made slightly
greater than that of the thickness of the leaves in order to provide a circulation of
air between the leaves, and to prevent the one leaf touching the other; this
arrangement of stowing away the leaves being calculated to preserve them in good
condition and prevent warping, and a further improvement being effected in that
by the increased depth between the table top and the expanding screw shaft,
constructed in accordance with my improvements, a greater number of leaves can
be stowed away beneath the table than could conveniently or without damage to
the leaves, be done before.
In operation and when it is required to lengthen the table from its closed
position as in Figure 1, the key of the cranked handle is applied to the squared
shaft at the end of the moveable half A of the table and the handle rotated, rotating
the screw shaft a, and causing it, together with the rest of this half of the table,
through the medium of the fixed nut, to be drawn out from the rest of the table a
sufficient distance for the insertion of one, two, three or other number of leaves to
be added, the table being closed by first taking out from between the halves of the
table the leaf or leaves and sliding it or them length-ways between the halves of
the table top on to the ledge or ledges of the holder.
A further advantage of my improved arrangement of gear for operating the
screw shaft being that the operations of expanding and contracting the table are
much more rapidly effected by the increased speed given to the screw shaft, by the
rotating of the toothed wheel d, with the pinion d.-I do not however limit
myself to the employment of the two toothed wheels of different diameters, as two
such wheels as d, may be employed if found more convenient for tables of increased
size and weight for example.
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 :-
First. In telescope tables, the arrangement, construction and combination of the
expanding screw shaft a, and gearing d, d¹, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
Second. The arrangement and construction of the leaf holder J, to give an
increased depth thereto, between the table top and the expanding screw shaft
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third. The arrangement and construction of the graduated or stepped ledges j,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
.
T
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents: