Improvements in or applicable to School Desks, for the Purpose of Affording Improved Means of Access To and Egress From the same, and for Enabling Each Occupant to Sit in a Correct. Position thereat for Writing and other Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to School Desks, for the Purpose of
Affording Improved Means of Access To and Egress From the
same, and for Enabling Each Occupant to Sit in a Correct.
Position thereat for Writing and other Purposes.
We, JOSEPH RICHARD HILL, of Lye near Stourbridge in the County of
Worcester, Manufacturer, and SAMUEL BRIDGE, of Lye, near Stourbridge, in the
County of Worcester, Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The objects of the improvements comprised in this invention are, first, the
construction of an improved desk and seat, either of which can be adjusted vertically
or horizontally to suit the requirements of the occupant, and, secondly, the con-
struction of an improved series of separate seats attached to the framework of a
desk in such a manner as to be separately capable of horizontal adjustment, and
arranged so as to give each occupant perfect freedom of access or egress without
interfering with the others.
In order to describe our invention, we shall make reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which the same letters are put to denote the same parts in the different
views of the objects illustrated. We do not bind ourselves, however, to any precise
details, relative proportions or dimensions represented in the drawings, as the same
may be considerably varied without departing from the invention.
Fig. 1 represents an end view of the improved desk and seat, and shows the
means employed for the horizontal adjustment of the same. The apparatus for
effecting the adjustment is preferably attached to the seat, but it may be applied to
the desk if considered desirable, or even to both.
The seat A rests upon two movable supports or rockers B, which, working in
suitable bearings at the top and bottom, can be moved freely to the position
indicated by the dotted lines, thus largely increasing the space between the desk C
and seat. These rockers (see a longitudinal view in Fig. 2) have their lower
bearings fixed to the under side of a beam D, made of wood or iron, the upper
portion of which is suitably shaped to allow the required_travel of the rockers and
to stop their movement each way at the proper point. The rockers can be locked
in either of the positions indicated in Fig. 1 by means of a connecting bar E, jointed
at each end to the rockers as shown, and having holes F1 and F2, into which a bolt G,
fixed to the beam D, can be shot. By slightly modifying the shape of the connecting
bar E, and by putting a close succession of holes throughout its length, the seat A
may readily be fixed at any point in its travel by means of the bolt G.
In order to prevent noise or rattle in the movement of the rockers, the bearings
both top and bottom are preferably made of hard wood; and leather, rubber or
other suitable material is placed to receive the impact of the rockers on their
forward and backward movement.
Vertical adjustment of both desk and seat can be secured by forming the lower
part of each standard like a tube or socket to receive the upper part. Either desk or
seat may then be raised or lowered to any desired position and fixed there by means
of a set screw or other suitable arrangement, without interfering in any way with
the action of the rockers.
Fig. 2, which affords a longitudinal view of the improved seat A, shows the
method of arranging any number of separate seats to a desk. The seats are
disposed at suitable distances along the beam D, and an occupant has only to step
over the beam in order to take his or her place at the desk. Moreover, as the

page_text: beam D is supported at each end by the desk standard H, the desk with all its
seats can readily be moved from one place to another without disturbing the relative
position of desk and seats.
Dated this 9th day of March 1802
SAMUEL BRIDGE,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to School Desks, for the Purpose of
Affording Improved Means of Access To and Egress From the
same, and for Enabling Each Occupant to Sit in a Correct
Position thereat for Writing and other Purposes.
I, JOSEPH RICHARD HILL, of Lye, near Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Manufacturer, and I, SAMUEL BRIDGE, also of Lye, near Stourbridge,
in the County of Worcester, Schoolmaster, 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 :-
The objects of the improvements comprised in this invention are, first, the
construction of an improved desk and seat for use by a single person, either or
both of which can be adjusted vertically or horizontally to suit the requirements of
the occupant; and, secondly, the construction of an improved series of separate.
seats attached to the framework of a desk made to accommodate two or more
persons, such seats to be separately capable of horizontal adjustment, and arranged
so as to give each individual occupant perfect freedom of ingress or egress without
disturbing the others.
In order to describe our invention, we shall make reference to the drawings.
lodged with our Provisional Specification, and also to those attached to the present
Specification, the same letters being put to denote the same parts throughout. We
do not bind ourselves, however, to any precise details, relative proportions or
dimensions represented in the drawings, as the same may be considerably varied
without departing from the invention.
Figs. 1 and 3 represent end views of the improved single desk and seat, and show
the nature of the mechanism employed for adjusting the horizontal distance between
them. Figs. 4 and 5 represent back views of the same. The improved apparatus
for effecting the horizontal adjustment is attached preferably to the seat, but it
may be applied to the desk, if thought desirable.
The seat A. rests upon two oscillating supports or "rockers" B, which, working
in suitable bearings at the top and bottom, can be moved freely to the position
indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, thus largely increasing the space
between the desk C and the seat. These rockers have their upper bearings
attached to the seat, and their lower ones are supported either by a beam D, as
represented in Figs. 1 and 4, or by the head of a column or pedestal J, as
represented in Figs. 3 and 5, the principle of the oscillating movement being the
same in either arrangement. The beam D is suitably shaped to allow the required
travel of the rockers, and to stop their movement each way at the proper point;
and the pedestal J has a pillar K attached to it for the same purpose. The
rockers can be locked in either of the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 by means
of a connecting bar E, jointed at each end to the rockers as shown, and provided
with holes F1 and F2, into which a bolt G, fixed to the beam D or the pillar K,
can be shot. By suitably curving the connecting bar E, as shown in Fig. 3, and
putting a close succession of holes throughout its length, the seat A may be fixed
at various points in its travel by means of the bolt G.
If considered preferable, a set screw may be employed in place of the bolt for
securing the connecting bar E, the latter being suitably shaped to permit of this
prrangement.

page_text: In order to prevent noise or rattle in the movement of the rockers, the bearings
of the latter, both top and bottom, are preferably made of hard wood; and leather,
rubber or other suitable material is placed to receive the impact of the rockers on
their forward and backward movement.
Fig. 2 shows how separate oscillating seats can be fitted to the framework of a
desk made to accommodate two or more persons. The beam D is here of sufficient
length to permit the required number of seats to be fixed at suitable distances
along it, and an occupant has only to step over the beam in order to take his or her
place at the desk.
The latter are
Fig. 6 represents another method of arranging the seats.
constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, riz. with pedestals underneath the rockers,
and the beam supporting them is placed close to the floor, thus affording the
occupants increased freedom of access to or egress from the desk. Moreover, as the
beam in either case is attached to the standard H of the desk, the latter together
with its seats can readily be moved from one part of the room to another as a single
article of furniture.
Vertical adjustment of the desk and seat shown in Figs. 1 and 3 may be
obtained by forming the lower part of the standard H and of the pedestal J in the
shape of a socket, into which the upper part is made to fit, as shown in vertical and
cross section respectively by Figs. 7 and 8. The socket and the part of the
standard or pedestal fitting into it are provided with suitable teeth M, which
engage with each other and are held in position by a set screw (or eccentric) N.
The standard or pedestal can thus be readily fixed at various heights by means of
this arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
(1.) The improved apparatus for effecting the horizontal movement and adjust-
ment of the desk and seat, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
(2.) The improved method of attaching two or more oscillating seats to the
framework of a desk made to accommodate two or more persons, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
(3.) The improved method of obtaining vertical adjustment of desk and seat,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of December 1893.
JOSEPH RICHARD HILL,
SAMUEL BRIDGE,
Applicants.