IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL FURNITURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO DOORS, SHUTTERS, AND LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Leggett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
September 1873.
.
I, GEORGE LEGGETT, of Portman Square, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SCHOOL FURNITURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO DOORS,
SHUTTERS, AND LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:―
This Invention rolates to school desks so constructed as to be con-
vertible to various purposes, and consists,―
Firstly. In a novel device for securing the desk board at any desired
angle for forming either a sloped writing desk, a table, or a seat back..
The desk and seat parts are secured upon standards which are cast in
any convenient form and beneath the desk board, and secured thereto
are bearings or supports which are linged or pivotted at the centre of a
semicircular metal bar or band in such manner that as the alteration of
position is effected the desk board will traverse the semicircular metal
band, this band is toothed or serrated on one edge.

page_text: The locking device consists of a bar of metal upon which is cast a lug
having a shoulder with a friction wheel mounted thereon, a spring
acting upon the said wheel so as to hold the lug forward, and this
device is clamped to the under side of the desk board in such relation to
the semicircular band as that the lug on the bar shall engage with the
teeth on the scrrated edge of the said bar and lock the desk board at any
desired position.
When the slope is required to be changed a key is applied to the end
of the bar, which is squared or formed for that purpose, by which means
the bar is turned in its bearings, and the lug put out of gear with the
serrated edge, leaving the desk board free to be turned to another
position, when it is again locked as before.
Secondly. This Invention consists in an arrangement for holding the
slates, copybooks, pens, pencils, and such requisites of cach scholar, so
that each desk may be complete in its accomodation. On the under side
of the desk board are strips of wood of the thickness of the slate frames,
and buttons or catches are provided so that when the slates are not in
use they are placed between the strips and secured by the buttons, and at
the end of the desk drawers are provided for copy books, pens, and like
articles. Attached to the rearward edge of the desk board and at right
angles thereto is a board which serves as a reading slope when the desk
board is "set" so as to form a back to the seat.
And, Thirdly. In order to provide against the inconvenience of
removing the ink wells and the possibility of spilling the ink on any
sudden change of position of the desk board I employ an ink holder
of a spherical form and having a screwed orifice. This spherical well or
holder is placed under the desk, and a tube which has a screw formed
on the outside in the centre thereof is passed through the desk board
and screwed into the orifice in the ink holder. As the tube extends into
tho well but does not dip into the ink when the position of the desk is
altered the ink will flow to one side and around the tube without
spilling.
The locking device referred to in the first part of this Specification
is applicable to other purposes such as doors, shutters, and like purposes.
When the locking device described in the first part of this Specification a
is applied to doors, shutters, and similar purposes, the lug of the lock

page_text: instead of being cast upon the bar to which the key is applied is made
with a square hole or socket, and the key is formed with a solid square
end which is inserted into the socket of the lug which is then turned
down into the staple or boxing.
The staple or boxing as also the lug is larger at the top or upper
extremity than at the lower, and a spring is provided which acts upon a
shoulder on the lug to hold it forward, and an arm formed upon the key
(or formed within the lock with a hole or socket) when the key is
inserted will raise the spring and allow the lug to turn. By forming the
lug and staple as described increased security in the locking device is
afforded.