Improvements in or relating to School Desks and Seats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to School Desks and Seats.
I, OSCAR ANDRÉ of 15 Rue Royale, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to school desks and seats and more particularly to
those which accommodate two pupils side by side, an arrangement now very
generally adopted. Among the drawbacks of this arrangement I may mention
that the number of legs or supports of these desks and seats which are usually
fixed to the floor much interferes with the proper cleaning of the schoolroom;
that the desks and seats are difficult to pack for transport and that they cannot be
readily adapted to any modified position or arrangement.
Now according to my invention I combine two, three, four or more double desks
and seats with one central longitudinal beam or bar supported at its ends by
legs (with one or more intermediate supports when of sufficient length to require
it) so that it constitutes a sort of trestle which supports the desks and seats at
a suitable height from the floor, the desks and seats being placed transversely of
the beam. With this arrangement the floor of the room is left almost clear
while the beam or trestle with its four, six, eight or more seats and corresponding
desks can be shifted bodily when necessary for cleansing or other purposes. The
desks and seats can be easily packed for transport abroad, or elsewhere, while
the longitudinal beam or bar which is the only heavy piece can be made almost
anywhere.
There
In carrying out my invention the central longitudinal beam is supported by legs
at front and by other legs at back the back legs being preferably longer than the
front ones so that the back desks and seats are higher than the front ones.
are blocks or wedges between the beam and the seats so that by varying the
thickness of these blocks the height of the seats can be adjusted. The desks are
fixed to the beam by bolts, and their ends are connected by diagonal stays to the
beam. The seats are likewise bolted to the beam and their ends are connected by
When the beam is long,
diagonal stays to projections on the top of the beam.
such as will carry, say, four or more transverse double desks and seats, it is
preferably supported at the middle by one or more tubular uprights.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1894.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
I, OSCAR ANDRÉ of 15 Rue Royale, Paris, in the French Republic, Engineer,
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 school desks and seats, and more particularly to those

page_text: which accommodate two pupils side by side, an arrangement now very generally
adopted. Among the drawbacks of such desks and seats as previously constructed,
was the number of legs or supports which were usually fixed to the floor and which
much interfered with the proper cleaning of the school room. Further, such desks
or seats were difficult to pack for transport, and could not readily be adapted to
any modified position or arrangement.
According to this invention either two three four or more double desks and seats
are placed transversely upon a central longitudinal beam or bar which is supported
at its end by suitable legs. If the bar or beam is of great length intermediate legs
or supports may be provided. The floor of the room is thus left almost clear and
the beam or bar with its four six eight or more desks and seats can be moved
bodily when necessary. The desks and seats are casily packed for transport and
the central beam or bar which is the only heavy piece may be made almost
anywhere.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I have hereto
appended a sheet of drawings to which I make reference hereinafter. The figures
illustrate combined desks and seats for accommodating eight pupils.
Figure 1 represents the combined desks and seats in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a representation of them in plan, and
Figure 3 illustrates them in end elevation.
A central longitudinal beam or bar L of sufficient cross section to resist twisting
is supported at its ends by the feet or supports P P¹ the latter being preferably
slightly longer than the former so that the back seats and desks of the group are
slightly higher than the front ones. A strong trestle is thus formed upon which
the desks and seats are placed transversely. In the example illustrated the beam L
is 3-60 metres long and 10 centimetres square. The seats B are placed transversely
beneath the bar L and are secured in place by bolts or other devices, wedge-
shaped packing pieces eccle being interposed to permit of adjustment of the
height. The ends of the seats are supported by stays tt, attached to blocks E
which are connected with the bar L and the backs D of the seats. The desks T are
fixed transversely to the beam by bolts and are further supported by the
struts d d which are connected to the beam L. When a long beam is used two
adjustable tubular uprights mare preferably placed to support the ends of one of
the desks so as to enable the beam to resist twisting without having its cross section
largely increased.
Owing to the absence of the ordinary legs of the desks and seats, considerable
reduction is effected in the cost of manufacture.
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
1. Desks and seats constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In multiple desks and seats the combination with a central longitudinal beam
or bar of transverse seats and desks constructed and arranged substantially as
herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of January A.D. 1895.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.