IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF SCHOOL FURNITURE AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Banks, of Brook Street, Knutsford,
in the County of Cheshire, Architect & Surveyor, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF SCHOOL
FURNITURE AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES.”
Sealed the 11th November 1870, and dated the 16th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Banks at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th May 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY BANKS, of Brook Street, Knutsford, in the County of
Cheshire, Architect & Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF
SCHOOL FURNITURE AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
Whereas that at present tables, desks, and other similar articles are
made of wood framed together by tenons, mortices, grooves, keys, and
other similar methods, I, to carry out my Invention, intend in a great
measure to dispense with these by the use of standards, frames, or straps,

page_text: constructed with requisite flanges, grooves, and other formations to
receive, bear, and retain the various parts of the woodwork in any
required position, which frames or standards I shall make of any kind of
material or metal, which may be cast from a pattern or formed of
ordinary rods, plates, angle iron, or any combination of the same or 5
similar materials.
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And further in the case of childrens' school desks I intend to construct
a hinge on the upper extremity of the standard, the corresponding part
of which hinge will be formed with an iron plate which will be screwed
to the desk board, which plate will further have formed upon it the part 10
of another hinge to which will be attached a curved rod, which rod will
by the application of a screw, a lever, or excentric, or any other simple
check or contrivance, be held firmly at any particular part, thus enabling
the desk board to be fixed or held at any angle in its circuit.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Banks in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ILENRY BANKS, of Brook Street, Knutsford, in the County of Cheshire,
Architect and Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, tho said John Henry Banks, Her special licence that
I, the said John Henry Banks, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Henry Banks, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF SCHOOL FURNITURE AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Banks, my executors or administrators, by an instrument

page_text: school desks, framed desks, cupboards, drawers, casels, and other articlés
of similar kind.
And, second. An improvement in the hinge or joint that is used to
allow the desk board to be moved and fixed at any angle required.
same letters of reference refer to all parts throughout.
The
Whereas that at present tables, framed desks, cupboards, and other
similar articles are made of wood framed together by tenons, mortices,
grooves, keys, and other similar methods, I, to carry out my Invention,
intend in a great measure to dispense with these by the use of standards,
frames, and straps, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 13, constructed with
requisite flanges, grooves, and other formations to receive, bear, and
retain the various parts of the woodwork in any required position (which
frames or standards I shall make of any kind of material or metal,
which may be cast from a pattern or formed of ordinary rods, plates,
angle iron, or any combination of the same or similar material), as is
shewn on the framed desk W, Figs. 1 and 2, and easel F, 3, 4, 13, and
chair G, Figs. 5 and 6, on the Drawings attached to this Specification or
any modifications of the same.
And further, in the case of childrens' school desks V, Figs. 7, I intend
to construct a hinge on the upper extremity of the standard L, the
corresponding part of which hinge will be formed on an iron plate m,
Fig. 10, which plate will be secured to the desk board R, Figs. 7 and 10,
by screws, or in any other convenient manner.
And further, the before-mentioned iron plate m, Fig. 10, will have
formed upon it the part of another or. second hinge z, Figs. 9 and 10, to

page_text: which will be attached the curved rod or strap n, Figs. 7, 9, and 10,
which rod can by the application of a screw U, Fig. 12, lever or catch P,
eccentric t, 10, or any other simple check or contrivance, be held firmly
at any particular part, thus enabling the desk board R, Figs. 7 and 10,
to be fixed or held at any angle in its circuit, as is fully shewn in the
Drawings.
And further the curved rod or strap n I shall under some circumstances
form as a part and parcel of the hinge plate m, thus dispensing with
the second hinge a, in which case the rod or strap will form the segment
of a circle struck from the centre of hinge i.
I claim the construction of desks, cupboards, drawers, easels, chairs,
and other similar articles, in such a manner that by the use of metal
standards, frames, and straps I dispense with labour in joinery, tenons,
mortices, &c. as is fully described in my Specification.
I also claim the construction of the hinge as described or any
modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Banks, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.