AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING TABLE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johan Martin Levien, of Davies Street, Gros-
venor Square, in the County of Middlesex, Upholsterer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING TABLE." -
Sealed the 9th January 1854, and dated the 11th November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johan Martin Levien
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th November 1853.
I, JOHAN MARTIN LEVIEN, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING TABLE" to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of connecting together the
sliding parts which compose the frame of expanding tables, the chief
object being to permit of their sliding freely one over the other when
the table is required to be clongated or shortened.
The parts which slide over each other and form the sides of the frame
are severally recessed on their inner or contact surfaces, and grooves
are formed therein to receive the top and bottom edges of a vertical
guide plate, which is mounted on a block affixed to and projecting out
from the recess of the. adjacent side piece. These metal plates each
carry two anti-friction rollers, which bear against the edges of the recess
of that side piece in the grooves of which their bearing plate slides.

page_text: The rollers, it will be understood, receive and transmit the vertical
pressure in the same manner as the tongues or hubs in the ordinary
frame, but with a greatly reduced amount of friction when the table is
being drawn out or shortened, and the plates which carry the rollers
ensure the lateral connection of the sliding pieces with each other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johan Martin Levien in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHAN MARTIN LEVIEN, of Davies Street, Grosvenor Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Upholsterer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Johan Martin Levien, Her
special license that I, the said Johan Martin Levien, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Johan Martin
Levien, 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
"AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING TABLE," being a communica-
tion from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Johan Martin Levien, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johan Martin Levien, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
This Invention, as comunicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to a novel mode of connecting together the sliding parts which
compose the frame of expanding tables, the chief object being to permit
of their sliding freely one over the other when the table is required to be
elongated or shortened.
In constructing expanding tables according to this Invention the
parts which slide over each other and form the connection between
the two end frames are severally recessed on their opposite sides, and
the inner or contact surfaces of the side pieces of the end frames are
similarly recessed, and grooves are formed in these recesses to receive
respectively the top and bottom edges of a metal guide plate, which is
mounted on a block affixed to and projecting out from the recess of the
adjacent side piece.
These metal plates each carry two anti-friction rollers, which are
intended to bear against the edges of the recess of that side piece in the
grooves of which their bearing plate slides, and thereby to receive and
transmit the vertical pressure put upon the table, in the same manner
as the tongues or ribs on the ordinary frame (but with a greatly reduced
amount of friction), and the plates which carry the rollers ensure at all
times the lateral connection of the sliding pieces with each other.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1, shews in longitudinal section
so much of the side frame of an expanding table extended as will serve
to explain the construction of the improved slide; Fig. 2, is a cross
section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a section taken in
the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, is a section taken in the line 5, 6,
of the same Figure. a, is one of the end pieces which carry the two
fixed or end leaves of the table; and b, b, are two sliding pieces
which connect the piece a, with a similar piece at the other end of the
frame (not shewn in the Drawing). The several pieces a, and b, are
similarly recessed as at c, c, c, (but the former only on one side,) and
lateral grooves are formed in the sides of these recesses, as shewn best at

page_text: Fig. 2. Fixed in these recesses c, and projecting therefrom, are filling
pieces or blocks d, to which plates c, e, are 'secured. These plates
carry anti-friction rollers ff, which, when the sliding pieces composing
the frame of the table are put together, bear against the opposite sides
of the recess of the adjacent sliding piece, while the horizontal edges of
the plates e slide in the lateral grooves before mentioned, and thereby
effect the locking together of the several sliding pieces. The pieces
b, b, are provided at both sides with anti-friction rollers, and blocks
and plates to carry them, but the end pieces a, having but one surface
in contact with the sliding pieces, require but one pair of rollers.
The blocks or filling pieces form stops to prevent the slides coming
apart when the table is being run out to its full length, and by entering
the recess of the adjacent sliding pieces they give strength and rigidity
to the slide. Tables may thus be made of any required length by
adding any given number of sliding pieces b, fitted with anti-friction
rollers as described. The attachment of the additional leaves may be
made in any ordinary manner.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Construction of Expanding Table," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the mode of constructing the slides of expanding
tables, as above described, whereby I am enabled to reduce the friction
of the moving parts and give strength and rigidity to the frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johan Martin Levien, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
W. E. NEWTON,
66, Chancery Lane.
J. M. LEVIEN. (L.S.)