IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINET DESKS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, in the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINET DESKS." A communication from Johann
Kuhlmann of Hambure in the Common Thing
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October
1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINET DESKS." A commu-
nication from Johann Kuhlmann, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
These improvements relate to cabinet desks with turnable wings or boxes applied
for closing the desk, which wings or boxes when opened swing towards the outer
ends of the desk, and the inner space is divided in compartments, or in any other
suitable manner, as desired, is accessible in this position. These sort of desks have
hitherto been constructed in such a manner that the wings or turnable boxes extend
in upward direction from the bottom to the top of the desk, and close the desk in
front at the middle line of the latter. After the boxes or wings had been opened,
a writing table or flap hinged on horizontal bolts could then be put down from
a vertical into horizontal position, whilst, on the other hand, the desk could only
be closed after this writing table or flap had been returned into the upright
position.
The object of the present Invention is, by separating the side boxes or wings by
means of a centre part, to construct such desks with a double flap, of which the
upper one can be used as standing-desk and the lower one as writing table; also of
allowing the closing of the desk without necessarily removing the papers lying on
the lower desk plates, as this was formerly required; also of constructing the
bottom-flap in a manner to make its position adjustable in inclined or horizontal
direction as convenient for the person working at the desk; and finally, these
improvements enable the upper flap to be used without opening the desk by merely
unlocking this flap and laying it down in the horizont il plane.

page_text: For carrying these improvements into effect the desk is furnished with a middle
part, as aforesaid, containing the writing flaps, and the wing boxes hinged to the
front ends of the desk only extend to the corresponding ends of this middle part,
instead of, as formerly, to the middle line of the desk.
The wing boxes are divided in height into two separate boxes, each turning
separately, which reduces the weight of each part, and allows of attaching side
flaps or side plates to the inner box-parts of the desk, which flaps are of the same
height with the lower writing table, and which can be used for placing papers and
letters and so forth on them, which need not be removed for closing the wing boxes.
and the desks generally, as the upper parts of the boxes have a free space at the
lower end to allow the flaps as well to remain in open or laid down position, and
also papers or other objects to remain on these flaps without interfering with the
boxes.
The middle part that contains the standing-desk and the writing table is con-
structed in such manner that the standing-desk is formed by a flap or plate turning
on bolts at the bottom end of a sliding frame, and used when turned up in vertical
position to close the upper compartment of the middle part; but when laid down in
horizontal position it can be used as a standing desk.
The lower writing table is placed in a franie that can partly be drawn out from
the body of the desk, and to which it is hinged with its front end, whilst the
hinder end of the plate is by means of a screw and nut connected to the frame, and
can by this screw and a knob attached to the latter be adjusted in an inclined or
horizontal position as convenient to the person writing at the table.
That part of the middle piece containing the writing table can be covered and
closed by a sliding drawer flap of circular form when closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 29th April 1882.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINET DESKS." A communi-
cation from Johann Kuhlmann, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
These improvements relate to cabinet-desks with turnable wings or boxes applied
for closing the desk, which wings or boxes when opened swing towards the outer
ends of the desk, and the inner space is divided in compartments or in any other
suitable manner, as desired, and accessible in this position.
These sort of desks have hitherto been constructed in such manner that the wings
or turnable boxes extend in upward direction from the bottom to the top of the
desk, and close the desk in front at the middle line of the latter. After the boxes
or wings had been opened, a writing table or flap hinged on horizontal bolts could
then be put down from a vertical into horizontal position, whilst, on the other hand,
the desk could only be closed after this writing table or flap had been returned into
the upright position.
The object of the present Invention is, by separating the side boxes or wings by
means of a centre part, to construct such desks with a double flap, of which the
upper one can be used as standing desk and the lower one as writing table; also of
allowing the closing of the desk without necessarily removing the papers lying on
the lower desk plates, as this was formerly required; also of constructing the bottom
flap in such manner as to make its position adjustable in inclined or horizontal
direction, as convenient for the person working at the desk; and finally, these
improvements enable the upper flap to be used without opening the desk by merely
unlocking this flap and laying it down in the horizontal plane.
For carrying these improvements into effect the desk is furnished with a middle
part, as aforesaid, containing the writing flaps, and the wing boxes hinged to the
front ends of the desk only extend to the corresponding ends of this middle part,
instead of, as formerly, to the middle line of the desk. The wing boxes are divided
in height into two separate boxes, each turning separately, which reduces the weight
of each part, and allows of attaching side flaps or side plates to the inner box-parts
of the desk, which flaps are of the same height with the lower writing-table, and
which can be used for placing papers and letters and so forth on them, which need
not be removed for closing the wing boxes and the desks generally, as the upper
parts of the boxes have a free space at the lower end to allow the flaps as well to
remain in open or laid down position, and also papers or other objects to remain on
these flaps without interfering with the boxes.
The middle part that contains the standing-desk and the writing table is con-
structed in such manner that the standing desk is formed by a flap or plate turning
on bolts at the bottom end of a sliding frame, and used when turned up in vertical
position to close the upper compartment of the middle part; but when laid down in
horizontal position it can be used as a standing-desk.
The lower writing table is placed in a frame that can partly be drawn out from
the body of the desk, and to which it is hinged with its front end, whilst the hinder
end of the plate is by means of a screw and nut connected to the frame, and by
this screw and a knob attached to the latter be adjusted in an inclined or horizontal
position, as convenient to the person writing at the table.
That part of the middle piece containing the writing-table can be covered and
closed by a sliding drawer flap of circular form when closed.
These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, to which
reference will be made in the following description.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a front view of such desk in closed state, the side boxes or wings being
shown by dotted lines in open position.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the desk in closed state; Fig. 3 is a transverse section
through the centre of the desk, with folded down and drawn out standing desk and
closed lower desk or writing table, the wing-boxes being closed; Fig. 7 represents
upper part of section after Fig. 3, but with closed standing desk and open writing
desk; Fig. 4 is a transverse section through one of the wing or side pieces and one
of the side flaps of the closed desk, showing the free space above this latter flap;
Fig. 5 is a section after same line on Fig. 4, but with opening top wing box drawn
out side flap, which has been folded up for the purpose of opening the bottom-wing
box; Fig. 6 is a ground plan partially in section, with open side-boxes and drawn
out and open writing desk as well as open side-flaps.
The side-boxes a, a¹, and b, b¹, only reach as far as to meet the middle part D of
the desk containing the standing plate B and writing plate B¹. C and C¹ are the
side-flaps, and e is the free space below the bottom s of the wing-boxes that allows
of closing the latter without necessarily removing all papers from the side flaps
aforesaid. h is the screw knob for adjusting the inclined positions of the standing
desk B, and is a similar knob applied for adjustment of writing plate B'. R is
the circular drawer flap used for closing the writing table B'.
Having now described the said Invention I claim,-
Firstly. A cabinet desk constructed with the stationary middle part and turnable
wing-boxes, which when closed only reach up to this middle part, substantially for
the purpose and in the manner as described.
Secondly. The combination of the writing plate B' in one frame with the side-
flaps C and C and the free space c below the bottom of each top wing-box,
constructed and operating as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Thirdly. The improvements in cabinet desks combined and constructed as
_herein-set-forth-in-reference-to,-and-as-illustrated-by, the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
F. H. F. ENGEL. (L.S.)