Desks Suitable for Use therewith.
Year: 1885

page_text: Desks Suitable for Use therewith.
I RICHARD JAMES DOYLE PARGETER of 10 Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman 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:-
The present invention relates to the construction of a bed table, and a support
for the same,
of such a nature that it will be able to sustain a considerable side-way
strain caused by the weight of the loaded table or desk, without the necessity of
providing an inconveniently large and heavy base for the said support.
The table constructed according to my invention is in the form of a box mounted
upon a bottom board capable of sliding horizontally upon the top of the support.-
The lid of this box is mounted in such a manner, that it is capable of being thrown
up in the usual way, and is also capable of being tipped in the opposite direction,
and secured in position to form a reading or writing desk.
In carrying out this object I use, by preference, a novel construction of hinge
constituting the subject of a concurrent application for a patent.
I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In Sheet I of the drawings,
Fig. 1 shews the support in sectional elevation, with the table pivotted thereon.
Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views in plan and elevation of an essential part of the
support to be presently described.
In Sheet II. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bed table or box, with the lid thrown
back upon the hinges in the usual manner.
Fig. 2 shews the box in end view closed, but the lid is also shown dotted in the
position of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is an end view shewing the lid tipped in the opposite direction, to form
a reading or writing desk.
A is the bed table support. a is a short sleeve secured by a metal ring to the
base al of the support A, and turning freely thereon. Standing centrally and
vertically within the sleeve a, and rivetted thereto, is a screw a², which works in
a nut secured in the lower end of a tubular rod a³, which slides within the sleeve a.
Upon the upper part of the tubular rod a³ is fitted a bracket piece a* (shewn
Price dl

page_text: enlarged in plan and elevation at Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet I), which is intended to
engage with the angle iron of the frame of the bedstead, and maintain the support
in a vertical position.
B is the box or table, furnished underneath with guides, in which slides a head
mounted upon a pivot, which drops into a tubular rod a arranged to slide up and
down within the rod a³, and capable of being secured at any desired height by
means of a set screw.
The box or table B is provided with a lid mounted upon hinges carried at the
ends of a pair of short arms C C pivotted within, and at about the centre of the
length of the ends of the box B.
This arrangement allows of the lid being raised in the ordinary manner, as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet II, of the drawings, and also allows of a tipping
movement in the opposite direction, as shewn in Fig. 3, Sheet II.-A rack is pro-
vided upon the under side of the lid, for engaging with a catch upon the front of
the box, to hold the lid at any required angle (see the drawn and dotted positions
of Fig. 3, Sheet II).
The action of the whole arrangement is as follows:-The support A is placed close
beside the bed, and the sleeve a is turned, and with it the screw a², until the
bracket piece a' comes into contact and locks with the angle iron of the bedstead,
and thereby holds the support A with great rigidity against lateral strain.
The tubular rod a" is slidden up or down and secured by the set screw at the
required height within the rod a³, and the box or table B is slidden out and swung
into the dotted position of Fig. 1, Sheet I, over the bed.-The invalid can then
have the use of a flat table, can lift the lid to get at the contents of the box, or
can provide bimself with a desk, by simply raising the front of the lid and drawing
it to him until the arms C have risen sufficiently at the back, when he may drop
the front, thereby engaging the rack with its catch, and retaining the lid in
position.
Any suitable contrivance may be used for raising the bracket piece into engage-
ment with the angle iron of the bedstead, and the shape of the bracket piece may
be slightly altered to fit, if necessary, a wooden bedstead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction and arrangement of bed table or box and support for the
same, as and for the purpose shown and described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In a support for bed tables, a bracket piece arranged to interlock with the
bedstead in the manner and for the purpose described.
Doted this 28th day of November 1885.