An Improved Combination Article of Furniture.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combination Article of Furniture.
о
I, GEORGE WILLIAM ASHWELL of No. 11 Ospringe Road, Kentish Town in
the County of Middlesex, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the top of tables or other articles of furniture and its
object is to provide the article of furniture with a larger or smaller top area to be
used as a table. In carrying my invention into effect, taking for instance a coal
box as one article of furniture to which my invention may be applied, the coal box
may be square, hexagonal, octagonal or any other shape. To the upper part of this
box which is preferably a square but it may be any other shape, I place a square or
any other shaped flat top which may project beyond the sides of the box for any
convenient distance; on the underside of this top I place a projection or beading
which when applied to the box will fit round the top sides so as to prevent it from
shifting.
Upon this square or any other shaped top I place a similar piece of material
which is then cut from angle to angle or from a point in the centre according to the
shape required. Along the sides of the first mentioned top and the corresponding
sides of the second one I place hinges or they may be held together in any other
convenient way so that when the uppermost flaps are unfolded the triangular or
other shaped pieces will be held and supported to the main portion fixed to the
coal box.
In the case of a rectangular shaped top, the second or uppermost one would be
cut in halves and the two outer ends hinged to the respective ends of the first or
main portion.
The head of the coal box is made so that it can be removed so as to shoot coals
in. At the bottom I provide an opening for the extraction of the coal which
opening is provided with a lid or slide which is placed at such an angle with the
side, so that when the coals are shot in the box they will not force their way
through said opening.
Doted this 14th dev of Ancenst 1801
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combination Article of Furniture.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM ASHWELL of No. 11 Ospringe Road, Kentish Town, in
the County of Middlesex, Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in removable folding table tops and
consists in the combination of a multipartite piece (the several members of which
are hinged or pivotted together on the same principle and for the same respective
objects as are the members of a folding table top) with a connecting piece adapted
Poin 81

page_text: to hold the said multipartite piece upon the top of a column shaped article of
furniture of the height of a table column or table leg. The joint area of all
members so hinged to the central member, is equal to the area of the said central
member.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this
Specification and read therewith:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating my invention applied to a 4-leaf
table top-square when closed and square when opened out.
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding therewith.
Figure 3 is an elevation shewing the same table top nearly closed.
Figure 4 is a plan shewing it quite closed.
Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating the application of my invention to
a 2-leaf table top-square when closed and oblong when opened out.
Figure 6 is a plan corresponding with Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a front elevation illustrating the application of my invention to
an 8-leaf table top-hexagon when closed and oblong when opened out.
Figure 8 is a plan shewing, by the full lines, the table top of Figure 7 opened
out and, by the dotted lines, the same top closed.
The column shaped article of furniture A shewn in Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7, as
serving as the table column, is an upright coal box the top of which is level and
without a special cover or lid. It is shewn as corresponding in respect of the
horizontal section of it, with the shape of the central member of the table top.
But it must be distinctly understood that the coal box is not, as such, a member of
the combination which constitutes the present invention, inasmuch as, the said box
may, as far as the invention itself is concerned, be replaced by any other column
shaped and level topped article of furniture. The coal box illustrated in detail in
Figures 1 and 3, is mounted on castors a to facilitate its being moved over the
floor, and is provided with an upwardly inclined mouth 6 at the bottom of it, from
which the coals can be taken out. The bottom lip of the mouth projects beyond
the top of it.
.
The first member of the combination which constitutes the present invention is
the removable and folding table top. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the above
mentioned table top or multipartite piece therein illustrated, consists of four
members. d is the central member. d', d', d', d¹, are four leaves. Each one has
the shape of an isosceles triangle the base of which is as long as a side of the central
member, the perpendicular being half the length of such side. The area of a leaf
is, therefore, a fourth of that of the central member, so that when the four leaves
are hinged to the edges of the said member, and folded over on to it as indicated by
the dotted arcs in Figure 1 and the full lines of Figures 3 and 4, they will lie upon
such member, fitting up to each other exactly.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the central member d is of the same shape as that
illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and described therewith. There are, however, only two
leaves d³, d², instead of four, but the proportion between the area of a leaf and that of
the said member d is the same as before, for it is still the area of the said member
divided by the number of leaves. The latter are shewn as rectangular in shape.
They might have been right angled triangles. Whether the two leaves of Figures 5
and 6 are rectangular or triangular or any other shape, and whether the leaves of
Figures 1 to 4 have the outline of isosceles triangles or any other triangle or figure,
does not matter, so long as the area of each leaf is equal to the area of the central
member d divided by the number of leaves, or that, in any case, the total, i.e., joint,
area of all the leaves shall be equal to the area of the said central member. The
number and shape of the leaves illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 shews a development of
the relationship between the leaves and the central member in respect of both number
and, consequently, shape of the leaves; and also in respect of the position of the hinges
or pivots. d³ is the central member. It is hexagonal in shape and is required to
open out into an oblong. Four of the leaves e are equal equilateral triangles f g h
Their joint area is equal to two thirds of that of the central member d³, so as each

page_text: triangular leaf is hinged to the central member by its side 9 h, the four will, when
folded down upon such member, cover the triangle ghi, leaving two equal equilateral
triangles ggi, uncovered. To complete the oblong f,f,f,f, I provide four right
angle triangles fhj. They are of the same area and dimensions, the hypothenuse fl
being equal to one side of a triangle fy h; and the base hj, equal to half a
side fg, i.e., to 9 k. Each triangle fhj is pivotted by its angle f to the angle ƒ of
the triangle f g h in such a way that when the said triangle is folded down upon the
central member d³, the perpendicular fj shall coincide with the dotted line i k, and
the base j, with the line k g. It is true that there are eight leaves in the
construction of table top just described, but it must be pointed out that as four of
them have each only half the area of the other four, there is still the same
substantial analogy between leaves and central member as that previously
described.
Any supporting brackets that may be desirable to prevent the leaves sagging
after they have been opened out, may be made use of. Such brackets are
preferably fixed to, or pivotted or fitted to slide in guides upon, the under face of
the adjoining central member or leaf from which they project or are made to
project, as may be required.
The second member of the combination which constitutes the present invention is
the connecting piece. The function of this connecting piece is only to hold the
multipartite piece, i.e., the central member, and the leaves together constituting the
table top, upon the top of the column shaped article of furniture above mentioned,
and so long as it is capable of discharging that function, it may be of any type.
The one illustrated is a socket 1 fast upon the under side of the central member and
of the proper size to fit over the top of the column shaped piece of furniture A.
The socket may, if preferred, be replaced by any other equivalent device, but
I prefer that the connecting piece shall be of the socket type, as illustrated, and
fast to the central member.
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 :-
-
The hereinbefore described combination of multipartite piece, or removable
folding table top, and connecting piece adapted to hold it to and upon the top of a
column shaped article of furniture.
Dated this 16th day of Novembar 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.