IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING OR FASTENING COMBINATIONS OF DRAWERS IN CHESTS, TABLES, NESTS, OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Safran, of Wellclose Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKING OR FASTENING COMBINATIONS OF DRAWERS IN CHESTS, TABLES, NESTS,
OR OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 18th October 1857, and dated the 15th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Safran at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th April
1857.
I, JACOB SAFRAN, of Wellclose Square, in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKING OR FASTENING COMBINATIONS OF DRAWERS IN CHESTS, TABLES, NESTS,
OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
My Invention, of improvements in locking or fastening a number of drawers
when combined, relates to a method of fastening the whole of the drawers by
the shutting and locking of one of their number, principally applicable to
pedestable writing tables, in reference to which I will explain it.
In the framework of each pedestal I place an upright rod, having a series
of projecting nibs corresponding with each of the drawers. These rods rest on
springs at the bottom, which press them up constantly; if the drawers are all
closed, and the rods uninfluenced by any other action, the nibs by the rising of
the rods are moved in a position to obstruct the opening of the drawers.
Other springs are placed to act on the top of the rods. These upper springs
are stronger than the lower ones, and when free to act on the rods depress
them and permit the drawers to be opened. The upper springs are acted on

page_text: by the middle upper drawer, which has two inclined parts, which take effect
on the upper springs and throw them up when that drawer is closed. This
throwing the springs up removes their pressure from the rods, which are then
free to fasten the several drawers in the pedestals.
The sliding rods may be modified to suit the combination of drawers, and
may require only one locking sliding rod; as for instance, the upper drawer of
a chest of drawers may be the locking drawer, by which ono sliding rod
furnished and actuated as before described may be made to securo all the
other drawers. Thus by closing and locking one drawer of a number of
drawers the whole number will be secured, by which the trouble of locking all
the drawers will be avoided.
The locked drawer may be made to act directly on the rods without the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacob Safran in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
15th October 1857. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
SAFRAN, of Wellclose Square, in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jacob Safran, Her special licence that I, the said Jabob Safran, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacob
Safran, 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 mako, 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 LOCKING OR
FASTENING COMBINATIONS OF DRAWERS IN CHESTS, TABLES, NESTS, OR OTHERWISE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jacob Safran, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said Jacob Safran, do hereby declare tho
naturo of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
.to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,.
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to. the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention, of improvements in locking or fastening a number of drawers,
when combined, relates to a method of fastening the whole of the drawers by
the shutting or locking of one of their number, which is principally applicablo
to pedestal writing tables, with reference to which I will herein-after,
explain it.
In the framework of each pedestal I place an upright rod, having a series
of projecting nibs corresponding with each of the drawers. These rods rest on
springs at the bottom, which press them up constantly; if the drawers are all.
closed, and the rods uninfluenced by any other action, the nibs by the rising of.
the rods are moved in a position to obstruct the opening of the drawers.
Other springs are placed to act on the top of the rods. These upper springs
are stronger than the lower ones, and when free to act on the rods depress
them and permit the drawers to be opened. The upper springs are acted on.
by the middle drawer, which has two inclined parts, which take effect on.
the upper springs and throw them up when that drawer is closed. This.
throwing the springs up removes their pressure from the rods, which are then
free to fasten the several drawers in the pedestals.
The sliding rods may be modified to suit the combination of drawers, and.
may require only one locking sliding rod; as for instance, the upper drawer of.
a chest of drawers may be the locking drawer, by which one sliding rod
furnished and actuated as before described may bo made to secure all the.
other drawers. Thus by closing and locking one drawer of a number of.
drawers the whole number will be secured, thereby avoiding the trouble of,.
locking all the drawers.
The locking drawer may be made to act directly on the rods without tho,
intervention of springs, and according to which arrangement I will herein.
after describe my Invention with reference to Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a pedestal writing table, the one half in front elevation
and the other half in longitudinal vertical section; it is furnished with locking
or securing apparatus applied to. the drawers according to my Invention.

page_text: Figure 2 is transverse vertical section through 1, 2, Fig. 1, showing the
rods for fastening the several drawers of one end of the table; while Figuro 3.
represents a transverse vertical section through 3, 4, Fig. 1, showing the
action of the middle drawer whereby the others are sécured; Figures 4 and 5
are detached views of the locking rods.
.
Pedestal tables, as well understood, are made in detached parts fitting
together, that is to say, the table A separate from the pedestals B, B, and top.
drawers D, D; I therefore make the locking rods in pieces, so as not to
interfere with this separation of the parts. a, a, are parts of the locking rods,
fitted in the framework of the table A, which receive motion from the
drawer k and transmit it to the rods b, b, of the pedestals, and rods c, c; of the
upper parts C, C. These rods are all fitted in grooves or recesses formed in
the framework at the sides of the drawers, in which grooves they are held by
small plates d, d, secured to the woodwork, and fitted in notches p, p, cut
across the rods b, b, and c, c, which notches restrict the up-and-down motion
of such rods.. The rods b and c have nibs or projections e, e, corresponding
with each of the drawers f,f,f, which project into the side of the drawers into
recesses 9, 9, cut therein for their reception. Thoso projections are disposed
at the bottom of the drawers, and the recesses are so situated that the nibs e, e,
only enter therein when the drawers are closed. The rods b, b, rest on
springs, which constantly press them upwards; the rods a, a, merely rest on
b, b, while the rods c, c, rest on a, a, the springs h, h, having power to lift the
whole. The rod a has a nib e, which takes effect on the drawer adjoining,
and it also has a projecting piece i, which projects into the side of the
drawerk and in a recess 7 formed therein, but is depressed under the bottom
of drawer at all other points. The piece i, as seen at Figs. 3, and 4, and 5, is
inclined on the upper surface in both directions, so that the end of the drawer
when it is pushed in comes in contact with the inclined front of i, (there is one
on either side of the drawer k,) depresses the rods a, a, and with them the
rods b, b, and c, c, but when quite closed the recess receives the piece
which rises up therein by the force of the spring h, carrying with it the
rod c.
Supposing all the drawers to be quite closed when the middle drawer k is
shut, all the nibs e, e, will rise and enter the notches or recesses 9, 7, and will
thereby retain them all and prevent them being drawn out, therefore if the
drawer k be locked in the usual way none of the drawers can be opened, so
that by locking one drawer the whole number of drawers will be effectually
secured. When it is desired to open any of the drawers, the middle drawer k
is unlocked and pulled out the distanco of, say, two inches, which has the

page_text: effect of forcing down the piece i (see the dotted position, Fig. 3,) and with it
the rod a, and also the rods b, b, and c, c, which depresses all the nibs e, c, to
a position below the bottoms of the drawers f, f, which are therefore free to
be drawn out.
The rod c is a compound rod, being formed in two parts c and c², placed
side by side in the same groove, the short one c having the projecting nibs e, e,
being acted upon by c', which receives the upward motion directly from a and
the downward movement from a spring m.
The cross notches p' in care somewhat narrower than those in c¹, which
receive securing plates d. These plates limit the rise and fall of c, but permit
of more motion in c', and corresponding with the motion of a. The piece c
has a spring r to force it up when it is released by c', which bears upon it and
forces it down by means of the projection t.
From the foregoing illustration it will be readily understood in what manner
the same system of securing other combinations of drawers fittod in the same
piece of furniture, which may be varied in its arrangement according to the
disposition or arrangement of drawers, and therefore cannot be more fully
described.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, intended to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, combining
parts whereby the closing of one drawer in a combination or nest of drawers
has the effect of securing the other drawers of such combination or nest, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Safran, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
J. SATKA
(L.S.)