A NEW OF IMPROVED PARTADIE AD IT READ." PROALATION
Year: 1866

page_text: 1.
LETTERS PATENT. to Edward. Parsons North, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of " A NEW OF
IMPROVED PARTADIE AD IT READ."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Parsons North
. at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd November 1866.
I, EDWARD PARSONS NORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED PORTABLE OR FOLDING READING DESE, STAND, OR EASEL," to be.
as follows:-
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination, herein-after
described, of the parts of a portable or folding reading desk, stand, or easel,
whereby great portability, lightness, and compactness are obtained.
In constructing a portable or folding reading desk, stand, or easel according
to my Invention I make the upright or pillar to which the desk, support, or
board is connected of a tube,the lower part of which is capable of sliding upon
a rod affixed to the foot or support of the pillar, herein-after explained.
[Price 8d.1

page_text: Instead of a tubular pillar a solid pillar or rod may be employed. The said
foot or support consists of two rods jointed to each other at their middle; one
of these rods is jointed at one end to a cross piece at the bottom of the pillar,
and the other end of the said rod is jointed to the lower end of a stay, the
upper end of which stay is connected to a tubular socket capable of sliding
and being fixed at the required height on the pillar; the other of the said rods
is jointed to the middle of the first-mentioned one, and is capable of being
placed parallel thereto or at right angles therewith; when these jointed rods
are expanded they form a broad and firm support to the pillar; the foot
described is capable of being placed on either side of the pillar. The desk,
support, or board (made by preference in halves, and capable of folding upon
.one another) is supported upon a cross arm or tube at the top of the pillar;
this arm is carried by a tubular socket capable of sliding upon the pillar, and
..being fixed at the required height on the said pillar. The said arm is not
.connected rigidly to the said socket, but isjointed thereto so as to permit the
said arm to be fixed at right augles with the pillar, or to lie parallel thereto,
or to take any required intermediate angle. When the arm is in use it is
fixed at right angles or other required angle with the pillar by means of a
wedge behind the central knuckle at the joint of the said arm; this wedge
- may be kept in its place by means of a screw or otherwise. The desk or
board is also connected to the arm described by means of a tubular socket;
this socket permits the desk or board to be inclined at the required angle and
adjusted at the required place on the said arm. When in use the pillar of
the desk, stand, or easel is made to rest against the chair, bed, or other
article in order to steady or support the said pillar. In folding the desk,
stand, or easel after use, the halves of the desk proper or board are folded
upon one another, and the arm carrying the said desk or board is. released
from the pillar by depressing the wedge,and the said arm and desk or board
are turned down parallel to the pillar. The rods constituting the foot of the
pillar are folded parallel to one another and to the pillar, and the stay is also
✓ folded parallel to the pillar. By the arrangement described the several parts
are situated parallel to one another and occupy little space. A candle lamp
..may be applied to the top of the pillar by means of a tubular socket. All the
tubular sockets, herein described, are provided with screws for fixing them
to the rod or tube upon which they slide.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Parsons North in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
PARSONS NORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Parsons North, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Parsons North, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Edward Parsons North, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PORTABLE OR FOLDING READING DESK STAND, OR.
EASEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Parsons
North, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
.
· NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Parsons North, do hereby:
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination herein-after
described of the parts of a portable or folding reading desk, stand, or.
easel, whereby great portability, lightness, and compactness are obtained.
In constructing a portable or folding reading desk, stand, or easel according.
to my Invention I make the upright or pillar to which the desk support or
board is connected of a tube, the lower part of which is capable of sliding
upon a rod affixed to the foot or support of the pillar herein-after explained..
Instead of a tubular pillar herein-after explained... Instead of a tubular

page_text: pillar a solid pillar or rod may be employed. The said foot or support
consists of two rods jointed to each other at their middles. Ome of these
rods is jointed at one end to a cross piece at the bottom of the pillar, and
the other end of the said rod is jointed to the lower end of a stay, the
upper end of which stay is connected to a tubular socket capable of sliding
and being fixed at the required height on the pillar. The other of the said
rods is jointed to the middle of the first-mentioned one, and is capable of being
placed parallel thereto or at right angles therewith. When these jointed rods
are expanded they form a broad and firm support to the pillar. The foot
described is capable of being placed on either side the pillar. Instead of the
folding foot described a fixed foot or base may carry the pillar or upright and
stay. The desk support or board (made by preference in halves capable of
folding upon one another) is supported upon a cross arm or tube at the top of
the pillar; this arm is carried by a tubular socket capable of sliding upon
the pillar and being fixed at the required height on the said pillar. The said
arm is not connected rigidly to the said socket, but is jointed thereto so as to
permit the said arm to be fixed at right angles with the pillar or to lie parallel
thereto, or to take any required intermediate angle. When the arm is in use
it is fixed at right angles or other required angle with the pillar by means of
a wedge behind the central knuckle of the joint of the said arm; "this wedge
may be kept in its place by a spring, or screw, or otherwise. The desk or
board is also connected to the arm described by means of a tubular socket;
this socket permits the desk or board to be incliued at the required angle, and
adjusted at the required place on the said arm. When in use the pillar of
the desk, stand, or easel is made to rest against a chair or bed or other article
in order to steady or support the said pillar. In folding the desk, stand, or
easel after use the halves of the desk proper or board are folded upon one
another, and the arm carrying the said desk or board is released from the
pillar by depressing the wedge, and the said arm and desk or board are
turned down parallel to the pillar. The rods constituting the foot of the
pillar are folded parallel to one another and to the pillar, and the stay is
also folded parallel to the pillar. By the arrangement described the several
parts are situated parallel to one another, and occupy little space. A candle
lamp may be applied to the top of the pillar by means of a tubular socket.
All the tubular sockets herein described are provided with screws for
fixing them to the rod or tube upon which they slide.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the
same is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in perspective a portable or folding desk, stand, or
easel constructed according to my Invention, the parts being in position for
use; Figure 2 represents the several parts of the same folded and packed
together for transit; Figure 2A is a back elevation of a portion of the same;
Figure 3 represents in vertical section, and Figure 4 in plan, a portion of the
same on a larger scale; Figure 5 is a back elevation, and Figure 6 a
horizontal section of another portion of the same on a larger scale; Figures 7
and 8 represent a modification or duplication of the upper part of the desk,
stand, or easel, Figures 1 and 2, as herein-after explained. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
a is the upright or pillar of the desk, stand, or easel, which may either be
made tubular as represented, or solid. When the pillar is made tubular the
bottom end thereof is made capable of sliding upon a square or angular rod b
(see Figure 2) affixed to the foot or support of the stand for the purpose of
lengthening or shortening the pillar. After the length of the pillar has been
adjusted it is fixed by the screw c carried by the tubular part a. The folding
foot or support of the stand consists of two rods d, e, jointed to each other at
their middles, the rod d being capable of being placed parallel with the
rod e, as represented in Figure 2, or at right angles thereto, as represented in
Figure 1. The rod e' is fixed at one end to a centre or rod g on the solid
bottom 6 of the pillar a, and the other end of the said rod e is jointed at / to
the lower end of the stay i. The upper end of the stay i is connected by a
tubular sliding socket k and screw to the pillar a. By sliding the socket k
on the pillar a to the required height, and driving home the screw 2, the said
stay may be securely fixed on the pillar. When the rods d, e, are expanded
and the stay i is fixed on the pillar, in the manner represented in Figure 1,
they form a broad base or support to the pillar. The rode of the foot or base
is capable of turning on the axis or centre g, so that the said foot or base may
be fixed on either side of the pillar a at pleasure. At the upper part of the
pillar a is a cross arm m, which may either be made of a rod or of a tube,
the said cross arm sliding and being fixed at the required height on the
pillar a by means of a tubular socket n and screw o; this arm m carries the
desk, support, or board p made in halves (by preference) capable of folding
upon one another.
The cross arm m is jointed to the tubular socket n
so that the said arm may be fixed at right angles with the pillar a,
or at any intermediate angle, or be allowed to lie parallel to the said
pillar. The mechanism for fixing the cross arm m at the required
angle with the pillar a is best seen in the enlarged views, Figures 3

page_text: and, 4, and consists of a wedge q situated behind the central knuckle ma
of the joint of the said arm, and working in an opening in the tubular
socket . The central knuckle m² is excentric to the pin or axis upon which
it turns. To the wedge q a rod 2 is fixed, and a helical spring s.between
the liead of the rod rand tubular socket n raises the wedge q in its slot and
causes it to press against the knuckle in and support the cross arm m. By
pressure upon the head of the rod r the spring sis compressed and the wedgeqi
depressed in its slot; the arm m. may now be raised or lowered and placed:
at the required angle with the pillar. On removing the pressure from. the
rod r the wedge q.is raised by the spring s against the knuckle m of the
arm m, and the latter fixed in the position in which it has been placed.
The wedge q, after the arm m has been adjusted, may be fixed by the screw t,
so that accidental pressure on the rod r will not release the arm m. The
desk or board p is connected to the cross armm by means of a tubular socket w
and plate ; this socket and plate are shown separately in Figures 5 and 6:
The said socket w is capable of sliding on the arm m, and being fixed at the.
required place on the said arm by its screw o². An open-jointed or rearly.
tubular spring y covered with leather is placed within the socket w to clip the
arm m passed through it. The socket w is not connected directly to the desk:
or board p, but is connected through the plate x, which plate a is capable of
turning freely on the pivot or centre x2 at the back of the said socket in the
manner best seen in Figure 6. By means of the plate a the desk or board p
may be turned on the centre a³ and placed at the required angle or position
with respect to the arm m without moving the socket w. Upon the plate r
is a projecting ring which projects within the socket wat the points marked a³,
the socket being cut away near its ends at the back to permit of the entrance:
of the ring. When the end of the screw o' is made to bear on the arm m
the said arm is pressed against the plate x at ³, and the rotation of the
plate prevented, and the.board or desk p fixed, the arin m being at the
same time fixed in the socket w. When the desk, stand, or easel is in use the
pillar a is made to rest against a chair bed or other article in order to steady
or support the said pillar. The several parts of the desk, stand, or easel are.
folded or packed after use or for transit in the manner represented in Figure 2,
that is to say, the halves of the desk or board p are folded upon one another
and by. depressing to its full extent the wedge q the arm m may be turned
down parallel to the pillar a; the rods d, e, of the foot are next folded, and
by sliding the socket k of the stay i on the pillar a to the top thereof the:
said stay as well as the rods d; e, are placed parallel to the pillar a, the several

page_text: .
parts occupying the relative positions represented in Figure 2. When folde】
in the manner represented in Figure 2 the parts of the desk, stand, or easel
occupy little space, and by the parallelism of the several parts are very
portable, and may be readily carried in a bag. When great portability is not
required the folding fout described and represented may be dispensed with,
and a fixed base or foot used in place thereof, I sometimes also dispense with a
foot or base, and bend the bottom of the pillar at right angles, and fix the said
bent portion underneath a chair or other article by means of a socket and
screw of the kind herein-before described. The cross arm combined with
its fixing and adjusting mechanism carrying the board or support may be
applied to desks, stands, or easels of various constructions.
Figures 7 and 8 represent the upper part of a double reading desk or easel
constructed according to my Invention. In this modification of my Invention
I use two cross arms 1 and 2, the arm 2 being carried by the tubular socket 4
sliding on and being fixed to the tube 6 by the screw 5, and the other arm 1
being carried by the tubular socket 3 sliding on the smaller rod or tube 8,
the latter sliding within the larger tube 6; the socket 8 is fixed by the
screw 7. Each of the arms 1, 2, is provided with a desk or hoard 9, 10, carried
by the sliding tubular sockets and moveable plates 11, 12. The inner end
of the arm 2 is curved greater than that of the arm 1 to permit of the two
desks or boards being brought together. The arrangement for fixing the
arms 1, 2, at the required angles is the same as that previously described.
When it is wished to convert the double desk or easel, Figure 7, into a small
table or stand the smaller rod or tube 8 is depressed in the larger tube 6
until the two boards 9, 10, are in the same horizontal plane; by then sliding
the two boards on their arms 1, 2, until they touch one another, and fixing
them by the socket screws, a small table or stand is formed as represented in
Figure 8; by sliding the board 10 from the board 9 and raising the smaller
rod 8 the small table or stand is again converted into a double desk or easel,
as represented in Figure 7. Each of the moveable sockets herein-before
described may be provided with tubular spring clips to clip the arm or rod
passed through it.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention a new or improved
portable reading desk, stand, or easel, the parts of which are constructed and

page_text: arranged substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Parsons North, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWARD PARSONS NORTH. (L.S.)
Witness,
HENRY SKERRETT,
.Clerk to George Shaw;
Birmingham.