IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE INVALID OR BED TABLES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Rowe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
24th February 1865.
I, CHARLES JAMES ROWE, of Maldon Road, Haverstock Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE INVALID OR BED TABLES," to be as follows:--
My Invention relates to tables adapted for the use of invalids or others
while in bed. In form it somewhat resembles a miniature kitchen table,
having four legs, one at each corner, but two legs at each end are formed
together in one piece, which is hinged to the table so as to fold flat on the
under part; a thumbscrew inserted through a cross bar connecting each
pair of legs serves the purpose of holding them in the collapsed or extended
positions, in the one case screwing into a socket in the end frame, and in
a horizontal position, in the other case in a similar socket, but with the screw
in a vertical position.
This table is made of about eight or ten inches in height, or it may be other
height required, and I form the top either a fixture to the framing, or it may
be made movable and hinged so as to be raised in the manner of a writing
[Price 8d.]

page_text: slope. This may either extend over the whole area of the table top, or only
partially, the other part being reserved for a flat table top; and at this part I
apply a drawer to contain stationery and writing materials, or it may be other
articles. In this way a permanent horizontal part of the table may be made
at each end, and each furnished with a drawer. The slope part of the top
is hinged at the lower edge, and furnished with a strut piece at back taking
into notches to regulate the incline as usual, and also permits of laying down
flat at a uniform level of the table top. The slope is also furnished with a
bead at the lower part when inclined to prevent papers slipping off, and with
a finger lift and catch at the upper part to hold it in the downward position,
and to lift it when required. When the legs and slope are folded down or
collapsed it presents a flat form of the area of the table top, is very portable,
and readily put out of the way when not required. The thickness of the table
top will of course depend somewhat on the depth of the drawer desired to be
inserted.
This table is made of any desired area, but should be of such length that
each pair of legs may be on each side of the person using it, and resting on the
bed, on which it will have a firm support.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles James Rowe in the Great Seal Patent Office on tlic
24th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JAMES ROWE, of Maldon Road, Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles James Rowe, Her special licence that 1, the said Charles
James Rowe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles James Rowe, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
IMPROVE.
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
MENTS IN PORTABLE INVALID OR BED TABLES," upon the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said Charles James Rowe, 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 Charles James Rowe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 relates to tables adapted for the use of invalids or others
while in bed. In form when expanded, a table according to my invention
somewhat resembles a miniature four-legged table, having four legs, one at
each corner, two of which are at each end framed together in one piece, and
hinged to the table top so as to fold flat to the under part thereof; a thumb-
screw inserted through the cross bar (connecting each pair of legs) serves the
purpose of holding them either in the collapsed or extended position as may
be desired, in the one case screwing into a socket in the end frame in a
horizontal position, in other case in a similar socket, but with the screw in
a vertical position.
This table is made about eight or ten inches high, or it may be of other
required height, and I form the top either a fixture to the framing, or it may
be made movable and hinged so as to be raised in the manner of a writing
slope. The slope surface may either extend over the whole area of the table
top, or only partially, the other part being reserved for a flat table top; at this
flat part I fit it with a drawer to contain stationery and writing materials, or it
may be other articles. In like manner a permanent horizontal part of the top
may be reserved at each end, and each furnished with a drawer. The slope part
of the top is hinged at the lower edge and furnished with a strut piece at the
back taking into notches to regulate the incline, as usual in writing slopes, it
also permits of laying it down flat and at a level uniform with the table top. The
slope is provided with a bead at the lower part when inclined, to prevent
papers slipping off, and with a finger lift and catch at the upper part to secure
it in the downward position, and also to lift it when required. When the legs
and slope are folded down or collapsed it presents a flat surface of the entire
area of the table. So constructed, this table is very portable, and may be
readily disposed of when not required. The thickness. of the table top will, of
course somewhat depend on the depth of the drawer desired to be inserted, "

page_text: This table is made of any desired area, but should be of such length that
the legs at the ends will embrace each side of the person using it, and resting
on the bed, on which it will have a firm support.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents an isometrical view of an invalid table constructed according
to my Invention, expanded, and with the slope top raised; Fig. 2, a like view
of the table in a collapsed form; Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical
section of the table in the expanded position; while Fig. 4 represents a lateral
vertical section of the same, but with the slope laid down flat.
a, a, a, is the frame of the table top, to which are hinged the legs b, b, b', b',
the legs b, b, being formed and bound together by the rail or bar c, while the
legs b, b, are similarly constructed by a bar e; the bars e and c', together with
the legs, are hinged to frame a, a, by hinges d. d. d', d', and move in the arc
described by the dotted quadrants in Fig. 4. and are fixed either in the one
position or the other by thumbscrews e, e'; these screws are received and pass
through holes in the rails c, c', the screwed part entering nuts i, i', fixed in the
frame a; two nuts are adapted for receiving each screw e, one in the vertical,
the other in the horizontal position. When the table is in use the screws
occupy a vertical position and fix the legs, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, in line,
while, on the contrary, when the table is out of use the screws are inserted in
a horizontal position and fix the legs in the collapsed form, as shown dotted
in Fig. 4 and also in Fig. 2. In this manner the table is very readily con-
verted from the collapsed to the expanded form for use, or from the expanded
to the collapsed form for convenience or portability. A drawer is fitted in
the frame a, which may be used for holding stationery and writing materials,
or for ladies' working purposes. The slope top g is hinged at h and furnished
with a strut piece fitting into rack teeth 1, 1, in the usual manner of writing
slopes; this slope, in addition to being available for writing purposes, is con-
venient as a reading casel with the slope raised up to the inclined position,
shown dotted in Fig. 3. I furnish the slope with a thumb ring m, which is
recessed into the upper part of the slope. This ring may be lifted for raising
the slope, but which at the same time operates a catch o for holding the
slope down, and in the collapsed position when the ring is pressed into its
recess in the slope. This invalid table may be constructed with or without the
rising or movable slope g, and may be furnished with two or more drawers f
or without any drawer, as may be desired.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the

page_text: herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is. the arrangement and combina-
tion of invalid or bed tables as represented in the Drawings annexed, and as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Rowe, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHAS. J. ROWE. (L.S.)