Improvements in or connected with Portable Structures, particularly applicable for Use at Election Polling Stations.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct.. 1894
Complete Specification Left. 6th July. 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
Improvements in or connected with Portable Structures, particularly
applicable for Use at Election Polling Stations.
I, CHARLES RICHARD LAPTHORNE, of 181 Clapham Road, in the County of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Portable structures capable of being taken to pieces, folded, or otherwise
rendered convenient for transportation, have been for many years used, and it has
been proposed heretofore to construct structures such as partitions or the like, of
panels, and to hinge the panels together, whereby when the structure was not
required for use its several hinged parts might be separated and folded. The
knowledge of the construction of such structures being common property, my
present invention refers to particular arrangements of the hinged or other parts of
the structures as hereafter described, such erections made according to my said
invention form a series of divided compartments adapted for voting compartments,
writing desks, and the like, all being arranged to take into certain pieces and to
fold in a particular way by reason of the special construction and combination
described.
According to my invention I construct separated writing compartments, that is,
a number of divided tables suitable for use at polling stations as voting tables, in
post offices as writing compartments, and the like, in such manner as to be readily
erected or folded, as required, and for this purpose I provide two vertical standards
preferably of tubular metal fitted into flanged brackets held to the floor by screws;
the upper ends of the standards are fitted with elbows cut and formed in a suitable
manner, into which are dropped the two ends of a horizontal tube. From this
horizontal tube are suspension iron rods depending by iron rings, by which rods,
wooden panelled partitions are bung; at the lower edge of each partition is hinged
a table, the free edge of which has a projecting rib socketting into a cut and
shaped recess on the lower edge of the next partition and so on. When thus
erected the structure forms a convenient series of divided writing tables for election
rooms, post offices, or the like, and when not required for use, the tables are folded
up against the partitions, these latter are detached from the tubular iron frame
and the latter is disjointed and laid together, the parts being readily packed away
for transport or otherwise, and occupying very little space, being readily re-erected
when required.
Dated this 18th day of October 1894.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Portable Structures, particularly
applicable for Use at Election Polling Stations.
I, CHARLES RICHARD LAPTHORNE, of 181 Clapham Road, in the County of
London, 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 :-
Portable structures capable of being taken to pieces, folded, or otherwise
rendered convenient for transportation, have been for many years used, and it has
been proposed heretofore to construct structures such as partitions or the like, of
panels, and to hinge the panels together, whereby when the structure was not
required for use, its several hinged parts might be separated and folded. The
knowledge of the construction of such structures being common property, my
present invention refers to particular arrangements of the hinged or other parts of
the structures as hereafter described, such erections made according to my said
invention form a series of divided compartments adapted for voting compartments,
writing desks, and the like, all being arranged to take into certain pieces and to
fold in a particular way by reason of the special construction and combination
described.
My invention will be readily understood upon reference to the accompanying
two sheets of drawings, in which similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation of a structure according to my invention,
Figure is an end elevation of same. Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on the
line X Y of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a, perspective view.
Now according to my invention I construct the separated writing compartments,
that is a number of divided tables as aforesaid suitable for use at polling stations
as voting tables, in post offices as writing compartments, and the like, in such
manner as to be readily erected or folded as required, and for this purpose,
I provide two vertical standards.A A as shown on the drawings preferably of
tubular metal fitted into flanged brackets A¹ A'. held to the floor by screws; the
upper ends of the standards A.A are fitted with elbows B B cut and formed in a
suitable manner, into which are dropped the two ends of a horizontal tube C.
From this horizontal tube are suspension iron rods D depending by iron rings D¹,
by which rods D wooden panelled partitions E are hung; at the lower edge E¹ of
each partition is hinged a table F, the free edge of which has a projecting rib F1
socketting into a cut and shaped recess on the lower edge of the next partition,
and so on.
When thus erected the structure forms a convenient series of divided
writing tables of which there may be any required number, say from 2 to 6
according to requirements, suitable for election rooms, post offices, or the like, and
when not required for use, the tables F are folded up against the partitions E,
these latter are detached from the tubular iron frame and the latter is disjointed
and laid together, the parts being readily packed away for transport or otherwise,
and occupying very little space, being readily re-erected when required.
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 1
claim is :-
1. A series of divided compartments having a supporting framework consisting
of two vertical standards A. A with suitable base pieces and upper sockets, and
a horizontal rod or tube C carried by such upper sockets, in combination with
suspension rods D depending from the horizontal rod or tube C, partitions E
carried by rods D, tables F hinged at one side to such partitious and having ribs
at opposite sides to take into recesses in the contiguous partitions, the whole

page_text: structure being adapted to be readily erected for use, and taken apart for transport
and storage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The general construction, combination and arrangement of parts composing
my improvements in portable structures particularly applicable for use at election
polling stations substantially as and for the purposes described in the foregoing
Specification and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin math 1 C1905
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.