AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE FURNI- TURE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SUTTON NETTLEFOLD, of Red Lion Street, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of February, in the second year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Sutton Nettlefold, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Sutton Nettlefold, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Sutton Nettlefold, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE FURNI-
TURE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that I, the said John Sutton Nettlefold, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner'
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Sutton Nettlefold, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being bad
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The nature of my said Invention.consists in improved forms of construction
of the fastenings used for connecting dining tables, which are applicable also
to effecting the junction of window sashes, shutters, the partitions of apart-
ments, temporary platforms, and to uniting in a firm and simple manner any
species of work or any kind of object having joints or surfaces adapted to
receive them.
The manner in which the same is to be performed I will now proceed to
describe with reference to the Drawings hereunto annexed, marked Figures 1
to 14, in all of which the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
wherever they occur.
Figure 1 represents a plan of two metal plates a, b, connected at right
angles to two wedge-shaped pieces c, d, as will be understood on reference to
Figure 2, which affords an end edge view of those parts distinguished by the
same letters as those in Figure 1. The plates a and b are screwed down
through the holes exhibited to the separate flaps of a dining table, which
being placed near together, as shewn by the two dotted lines at e, are brought
into close contact by a strong bridge piece, an elevation of which is expressed
by Figure 3, and a plan or upper view of the same by Figure 4. The opera-
tion consists in taking hold of the bridge piece f, and thrusting the tongues
g, h, underneath the wedge-formed pieces c and d, commencing at their
narrowest ends, and sliding it towards the widest, when, in consequence of
the gradually increasing breadth of the pieces c and d, they are drawn towards
each other, and with them the table flaps i, i, to which they are screwed, thus
forcing them together in the manner shewn by the perspective sketch,
Figure 5. The wedge pieces (c and d) may either be fixed on the outside of
the wood of the table, as in Figure 5, or they may be sunk flush into. it, as
shown by Figure 6, which is a longitudinal section of only one of the fixed
pieces, d being the wedged portion, and 6 the plate screwed down to the
bottom of the mortice of the wood i, the cavity k being left open for the
entrance of the tongue previous to its being slid under d. Although I give
the preference to the fastening just described for most purposes, the principle
of it is susceptible of. a variety of modifications. An example of one is deli-
neated at Figure 7, with the fixed parts sunk flush into the wood, and present-
ing no projections to the flaps, slabs, shutters, or other articles when not in
use in their combined state, thereby preventing the liability to receive or to
cause, damage. The fixed pieces may be made of a variety of forms, and

page_text: prove almost equally efficacious in assisting to draw up and bind the joints
of the work together. Some examples of these forms are given by Figures
8, 9, and 10, and many others might be added which embrace the same
principle.
Figure 10, it will be observed, represents simply flat plates, which will be
equally useful under many circumstances, and of less expence in manufacturing
than the preceding. In the examples already referred to, those parts of the
wedge pieces c and d that are rubbed against by the tongues g, h, of the
bridge piece f, are represented as plane surfaces bounded by angles of about
45 and 90 degrees. Such forms are, however, by no means essential, the
object being to get a smooth and gradually increasing bite in drawing up
the joints, and a gradually diminishing resistance on unfastening or taking off
the bridge piece. The quantity of surface required to be rubbed against will
depend upon the size and weight of the object acted upon, upon the naturė
of the metal or other material of which the fastenings are made, and likewise
upon the degree of inclination or divergence of the wedged surface. In general
I prefer a divergence of about one thirtieth of the length of the inclined line out of
the parallel, as shewn by Figure 11, and likewise a curved line for the rubbing
surface, as shewn at Figure 12. It matters, however, but little, what are the
precise forms of the rubbing surfaces either on the fixed or the moving parts,
provided they produce an uniform easy friction; and as respects the inclined
or wedged parts it is not necessary that they should be alike in a pair. Their
inclinations may be varied, or one of them need not be inclined at all, and
they may even both be straight, provided the tongues which fit against them
are inclined (one or both); and all such or other obvious variations in the
structure of these parts I consider to be so many modifications of the prin-
ciple of my Invention. In order, however, to draw a clear distinguishing
line between my Invention and other fastenings previously constructed for the
same object, I will here describe the leading features of the latter, which will
be best understood by reference to the Drawing of them hereunto annexed.
The first I shall notice has been in common use à great many years, and
is delineated in perspective at Figure 13. It is usually called the forked table
fastening, from its having two forks o, o, fixed to a handle p, at right angles
to them, which pass through two rectangular sockets q, q, screwed down to
the table flaps r, r. The defects of this kind of fastening consist, first, in the
two prongs being usually made parallel, which renders them incapable of
drawing up the joints of the table, and they soon become loose from wear;
and when the prongs are made a little tapering, although they will then draw
up somewhat, the extent is limited by the handle p cutting against the sockets
2. 2, (while the bridge connecter of my fastening, passing outside the diverging

page_text: fixed parts, constantly draws up the joints, and by passing over without opera-
tion the entire length of the fixed pieces, compensates. for the wear and the
shrinking of the wood); second, the forked connector is weak by reason of its
form. The prongs are liable to strains which separates further asunder, and
they are otherwise easily crippled (whereas my connector being chiefly a
straight massive piece of metal, and subject only to a longitudinal pull, cannot
easily be destroyed or injured).
Another table fastening, delineated at Figure 14, was the subject of a recent
Patent. It has the merit of great simplicity, and of effectually drawing up
the joints; but I consider that it has two defects, which are obviated in my
fastenings.
+
8, Figure 14, represents a brass plate having two hooked staples t, t, cast to
it. This plate is screwed down to the under flap of a dining table, with the
pieces t, t, projecting beyond the edge, as represented by the dotted line e. น
is a similar brass plate having a single hooked staple v fixed to it, and is
screwed in a similar manner to the other plate to the opposite flap of the
table. When the edges of the table are brought together, so that the staple v
partly enters between the staples t, t, a wedge w, having a handle at x, is
thrust in the whole formed between the staples, thereby drawing the plates
and the table flaps together. The defects are the handle x becoming a stop
to the progress of the wedge and the projection of the hooked staples t, t,
and beyond the edges of the wood, which renders them inconvenient in stow-
age, and liable to injury when the separated flaps are moved about, and these
defects are so evidently obviated by my form of construction as not to need
any explanation. Various other table fastenings have been proposed, but
which being essentially different from mine I shall not enter into a descrip-
tion of them, but will proceed to define my claim to Invention founded upon
the differences of construction already pointed out.
I claim the construction of table fastenings (applicable also to the purposes
before mentioned) in which the bridge piece for other similar connecting
piece is made to draw the fixed parts together by sliding over or outside of
them, not only in the manner described and illustrated by the Drawings
referred to, but by every modification of the same principle, and of whatever
substance or material they may be formed.
I claim also the wedge-formed pieces c and d, as described, distinctly con-
sidered as applied to table fastenings, and all modifications of them.
I claim further the general mechanical arrangements described, and such
modifications of them as may be found convenient or desirable in adapting
them to their particular use.
And such Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, per-

page_text: fectly new in these kingdoms, I hereby declare my intention to maintain
ny exclusive right and privilege to the exercise of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sutton Nettlefold, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
JOHN SUTTON (L.S.) NETTLEFOLD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1832, the aforesaid John Sutton Nettlefold came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
O cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.