An Improved Folding Table Top, adapted to Constitute Inclined Stands for Musio or other Articles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Folding Table Top, adapted to Constitute Inclined
Stands for Musio or other Articles.
I REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents of
18 Buckingham Street Strand W.C. London, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by James Francis
Herbert Collet, Executive Engineer in the Public Works Department of the
Government of India of Srinagur, Kashmir, India to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a table having a folding top of such
nature that it may be used either as a small occasional table or as a larger card table
or general table, or as a stand or set of two or more stands for the support or display
of sheet music, books, albums, pictures or the like in convenient positions for use or
inspection.
winginal nants of series of parts
(b) The intermediate leaves.
(c) The top leaves.
The bottom leaf is a flat panel or slab having three or more side edges preferably
straight, which rests directly upon the supporting legs or frame of the table.
The principle of construction of a table of any number of sides which may be
selected, is the same as the principle of construction of the four sided table herein-
after described, in which the bottom leaf has four sides.
The intermediate leaves of a four sided table consist of four flat three sided
panels or slabs which rest on the bottom leaf and preferably together cover the
surface of the underleaf when folded flat thereon. One side of each of these inter-
mediate leaves is secured to each of the four sides of the bottom leaf, each to each,
in such a manner that the intermediate leaves can be hinged or rotated each about
that side edge by which it is secured to the bottom leaf and about the respective
side edge of the bottom leaf to which it is secured, so as to either lie flat on the
bottom leaf, or to be supported with the plane of the respective intermediate leaf
inclined at any desired angle to the plane of the bottom leaf, or to lie with its
plane in the extension of the plane of the bottom leaf so as to form a continuation
of the bottom leaf. Each intermediate leaf carries on that side which is uppermost
when it is folded over the underleaf, three upper leaves therefore the top leaves of
a four sided table are twelve in number. These consist each of a three sided panel
or slab. To each side edge of each intermediate leaf is secured by hinges or
equivalents, one side of each of the top leaves, each to each, in such a manner that
the top leaves can be rotated about those side edges by which they are secured to
the intermediate leaves and about the respective side edges of the intermediate
leaves to which they are secured respectively, so as to lie flat on the intermediate.
leaves and so that two of the top leaves which are secured to each intermediate leaf
can also lie with their planes in the extension of the plane of the intermediate leaf to
which they are secured so as to form a continuation of it, and so that the third
top leaf which is secured to each intermediate leaf can also lie and support itself or
be supported with its plane at right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the inter-
mediate leaf to which it is secured, the said third leaf being secured to that side edge
of the intermediate leaf near which the latter is secured to the side edge of the
bottom leaf.
It is preferable that the top leaves when folded upon the intermediate leaves
shall together cover the surface of the latter.
j

page_text: The leaves secured to each other as above described are capable of being folded
so as to constitute any one of the three undermentioned principal forms:-
:-
(a) A small table having a surface area equal to that of the bottom leaf.
(b) A stand of either one, two, three or four desks, for supporting music,
pictures, albums, or any other articles of suitable size and shape.
(c) A larger table of the aggregate surface area of the bottom leaf and the four
intermediate leaves.
The aforesaid small table is formed by folding the intermediate leaves flat on the
bottom leaf, and folding the top leaves flat on the intermediate leaves.
The aforesaid stand of desks is formed by erecting the four intermediate leaves
or any one or more of them into an inclined position with respect to the bottom leaf,
and opening out the top leaves in such a manner that two of the top leaves secured
to each intermediate leaf will lie in the same plane as the said intermediate leaf and
with it will form a desk, and the third top leaf will form a ledge by standing out at
right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the desk, which will prevent any article
placed on the desk from slipping downwards off the desk.
The aforesaid larger table is formed by opening out the intermediate leaves in
such a manner that they will lie in the same plane as the bottom leaf and in con-
tinuation of it, two of the top leaves attached to each intermediate leaf forming
ornamental pendants around the edge of the said larger table.
By erecting one or more of the said desks, either a single, double, treble or
quadruple music, album or picture stand may be formed.
The sides or edges of the leaves may be either straight, curved or of any suitable
ornamental form.
There may be provided short props fixed to that surface of the intermediate
leaves which, when the intermediate leaves are folded flat on the bottom leaf, lies in
contact with the bottom leaf. These props are fixed in such a manner that they
can be rotated about hinges fixed at one end of each prop so as to form supports to
keep the desks inclined at a suitable angle to the bottom leaf and can also be closed
on to the intermediate leaves to which they are attached so as to lie flush with the
surface of the said intermediate leaves.
The sliding supports which consist of short bars which slide in grooves fixed to
the under side of the bottom leaf may be provided to form additional support to the
intermediate leaves when the said leaves are unfolded so as to form the aforesaid
larger table, or support may be afforded for the leaves in this position by rotating
the table top on the supporting frame as in ordinary card tables.
Dated this 4th day of November 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Folding Table Top, adapted to Constitute Inclined
Stands for Musio or other Articles.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by James Francis
Herbert Collet, Executive Engineer in the Public Works Department of the Govern-
ment of India, of Srinagur, Kashmir, India, and in what manner the same is to be.
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this invention is to produce a table having a folding top of such
nature that it may be used either as a small occasional table or as a larger card
table or general table, or as a stand or set of two or more stands for the support or
display of sheet music, books, albums, pictures or the like in convenient positions for:
use or inspection.

page_text: (6). The intermediate leaves B.
(c). The top leaves C.
The bottom leaf A is a flat panel or slab having three or more side edges
preferably straight, it rests directly upon the supporting legs or frame of the table.
The principle of construction of a table of any number of sides which may be.
selected, is the same as the principle of construction of the four sided table
hereinafter described, in which the bottom leaf has four sides.
The intermediate leaves B of a four sided table consist of four flat three sided
panels which rest on the bottom leaf and together cover the surface of the underleaf
when folded flat thereon. The outer lying side of each of these intermediate leaves
is hinged respectively one to each of the four sides of the bottom leaf, in such a
manner that the intermediate leaves can be hinged or rotated each about that side
edge by which it is secured to the bottom leaf and about the respective side edge of
the bottom leaf to which it is secured so as to either lie flat on the bottom leaf.
(Fig. 1) or to be supported with the plane of the respective intermediate leaf
inclined at any desired angle to the plane of the bottom leaf (Fig. 2) or lie with its
plane in the extension of the plane of the bottom leaf so as to form a continuation
of the bottom leaf: (Figs. 3 and 4). Each intermediate leaf carries on that side
which is uppermost when it is folded over the underleaf, three upper leaves, there-
fore the top leaves C of a four sided table are twelve in number. These. consist.,
each of a three sided panel c c. To each side edge of each intermediate leaf
is hinged one side of each of the top leaves c or c¹ each to each, in such a manner
that the top leaves can be rotated about those side edges by which they are secured"
to the intermediate leaves and about the respective side edges of the intermediate'
leaves, to which they are secured respectively, so as to lie flat on the intermediate"
leaves and so that two of the top leaves c which are secured to each inter-
mediate leaf can lie with their pianes in the extension of the plane of the intermediate.
leaf to which they are secured so as to form a continuation of it, and so that the
third top leaf c which is secured to each intermediate leaf can also lie and support
itself with its plane at right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the intermediate
leaf to which it is secured to that side edge of the intermediate leaf near which the
latter is secured to the side edge of the bottom leaf.
-1
It is preferable that the top leaves when folded upon the intermediate leaves
shall together cover the surface of the latter.
The leaves secured to each other as above described are capable of being
folded so as to constitute any one of the three undermentioned principal forms:
(a). A small table having a surface area equal to that of the bottom leaf as
5 shown in plan in Fig. 1.
(b). A stand of either one, two, three or four desks, for supporting music,
pictures, albums, or any other articles of suitable size and shape as in Fig. 2.
(c). A larger table of the aggregate surface area of the bottom leaf and the four
intermediate leaves as in Fig. 3.
0 The aforesaid small table is formed by folding the intermediate leaves flat on the
bottom leaf, and folding the top leaves flat on the intermediate leaves.
The aforesaid stand of desks is formed by erecting the four intermediate leaves
or any one or more of them into an inclined position with respect to the bottom leaf,
and opening out the top leaves in such a manner that two of the top leaves secured
5 to each intermediate leaf will lie in the same planes as the said intermediate leaf
and with it will form a desk, and the third top leaf will form a ledge by standing

page_text: out at right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the desk, which will prevent any
article placed on the desk from slipping downwards off the desk.
The aforesaid larger table is formed by opening out the intermediate leaves in
such a manner that they will lie in the same plane as the bottom leaf and in
continuation of it, two of the top leaves c attached to each intermediate leaf
forming ornamental pendants around the edge of the said larger table (Fig. 3 plan,
Fig. 4 elevational perspective).
By erecting one or more of the said desks either a single, double, treble, or
quadruple music album or picture stand may be formed.
The sides or edges of the leaves may be either straight, curved or of any suitable
ornamental form.
There may be provided short props D fixed to that surface of the intermediate
leaves which, when the intermediate leaves are folded flat on the bottom leaf, lies in
contact with the bottom leaf. These props are fixed in such a manner that they
can be rotated about hinges fixed at one end of each prop so as to form supports to
keep the desks inclined at a suitable angle to the bottom leaf and can also be closed
on to the intermediate leaves to which they are attached so as to lie flush with the
surface of the said intermediate leaves.
Sliding supports E which consist of short bars which slide in grooves fixed to the
under side of the bottom leaf may be provided to form additional support to the
intermediate leaves when the said leaves are unfolded so as to form the aforesaid
larger table (Figs. 3 and 4), or support may be afforded for the leaves in this
position by rotating the table top on the supporting frames as in ordinary card
tables.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A table having a lower leaf A middle leaves forming a middle series of leaves B
covering A or capable of being folded out therefrom and upper leaves c c¹, three on
each middle leaf adapted to form desks as described when the middle leaves are
supported on props D or otherwise, the whole adapted to form either a small table,
a larger table or a series of music or other desks.
Dated this 4th day of August 1893.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.