IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL DESKS AND SEATS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Francis Moss, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL DESKS AND
SEATS."
Sealed the 17th December 1872, and dated the 10th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Francis Moss
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th October 1872.
I, JOHN FRANCIS Moss, of Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL
DESKS AND SEATS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is so to construct a school desk and seat
that a child when seated on the seat may have in front a flat desk at a
suitable distance for writing on, and also that a child may at other times
freely stand up between the seat and desk. For this purpose the desk and
seat are each carried at their ends by standards, by preference of cast
iron, the two standards at each end being cast together in one piece with
a bed or foot, which may be fixed to the floor of a schoolroom. The

page_text: an inclined position, in order that it may then form an inclined reading
desk.
The hinges connecting the front to the back are entirely below the
surface of the desk, and the two parts of the desk fit closely together,
and form an even surface for writing upon.
A few inches below the desk another and horizontal board is passed'
across from once standard to another, and rests on lugs projecting from
them. This board forms a shelf for carrying books, writing materials,
and such like. Slits may be formed lengthwise through the desk at
intervals near its back edge for writing slates to be slipped into. A
slate thus passed through one of the slits comes down on to and rests
upon the shelf below, and it is prevented from slipping off the back edge
of the shelf by an upright stay of wood or metal passing up from the
shelf to the under side of the desk. The remainder of the space between
the desk and shelf is left open, or it may be enclosed by a board to serve
for a back to the seat next in front. I however prefer to carry the back
for the seat by light uprights cast with the standards which carry the
seat, or by light irons which may either be bolted to the standards or to
the scat itself.
At Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn
two arrangements of school desks and seats constructed according to
this Invention. In these Figures a, a, are the standards for carrying
the desks; b, the standards for carrying the seats and their backs.
These standards are cast in one piece together with or are affixed to a
bed piece or foot c, which is to be secured to the floor of a schoolroom.
The desks and seats are secured to their respective standards by screws
passed up into them through lugs on the standards, and in the same
way a shaft d is carried at a short distance below the desk.
In the arrangement shewn at Figure 1 the whole of the desk is shewn
to be fixed at a slight slope, whereas in Figure 2 the back portion of the
desk is horizontal to allow of pens, pencils, and such like being placed
thereon, whilst the remainder is at a suitable inclination to form a
writing desk.
The front flap of each desk rests on the top of the
standards a, and is jointed by hinges e, c, to the fixed back portion of
the desk, so that it may either when resting upon the standards form
part of the writing desk, or when turned back on the hinge joints form
an inclined reading desk, as shewn by the dotted lines in the Drawing;
1

page_text: Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Francis Moss, Her special license
that I, the said John Francis Moss, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Francis Moss, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SCHOOL DESKS AND SEATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Francis Moss, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 John Francis Moss, 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 staement thereof, that is to say :—
The object of this Invention is so to construct a school desk and seat
that a child when seated on the seat may have in front a flat desk at a
suitable distance for writing on, and also that a child may at other times
freely stand up between the seat and desk. For this purpose the desk
and seat are cach carried at their ends by standards, by preference of
cast iron, the two standards at each end being cast together in one piece
with a bed or foot which may be fixed to the floor of a school room.
The desk and seat rest upon the top of the standards, and are secured
thereto by screws passed through lugs projecting from the standards.
The front portion of the desk is not screwed down to the top of the
standards, but simply rests upon them, and is hinged to the back portion
of the desk by double jointed or other hinges, so made as to allow of the
front portion being turned up, and so moved out of the way when the
children are required to stand. When the front portion is thus turned
up out of the way it may either be turned back on to the top of the
fixed portion of the desk or means may be provided for retaining it in

page_text: desk.
The hinges connecting the front to the back are entirely below the
surface of the desk, and the two parts of the desk fit closely together,
and form an even surface for writing upon.
A few inches below the desk another and horizontal board is passed'
across from one standard to another, and rests on lugs projecting from
them. This board forms a shelf for carrying books, writing materials,
and such like. Slits may be formed lengthwise through the desk at
intervals near its back edge for writing slates to be slipped into. A 1
slate thus passed through one of the slits comes down on to and rests
upon the shelf below, and it is prevented from slipping off the back edge
of the shelf by an upright stay of wood or metal passing up from the
shelf to the under side of the desk. The remainder of the space between
the desk and shelf is left open, or it may be enclosed by a board to serve
for a back to the seat next in front. I however prefer to carry the back
for the seat by light uprights cast with the standards which carry the
scat, or by light irons which may either be bolted to the standards or to
the seat itself.
At Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shown
two arrangements of school desks and seats constructed according to
this Invention. In these Figures a, a, are the standards for carrying
the desks; b, the standards for carrying the seats and their backs.
These standards are cast in one piece together with or are affixed to a
bed piece or foot c, which is to be secured to the floor of a schoolroom.
The desks and seats are secured to their respective standards by screws
passed up into them through lugs on the standards, and in the same
way a shaft d is carried at a short distance below the desk.
In the arrangement shewn at Figure 1 the whole of the desk is shown
to be fixed at a slight slope, whereas in Figure 2 the back portion of the
desk is horizontal to allow of pens, pencils, and such like being placed
thereon, whilst the remainder is at a suitable inclination to form a
writing desk.
The front flap of cach desk rests on the top of the
standards a, and is jointed by hinges e, e, to the fixed back portion of
the desk, so that it may either when resting upon the standards form
part of the writing desk, or when turned back on the hinge joints form
an inclined reading desk, as shown by the dotted lines in the Drawing;
E

page_text: or if a double jointed hinge be used it may be turned back to rest flat
upon the fixed portion of the desk.
The form of hinge I prefer to employ is shewn on a larger scale at
Figure 3 of the Drawings annexed. By using a hinge of this con.
struction not only may the front portion of the desks when turned down,
so as to rest upon the top of the standards a, form a flush surface with
the fixed portion of the desks, but also, when the front portion is turned
up to form a reading desk it may be held at the angle required for this
purpose, as shewn by the Drawings. Other construction of hinge and
other arrangements may however be adopted for retaining the hinged.
front of the desk when turned back at a suitable angle for forming a
reading desk.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
1. The general construction of reading desk and seat, substantially
as herein described and shewn by the Drawings annexed.
2. The construction of school desks with the front portion of the
desk capable of being turned back on hinge joints, or of being turned
down to rest on the top of the standards, and form a writing desk, sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Francis Moss, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three
Witness to the signing hereof,
ERNST JHNE.
JNO. F. MOSS. (L.S.)