An Improvement in Writing Desks.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Writing Desks.
I, WILLIAM THEODORE JOSEPH PARKES of 31 Store Street, Bedford Square
London W.C. and 13 Nevill's Court, Fetter Lane London E.C. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Up to the present time, the usual method of writing reports for newspaper
syndicates, has been by interleaving quarto or octavo sheets of tissue paper, with
sheets of carbonised paper, pinned at the top corner, and laid on a plate of steel,
there to be written on with the stylus, and when the required number of pages are
covered, the tissues have to be seperated from the carbon sheets, during which process
they must be paged, and numbered carefully for immediate distribution to their
various destinations.
In doing this, there is a considerable loss of time, which it is of the utmost
importance to limit as much as possible, there is also required in the said process of
paging and seperating, an extra amount of valuable space which makes it necessary
to secure a seat or desk, not always attainable when working under the constrained
circumstances of journalistic reporting.
This invention is intended, in a large degree, to obviate the difficulties which I
have set forth for it forms a desk, which may be held in the hand, while standing in
crowded assemblies, or whilst travelling on railways, or in any other of those
conditions wherein it would be awkward, and almost impossible to work under the
old system.
In my invention, I first prepare a box or case, say 1 inch deep, and six inches
long by five inches wide, on the right end of which I fit a falling leaf, with two
circular holes, 1 inch diam.-one at each end, then to said box I affix a thin lid, or
cover, in the centre of which I have pierced an opening, say four inches long by two
inches wide thro' which the tissue paper will be exposed for the writers use-this
forms the desk, into which I fit a mechanical frame made as follows-
I take two thin slips of oak, or other material, of a size to fit easily within the
narrower width of said box or desk, and at each end of said slips, I make a circular
hole, then to three or more pieces of thin oak,-fitting the full length of inside of
box, glue and screw the said pierced slips of wood, one at each end, to form an
axel frame, in the holes of which, I fit two rollers of wood or metal,-one at top and
one at bottom, each roller fitted with a clip movement, that may be lifted for the
purpose of fixing and gripping the ends of tissue paper.
At the right end of each of said rollers, I fasten a disc of oak, that will revolve in
the circular holes of the falling leaf of box, and to the edge of each of those discs,
I fit a handle whereby the rollers may be turned when the box is closed. I then take
a plate of steel, say four and a half inches long by two and a half inches wide, and I
fix it, hingewise, to the centre of frame in such a way that it may be raised if
required, and at each end of frame, I fasten a hinge shaped gripper, the lower half
of which is a fixture, the upper half to open, with pins set on its inner side, said
grippers are for the purpose of pinning and holding the slips of carbon paper that will
be interleaved with the tissue over the steel plate.
I then get slips of carbon paper 1 in. wide, and setting the required number in the
right hand gripper, I take the proper number of ribbon lengths of tissue paper-cut

page_text: to octavo width-and fasten the ends of said lengths in the lower roller, and turning
its handle, I roll up the paper tight, until I leave only sufficient of the tissues to reach
the gripper of the upper roller over the steel plate. I then lay the ends of the tissue
over the steel plate, interleaving them crosswise with the slips of carbon paper, I then
fix the left ends of said slips in the pinning hinge, and drawing the ends of the
tissue paper into the gripper of the upper roller, I slide the frame into the box from
the right side, close up the falling leaf, shut down the pierced lid, and the desk is
ready for use.
As the writer proceeds with his copy, he turns the handle of the upper roller and
the tissues pass thro' the carbon paper. When he has written what may be required,
he cuts the ribbons of tissue between the steel plate and upper roller, draws them off
the roller, separates them without any further trouble with the carbon paper, and
refixes his reserve paper in the roller for use as before.
There is no paging required in this process: each ribbon of tissue contains its full
compliment of continuous matter, and the bother and waste of time lost in seperating
the tissues from the carbon is avoided.
Dated this 6th day of January 1896
WILLIAM THEODORE JOSEPH PARKES.
I, WILLIAM THEODORE JOSEPH PARKES of 27 Gower Street, Bedford Square
London W.C. and 13 Nevill's Court Fetter Lane London E.C. late of 31 Store Street,
Artist Medallist and Author 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 :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to writing desks
and consists of a certain combination, the object of which is to provide a writing
desk which will be of practical use for the quicker manipulation of manifold paper
or tissues, whether used for press reporting purposes or otherwise.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the construction and arrangement
of my invention in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of inside of desk.
Fig. 2 is a barbed roller paper clip.
Fig. 3. A roll of paper tissue interleaved at end with carbon strips.
Fig. 4. A completed roll of tissue with carbon strips folded in, and banded.
Fig. 5. Chucks for clipping and holding roll of tissue.
Fig. 6. Ends of tissue in roller clip.
Fig. 7. Interior of desk with rolls of tissue and clip roller.
Fig. 8. Steel plate with pins.
Fig. 9. Desk with rolls of tissue, paper clip and steel plate.
Fig. 10. View of desk with clip open and paper ready for setting.
Fig. 11. Paper set.
Fig. 12. Socketed frame.
Fig. 13. Desk with socketed frame laid on ready for use.
Fig. 14. Desk closed up.
Referring to Fig. 1. each of the two longer opposite sides are cut to form slot
holes, as at a. a. through which the tissue may be pulled instead of being rolled with
key as hereinafter described.
Near each end of box-at right angles with the ends of said slot holes-I fix
thin partitions of wood scalloped in semi sockets b. b. to act as roller racks, and

page_text: opposite each of the outer sockets c. c. c. c. I make a circular hole d. d. d. d. in which
a revolving key may be inserted.
The roller Fig. 2 is fashioned at end e with a key tongue and a pivot to which
is fixed a semicircular section of the roller barbed with three pins g. 9. g. that fit
into three holes on the opposite section when the roller is closed, and on the outer
end of said barbed section, I place a metal staple h, whereby the clip may be
opened.
The steel plate K Fig. 8 is the length of inside of box, and about half the width,'"
with pins i at each, end, fits into roller rack as shewn K Fig. 9 without fastening,
so that it may be lifted from the reserve rack when required.
I cut long ribbands of manifold tissue paper L, Fig. 3 to width required, I cut
small strips of carbon tissue m, exact length of steel plate Fig. 8, but rather less in
width. I also make thin dowell stick n, about quarter inch less than length of box.
I glue the paper ribbons, to the number required, to dowel stick, around which
I roll the paper till within a few inches of the other end, where I alternate the paper
ribbands with the strips of carbon tissue transversely, glue both ends of carbon strips,
and turn each end in as shewn at m Fig. 3. I finish rolling, fix a band or label
round, and it is ready for use as in Fig. 4.
A metal disc provided with square key tongue on obverse side, and three short
steel blades on the reverse side with their edges set inwards as in o. Fig. 5 forms a
chuck for the dowell roller, it is pressed between the blades of chuck as in P. and
caught sufficiently tight to be turned with key u. Fig. 13.
The roller in chuck is dropped in front sockets Fig. 9 the rack filled with three
reserve rollers 999 Fig. 7, the roller clip dropped in back sockets, and the steel
plate K laid on as in Fig. 9.
The band or label is cut from the roll q' the paper drawn out a few inches, the
ends of carbon strips turned out, as at m, Fig. 10, the paper L. is then laid over
the plate K, the strips are pressed on the pins at each end, the ends of the tissue
ribbands are set in the gripper h, and the gripper is turned setting the tissue as
in Fig. 11.
Fig. 12 is a thin frame to form a loose cover for inside of desk, it is furnished
with four socket stumps t. t. t. t. to keep in their places, the roller clip, and dowell
roller, but set wide enough to clear the partition racks & Fig. 1, so that when in its
place, as in Fig. 13, S. it will rise as the paper is rolled under; or when pressed by the
hand, it will keep paper and rollers rigid.
When the writer uses his stylus over the open space, he rolls the tissue through
the carbon, and at any moment he can lift the frame S, cut the tissues between the
steel plate K, and gripping roller, pull the written matter off the gripper, refix
therein the blank ends, and replace frame for further use.
The desk might be provided with drawer underneath for envelopes, and a strap
to suspend it, when moving about.
The lid V Fig. 14 is made to slip in groove at each side of desk, and is provided
with flange W, that fits in slot a, Fig. 1, which flange may be locked if necessary.
The lid can also be drawn out far enough to enable the writer to use it as a hand
rest if necessary.
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 I
claim is :-
1. A new combination writing desk consisting of a shallow box slotted at sides, and
trisected with partitions-scalloped to act as roller rack-near each end, a gripping
roller to work in said rack, bisected, pivoted, and barbed with pins, and key tongue
at one end substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. An improved combination writing desk formed of a shallow box, slotted,
trisected with roller racks, gripping roller, steel plate set with pins at each end,
resting on roller racks, substantially described and for the purposes specified.
3. A new combination desk consisting of shallow box with four circular keyholes,
::

page_text: and fitted with two roller racks, gripping roller, barbed steel plate, rollor charged
with coil of manifold tissue, interleaved with carbon strips at ends and banded
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. A new writing desk consisting of box slotted, trisected with roller racks, in
centre of which reserve coils of tissue may be kept, a barbed steel plate, rollers of
tissue, and moveable frame with four socket stumps, a key for turning the rollers,
and a sliding cover with lock, substantially as described and for the purposes
specified.
Dated this 6th day of October 1896.
WILLIAM THEODORE JOSEPH PARKES.