IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS ADAPTED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard High, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, School Furnisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DESKS ADAPTED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS."
Sealed the 17th October 1873, and dated the 18th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard High at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th April 1873.
I, RICHARD HIGH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
School Furnisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS ADAPTED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates more particularly to the convertible desks
employed in schools, and which are capable of being changed in form
so as to be suitable for varying requirements.
My said Invention has for its object in the first place to enable the
desk top to be readily fixed either in the sloping position required

page_text: when it is to be used as a desk, or in a horizontal position, as when
the desk is or may be used as a table. To this end I form or provide
each standard with a notched arc, and I provide the desk top with
latches formed to enter the notches in the said arcs, the said latches
being arranged in pairs so that when one latch of a pair engages
with a notch the desk top is retained in a sloping position, and when
the other latch engages with the same notch the said desk top is
retained in a horizontal position. Other notches are or may be formed
in the said arcs to retain the said desk top in other and now well-
known positions, the employment of the two latches increasing the
number of changes which may be made in the position of the desk
top, and obviating the necessity for the formation of notches so close
together as to interfere with the strength of the material.
T
To enable one person to alter the position of the desk top I may
provide a catch or support which may be turned or moved into position
to keep one set of latches out of the notches during the adjustment of
the said desk top.
"
My Invention in the second place has for its object to enable the
"form
or seat to be readily changed in position from one side of the
desk to the other, and this I accomplish by mounting the said scat
upon arms which are arranged to swivel around or upon the standards,
the connections between the said seat and the said arms being so
arranged as that the said form may be passed between the said standards
from one side to the other, the said arms swivelling on the said
standards. .
In an arrangement which I have found to be suitable, the said seat
is connected by excentrically disposed pins or studs to discs or arms,
which are formed or fixed on shafts pivotted in the aforesaid swivelling
arms.
In the remaining portion of my Invention I provide the seat of a
convertible school desk with a back rest which is carried by hinged
arms, so that when the seat is to be sat upon with the backs of the
sitters towards the desk top, which may have been placed in position
to form a back rest, the first-named back rest is folded down so as to
form a part of the seat, or to be level or nearly level therewith.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard High in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th October 1878..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HIGH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, School Furnisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard High, Her special license
that I, the said Richard High, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,.
or such others as I, the said Richard High, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 DESKS ADAPTED FOR
USE IN SCHOOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard High, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Richard High, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates more particularly to the convertible desks
employed in schools, and which are capable of being changed in form
so as to be suitable for varying requirements.
My said Invention has for its object in the first place to enable the
desk top to be readily fixed cither in the sloping position required
when it is to be used as a desk, or in a horizontal position as when
the desk is or may be used as a table. To this end I form or provide
cach standard with a notched arc, and I provide the desk top with

page_text: latches formed to enter the notches in the said arcs, the said latches
being arranged in pairs so that when one latch of a pair engages
with a notch the desk top is retained in a sloping position, and when
the other latch engages with the same notch the said desk top is
retained in a horizontal position. Other notches are or may be formed
in the said arcs to retain the said desk top in other and now well-
known positions, the employment of the two latches increasing the
number of changes which may be made in the position of the desk
top, and obviating the necessity for the formation of notches so close
together as to interfere with the strength of the material.
To enable one person to alter the position of the desk top I may
provide a catch or support which may be turned or moved into position
to keep one set of latches out of the notches during the adjustment of
the said desk top.
"
My Invention in the second place has for its object to enable the
"form
or seat to be readily changed in position from one side of the
desk to the other, and this I accomplish by mounting the said seat
upon arms which are arranged to swivel around or upon the standards,.
the connections between the said seat and the said arms being so
arranged as that the said form may be passed between the said
standards from one side to the other, the said arms swivelling on the
said standards.
.
In an arrangement which I have found to be suitable the said seat
is connected by excentrically disposed pins or studs to discs or arms,
which are formed or fixed on shafts pivotted in the aforesaid swivelling
arms.
In the remaining portion of my Invention I provide the seat of a
convertible school desk with a back rest which is carried by hinged
arms, so that when the seat is to be sat upon with the backs of the
sitters towards the desk top, which may have been placed in position
to form a back rest, the first-named back rest is folded down so as to
form a part of the seat, or to be level or nearly level therewith.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I will
now refer to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which are marked
with letters of reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts a
in the various Figures.

page_text: In the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents an end view of a desk with
my improvements applied thereto, Fig. 2 being a front view of onc
of the standards, and Figs. 3 and 4 represented about the full size,
illustrating the parts to which the first portion of my Invention
relates.
In the said Figures, and particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, a is one
of the standards; 6 is the said arc; and. c, c¹, are the said latches.
The said latches are hinged at d, and pass through slots in the bracket e,
which is fixed to the desk top f. When the desk top is level, as
represented, the latch c engages with a notch formed in the edge of
the said arc, there being a corresponding arrangement at the other
end of the desk, as will be understood. When the latch c is raised
out of the said notch, and the desk top is tilted until the latch c¹
engages with the notch, the desk top will be retained in the position
represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 4.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the seat board g is jointed or hinged by a pin
or bolt to a swivelling piece i, which is connected by the bolt k
to the standards 1. There is a similar arrangement at the other end:
of the seat, but the point of connection of the seat with the swivelling
pieces is at m on the opposite side of the seat. The piece i is free
to swivel to some extent on the bolt k. The standard is connected
by the arm to the standard a, the connection being effected by
means of a box o which is formed in two halves bolted together, and
which embraces a cylindrical part of the said standard, and is arranged
to swivel thereon. The combined swivelling movements of the seat g
upon the bolt h of the piece i on the bolt k, and of the standard
around the standard a, enable the seat to be passed between the said
standards into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.
A projection p formed on the standard a engages with a notch on
the box o, and serves to retain the standards in position, and also to
raise the said standards when the seat has to be moved from one side
to the other.
The remaining part of my Invention is illustrated in Fig. 1. A
rail is fixed to arms s which are hinged at t to the scat g, there
being one such arm at each end of the said seat. When in the
position represented by the full lines the rail r acts as a back rail
to the seat, and when folded down as indicated by the dotted lines,

page_text: the said rail serves to add to the width of the seat, the desk top f
being tilted into the position indicated by the dotted lines u, so as to
act as a back rest.
Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said
Invention, I would in conclusion have it be understood that I claim,-
First. The latches c, c¹, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth and indicated.
Secondly. The method of changing the position of the seat from
one side to the other of the desk, substantially as hercin-before set forth
and indicated.
And, lastly. The back rail r, arranged substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard High, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Signed and sealed by the said
Richard High, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Patentee,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
RICHARD HIGH. (L.S.)