Improvement in School Desks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar, 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr.,
1891
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in School Desks.
JOHN MARTIN, 12, Crawshay Road, North Brixton, London, S. W.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Teacher,
This invention relates more particularly to those kinds of school desks which are
provided with a long slot on the top, through which the slates when not in use are
passed down in a nearly perpendicular direction to lodge on the book shelf or ledge
below.
It is well known among teachers that slates in such a position, rattle and disturb
the class whenever the children happen to move slightly.
This rattling of the slates causes an interruption many times a day in the class
work, as it is usual in schools conducted with an approach to quietness, for the
teachers to stop teaching and tell the class to strain the slates into a position in
which they cannot well rattle; from this position however, the slates frequently
work loose again.
The object of this invention is to prevent this frequent interruption, noise and
annoyance and the consequent loss of time and efficiency by attaching a sloping
surface to the ledge or book shelf for the slates to rest upon, so that as soon as the
slates are put away down the slot provided for them they become slightly jambed
so that they cannot rattle, however much the desk is shaken.
In carrying out this invention in its simplest form for desks already in use, a
small block of wood about 3 or 4 or more inches long, having a cross section some-
what like a right angled isosceles triangle, and with its two equal sides about
1 or 1 inches wide, is screwed or nailed or otherwise fastened to the ledge or
bookshelf immediately beneath the slot, so that the slate can rest upon the oblique
surface of the block.
In the manufacture of new desks, the same or a slightly modified form of block
might be built in the desk.
It is obvious the size, angles and attachment of the block of wood might, be
slightly varied to suit the various sizes, and shapes of desks without departing from
the principle of the invention.
T
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in School Desks.
JOHN MARTIN, 12, Crawshay Road, North Brixton, London, S.W., School-
master, 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 those kinds of school desks which are provided with a
long slot on the top, through which the slates, when not in use, are passed down in
a nearly perpendicular direction to rest on the book-shelf or ledge below.
Slates in such a position often rattle and disturb the class, when children budge
a little to relieve cramp or any itching they may feel, and with large classes of
sixty or seventy children the noise may occur two or three times per minute.
The object of this invention is to prevent the frequent interruption, noise and
annoyance, and consequent loss of time and efficiency, caused through this rattling,
by attaching a sloping surface to the ledge or book-shelf for the slate to rest upon,
so that as soon as the slates are put away down the slot, they slide by gravity.
.

page_text: down the sloping surface and become slightly jambed, so that they cannot rattle
however much the desk happens to be shaken.
In carrying out this invention in its simplest form, for desks already in use, or
others, a small block or strip of wood about six inches or more long, and with a
cross section somewhat like a right angled triangle, and having the two sides at
right angles, about one inch and one-and-a-half inches broad, is fastened by screws
or other means to the book shelf so as to present a sloping surface for the slate to
slide upon and thus slightly jamb at the slot. These dimensions are better than
those mentioned in the Provisional Specification, as with these a malicious child
cannot unduly jamb the slate, but of course it is obvious that their exactness is not
an essential feature of the invention.
The accompanying diagrams are filed herewith in order that anyone skilled in
the manufacture of school desks, may more readily carry out this invention, and so
that the precise nature of the invention may be more readily ascertained and
understood. In these diagrams the same letters in the different figures are
connected with corresponding parts.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the upper part of such a desk as
described in Moss's Patent, A.D. 1872 No. 2992, taken across the slot down which
the slate is put when not in use; the legs or standards which support the desk not
being in the plane of this section; are of course not shown in the drawing. A, B, C is
the section of the top of the desk, and D, E, F the book-shelf below, upon which
the slate rests at right angles to the plane of this section, near E when passed
down the slot G between B and C. The slate rattles between B and C. The
improvement which is the subject of this invention is shown by the shaded
section H, J, K; the action being that when the slate is passed down the passage G,
it slides by gravity nearly down the surface H, J and becomes very slightly jambed
between B and C so that it cannot possibly rattle and yet it is as easily taken out
when required as at present.
Of course it is obvious that without departing from the principle of this invention
viz. providing a sloping surface as H. J that the size, shape, material and mode
of fixing may be varied, e.y. Fig. 2 shows in section a sloping surface provided by
a strip of bent iron, Fig. 3 a perspective view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a slightly
concave surface of wood with a rebate, or prolongation over F, while Fig. 5 shows
a front, perspective view of another iron construction which may be fitted when
new desks are being made. Also it will be obvious to desk manufacturers that to
suit some other kinds of desks the sloping surface could be turned outward; also
that in constructing new desks the sloping surface may be built in the desk, so
that F may rise above H and thus the thin edge at H in Fig. 1 be avoided.
In order to expeditiously and more easily fasten large numbers of blocks to desks
already in use, I have devised and made what may be termed a slide clamp to hold
the small block shown in Fig. 1 while it is being fastened to the book shelf.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate this form of clamp and mode of using it. Fig. 6 is
a perspective view and represents a piece of iron about a quarter of an inch thick
and two inches wide, bent in the form shown and with a hole about 1 inch square
made to be near the shoulder. Fig. 7 shows the breadth of sliding bar the section
of which is shown in the following two diagrams. Fig. 8 shows the block in position
and the clamp with the bar drawn back and Fig. 9 shows the bar pushed in to
hold the block while it is fastened. The thunb dent or hole in the bar gives
enough purchase for drawing it back. Instead of this slide clamp a thumb screw
may be used when the desks vary much in thickness at E and F.
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. In a school desk provided with a slate slot, the block or strip of wood shown
in section in Fig. 1 affording a sloping surface for the purpose hereinbefore

page_text: 2. The combination of a school desk provided with a slate slot, and any material
fitted to form a sloping surface, substantially as described in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned.
7 1
11
1
1001
JOHN MARTIN,
Applicant.