Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 17th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
We, ALEXANDER DRYSDALE, and GEORGE GILMOUR, both of 236, Leith Walk, in
the City and County of Edinburgh, Joiners, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction of
school desks and seats, and in the combination of their parts, whereby strength and
lightness are obtained, with greater convenience for the Students getting into and out
of their respective places of the desks and seats.
The nature and novelty of the improvements consist all as follows:-Under one
arrangement or general construction suitable for being erected on cast-iron end frames
or standards, these would be formed preferably in one part, both for supporting the
desk in front, and the desk and back behind, joined by a broad basement sole across
the passage between these, screwed to the floor, as is done in some cases at present.
But by these improvements the frames would be made of a strong light section, with
openings up the centre and two light column-like members joined together to the
sole plate, and at the flange at the top supporting the wood desk part, in an expanding
bracket-like manner, and joined at intermediate parts by light ornamental webs. The
horizontal section of these vertical pillar parts of both the desk and lower part of the
back frames, would be of a double headed rail or H section, which gives the greatest
possible strength with lightness, these extending in bracket form to the basement sole
or flange; and in the case of the back frames above the seat extending up in a light
single rail form with flanges for screwing to the longitudinal wooden bars forming
the back of the seat; which together with the wooden box part of the desk frames
in front would stiffen and stay the whole frame of these combined desks and
seats.
A further improvement consists in forming and fitting the desk part in front of a
box-like shape, with a lower and upper horizontal board or shelf, secured together by
open or ornamental wood or metal ends and divisions of from six to eight inches high
to form book shelves or compartments opposite each scholar for holding his books,
screwed to the upper bracketed flange of the end standards open towards the seat and

page_text: under the desk, but closed in, in front by a light horizontal double railed frame with
vertical bars. The top longitudinal board of this desk part would have jointed to it
in front another longitudinal board about the same breadth for folding up over it, or
in a line down with it, edge to edge, to form the desk proper by the two when they
were both in angular line. This front folding down desk part is jointed by a new or
improved construction of hinge, suitable for these desks in folding them down for use,
in this way so that the edges of the boards form the butt to the hinge, (in contra-
distinction to the mode of folding them with supporting brackets below as heretofore),
the hinge being formed of two disc like parts, or of one disc part between double
discs, secured to the single or double angled flange arms of the hinge which are
screwed to the ends and to the under, or under and upper sides of both the moving
and fixed upper parts of boards forming the desk. To ensure the even longitudinal
position of the moving desk part with the fixed desk partat their joint abutting edges,
short brass tenon and socket plates are screwed at various positions along the edges of
these boards, the bevel tenons entering the recesses of the plates, to bring and maintain
the edges of the two boards of the desk in line as they are folded down. A retaining
lateral catch or pin may also be formed on the moving part of the hinge, which when
folded down would take into a spring notch on the fixed part of the hinge, and retain
the desk in its folded down position to prevent tampering with it except at
the end joint of the desk, or the pin might have a spring and the catch be the
fixture.
A further improvement consists in jointing the soat with joint hinges of an equivalent
construction as that used for the Desk, having one of its disc hinge parts formed on
the lower strong part of the back frame, and the other double disc or jawed hinge part
formed on a flange bracket bolted to the under side near each end of the seat board,
so that this would fold up close against the back rails of the upper standard part of
the frame, at such an angle that it would not fall forward except when turned down
by hand, the hinge in this case being formed with strong stops on the inside to
maintain the seat in its proper horizontal position when folded down, the front part of
the desk being folded down after the Students are seated.
The frames of these combined desks and seats might also be made of malleable cast
steel as also the hinges, in which case they could be made lighter, and with
thinner flanges, especially at the sole joining the desk and seat standards, that is
without an obstructing feather for the feet of the Students passing in and out between
the desk and seat. By another arrangement the end frames of the desk and seat
might be made of sheet-malleable iron or steel pierced in the form of open ornamental
fretwork, and with kneed lateral flanges where required to be secured to the wood-
work, or to their sole parts by bolts or rivets as most convenient, when made in
separate pieces.
Datal this 10th day of March 1887

page_text: Improvements in School Desks and Seats.
We, ALEXANDER DRYSDALE, and GEORGE GILMOUR, both of 236 Leith Walk, in
the City and County of Edinburgh, Joiners, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being
had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction
of school desks and seats, and in the combination of their parts, whereby strength
and lightness are obtained, with greater convenience for the Students getting into
and out of their respective places of the desks and seats.
And in order that our said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figure 1 is a side or
end elevation showing our new or improved combined school desk and seat. Figure 2
is an end elevation broken away of the top part of the desk to a larger scale than in
Figure 1, showing another form of our new or improved construction of stop hinge,
the folded up position of the front part of desk being indicated in dotted lines.
Figure 3 is a plan corresponding to Figure 2 of half the longitudinal length of a
double desk for two Students, showing the front folding down part and the back flat
stationary part only, with the spaces for the school slates and the ink bottles. Figure 4
shows a plan of the stop hinges of the desk detached shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a back elevation of one of the standards A" of the seat frame showing the
Hanges a to which the rails a³, a³, forming the back of the seat are secured.
Referring to these Drawings:-the nature and novelty of our improvements consist
all as follows-Under one arrangement or general construction suitable for being
erected on duplex cast-iron end frames or standards A, A', these would be formed or
cast preferably in one piece, both for supporting the desk in front, and the seat and
back behind, respectively, formed on the same basement sole A² across the passage
between these, which may be screwed to the floor by snugs A³ when they are not
required to be portable. But by these improvements the end standard frames A, A', A²,
are made of a strong light sectional web with flanges, as seen in the several
sections AB, CD, E--- F, G---H, and JK, with openings a up the
centre, in two light column-like members A and A¹ joined together to the sole plate A
below. The flange a' at the top is bolted to and supports the wood horizontal desk
part b, in an expanding bracket-like manner, and is joined at the ends, and it might
be at the intermediate parts by light ornamental vertical web pieces B², between the
horizontal parts band 6. The horizontal section of these vertical pillar parts A A¹ of
both the desk and the lower part of the back frames, is of a double headed rail or
H section as shown at J -K which gives the greatest possible strength with light-

page_text: ness, extending in bracket form to the basement sole or flange A². In the case of the
back or seat standards A' A', the back extends up in a light single rail form at A", with
flanges a¹¹ for screwing to two longitudinal wooden bars a² a³ which form the back of
the seat which together with the wooden box part b, ¹, of the desk frames in front,
stiffen and stay the whole frame of these combined desks and seats; with the standard
frames A, A1, A2, at the ends, and which may be of any length to suit different
numbers of students as from two to six, with a standard at each end, but they might
be made longer for a greater number of students with intermediate standards, and be
made of various heights to suit the ages or size of the different Students.
62,
A further improvement consists in forming and fitting the desk part b b in front, of.
a box-like shape, with a lower and upper horizontal board or shelf bb¹ secured together
by open or ornamental wood or metal vertical ends and divisions 62 of from six to
eight inches high to form book shelves 6 and compartments between the vertical
partitions, opposite each scholar for holding his books, screwed to the upper hori-
zontal bracketed flange a¹ of the end standards A A open towards the seat and under
the fixed horizontal desk part 6, but closed-in in front by two light horizontal double
railed open frames 6 with vertical bars 11, the upper front bar 6 would project up
a little above the horizontal part 6 of the desk screwed to the vertical divisions 62.
This fixed top longitudinal board of the desk part bas hinged or jointed to it in front
another longitudinal board 62 about the same breadth for folding up over it, or in a line
down with it edge to edge, as seen at 1---1 in Figure 3, to form the desk proper by
the two when they were both in angular line, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and shown
folded up in dotted lines in these Figures. This front folding down desk part 2, is
jointed by a new or improved construction of hinge ce suitable for these desks in
folding them down for use, in this way, so that the adjacent edges of the boards
form a butt joint at 1--- 1 to the hinge part cl be without other support or obstruction,
(in contradistinction to the mode of folding them down on fixed supporting brackets
projecting out below as heretofore). Each hinge e e' is either formed of two single
angle iron arms, as shown in Figure 1, or of channel iron section as shown in
Figures 2 and 3 and both detached in Figure 4 with one dise like hinged part e² on
each limb c, c, but they might be formed with one dise part on one limb, jointed between
double disc parts, secured to either a single or double angled flange arm of the hinge c²
which are screwed to the ends and to the under side as seen in Figure 1, or to the end
and under and upper sides as seen in Figure 2, of both the fixed and moving upper
parts of boards forming the desk. To insure the even longitudinal position of the
moving desk part 2 with the fixed desk part b¹ at their joint abutting edges1--- 1, short
brass tenon and socket or slotted plates shown at d d in Figure 3 are screwed at various
positions along the edges of these boards, the bevel tenons d' entering the recesses of the
plates d' as seen in the separate views of these plates d d to the right of Figure 3, to bring
and maintain the joint edges of the two boards b1, b2, of the desk in line as they are folded
down. In addition to the adjacent edges of the boards 3, 62, forming an abutting
joint, slightly raised segmental abutments c³, would be formed on the hinged dises
to form a metallic stop as well for the board when folded down or folded up, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the board is folded up, as indicated in dotted
lines in Figures 1 and 2, it is also made to answer as a reading desk by fitting along
the lower side near the hinged edge a projecting lath or moulding e sunk and glued
into a groove formed for it in the underside of the board, which lath or bead holds
the books and prevents them from falling off the reading desk, when so angled forward.
A slotted hole e' would be formed through the front part of the fixed board b' of the
desk, close to the front rail 6, large enough for the insertion of a slate opposite each
student, and a groove as at e² for holding pens and pencils. An ink botile with
elliptical recessed top would also be fitted or sunk at finto the board b¹ between each
pair of students, and have a swivelling lid attached for opening up or covering the
ink bottle and protecting it from dust.
A further improvement consists in jointing the strong longitudinal seat board
strengthened by the longitudinal cambered rail g' screwed to it below, with joint disc
hinges of an equivalent construction to that used for the Desk, having the central

page_text: dise hinged part formed at h¹ on the lower fixed front part of the back frame A¹, A¹,
and the other double disc or jawed hinged part h formed on a flange bracket 2 bolted
to the underside near each end of the seat board g, so that this would fold up close
against the back rail a³ of the upper standard part of the frame, as shown dotted-in in
Figure 1, at such an angle that it would not fall forward except when turned down by
hand, the hinge in this case being formed with strong stops 3 on the inside to
maintain the seat in its proper horizontal position when folded down as seen in sharp
lines in Figure 1, the front part 12 of the desk being folded down after the Students
are seated.
The frames of these combined desks and seats might also be made of malleable cast
steel, as also the hinges, in which case they could be made lighter, and with thinner
flanges, especially at the sole joining the desk and seat standards, that is without an
obstructing feather for the feet of the students passing in and out between the desk
and seat. By another arrangement the end frames A, A¹, of the desk and seat might
be made of sheet malleable iron or steel pierced in the form of open ornamental fret-
work and with kneed lateral flanges where required to be secured to the woodwork,
or to their sole parts A2, by bolts or rivets as most convenient, when made in separate
pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of combined
school desks and seats, with folding front desk part and seat, all framed so as to be
rigid and portable or fixed as desired, substantially as herein described in reference to
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In school desks and seats, the having of their front desk board and scat
both hinged to fold up and down, for the admission of the Students, all substantially
as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In school desks and seats, the jointing of the writing or book board, with
stop hinges and tenon and groove metal fittings so as to fold up and down, to form a
writing or reading desk without requiring bearing brackets to support them, all
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
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