Improvements in Means for Supporting and Carrying the Leaves or Sections of Sliding, and Swivelling Partitions.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Supporting and Carrying the Leaves
or Sections of Sliding, and Swivelling Partitions.
I JAMES BROTCHIE PEACE, of the Firm of Peace & Norquey of 70 Port
Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Joiner and Builder, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to the class of movable partition employed to divide-a
large room or hall into two or more smaller rooms or spaces and particularly to
partitions composed of leaves or sections carried upon pivots so as to be capable of
being swivelled and folded upon each other or against the wall as well as moved
across the room. Under an invention for which I in conjunction with one
George Brady obtained Letters Patent No. 15878 of 1892, the sections of such
movable swivelling partitions were hinged together in sets or pairs or throughout
the entire partition so as to mutually support each other and prevent canting
or jambing. Under the said patent we made provision for various means of
supporting the said partitions from above or from below but in heavy partitions
of this class having the sections supported at the foot on wheels, pullies or rollers
running on rails or guides, the rail or guide is in most cases sunk beneath the
level of the floor or at all events a groove or grooves appear in the floor and this is
considered an objection by some users.
My present invention relates to improved means for carrying the said leaves or
sections from beneath upon wheels or rollers but without having any objectionable
pit, or channel in the floor.
I secure the carrying rail to the floor in such a manner that it'lies flush or
practically flush with the floor so that no pit or channel appears. The said rail is
preferably rolled with checks or ways on either side. The carrying wheel of the
section is journalled in a jawed bracket having a pivot shank which enters a sleeve
extending from a liner bracket which is let into the thickness of the partition leaf
at the foot or the said pivot may extend the full length of the leaf. If the
supporting wheel is of such diameter that the leaf requires to be cut away
on each side to permit of its protrusion when the leaf is swivelled round, then
I mask this cut away portion by dished covers which box in the cut away
spaces and prevent any disfigurement or disadvantage. Adjacent leaves might
be recessed to receive these dished covers. The jawed bracket containing the
carrying wheel, has prolongations or toes which enter the ways at the sides of
the rail and thus prevent the bracket and wheel from turning when the leaf is
swivelled. The said toes or prolongations are or may be plough shaped so as to
clear the dirt out of the said ways each time the partition is slid to and fro. The
said prolongations or toes on the bracket may be so exten led as to constitute a
support if the leaf should be swivelled round when away from the wall or when not
resting against an adjacent leaf. The upper part of the said pivotted leaf or
section is supported and guided by any suitable roller or pivot having its
centre opposite to the pivot shank beneath, or by the prolongation of the extended
pivot.
D

page_text: Improvements in Means for Supporting and Carrying the Leaves
or Sections of Sliding and Swivelling Partitions.
I JAMES BROTCHIE PEACE, of the Firm of Peace & Norquoy of 70 Port
Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Joiner and Builder, 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 and accompanying drawings:-
My said invention relates to the class of movable partition employed to divide a
large room or hall into two or more smaller rooms or spaces.
Ünder an invention for which I in conjunction with one George Brady obtained
Letters Patent No. 15878 of 1892 the sections of such movable swivelling
partitions were hinged together in sets or pairs or throughout the entire partition
so as to mutually support each other and prevent canting or jambing. Under the
said patent we made provision for various means of supporting the said partitions
from above or from below but in heavy partitions of this class having the sections
supported at the foot on wheels, pullies or rollers running on rails or guides, the
rail or guide is in many cases sunk beneath the level of the floor and this is
considered an objection by most users.
My present invention relates to improved incans for carrying partitions whether
swivelling or not from beneath, upon wheels or rollers but without having any
objectionable pit or channel in the floor.
.I secure the carrying rail to the floor in such a manner that it lies flush or
practically flush with the floor so that no pit or channel appears but only the
comparatively shallow grooves in the rail, the said rail tread being preferably
rolled with checks or ways on either side. The carrying wheel of the partition or
section is journalled in a jawed bracket which in the case of a swivelling partition
section has a pivot shank which enters a sleeve extending from a liner bracket
which is let into the thickness of the partition leaf at the foot, or the said pivot
may extend the full length of the leaf. If the supporting wheel is of such
diameter that the swivelling leaf requires to be cut away on cach side to permit of
its protrusion when the leaf is swivelled round, then I mask this cut away portion
by dished covers which box in the cut away spaces and prevent any disfigurement
or disadvantage. Adjacent leaves might be recessed to receive these dished covers.
The bracket containing the carrying wheel, has prolongations or toes which enter
the ways at the sides of the rail tread and thus prevent the bracket and wheel
from turning when the leaf is swivelled. The said toes or prolongations are plough
shaped so as to clear the dirt out of the said ways each time the partition is slid
to and fro. The said prolongations or toes on the bracket may be so extended as
to constitute a support if the leaf should be swivelled round when away from the
wall or when not resting against an adjacent leaf. The upper part of the said
pivotted leaf or section is supported aud guided by any suitable roller or pivot
having its centre opposite to the pivot shank beneath, or by the prolongation of
the extended pivot.
In the case of partitions not intended to swivel, the brackets containing the
carrying pullies are or may be simplified or modified so as to dispense with the
pivot.
The annexed two sheets of drawings will enable my invention to be more fully
understood.
Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved partition support fitted to a partition
composed of swivelling sections.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing one of the dished shroud plates or side covers.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a view of the socket and jawed bracket at right angles to
Fig. 4 is a plan at the line A. B. Fig. 3, the partition leaf or section being
wivelled out of line to show how the socket turns on the pivot.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the rail with plough grooves upon which the improved.
arrier runs.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the application of my invention to a sliding but non-
wivelling partition.
Referring first to the figs. on Sheet 1, the socket is composed of a sleeve a bedded
n the foot of the partition C, the sleeve a having formed in one with it a liner or
rame a which is fitted into the section foot as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Screws b
bassing through the flanges a into the wood of the partition C, help to keep the
socket frame securely in place. The jawed bracket c is made to contain the
carrying pulley d and is furnished with a pivot e' which enters the bored sleeve a
of the socket. The socket a and the weight of the partition or leaf, rest upon the
shoulder of the jawed bracket c so that if the partition should consist of swivelling-
leaves or sections, the leaf or section can turn easily on the pivot. The periphery
of the pulley d may be grooved or flat or of any other suitable form and runs upon
the part or tread e of a rail E which is let into the floor and is preferably flush.
with the floor. On each side of the rail tread e is a groove e'. The sides of the
jawed bracket are prolonged downward and are formed on each side with plough
shaped noses c2 which project into the grooves el on each side of the tread e of the rail..
As the partition is moved backwards and forwards, these plough shaped noses clear
out the grooves el and by thus keeping the ways clear, enable the partition to be
moved to and fro without stoppage or hindrance. The ploughs c also bear against
the sides of the rail tread and thus keep the pulley and bracket always in line
with the rail.
When the partition is pushed aside or fulded against the wall the ouly mark
visible on the floor is the rail with its two grooves and as these grooves are
comparatively shallow and the main body of the rail is preferably flush with the
floor, there is nothing of the unsightly and inconvenient pits, channels or elevated
parts in or on the floor, which are so much objected to. To box in the jawed
bracket and socket frame, I apply cover plates g at the sides, the said cover plates
being preferably dished as shown in the drawings. The curve of the dished sides
is struck from the centre of the socket or pivot, the object of the dishing being to.
provide enough of room to clear the jawed bracket and pulley should the partition
section be swivelled on the pivot as shown in Fig. 4. The dished plates g conceal
the pulley and bracket and help to keep dust from the bearings. The upper part
of the partition or leaf or section is supported or guided in any suitable or known
manner.
Although I have described my improved means for supporting partitions as
applied to a partition composed of swivelling folding sections or leaves, the said
means might be applied to partitions not intended to swivel or fold but simply to
slide to and fro. In such a case the pivotted bracket and pulley might be used
exactly in the form described, but to simplify and cheapen the construction and
fitting of the same (as no swivelling pivot is required) I might make the bracket
in the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 Sheet 2. Referring to these figs..
I make the bracket i without any socket and with two sides or flanges the lower
edges of which are shaped so as to constitute ploughs similar to the ploughs e
in Sheet 1, these ploughs entering and keeping clear the grooves el in the rail E
just as in the former figs. The flanged bracket i is sunk or let into the foot of the
partition C the inner part containing and boxing in the pulley d which runs on the
rail e as before. The said flanges are sunk flush with the sides of the partition
so that no protrusion takes place. Before the partition is placed in situ the
pulley d can be slipped into place through the bottom of the bracket i and retained
in its bearings by a stud k slipped through une side of the bracket and screwed into
the opposite boss as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The absence of the pivot sleeve and
separate bracket c shown in the arrangement on Sheet 1 renders the last described

page_text: arrangement capable of being easily, and, cheaply applied in the case of sliding but
non-swivelling partitions.
'Instead of letting the pulley bracket into the thickness of the partition or
section I might attach it to the side, the bracket being flanged on one side so as
to facilitate attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is.
1. The improved means for supporting and carrying movable partitions, screens
and leaves or sections of the same as herein before described and illustrated.
2. As means for supporting and carrying movable partitions, screens and the
leaves or sections of the same, the socket a, jawed bracket c formed with pro-
longations or ploughs c, pulley d and grooved rail E substantially as described
and shown.
3. The ploughs formed on or attached to a carrying bracket similar to the
bracket c for the purposes and substantially as described and shown.
4. The dished cover plates g for boxing in the carrying bracket and pulley,
substantially as described and shown.
5. The improved carrying rail E having a tread or carrying stripe and
grooves e for the purposes and substantially as herein before described and as
illustrated.
6. The improved means for supporting and carrying a sliding but non-swivelling
partition or partition section and consisting of the bracket i to contain the
carrying pulley and having plough shaped toes for keeping clear the grooves on
each side of the rail tread and for steadying the partition or section as hereinbefore
described and as indicated in Sheet 2.