Improvements in the Construction of School Desks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1892—Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of School Desks.
WILLIAM CHORLEY, 14 Western Street, Seedley, Manchester, in the County
of Lancashire, Foreman Patternmaker to Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention has for its objects to make any ordinary school desk portable,
so that it can be easily moved about; to provide easy access for the scholars; to
provide sitting accommodation for two rows of persons when in use at a concert or
lecture; to secure the inkwells that they cannot be upset by the scholars; allowing
the desk top to be placed at any inclination, and at the same time to retain the
required stability when in use.
In carrying my invention into effect, the foot plate of the standard consists
either of malleable iron, cast iron, or suitable rolled section of wrought iron.
When of cast iron a hole is made at a suitable distance from each end of this
foot plate, to receive the lower ends of two upright pillars; these pillars are made
from wrought iron tubes of round or other suitable section, the holes in the foot
plate being made a little smaller than the outside diameter of the pillars, so that
the foot plate may be heated and shrunk on, or the pillars may be cast in the foot
plate. When the foot plate consists of a rolled section of wrought iron, the pillars
would have flanges cast on the bottom, and which flanges would be rivetted to the
foot plate. At each of the extreme ends of the cast iron foot plate, a cavity is
formed, upon the roof of which are two upright projections; through the top of
these projections, a steel pin is inserted, upon which a cast iron paul turns partially
round. Directly under the centre of this pin, and between the upright projections
a hole is made in the roof over the cavity, to receive the upper portion of a castor,
that will move up or down and also turn round in the said cavity. This castor
consists of a fork, in which a metal roller revolves, the fork terminating in a round
vertical stalk, the top of which is made pointed and fitted with a small pin, that
projects through on either side, to prevent the castor from falling out, when the
desk is lifted up.
The tops of the upright pillars supporting the hook board, are each screwed to
receive a lock-nut. Upon this lock-nut rests a round cast iron washer, which washer
supports one end of the book board.
At the top of each pillar, and resting upon the book board, is screwed a malle-
able or cast iron quadrant, semi-circular. Each of these quadrants is provided with
suitably shaped teeth or notches, and the desk top is provided with short links or
arms, which are moveable upon a pin or bolt, fixed about the centre or radii of
the circumferential curve of the said quadrant. One of these said links or arms
has a projection that reaches over, and partially down the face of the said quadrant.
This projection is fitted with either a thumb screw, or eccentric that terminates
in the form of a lever handle, or the eccentric may be fastened to a short pin, that
would pass through the projection and have a square formed on ene end, to permit
of a box key being used for the purpose of locking the desk top in position. At a
convenient distance from the floor, the upright pillars carrying the book board,
would be each provided with a projecting boss; this boss would have a pin or bolt
through, on which would turn a piece of angle iron. This angle iron would project
on one side of the bolt, a sufficient distance to allow one end of an additional
seat to be secured, and on the other side a shorter distance, this short end coming
into contact with a lug formed on the projecting boss, when the seat is in a
horizontal position. When not in use this seat would be fixed by suitable means,
in a vertical position under the desk top and touching the edge of the book board.

page_text: At the opposite ends of the aforementioned foot plates, a rail of channel iron
or of hard wood would connect these foot plates together. This rail would be
provided at certain distances with upright pillars, each of which would have a
separate seat and back support. At the front edge, and on the under side of the
desk top, there would be small cavities formed, to receive metal slides containing
the inkwells, which slides could be drawn out sufficiently to allow of the inkwells
being taken out, and when pushed in a small catch would be let down in front of
cach slide. Immediately over the centre of each inkwell a small hole is cut
through the remaining thickness of the desk top, and which hole intercepts the
groove made to receive the pens.
Now it will be understood that the desk top, being supported at each end, on the
said short links or arnis, and that they being free to move or radiate on a bolt, that
the desk top can be swiveled to the required angle. To effect this, the desk top is
first moved laterally so as to disengage the teeth of the links from those of the
quadrants, which enables the said desk top to be swiveled; when the required angle
is obtained, the teeth of the arms of the desk top are again brought in lock with
those of the quadrant, and the thumb screw or eccentric lever aforementioned is
tightened up.
As the main structure of this desk is made from rolled sections of plate and
tubular iron, it will withstand the sudden shocks to which school desks in particular
are liable, and this construction considerably reduces the weight.
When in use the weight of the desk does not rest on the castors. To make the
desk moveable, one person can readily do so by turning down the pauls. Then, by
lifting the desk one end at a time, the weight of the castors causes them to fall
sufficiently far, to allow the pauls by their own weight to assume a vertical position
over the stalks of the castors, at the same time allowing the desk to be raised
sufficiently far from the floor, to permit of its being easily moved about.
When required, the additional seat provides double the amount of sitting
accommodation on the same standards.
The metal slides containing the inkwells, prevent them being upset by the scholars,
or when the desk is being moved about. By having separate seats the scholars
have easy access to the desk without disturbing one another. The castors as
previously described, may be applicable to any ordinary cast iron standards.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1892.
WILLIAM CHORLEI.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of School Desks.
I, WILLIAM CHORLEY, of 14, Western Street, Seedley, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Foreman Pattern-maker to Mechanical Engineers, 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 has for its objects to make any ordinary school desk portable, so
that it can be easily moved about; to provide easy access for the scholars; to
provide sitting accommodation for two rows of persons, when in use at a concert or
lecture; to secure the inkwells that they cannot be upset by the scholars; allowing
the desk top to be placed at any inclination, and at the same time to retain the
required stability when in use.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto three sheets of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Figs. 1, 6 & 12 are end views and Figs. 2, 7 & 13 side views respectively of my
improved school desk.

page_text: Figs. 5, 8 & 14 are plans of the foot plates shown respectively in Figs. 1, 6 & 12.
Figs. 5, 9 & 20 are sectional end views and Fig. 18 an end view of the lower end
end of the upright, pillars, foot plate and castor.
Figs. 4 & 17 are sectional side views of Figs. 5 & 18 respectively.
Fig. 19 a side view of Fig. 20, and Fig. 21 a sectional plan of Fig. 19.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view and Fig. 11 a plan of the inkwell portion of the desk
top with inkwell drawn out.
Fig. 15 a side view and Fig. 16 a sectional end view of a modification of the desk
top adjustment.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Sheet I, the foot plate a of the
standard, consists either of malleable iron or cast iron, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 3,
or suitable rolled section of wrought iron, as shown in Figs. 4 & 5. When of cast
iron, see Figs. 1, 2 & 3, a hole b is made at a suitable distance from each end of the
foot plate a to receive the lower ends of two upright pillars c. These pillars c are
made from wrought iron tubes of round or other suitable section, the holes b in the
foot plate a being made a little smaller than the outside diameter of the pillars c, so
that the foot plate a may be heated and shrunk on; or the pillars c may be cast in
the foot plate a. When the foot plate a consists of a rolled section of wrought iron,
see Figs. 4 & 5, the pillars c would have flanges d cast on the bottom, which would
be riveted to the foot plate a. In order to facilitate the moving about of the school
desk, I form at each of the extreme ends of the cast iron foot plate a, see Sheet II,
a cavity e, upon the roof of which are two upright projections f. Through the top
of these projections f, a steel pin g is inserted, upon which a cast iron pawl / turns
partially round. Directly under the centre of the pin and between the upright
projections f, a hole is made in the roof over the cavity e to receive the upper
portion of a castor i that will move up or down and also turn round in the cavity e.
The castor i consists of a fork in which a metal roller revolves, the fork terminating
in a round vertical stalk i", see more particularly Fig. 9, the top of which is made
pointed and fitted with a small pin that projects through on either side, to prevent
the castor i from falling out when the desk is lifted up.
One
The tops of the upright pillars o, supporting the book board k, are each screwed
to receive a lock nut 7, upon which rests a round cast iron washer A, which washer
supports one end of the book board k. At the top of each pillar c and resting upon
the book board k is screwed a malleable or cast iron quadrant m semi-circular.
Each of these quadrants m is provided with suitably shaped teeth or notches m¹ and
the desk top n with short links or arms n', which are movable upon a pin or bolt o*
fixed about the centre or radii of the circumferential curve of the quadrant m.
of the links or arms n' has a projection n' that reaches over and partially down the
face of the quadrant m. This projection n' is fitted with either a thumb or set
screw nor eccentric n, see Figs. 15 & 16, Sheet III, that terminates in the form
of a lever handle or the eccentric n may be fastened to a short pin that would'
pass through the projection and have a square formed on one end to permit of a
box key being used for the purpose of locking the desk top n in position.
At a 'couvenient distance from the floor, the upright pillars c, see Sheet II,
carrying the book board k, would be each provided with a projecting boss 0, which:
has a pin o' on which would turn a piece of angle iron o³. This angle iron projects
on one side of the pin o¹ a sufficient distance to allow one end of an additional
seat p to be secured and on the other side a shorter distance, which end of comes
into contact with a lug c formed on the projecting boss o, or on an upright fitted
into the latter and the foot plate u, when the seat p is in a horizontal position, as
shown in dotted lines. When not in use the seat p would be fixed by suitable means
in a vertical position, as shown in full lines, under the desk top n and touching the
edge of the book board k.
Instead of forming the uprights e of tubing, they may be cast with the foot
plate a, as shown in Sheet III, and in lieu of using a pawl h for projecting the
castor i, a slider may be arranged above the stalk i, see Figs. 17 and 18, which

page_text: at its lower edge is countersunk and adapted to be brought over the pointed
upper end of the stalk when it is desired to use the castor i.
At the opposite ends of the aforementioned foot plates a, a rail of chanuel iron
or of hard wood would connect the foot plates a by suitable means, this rail
would be provided at certain distances with upright pillars each of which would
have a separate seat and back support.
In order to prevent the inkwells t from being upset, at the front edge and on
the under side of the desk top n, there are formed small cavities t¹ to receive
metal slides containing the inkwells t, which slides t can be drawn out
sufficiently to allow of the inkwells t being taken out, and when pushed in, a
small catch may be provided to let down in front of each slide t². Immediately
over the centre of each inkwell a small hole is cut through the remaining
thickness of the desk top n and which hole intercepts the groove t¹ made to
receive the pens.
Now, it will be understood that the desk top n, being supported at each end,
on the short links or arms n' and that they being free to move or radiate on a
bolt ox, that the desk top n can be swivelled to the required angle. To effect
this, the desk top is first moved laterally, so as to disengage the teeth n of the
links n from those of the quadrants m, which enables the desk top n to be
swivelled. When the required angle is obtained, the teeth of the arms n' of
the desk top n are again brought in lock with those of the quadrant m and the
thumb or setscrew or eccentric n' aforementioned is tightened up.
As the main structure of this desk is made from rolled sections of plate and
tubular iron, it will withstand the sudden shocks to which school desks in par-
ticular are liable and this construction considerably reduces the weight.
When in use the weight of the desk does not rest on the castors i. To make
the desk movable, one person can readily do so by turning down the pawls h, or
withdrawing the slide, then by lifting the desk one end at a time, the weight
of the castors causes them to fall sufficiently to allow the pawls h by their own
weight to assume a vertical position over the stalks of the castors i, at the same
time allowing the desk to be raised sufficiently far from the floor, to permit of its
being easily moved about.
When required the additional seats provide double the amount of sitting accom-
modation on the same standards.
By having separate seats, the scholars have easy access to the desk without
disturbing one another.
The castors as previously described may be applicable to any ordinary cast iron
standards, or such as shown in Figs. 19, 20, 21, Sheet III.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is- .
"In school desks."
1st. The general construction and combination of parts constituting my improve-
ments operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The combination of cast or channel iron foot plates with tubular pillars,
substantially as set forth.
3rd. The application of castors i to the foot plates a, substantially as set forth.
4th. The means for adjusting the desk top n, consisting of stationary toothed
quadrants fixed to the bookboard k in combination with a corresponding number of
links or arms n' pivoted to the quadrants m and carrying the desk top n, the said
links or arms n¹, having teeth, adapted to be slid sideways into the teeth
or notches in' of the quadrant m and be suitably locked thereto, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
5th. The application to the upright or pillar c of a supplementary seat p, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth,

page_text: 6th. Forming the front lower edge of the desk top n with cavities t¹ closed
by slides, each of which carries an inkwell adapted to be secured in
position in the cavity under a hole to formed in the desk top n and to be with-
drawn if desirable, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1892.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.