Improvements in Combined Desks and Seats for use in Schools.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd June, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Desks and Seats for use in Schools.
I, JOSEPH CLARK ISARD of the Leys School, in the Town and County of
Cambridge, Master of Arts, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to
be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to provide a combined desk and seat,
which shall be readily adjusted to suit students of various ages, and which cannot
easily get out of order.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a seat similar to those now
in use and I provide this seat with any convenient number of boards the same size
as the top of the seat.
These boards are provided with pins or dowels on the underneath surface and
the fixed seat as well as the boards are provided with holes upon the upper surface
to receive the pins or dowels and thus securely hold the boards in position. Other
suitable means may however be employed.
When the boards are not in use they are placed in a receptacle attached to the
back of the seat. It will be understood that one or more boards may be placed in
position upon the ordinary fixed seat, and thus the seat can be raised to any desired
height.
In some cases I provide a book box which is usually housed underneath the seat
but which can be lifted out and placed upon the seat when it is necessary to raise
the latter more than the combined height of the boards. The said box can be
fixed upon the seat in the same manner as the boards.
The foot rest is also capable of being adjusted and can be used as a kneeling
board. One method of carrying this part of my invention into effect is to attach
two or more fittings at various heights to the feet of the desk at each end. The
footboard can then be slidden into those most suitable for the time being.
These fittings are preferably formed as rectilinear sockets open at the back or
upper end, the said sockets being slightly deeper than the thickness of the foot-
board and having a retaining flange at the back end of the bottom thereof, to
prevent the footboard from being accidentally displaced.
The desk is made of two boards mounted in grooves formed in metal brackets
or fittings at each end of the desk, one pair of these grooves is low enough to
receive the boards in the same plane, in which position the desk is suitable for
writing and drawing the other pair of grooves is arranged at an angle with the
rear half of the first named grooves whereby when it is desired to use the desk for
reading, the lower or front board is withdrawn from its grooves and slidden into
the grooves which are arranged at a greater angle with the horizon. This last
pair of grooves may be considerably shorter than the width of the board, in which
case the latter can be supported at its upper part at each end by pillars or supports
of the required height.
The sleepers or foot blocks, upon which the seat and desk are mounted, instead
of being made in one piece, as heretofore are made in two pieces which are detach-
ably connected.
This will enable the desks to be entirely removed from the seats when not
required.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Desks and Seats for use in Schools.
I, JOSEPH CLARK ISARD, of the Leys School, in the Town and County of
Cambridge, Master of Arts, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and 'ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
The object of the present invention is to provide a combined and separable desk
and seat which shall be readily adjusted to suit students of various ages and which
cannot easily get out of order.
Figure 1 is an end view of a desk and seat constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the upper part of the desk, and
Figure 3 is a plan showing the joint in the sleepers or foot blocks.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a seat similar to those now in
and I provide this seat with any convenient number of boards
size for laying upon the top a of the seat.
use,
of suitable
These boards are provided with pins or dowels on the underneath surface,
and the fixed seat a, as well as the boards b, are provided with holes upon the
upper surface to receive the pins or dowels and thus securely hold the boards b
in position. Other suitable means may however be employed for holding the
additional seat boards in position upon the fixed seat and upon each other.
When the boards are not in use they may be placed in a receptacle c
attached to the back a' of the seat, or in a similar receptacle ', shown by dotted
lines, attached to the desk uprights. It will be understood that one or more
boards may be placed in position upon the ordinary fixed seat a, and thus the
seat can be raised to any desired height.
In some cases I provide a book box d, which is usually housed underneath the
fixed seat a, but which can be lifted out and placed upon the seat a when it is
necessary to raise the latter more than the combined height of the boards b. The
said box d can be fixed upon the seat a in the same manner as the boards..
The foot rest e carried by the desk standards or feet f is also capable of being
adjusted and can be used as a kneeling board. One method of carrying this part of
my invention into effect is to attach two or more fittings f¹ at various heights to
the feet or standards of the desk at each end. The foot rest or board e can then
be slidden into those most suitable for the time being.
These fittings f¹ are preferably formed as rectilinear sockets open at the front
or upper end, the said sockets being slightly deeper than the thickness of the foot-
board e and having a retaining flange at the back end of the bottom thereof to
prevent the footboard e from being accidentally displaced.
The desk is made of two boards g g¹ mounted in grooves formed in metal
brackets or fittings hi at each end of the desk; one pair, h, of these grooves is
low enough to receive the boards g in the same plane, in which position the desk
is suitable for writing and drawing; the other pair of grooves, i, is arranged at an
angle with the rear half of the first named grooves h, whereby, when it is
desired to use the desk for reading, the lower or front board g is withdrawn
from its grooves and slidden into the grooves i, which are arranged at a greater
angle with the horizon. This last pair of grooves i may be, as shown, con-
siderably shorter than the width of the board g', which can be supported "at
its upper part at each end by pillars or supports.j of the required height. If
desired the board o may be hinged to the board g or to the brackets or fittings and
be supported at its upper part when in use as a reading desk by the pillars or
supports above described.
The sleepers or foot blocks k, upon which the seat and desk are mounted, instead

page_text: of being made in one piece as heretofore, are made in two pieces, which are
detachably connected. In the drawings I have represented them as connected
together by a dovetail k¹ and cross pin ³, but other suitable connecting means may
be employed. This will enable the desks to be entirely removed from the seats
when not required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combined desks and seats for use in schools, the means of adjusting the
height of the seat and of stowing the extra boards and book box used therein sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
2. In combined desks and seats for use in schools, the means for adjusting the
height of the foot rest, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In school desks, the means of supporting and adjusting the desk boards
for use either for writing or reading purposes, substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. In combined desks and seats for use in schools, the divided and detachably
connected sleepers or foot blocks, substantially as herein shown and described and
for the purpose stated.
Dated this 2nd da
1000
JOSEPH C. ISARD,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
JOSEPH C. ISARD,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.