Improvements in or relating to Desks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1893-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Desks.
I, WALTER GUNN of 3 School Grove, Withington, Manchester, Draughtsman,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists essentially of a desk provided with a supply of paper in
the form of a roll or cylinder conveniently disposed in or about said desk for
writing or scribbling purposes in the manner hereinafter set forth.
In accordance with one modification 1 employ by preference a desk or shelf
secured to an upright back and upheld by two upright leaves or supports. Said
leaves or supports are arranged at a suitable distance apart to allow room for a roll
or cylinder of paper and in or on the sides of said supports provision is made to
receive the axis of said roller.
In the desk or shelf a slot or opening is formed through which is passed the
paper from the roll aforesaid and from the upright back a wire spring extends
which presses upon the surface of the shelf or desk and is designed to "nip" or hold
the paper drawn from the roll after passing through the slot.
If desired a rubber
or friction roller may be fitted to that portion of the wire spring which presses
upon the paper.
In lieu of a spring I may employ a weight working in slides or an elastic band to
press upon or hold the paper.
The paper may be perforated at suitable distances along its length or the wire
spring may be provided with a roughened edged plate to facilitate removal of
written matter.
If desired the roll may form a calendar or advertisements or other printed matter
may appear on it.
The back of the desk may be so formed as to be useful for holding say a selected
list of telephone names and numbers on a strip of paper or slate.
The desk is provided with a small length of chain or cord for securing a pencil
thereto.
In accordance with another modification the roll may be arranged above the
desk and supported by bracket from the upright back:
If desired the desk may be provided with two or more rolls of paper.
According to a further modification a slot may be formed in an ordinary desk
with the roll or cylinder of paper disposed inside the desk and withdrawn through
said opening.
Dated this 26th day of October 1892.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Desks.
I, WALTER GUNN of 3 School Grove, Withington, near Manchester,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
My invention consists essentially of a desk provided with a supply of paper in
the form of a roll or cylinder conveniently disposed in or about said desk for
writing or scribbling purposes in the manner hereinafter set forth.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood I have hereunto
P71

page_text: annexed a set of drawings illustrative of the same and will now proceed to describe
the same with the assistance of the various figures and letters of reference marked
thereon.
:
Fig. 1 is a side sectional view and Fig. 2 a front view.of.a desk
accordance with my invention.
made in
In performing my invention; Iemploy a slope or shelf A secured to an upright
back B and upheld by two upright, leaves, supports or brackets C and between the
said leaves or brackets I mount..a roll or. cylinder of paper D. In the case
illustrated the roll is mounted upon .an axis E capable of revolving 'freely in
bearings in the said brackets C, C.
In the desk or shelf A, or by preference between the said shelf and the back B
a slot or opening B is formed through which passes the paper from the roll afore-
said and from the upright back B a wire spring G extends which presses upon the
surface of the shelf or desk A and is designed to nip or hold the paper drawn from
the roll after passing through the slot.
If desired a rubber or friction roller may be fitted to that portion of the wire
spring which presses upon the paper to facilitate the drawing out of the paper.
In lieu of a wire spring I may employ a weight or an elastic band to press upon
or hold the paper. The wire spring G may be provided with a serrated edge
plate G.to facilitate the tearing off of the written matter and which plate is loose
and capable of turning up to enable the end of the paper being gripped after the
used portion has been torn off.
:
In practice I have found that the roll of paper if not mounted centrally or
properly balanced on its axis and if there is not sufficient friction on said axis the
roll has a tendency to uncoil as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 and to obviate
this either employ a flat spring or its equivalent to press upon the axis and thus
create. a drag or friction thereon or I dispense with the axis altogether and mount
the roll upon inclined ledges H, H formed upon the sides of the brackets Cas
illustrated in perspective view Fig. 3, front view Fig. 4 and side. sectional view
Fig.5. I thus cause.a friction or drag to be created at I-and J and so prevent the
roll uncoiling. The ledges are inclined so as to retain the roll beneath the desk
and this is somewhat facilitated by uncoiling the roll in the manner illustrated in
Fig. 5 which gives the roll a constant tendency to roll into the angle of the ledges
and the back B. Moreover.the uncoiling of the roll in this manner allows of the
inner and clean side of the paper to appear uppermost on the desk, instead of the
outerside which may be soiled. or dirty with handling. The space from K to L is
sufficiently wide to admit of the introduction or withdrawal of the roll.
.:
This improved desk when used in taking down messages transmitted through a
telephone necessitates some means of holding down or clamping the paper at the
bottom end of the desk as only one hand of the user is at liberty; his other hand
being engaged in holding the telephone instrument, and therefore I employ an
arrangement of wire spring and plate similar to that used at the top of the desk or
the arrangement shewn more clearly in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 which consists of a
strip or blade of wood M held firmly against the surface of the desk by means of
the rubber rings N, N which take over the extremities O, O and extending through
openings in the desk are secured beneath the desk by a narrow strip of wood P.
Beneath the strip of wood 'M'the paper is passed and the pressure of the strip is
sufficient to hold the paper steady on the desk and keep it in position.
a
It will be readily seen that the location.and character of the strip is conveniently
adapted as a means for tearing off the used paper, the front edge. Qforming
tearing off edge and therefore on drawing forward the portion of the paper bearing
the written matter beyond this knife edge (the pressure of the strip M not being too
strong to prevent this) and by placing the finger on the strip to steady it the said
written portion' may be readily-and neatly torn off from the other or unused portion.
It will be obvious that as the used portion of the paper is removed a clean or
unused portion is necessarily presented.
.
72
In order to lay hold or grip the end of the paper when it is 'desired to draw

page_text: forward and tear off the used portion a thumb recess R is formed in the desk and
the strip M owing to its eccentric mounting is capable of being turned up as
indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5 and to relieve the paper of the pressure of
the strip M at this moment the strip is cut away at S.
An alternative cutting off arrangement consists in pivoting or hinging the strip of
wood M at one end to the desk top with its other end left free so that it may
swivel back in the direction of the dotted lines seen in Fig. 6 or turn up on its
hinge and allow the paper being gripped after tearing off the used.
To facilitate the tearing of the paper we may employ paper which is perforated
transversely across its width at suitable distances apart, but it is preferred not to
perforate the paper, the same amount of paper not always being used, and so
prevent waste. Where the clamping strip M is employed it is not necessary to
employ the wire spring G at the top of the desk.
The back of the desk is made with facilities for hanging the desk against a wall
and said back is also made sufficiently high as illustrated to carry a card or sheet
of paper T or a slate on which notices, selected telephone names and numbers or
other useful memoranda may be written or printed.
Fig. 8 illustrates a desk having two rolls of paper D, D₁ for the purpose of
duplicating or copying the written matter by the well known carbon process the
brackets C, C being extended downwards and each formed with two ledges H, H.
Fig. 9 illustrates a roll of paper D applied to an ordinary desk the roll being
enclosed within the desk and supported by brackets C, and the end of the paper
issuing through a slot or opening U in the desk slope V.
Having thus 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.―
1st. A desk consisting of a shelf A, an upright back B, brackets C, C and
opening B and supplied with a roll of paper D mounted between said brackets and
issuing through said opening substantially as herein before described and illustrated
on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. The use and employment of brackets C, C with sloping ledges H, H
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawing.
3rd. The use and employment of a spring clamp G (with or without a serrated
plate G and rubber friction roller) or au clastic band or weight substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
4th. A desk consisting of a shelf A, upright back B, brackets C, C with
ledges H, H' opening B₁ and supplied with two rolls of paper mounted between
the said brackets and issuing through said opening substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Fig. 8 on the accompanying drawing.
5th. A writing desk fitted with a roll of paper D supported in brackets C, C, said
roll of paper being drawn through an opening U in the desk top or slope V sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 9 of the accompanying
drawing.
6th. The strip of wood M, either hinged, arranged to swivel or clamped by rubber
rings N, N held by strip P in combination with my improved desk substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 26th day of July 1893.
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.