IMPROVE- MENTS IN FOLDING TABLES AND SEATS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: I EDWARD ARNOTT CLOWES of Shrapnell Park, Byfleet in the County of
Surrey, Printer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FOLDING TABLES AND SEATS to be as follows:-
"
This invention has for its object improvements in folding tables and seats.
The table I form as an oblong box composed of two equal halves hinged together
at one end. The opposite end of each half of the box has jointed to it on the
inside two legs one at each of its sides which when the box is closed are turned
down so as to lie within the interior of the box.
When the box is opened its top and bottom can be brought into a plane one
with another and made to form the upper surface of the table. The two ends
which are hinged to one another then meet together and prevent the parts from
turning further on their hinge joints.
The legs also can be turned down on their hinge joints and be then retained by
knuckle jointed irons.
In this way a firm table of double the length of the box is obtained.
When the table is closed up into the form of an oblong box it is made to hold
within it two folding seats and any remaining available space is filled up with
fittings for packing food in. Each folding seat I form in a similar manner to the
table in two halves jointed together at one end and having hinged to them at their
opposite ends legs which when the seat is taken out and opened can be turned
downwards and retained by knuckle jointed irons. In order also to give additional
support to the seats at their centre where the two parts of which they are formed
are hinge jointed together, I joint to one of the parts near to this hinge joint a
central leg or legs which can similarly be turned downwards and retained by
knuckle jointed irons.
The table need not necessarily be made to form an entirely closed box when
folded up the spaces between the sides and between the ends of the two parts
might if preferred be left more or less open.

page_text: I, EDWARD ARNOTT CLOWES of Shrapnell Park, Byfleet in the County of Surrey,
Printer, 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 object improvements in folding tables and seats.
The table I form as an oblong box composed of two equal halves hinged together
at one end. The opposite end of each half of the box has jointed to it on the inside
two legs one at each of its sides which when the box is closed are turned down,so
as to lie within the interior of the box.
When the box is opened its top and bottom can be brought into a plane one with
another and made to form the upper surface of the table. The two ends which are
hinged to one another then meet together and prevent the parts from turning
further on their hinge joints.
The legs also can be turned down on their hinge joints and be then retained by
knuckle jointed irons.
In this way a firm table of double the length of the box is obtained.
When the table is closed up into the form of an oblong box it is made to hold
within it two folding seats and any remaining available space is filled up with
littings for packing food in. Each folding seat I form in a similar manner to the
table in two halves jointed together at one end and having hinged to them at their
opposite ends legs which when the seat is taken out and opened can be turned
downwards and retained by knuckle jointed irons. In order also to give additional
support to the seats at their centre where the two parts of which they are formed
are hinge jointed together I joint to one of the parts near to this hinge joint a
central leg or legs which can similarly be turned downwards and retained by
knuckle jointed irons. The table need not necessarily be made to form an entirely
closed box when folded up, the spaces between the sides and between the ends of
the two parts might if preferred be left more or less open.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily..
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation,
Figure 2 is an end elevation, and
Figure 3 is a plan of my folding table erected for use.
Figure 4 is a side elevation,
Figure 5 is an end elevation and
Figure 6 is a plan of a folding seat also constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 7 is a side elevation and Figure 8 is an end elevation of the table as it
appears when folded.
Figure 9 is a side elevation and Figure 10 is an end elevation of the folded seat.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the complete package—the folded seats being

page_text: Figure 12 is a side elevation of the table hinge-Figure 13 is a plan of the same.
Figure 14 is a side elevation of the hinge with its parts in the position they
occupy when the table is folded. Figure 15 is a plan of the hinge with the parts
in this position.
This hinge is the subject of another patent application filed by me N° 5264 in
the year 1885.
a a are the two parts of the table top which folding together form a box like
enclosure. In the example shown by the drawings the sides and ends of the box
are not complete, they may be made complete or otherwise as may be preferred.
bb are the hinges and the joint centre is at b'. The flaps of the hinges are bent
at right angles that their ends may lie on the upper surfaces of the parts a so that
the screws by which the attachment is made may pass through the wood in a
direction at right angles to the grain. Also to gain additional strength one of the
screws is received after passing through the wood into a lug 6ª on the flap of the
hinge.
cc are the table legs, they are framed together in pairs and are connected with
the parts a a by ordinary binges which allow the leg frames to fold in against the
under side of the parts a a. dd are knuckle jointed irons; at their ends these
irons are also jointed to the parts a and c. When the leg frames are turned down
for use the irons serve to hold them securely in place.
It is obvious that in place of these knuckle irons the fastening d may consist of
hooks engaging with suitable eyes or other like fastenings may be used but knuckle
irons are the more convenient.
At the end of one of the parts a of the table there is a turn button a¹ and at the
end of the other part a there is a hasp a' and when the table is folded these parts
can be made to engage and to hold the package in position as folded together.
The seat consists of the two top frames e e connected by hinges f and provided
with leg frames g g like the table but in this case an intermediate leg frame y¹ is
provided, it is hinged to one of the frames e immediately beneath the central joint.
hh are the knuckle irons for holding the leg frames in place. In the case of the
seat the comparative shortness of the legs admits of two leg frames g and g' being
accommodated beneath one of the top frames e when the seat is folded.
No fastenings are required to secure the seat when folded as it is intended to be
enclosed within the table package.
The completed package is shown by Figure 11. There are a few spaces within
and about it which if considered desirable may be filled by tin cases made to fit the
spaces and suitable to receive eatables or anything else which it may be desired to
carry with the table and seats.
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.) A folding table consisting of the parts a b c and d substantially as described.
(2.) A folding seat of like construction substantially as shown by the Figures 4,
5, 6, 9 and 10.
(3.) The complete package consisting of folding tables and seats substantially as
acanted her trious 11