Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
We, CHARLES GROOMBRIDGE, of Ashville Road, Leytonstone, in the County of
Essex, Inventor, and JAMES PELLATT RICKMAN, of 17 Saint Bride Street, in the
City of London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of brackets, and
brackets for drop-down flaps of tables, shelves, seats and other objects requiring
bracket supports, and it has for its object to construct these articles in such a manner
that their supports shall be self-adjusting, and that the leaves or flaps shall be capable
of being raised or lowered by the action of one hand of the person operating upon
them, instead of requiring the use of two bands, as is the case with brackets now in
general use.
In order to carry out the invention, we provide a horizontal ledge or rail to which
we hinge a leaf or flap, the ledge or rail being fixed to the wall, or support, similar to
the manner adopted with the brackets now in general use. We then provide a jointed
rod or bar formning a mainstay or support, one end of which is hinged or jointed to
the under surface of the flap or leaf, near its front edge, the other end being hinged
or jointed to the vertical support, or wall, io which the ledge or rail of the bracket is
attached, but at some distance below the same, the mainstay thus standing, or being
inclined at an angle between the wall, or support, and the front portion of the leaf or
flap. The mainstay is provided with a suitable hinge or joint, towards the middle of its
length, so that it shall be capable of folding inwards towards the wall or support but
incapable of folding outwards. To the under surface of the ledge or rail, attached to
the wall or support, we attach by means of a hinge or joint, one end of a bar or strut
in the outer end of which is a rectangular slot through which passes the jointed bar or
mainstay above mentioned. Upon this mainstay, and near its central joint, we fix
stops or studs upon which the front portion of the strut rests, when the leaf or flap is

page_text: in a horizontal or raised position, the posterior edge of the slot laying against the
back surface of the mainstay. This slot is sufficiently large to permit the strut being
moved freely upwards. To the under surface of the leaf or flap and towards the front,
and immediately behind the hinge which connects the upper end of the mainstay with
the leaf or flap we fix, by means of a hinge or joint, a smaller strut, the front end of
which, when the leaf or flap is in a raised position, rests upon a ledge or stop fixed to
the back of the mainstay. This mainstay is prevented from folding inwards by the
resistance offered by the two struts.
The under surface of the leaf or flap is recessed so as to permit the smaller strut to
enter and lio within it when the leaf or flap is lowered. To lower the leaf or flap tho
operator raises the front portion of the lower or larger strut, lifting it until it
approaches close against the under surface of the leaf or Hap, when the upper surface
of this strut comes into contact with the under surface of the smaller strut which is
thus displaced from its support on the mainstay and enters the recess on the underside
of the leaf or flap, the two struts being thus removed no longer offer resistance to the
mainstay which consequently folds inwards thus permitting the flap or leaf to fall, the
struts laying against the under surface of the leaf or flap and the mainstay folding and
laying close against the wall, or support. Upon the leaf or flap being raised the main-
stay becomes nearly straight, the two struts fall into their respective positions resting
upon the stops on the mainstay which is then prevented from folding inwards and
consequently supports the leaf or flap.
With tables, and other articles of furniture, the lower end of the mainstay may be
attached by a hinge or joint to any convenient rail or bar connected with such article
of furniture.
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicants."

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brackets and in Brackets for Drop-down Flaps of
Tables, Shelves, Seats, and other Objects Requiring Bracket
Supports.
We, CHARLES GROOMBRIDGE, of Ashville Road, Leytonstone, in the County of
Essex, Inventor, and JAMES PELLATT RICKMAN, of 17 Saint Bride Street, in the
City of London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon) that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of Brackets, and
Brackets for drop down flaps of tables, shelves, seats, and other objects requiring
bracket supports, and it has for its object to construct these articles in such a manner
that their supports shall be self adjusting on the leaves or flaps being raised by the
action of one hand of the person operating them, instead of requiring the use of two
bands, as is the case with brackets now in general use.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood, we proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a bracket constructed according to our Invention,
Fig. 2 a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 a vertical section taken on the
line x, y, of fig. 2; in this figure the bracket is shewn closed. Fig. 4 is a perspective
view of the bracket lying upon its back, in order to clearly shew the supporting
mechanism.
In carrying out the invention, we provide a horizontal ledge or rail A to which we
hinge a leaf or flap B, the ledge or rail being fixed to the wall or support B*, in a
manner similar to that adopted with brackets now in general use. To this horizontal
ledge or rail A, and to the flap or leaf B, and the supporting piece or wall B*, we
secure a hinged angle piece C, to which we hinge a jointed rod or bar D, forming a
mainstay or support, one end of which is hinged or jointed to the under surface of the
said angle piece at a, and near the front edge of the flap or leaf, the other end being
hinged or jointed to the vertical support B*, or to the wall, to which the ledge or rail
of the bracket is attached, but at some distance below the same, as shewn at b, the
mainstay thus standing or being inclined at an angle between the wall or support and
the front portion of the leaf or flap. This jointed rod or bar D is formed with butt
ends to limit its extent of opening, and to prevent outward strain. Or this rod or
bar, forming the mainstay or support, may be hinged or jointed directly to the under
surface of the said flap or leaf, and to the support or wall. The mainstay D is
provided with a suitable hinge or joint c, at or about the middle of its length, so that
it shall be capable of folding inwards towards the wall or support, but incapable of
folding outwards. To the under surface of the angle piece C we attach, by means of
a hinge or joint d, one end of a bar or strut e, in the outer end of which is a

page_text: rectangular slot f, seen in figs. 2, 3 and 4, through which passes the jointed bar or
mainstay D above mentioned. Upon this mainstay, and near its central joint or
hingo c, are formed stops g, upon which the front portion of the strut e rests when the
leaf or flap is in a horizontal or raised position, the posterior edge of the slot resting
against the back surface of the mainstay. This slot is sufficiently large to permit the
strut being moved freely upwards in the direction of the dotted lines shewn in fig. 1.
To the under surface of the leaf or flap B, and towards the front, and immediately
behind the hinge a, which connects the upper end of the mainstay with the leaf or
flap, we fix, by means of a hinge or joint, a smaller strut i, the front end of which,
when the leaf or flap B is in a raised position, rests upon a ledge or stop j, formed
on the back of the mainstay D. This mainstay is prevented from folding inwards
by the resistance offered by the two struts e and i.
The under surface of the angle piece C is recessed, as shewn at k, so as to permit
the smaller strut i to enter and lie within it when the leaf or flap is lowered, as
shewn in fig. 3.
To lower the leaf or flap, the operator raises the front portion of the bar or
strut e, lifting it until it approaches the under surface of the leaf or flap B, when
the upper surface of this strut comes into contact with the under surface of the
strut which is thus displaced from its support on the mainstay D, and enters the
recess on the underside of the angle piece C; the two struts being thus removed
no longer offer resistance to the mainstay which, consequently, folds inwards thus
permitting the leaf or flap to fall, the struts laying against the under surface of the
leaf or tap, and the mainstay folding and laying close against the wall or support, as
shewn in fig. 3. Upon the leaf or flap being raised the mainstay becomes nearly
straight, the two struts fall by gravity into their respective positions, resting upon the
stops on the mainstay which is then prevented from folding inwards and consequently
supports the leaf or Hap.
The mechanism herein described and shewn is so constructed that it may be sold
independently of the flap or leaf, so as to be readily applied to existing brackets,
table-flaps, shelves, seats, or other like objects.
With tables, and other articles of furniture, the lower end of the mainstay may be
attached by a hinge or joint to any convenient rail or bar connected with such article
of furniture.
Having now described the nature of our said invention and in what manner the
same may be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The construction of brackets, and brackets for drop-down flaps of tables, shelves,
seats, and other objects requiring bracket supports, so that the said supports shall be
self-adjusting, on the flaps or leaves being raised by the action of one hand only of a
person operating the same, substantially as herein described.
2. The means herein described for rendering brackets, and the like, self-adjusting,
substantially as described and as illustrated.
9
3. The combination with a bracket or drop-down flap, of the hinged angle piece C,
the jointed arm or mainstay D, formed with the stops and, and the hinged struts e
and resting respectively against said stops and when the leaf or flap of the
bracket is raised, the strut e having a slot through which the jointed arm or
mainstay D is free to work, as described and shewn, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of September 1888.