IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS FOR SCHOOLS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ward, of New Wortley, in the Borough
of Leeds, in the County of York, Schoolmaster, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS FOR SCHOOLS."
Scaled the 26th January 1869, and dated the 3rd August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd August 1868.
I, THOMAS WARD, of New Wortley, in the Borough of Leeds, in the
County of York, Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS FOR SCHOOLS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to the upper part of the desk which is used for
writing or supporting a book, and which is usually attached to an
upright piece of wood, connecting the same with the form or board upon
which the person using the desk sits. Instead of fixing such upper part
of the desk rigidly at a fixed angle I fix the same on hinges so that
the part of the desk which slopes when used as a writing desk can be

page_text: made to assume a position forming a horizontal table or the half of a
table (if two desks be placed together), or to assume an upright
position as a back to the seat, in which case the sitter will be seated in
the contrary direction to that he would take when writing.
So far as I have described my Invention I do not claim there is any-
thing new therein, but if such arrangement were made with ordinary
hinges the board forming the desk, table, or the back of the seat would
not occupy convenient positions in all such varied cases, and could not
be conveniently fastened in the required positions.
My Invention therefore consists in using hinges of a peculiar form so
that the centre of motion of the hinge or the pivot on which it turns is
placed at a distance of about 3 inches from the face of the hinge affixed
to the board, and the two portions forming the hinge are cut in a
circular pattern so as to permit two portions convenient for affixing stops
to be in juxtaposition in each required position of the hinge. I find it
convenient to have a pin actuated by a spring with a projecting piece
for relieving the spring arranged so that the pin passes through one of
the hinges and engages in three holes in the other part of the hinge, so
that when the pin is engaged in the first hole the board affixed to the
hinge is in a position nearly upright so as to form a convenient back to
a bench; when in the second hole such board is at a convenient slope for
writing, and from the form of the hinge has travelled through such a
space as not to overlap the seat more than is convenient; and in the
third hole the board becomes flat and forms a narrow table, and two
of such benches being placed together a table of a useful breadth is
formed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS 30
WARD, of New Wortley, in the Borough of Leeds, in the County of
York, Schoolmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty- 35

page_text: second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Ward, Her special licence,
that I, the said Thomas Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Ward, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESKS
FOR SCHOOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Ward, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,.
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six: calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters:
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas. Ward, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the upper part of the desk which is used for-
writing or supporting a book, and which is usually attached to an
upright piece of wood connecting the same with the form or board upon
which the person using the desk sits. Instead of fixing such upper part
of the desk rigidly at a fixed angle I fix the same on hinges so that the
part of the desk which slopes when used as a writing desk can be made
to assume a position forming. a horizontal table or the half of a table
(if two desks be placed together), or to assume an upright position as a
back to the seat, in which case. the sitter will be seated in the contrary,
direction to that he would take when writing.
So far as I have described my Invention I do not claim there is
anything new therein, but if such arrangement were made with ordinary-
hinges the board forming the desk, table, or the back of the seat would.
not occupy convenient positions in all such varied cases, and. could not.
be conveniently fastened in the required positions.
My Invention therefore consists in using hinges. of a peculiar form:
so that the centre of motion of the hinge or the pivot on. which it

page_text: my
Invention, of which also a general or perspective view is shown at
Figure 2. a is the seat or form supported on legs in any convenient
manner, and from these rise the wood uprights b, b, to carry the upper
part of the desk, and the joint to carry such upper part is recessed into
the uprights b. The joint consists of two side plates, such as are shown
at Figure 3, and a metal bracket shewn at Figure 4. The side plates,
Figure 3, are inserted parallel the one to the other into slits or cuts made
for them in the wooden upright, and the bracket, Figure 4, is inserted
between them as the Drawings indicate, the wood being cut away just
sufficiently to admit the bracket between the side plates and allow it
freedom of motion. Through the side plates and brackets a wrought-
iron pin is driven into the holes marked c, and this pin forms the centre
on which the bracket turns. d, e, and f (Figure 1) are screws passing
through the upright 6, and binding its two sides and the side plates
firmly together. One of these screws (that marked f) passes through a
slot formed in the bracket and so serves to limit its motion. 9 is a board
of the same length as the form or seat; it is attached by screws to the
brackets at either end. h is a pin which is passed through the holes i, i,
in the side plates and through one or other of the holes k, l, m, in the

page_text: bracket so as to hold the bracket in either of the positions which it is
required to assume; " is a plate with an oblong hole in it which is
employed to keep the pin in its place. The pin hand the plate n are
shown separately at Figure 5. The plate n is fixed to the side of the
upright b, and the pin passes through it, the wood being bored to receive
the pin. To lock the bracket when it has been brought into position the
pin is pushed inwards so as to pass through the holes in the side plate
and bracket, and to free the bracket the pin is drawn back. The central
portion of the stem of the pin is made oblong to correspond with the hole
in the plate into which it is fitted (the plate being cut through to admit
it as the Drawing indicates), thus the pin is able to move in and out the
required distance, but it cannot be entirely removed. Just under the
head of the pin it is reduced in size so that when in position locking the
bracket it can be fastened securely by giving it a quarter turn.
Figure 6 shows the position of the side plates and bracket when the
board which the bracket carries serves as the back of the form or scat;
Figure 7 shews the position when the board serves as a desk; and
Figure 8 the position when it serves as a table.
A general or perspective view of the desk with the parts in the position
corresponding to Figure 7 is shewn at Figure 9, and a general or perspec-
tive view with the parts in the position corresponding to Figure 8 is
shown at Figure 10, and here two desks are placed back to back so as to
form between them one table of a convenient width.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ward have hercunto set
my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
by the said Thomas Ward,
in the presence of
WILLIAM SYKES WARD,
Solicitor,
Leeds.
THOMAS WARD. (L.s.)