A NEW OR IMPROVED ESCRITOIR OR COMBINED DESK AND CABINET FOR CONTAINING AND PROTECTING PAPERS OR DOCUMENTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eneas Mac Donell, of Beauly, in the County of
Inverness, North Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
ESCRITOIR OR COMBINED DESK AND CABINET FOR CONTAINING AND PROTECTING
PAPERS OR DOCUMENTS."
Sealed the 12th May 1876, and dated the 3rd February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Æneas Mac Donell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1876.
ENEAS MAC DONELL, of Beauly, in the County of Inverness, North Britain.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED ESCRITOIR OR COMBINED DESK AND CABINET, FOR CON-
TAINING AND PROTECTING PAPERS OR DOCUMENTS."
This Invention has reference to a new or improved escritoir, or combined desk
and cabinet, for containing writing materials and documents, suitable either for
gentleman's private houses and libraries, or offices for business purposes, which
may also be used as a side table when closed and folded up; and of a more simple
construction, more compact, and with greater convenience in less space than desks or
escritoirs heretofore in use.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist in making the outer case
in a retangular form, flat on top, and of a suitable height for standing at, or sitting
on a high stool, or low enough for sitting at with ordinary chairs; and it may
either be made with a rectangular frame part, and covered with thin veneered or
ornamental outer boarding at back and front, or made of plain boarding without
the frame, the sides being formed of framed or solid doors, with real or imitation
pannels as well as the front when desired, the back not requiring to be so highly
ornamented, as in most cases it will stand against a wall. The two side doors are
hinged vertically at the back edge, so as to open out from the front up towards or
against the wall.
The top part above the side doors is made in the form of a shallow rectangular
chamber, which may be termed the desk part, with a narrow part of the top next
the back fixed, while the front broad part is hinged at the front edge as a lid, so as
to fold down out in front as a writing or flap desk, with two brass or other metal
or strong wood stays at and under each edge, preferably with one end hinged to the
flap, while the other enters a check slot, or holes, or notches, when different angles

page_text: are desired in the front case; or these latter may be formed of metal separately, and
sunk into the front edges of the case.
Within the top open part of the desk divisions are formed for ink bottles, pen-
holders, wafers, sealing wax, and other articles, while the part at the back below
the fixed part of the lid would be divided by wires or thin divisions, open in front
for the insertion of loose, unanswered, or unassorted letters or papers; while the
large central part would be left free and open for the reception of writing paper,
blotting pad, or other writing materials, which would all be closed in when the
writing flap was folded over and down, and locked to the fixed part of the lid,
the whole being then flat on top would form a side table when not in use as
a writing desk. Below this desk part closed in on all sides there would be a
central division or partition from the back to the front, right down to the
bottom thickness of the case, and the space in the middle and on each side of this
division, closed in by the side doors bofore mentioned, would be filled in with
horizontal shelves, and divided off into pigeon holes across for containing and pro-
tecting papers or documents in an arranged manner, which would all be exposed or
closed up in a moment by the side doors, which might be locked by some of the
ordinary constructions of spring locks or bolts, as by a simple gravitating wire or
light bolt entering a hole in a rising wedge shape tongue or fixed projection on the
inner front edge of each door, which locking wires, or bolts, or springs, would be
casily raised or released from the front and inside of the desk part, when the lid was
unlocked and opened. The whole might be made as a closed case of from 16 to 24
inches wide and broad, and from 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 6 inches in height, pre-
ferably set on four castors at the lower corners for convenience of removal. It will
be understood that the outside of the case may be made and ornamented in the
usual manner, of any wood, such as varnished pine or oak, or of solid or vencered
mahogany, rosewood, or walnut, to suit any style of furniture of the house, office,
or shop, where they are to be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Encas Mac Donell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd August
1876.
ENEAS MAC DONELL, of Beauly, in the County of Inverness, North Britain.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED ESCRITOIR OR COMBINED DESK AND CABINET FOR
CONTAINING AND PROTECTING PAPERS OR DOCUMENTS."
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved escritoir, or combined
desk and cabinet, for containing writing materials and documents, suitable either
for gentlemen's private houses and libraries, or offices for business purposes, which
may also be used as a side table when closed and folded up; and is of a more simple
construction, more compact, and with greater conveniences in less space than desks
or escritoirs heretofore in use.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be fully understood, I will now proceed to describe the several Figures on the
Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the Invention into
effect or practice, the same reference letters and numerals indicating the same parts
in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, are respectively a side elevation and a plan with the lid or
desk part B open, and a horizontal section corresponding to Figure 2, but with the
side doors A, A", open, taken on the line 1 - in Figure 1, all of one modification
of my new or improved escritoir, or combined desk and cabinet A, A¹, A", B, B1, B2,
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of the nature and mode of putting
the Invention into effect or practice; while Figure 4 is a prespective view of a

page_text: desk (substantiany simmar to
and side doors A", A", open, to show the internal divisions and pigeon holes more
clearly.
Chat Enown Figures, the D
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the escritoir is made in the form of a square
or rectangular case A, A', A", with a flat top B¹, B, and a strong solid flat
bottom B, and back A, with a preferably frane panelled front A, carried from
bottom to top, and having two side doors A", A", preferably frame panelled also,
hinged to the back A¹, reaching from the bottom B* to the bottom and under edges b
of the sides A of a shallow desk compartment B, formed at the top of the whole;
the entire space below the bottom of the desk part B, down to the bottom B³, is
filled with a double set of compartments or pigeon holes 1, 2, 3, and so on up to 36,
opening from each side A", and all closed in by the shutting of the doors A", A",
as shown in Figure 1, and dotted in Figure 3, and divided in the centre by the
partition C. The whole is made of a suitable height for standing at or sitting on
a high stool for office purposes, but it might also be made low enough for sitting at
with ordinary chairs as an escritoir or Davonport," as indicated in Figure +, and
it will in most cases be set with its back A¹ close to or against a wall; a small
fixed part B* of the top B₁ being made to project the width of the skirting =¹ of
the room, to go close to the wall z, so that the desk when flat on the top B', B¹¹, and
closed, may form a side table. The two side doors A", A", are hinged vertically at
the back edge, so as to open out from the front up towards or against the wall z.
The top part above the side doors is made in the form of a shallow rectangular
chamber B, termed the desk part, with a narrow part B of the top next the back,
fixed; while the front broad part B, is hinged at the front edge as a lid, so as to
fold over and down in front as a writing or flap desk, with two metallic or other
stays B, at and under each edge, preferably with one end hinged to the flap, while
the other works in a slotted guide B³, secured to the top edge of the front A, on
each side (or other equivalent), which would allow this lid B to fold over and be
secured by its own weight in an angular position as a writing desk, projecting out
in front which might either have a blotting pad sunk into it or be covered with
leather or cloth as preferred.
Within the top open front part B of the desk divisions are formed at 61, 61, for
ink-bottles, penholders, wafers, scaling-wax, and other such articles; while the
upper back part, below the fixed part 1" of the lid is fitted with drawers b at the
one side, and divided by vertical wires 63 and horizontal divisions at the other
side, open in front, or fitted with loose-hinged or sliding doors, for the insertion of
loose, unanswered, or unassorted letters or papers, while the large central part B, b,
extending under the front divisions b', 6", is left free and open for the reception of
writing paper, blotting pad, or other writing materials, which would all be closed in
when the writing flap B' is folded up over and locked to the fixed part of the lid
B1;
the whole being then flat on top might be used as a side table when not in use
as a writing desk. Below this desk part B, b, closed in on all sides at A³ there is
a central division or partition C from the front A to the back A' right down to the
bottom c¹ of the pigeon holes or divided part c, cl, of the case; and this space c, c¹,
in the middle and on each side of the division C, closed in by the side doors A", A",
before mentioned, is filled in preferably with six horizontal shelves c, c, these being
again divided off laterally by five vertical divisions c¹ to form six rows of pigeon holes
either way, or thirty-six in all, thus giving sufficient pigeon holes on each side of
the escritoir for the letters of the alphabet and the months of the year, for arranging
all settled correspondence on one side and accounts or other papers on the other side.
Below the series of thirty-six pigeon holes a row of four larger holes are fitted on each
side for containing and assorting other larger papers or documents, and below this,
immediately above the bottom B of the case, a large division is left right across for
containing books or other larger articles, which would all be exposed or closed up in
a moment by opening or closing the lock and top B₁, and opening or closing the side
doors A", Al, which are first automatically locked in, closing by the check a, secured
on the inner front edge of each, which presses on to the lower bevelled end of the

page_text: vertical locking bar a', so as to lift it when it falls by its own weight into the
check a as the door is pressed to against the power of a small spring all, secured to
the inner face of the door, or it might be to the edge of one of the divisions, and
which would force each door open as the locking bar a' is lifted out of the check a by
the finger of the person after opening the lid B₁, as seen, particularly in the corner
division holes in Figure 2, or other equivalent spring lock may be used instead
of the gravitating bar a¹ just described. Behind the compartments for the ink
and pens, above the space B, b, containing the writing materials and paper, a ledge f
is fitted with hinged back angled rest frames or standards f, and front swivelling
bottom holders" (analogous to that for holding music on the inside of the folding-
up lids of pianofortes) for holding papers to be copied in front of the writer and
desk B, or as a book or music holder. This new or improved desk or escritoir is
made of any desired size to suit the place and purposes for which it is to be
used, preferably mounted on four castors A* at the lower corners (which might be of
the sunk or concealed kind) for the convenience of removal, and is essentially
rectangular in its general shape or character, to give the greatest accomodation
while occupying the least possible space, the whole front being occupied by the
writer when in use, while the sides as described are fitted and used as inost access-
able and yet secure receptacles for arranging and keeping all correspondence,
documents, papers, and books.
The modification shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is eighteen inches square and three
feet high for a single person standing or sitting at on a high stool, for office or
business purposes, made with framed and panelled front, and side doors A and
A, A, such as I make in solid or venecred oak, mahogany, rosewood, walnut, or
other wood to suit the particular style of the other furniture of the house, office,
shop, school, ship, barrack, or other place where it is to be used. But it is to be
understood that the outside might be otherwise ornamented, as in carved or inlaid
work, or in black and gold for more expensive forms, or otherwise in plain pine or
oak for cheap forms to suit for schools or shopkeepers; and although the top is
shown horizontal and plain, to suit as a table when not in use as a desk, this need
not be, as in some cases it may be more convenient to have a plain or ornamental
edging round the ends and back of the fixed part B of the top, either with or
without the usual brass mounting or rods for laying or retaining books or other
articles required about a desk; while the hinged lid or desk B₁ might be made
slanting, and hinged at its back edge (instead of the front part) as in ordinary
desks; and the desk part B, B1, B1, at the top, above the doors A, A, night be
made to project over the front A, or at the sides A, or both, and might in that case
have feet or side plinthis projecting out in front also to give greater width and
stability at the base without taking up any more room than the top, having the
character of a "Davonport," and leaving room for the feet of the writer under the
front or desk part.
Although this new or improved desk, escritoir, or cabinet has only been des-
cribed and shown as of the smallest sizes suitable for the use of a single person, and
most suitable for being enclosed in a plain case for travelling business men, it is to
be understood that two or more of these desks might be placed or fixed back to
back or side to side, as single office desks are, or they might be constructed in this
form or shape and size, in either case to answer as consulting, double, triple, or
quadruple desks, with substantially or approximately the same characteristic fea-
tures and advantages that belong to the simplest single form and construction herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Having now described the nature of my said invention, and the mode of per-
forming or putting it into effect or practice, I have to state that I do not confine
myself to the precise details of form or construction which I have had occasion to
describe and show in the accompanying Drawings, as many variations may be made
therefrom without departing from the main or essential features of my said Inven-
tion; but what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general

page_text: arrangement or construction of an escritoir or combined desk and cabinet for con-
taining writing materials and documents having the desk on top projecting in
front and docuinental cabinet below, opened and closed by doors at the sides, all
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Æneas Mac Donell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
A. MAC DONELL. (L.S.)