Improvements in Extensible or Leaf Tables.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1896-Accepteri, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extensible or Leaf Tables.
I, WALTER EDWARDS of Llansilin in the County of Denbigh, Joiner and
Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a table which will carry its own leaves and
which can be very quickly extended and brought back to its original position.
The table is formed practically of five pieces the centre piece fixed on a cross
piece and also carried by four pullies as hereafter explained, two intermediate
pieces which as a rule run in and are carried under the centre piece when the table
is used in its short length and two end pieces which are usually very short. The
side frame consists of two girders fastened to the legs having racks. These racks
are carried by dove-tail pins on the main side frame so that they can have longi-
tudinal motion. A centre spindle passes through the frame from the main frame to
the other and is squared at the end for a handle. Two spring catches having
wedge shaped ends ordinarily hold this spindle fixed in position but by inserting
the handle on the spindle and pushing forward between the wedges the spindle is
automatically freed from the catches whenever the handle is in position for turning.
The spindle has a pinion near each end working in the racks, but the spindle is
preferably arranged with a little play so that either or both racks can be placed in
gear as required and thus one or both ends run out. Locking devices are arranged
to keep the spindle in one position while turning. The intermediate leaves slide
under the centre leaves and have pullies or supports linked to them so arranged
that as they are pulled out and afterwards elevated these pullies or supports sustain
the edges of the centre leaves taking the place for this purpose of the intermediate
leaves. A pair of toggle joints with links and spring catches and levers are
arranged under each of the intermediate leaves when in position for raising so that
by simply pressing the lever the toggle joints are straightened and raise the leaf
to the uniform height with the table. In the leaf are strong pivots to enter the
end leaves and holes for the pivots of the centre leaf. The lever being depressed
and the intermediate leaf lifted into position the racks are drawn back slightly
thus locking the intermediate leaf in position where it is held by the pivots already
mentioned. Outside the side frames I place two thin pieces of wood nearly the
full length of the table when at its shortest. These pieces of wood slide on each
other and thus hide the mechanism.
Dated the 6th day of January 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extensible or Leaf Tables.
I, WALTER EDWARDS, of Llansilin, in the County of Denbigh, Joiner and
Cabinet Maker, 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 a table which will carry its own leaves and
which can be very quickly extended and brought back to its original position.

page_text: The invertion will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a front view shewing half the table unextended and the other half
extended, but the extended leaf not raised into its higher plane;
Figure 2 a cross section of the table showing the mechanism for extending it;
Figure 3 a longitudinal section showing the mechanism for extending the table
and the means for raising the leaves, this figure showing both leaves extended aud
raised to the uniform height of the remainder of the table;
Figure 4 a detail view of the mechanism for raising the leaves;
Figure 5 a detail view of a bifurcated rod carrying the studs.
For
The table surface is formed practically of five pieces; a centre piece A fixed on
a bracket B, and also carried by four rollers or pulleys C, as hereafter explained;
two intermediate pieces or leaves D which run in and are carried under the centre
piece A when the table is used in its short length; and two end pieces E which
are usually very short. Each side frame comprises two girders or rails F and G
which support the leaves D, the rails F being fastened to the legs F' and the
rails G to the legs G¹. These rails are fitted with racks f and respectively.
The rails F and G, together with their respective racks, are carried by longitudinal
fillets H on the main side frames I, these 'fillets being received by corresponding
grooves in the rails, so that the rails are firmly supported throughout their length,
while permitting longitudinal movement. Ranners or their equivalent might be
used instead of fillets. A centre spindle J passes through the frame from one side
to the other, and is squared at j for a handle. The spindle J has a pinion K near
each end working in the racks f and g, but the spindle is arranged with a little
longitudinal play, so that either or both racks can be placed in gear as required,
and thus one end only of the table or both ends simultaneously run out.
this purpose, the racks g are made twice the width of the racks f, and in Figure 2
the pinions are shown engaging the racks g only. Locking devices are arranged
to keep the spindle in one position while turning. These devices consist in forming
the spindle J with collars or shoulders L and the rails F and G with longitudinal
grooves M. The rails G also have each a secondary groove N, the grooves M
and N in each rail terminating at O, Figure 3, at which point alone and at no
other they are connected by a transverse passage which permits the collars L
when the table is unextended, to be transferred from the groove M to the groove N
in the rail G. The result is that when the collars L lie in the grooves M and the
pinions K engage both racks fand g, simultaneously, both ends of the table will
be run out, but if the handle P be operated so as to slide the pinions K out of
engagement with the racks f and the collars L out of engagement with the
grooves M into engagement with the groove N, one end only of the table will be
extended, namely, the end connected with the rails G. Furthermore, there being
no groove in the rail F corresponding to the groove N in the rail G, the collars L
coming as they do against a solid abutment in the rail F, the end of the table
connected with the rail F is locked, and cannot be extended even if pulled by
band, and thus there is no danger of the gear getting out of order even if used by
inexperienced or careless persons. The handle P presses against an abutment or
equivalent device in such a manner that it can be sprung from one position into the
other and retained in that position.
The intermediate pieces or leaves D slide under the fixed centre piece A, and
have rollers (mounted in the supports secured to the rails F and G, and so
arranged, that when the table is run out, these rollers and supports sustain the
edges of the centre piece A, taking the place, for this purpose, of the studs R
which engage the stud holes R' in the end pieces E. A pair of toggle joints S
with links T T and a hand lever U are arranged under each intermediate leaf D
to support the leaves. The toggle joint may be formed of a pair of boards hinged
together, the upper board being hinged to the under side of the leaves D, and the
lower board hinged to a cross piece T' which is dovetailed into the rails on which
the racks and g are fixed. By simply pressing down the lever U, therefore, when

page_text: the leaves are in position for raising, the toggle joints S are straightened and the
leaf D thereby raised to the uniform height of the table. The lever is locked in
position when the leaves are raised by the catch V which is mounted in fixed
pivots v, the catch falling down vertically when the lever U is pressed down and
preventing the return of the lever until released from the catch. In the leaves,
are strong pivots or studs R' to enter corresponding holes in the end pieces E, and
studs R to enter corresponding holes in the centre picce A. These studs form
part of the bifurcated rod W which is mounted on the under side of each
centre leaf D, a pin w preventing the rod from sliding beyond a given point.
The mode of action is as follows:-
To run the table out at one end, the collars L and pinions K are thrown into
the position shown in Figure 2, in which position the pinions engage the racks g
only, and the collars the grooves N in the rail G. The bandle is put on the
square end of the spindle J and turned, thus extending the table at one end into
the position shown in Figure 1, the other end being locked by the collar L coming
against the solid abutment in the rail F. The lever U is now depressed and the
intermediate leaf D lifted into position, the stud R³ entering the stud hole in the
centre piece A. The rack g is drawn back slightly by turning the spindle J in
the opposite direction, thus causing the studs R2 to enter corresponding holes in
the end pieces E and locking the leaf D in position. To extend both leaves, the
table has to be brought back into its short length, in which position only,
the collars can be unlocked from the grooves N and the pinions brought into
engagement with the upper rack. Outside the side frames I provide two thin
pieces of wood X, which, together, nearly equal the length of the table when it is
shortest. These pieces of wood slide on the side frames I and thus hide the
mechanism. The leaves D are guided vertically by suitable guides, not shown in
the drawings.
Having now 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 :-
1. The improvement in extending tables, which consists in forming them with
intermediate pieces or leaves carried under the centre portion of the table when
the table is used in its short length, but which, when the table is required to be
used in longer lengths, can be run out, together with their respective ends of the
table, and the said leaves then raised to the uniform height of the remainder of the
table, substantially as described.
2. In an extending table, the intermediate leaves carried under the centre portion
of the table, the sliding rails respectively secured to the table ends and carrying
the leaves aforesaid, and the longitudinal fillets or other equivalent device on the
main side frame for firmly supporting the rails together with their respective
leaves while permitting longitudinal movement, in combination with any suitable
mechanism for raising the leaves to the uniform height of the rest of the table when
the leaves are run out, substantially as described.
3. The mechanism for raising each leaf to the uniform height of the rest of the
table, consisting of a pair of toggle joints hinged to the under side of the leaf, a
hand-lever and links, so arranged that by depressing the handle, the toggle joints
are straightened, substantially as described.
4. In an extending table, the arrangement of a pair of leaves under the fixed
centre portion, with actuating mechanism for running out the leaves, in combination
with means for throwing one leaf in and out of gear, whereby the table can be
extended at one end ouly, or at both ends simultaneously as required, substantially
as described.
5. In an extending table of the kind set forth in which the leaves are carried
under the centre portion of the table when the table is used in its short length, the
arrangement whereby one end of the table or both ends simultaneously can be
run out, which consists in forming the racks which are secured to the sliding rails

page_text: of one of the leaves wider than the racks which are secured to the sliding rails of
the other leaf, and in providing the spindle which carries the pinions gearing into
these racks with a little longitudinal play, whereby both racks or one rack only
can he placed in gear as required, substantially as described.
6. In extending tables of the kind set forth, the arrangement for keeping the
spindle in one position while turning, and locking one end of the table when the
opposite end only is being run out, substantially as described.
7. In an extending table of the kind set forth, forming in the sliding rails of one
leaf, longitudinal grooves, and in the sliding rails of the other leaf, solid abutments,
in combination with the centre actuating spindle having collars, so arranged that
if these collars be thrown into engagement with these grooves, and the leaf run
out, the spindle will be kept from sliding transversely, while the other leaf will be
locked by the collar coming against the abutments and cannot be released until
the leaf that was run out is brought back again, substantially as aud for the purpose
described.
8. The combination with the intermediate pieces or leaves that slide under the
fixed centre piece, of supports secured to the sliding rails F & G and having rollers
or equivalent device, the said rollers and supports being so arranged that when the
table is run out, they sustain the edges of the centre piece, substantially as
described.
9. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts substantially as
described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of October 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.