IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING AND WRITING TABLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Petrckin Douglas Camp, of No. 7,
Chichester Terrace, Oliver Road, Peckham, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING
AND WRITING TABLES," -A communication from abroad by Nathaniel
1
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Petrekin Douglas
Camp at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th March 1874.
I, JAMES PETREKIN DOUGLAS CAMP, of No. 7, Chichester Terrace,
Oliver Road, Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING
AND WRITING TABLES," a communication, to be as follows:-

page_text: usefulness will be largely increased. For instance, according to the said
Invention a drawer on the front is fitted with supplementary slides so
that it may be drawn its entire length or more from the table and be
supported by the slides, although its depth nearly equals the width of
the table. This drawer has a lid hinged to its front so that when the 5
drawer is fully drawn out and the lid raised it may be again thrust in
to rest the lid upon the table to present it as an inclined surface for use
as a desk. The desk surface or lid, when in use as a music stand,
reading desk, drawing table or easel may be raised into any desired
position approaching the vertical, and held there by means of a hinged 1
prop resting within the open space under the lid, and it may be employed
as an cascl for a large picture, by elevating a portion of its frame, which
is hinged for this purpose.
The portion of the desk surface covered with cloth or leather, or
rather that portion within the frame may be made separate and provided 1
with a mirror fitted into its under side and hinged or pivoted to the
frame at the back edge, so that it can be thrown up into a vertical
position when required to be used as a looking glass.
In the ends of the drawer directly below the desk surface or lid, and
working at right angles with the front of the same, I place two supple-
mentary drawers, each in depth one half the length of the desk surface,
both working in the same plane and yet both capable of extension
beyond the desk surface by means of slides that extend in different
planes. For artists' use one of these supplementary drawers may be
fitted with a drawer sliding from the side towards the front and 2
extending within the reach of a person seated at the desk or easel, and
the other supplementary drawer may be fitted with a shallow tray that
works on pivoted arms, which permits its extension in a similar manner
either to the front or side, thereby affording extra space for pencils,
crayons, and brushes, or any other article used by artists: The end 3
drawers may be fitted in the same plane, directly below the front
drawer; each is in depth one half the length of the table and yet both
are capable of extension beyond the table by means of slides that run in
different planes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Petrckin Douglas Camp in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th September 1874.
J
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PETREKIN DOUGLAS CAMP, of No. 7, Chichester Terrace, Oliver Road,
Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Petrekin Douglas Camp, Her
special licence that I, the said James Petrekin Douglas Camp, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Petrekin Douglas Camp, my executors, administrators, 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 DRAWING AND WRITING TABLES," a
communication to me from abroad by Nathaniel Knight, of Auburn,
Maine, United States of America, Gentleman, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Petrekin Douglas Camp, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Petrekin Douglas Camp,
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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
The object of this Invention is to combine in a compact manner with
an ordinary table one or more of a scries of accessories by which its
usefulness will be largely increased. For instance, according to the said

page_text: Invention a drawer on the front is fitted with supplementary slides so
that it may be drawn its entire length or more from the table and be
supported by the slides although its depth nearly equals the width of
the table. This drawer has a lid hinged to its front so that when the
drawer is fully drawn out and the lid raised it may be again thrust in
to rest the lid upon the table to present it as an inclined surface for use
as a desk. The desk surface or lid, when in use as a music stand,
reading desk, drawing table, or easel, may be raised into any desired
position approaching the vertical and held there by means of a hinged
prop resting within the open space under the lid, and may be employed
as an casel for a large picture by elevating a portion of its frame, which
is hinged for this purpose.
The portion of the desk surface covered with cloth or leather, or
rather, that portion within the frame may be made separate and provided
with a mirror fitted into its under side and hinged or pivoted to the
frame at the back edge, so that it can be thrown up into a vertical
position when required to be used as a looking glass.
In the ends of the drawer, directly below the desk surface or lid, and
working at right angles with the front of the same I place two supple-
mentary drawers, each in depth one half the length of the desk surface,
both working in the same plane and yet both capable of extension
beyond the desk surface by means of slides that extend in different
plancs. For artists' use one of these supplementary drawers may be
fitted with a drawer sliding from the side towards the front and
extending within the reach of a person scated at the desk or easel, and
the other supplementary drawer may be fitted with a shallow tray that
works on pivoted arms which permit its extension in a similar manner
either to the front or side, thereby affording extra space for pencils,
crayons, and brushes, or any other article used by artists. The end
drawers may be fitted in the same plane directly below the front
drawer; each is in depth one half the length of the table and yet both
are capable of extension beyond the table by means of slides that run in
different planes.
The Drawing represents a table constructed according to the said
improvements.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said table showing the position
of the front and supplementary drawers and swinging tray. when
extended, and the desk surface or lid thrown up for use as an casel..

page_text: "
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the table with the end drawers
extended and the desk surface or lid in position for use as a desk.
Figure 3 is a view of the table with the front drawer extended and
the looking glass thrown up for use.
The drawer A has a supplementary slide B on each side that admits of
its being drawn out its full length although it extends nearly the entire
width of the table. The frame of the lid or desk surface C is hinged at
the front of the drawer so that its inclination may be altered to any
required degree, either by resting on the edge of the table or on the
hinged prop D. A portion of the upper part of the frame of the lid may
be hinged, as at E, to support a large picture as an easel. The inner
portion of the desk surface may be hinged or pivoted at f so that it can
be thrown up for the purpose of bringing into position the looking
glass O that is fitted into its under side. The supplementary drawer g
has a drawer working on extension slides from its side, and the supple-
mentary drawer i has a shallow tray k carried on the arms which arc
pivoted at the ends within the drawer, so that as the arms are swung
over and into the drawer the tray may also be placed within it by the
sliding of pins on cach side of the tray in the grooves or slots in the
arms. By these pins and slots the tray is held steadily when extended.
The supplementary drawers g, i, are opposite and in the same plane, but
by arranging the slides of g, as at m, on the lower parts of the sides of
the drawer, and those of i on the upper parts, as at n, both drawers
may work on extension slides without interference with one another.
The end drawers P, R, are opposite and in the same plane, but by
arranging the extension slides like those of the supplementary drawers g, i,
they too are capable of extension beyond the ends of the table, and work
without interfering one with another. The extra drawer and the
swinging tray k may be fitted into the end instead of the supplementary
drawers if desired.
'
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. The construction of a drawer with a hinged inner lid which
may be supported at an inclination, as lierein described.
Second. The combination of a drawer with two supplementary drawers
working within it and from its sides in the manner above described.

page_text: -
Third. The combination of a drawer with a swinging extension tray,
as above described.
Fourth. The combination of a drawer with a drawer working within
it and from its side, in the manner above described.
1
Fifth. The combination of a drawer with supplementary slides, or
with extension slides working in separate planes, as above set forth. :
In witness whereof, I, the said James Petrekin Douglas Camp, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
JAS. P. D. CAMP. (L.S.)