Improved: Adjustable Writing. Desk with: Book Holder.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved: Adjustable Writing. Desk with: Book Holder.
We, JOHANNES FLEISCHER, Engineer of 12 Cranach Strasse, Frankfort on the.
Maine and ALOIS JOSEPH RUCKERT, Schoolmaster of 5 Riemenschneider Strasse
Wurzburg, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what-manner the.
same is performed to be particularly described in and by the following.
statement:
The present invention consists of a desk having combined therewith means for
adjusting its angle of inclination and for supporting a book in any desired convenient
position. The object of the present invention is to provide a desk for the use of
scholars when doing their home work and it is designed with a view to obviating'
the many bodily disadvantages accruing from the use of ordinary tables for writing
purposes. The desk is particularly designed for the upright style of hand writing
now being broadly introduced' on the Continent. The main reason for the
introduction of this style of handwriting being that the position of the body when³
writing is a much more healthy and convenient one.
In order to make this Specification more easily intelligible reference is had to
the accompanying drawings forming part of the same, in which' similar letters
denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the device.
Fig. 2 shows the same seen from underneath.
Figs. 3-6 are detail' views showing devices for altering the angle of inclination'
of the desk.
Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the book holder.
Fig. 9 is a plan of a modified form of the invention.
Fig. 10 the same seen from underneath..
Fig. 11 is a side clevation with the book holder folded down.
Fig. 12 is a similar elevation with the book holder up in position for ise.
Figs. 13 and 14 show modified forms of the book holder.
Figs. 15 to 25 show various modified forms of different details of the device..
Referring to Figs. 1-3 to the under side of the desk A are hinged strips or
battens at each end and also supporting legs k¹; the former are provided with
ribs against which the legs k may be adjusted in order to fix the angle of
inclination of the desk. When the desk is to be packed together the parts k klare
disengaged and folded flat against the back of board A, whereby the spring will
be compressed; the parts may be secured in this position by means of the thumb
nut or clampm or other similar device. As soon as this. nut is released the
spring a will press: the batten koutwards. In Fig. 4 the piece k is provided with
notches into which the leg may engage whilst both parts are pivotally attached
to the edge of the board A instead of underneath the same: the spring'n'is also
omitted. Fig. 5 shows the position of the parts when folded up. Fig. 6 shows a
modification in which a sleeve o is pivoted to the end of leg and slides on the rod
or batten k, on which it may be fixed in any desired position by means of a 'set' screw.
The book holder D is advantageously mounted on a moveable parallelogram Cat
the top part of the desk A and consists of the frame b (Figs. 7 & 8) rigidly
attached to the strip d which has both ends d'd bent round and pivotally attached
to a frame fixed to the horizontal side of the parallelogram C. The book is held
in position on the frame by means of the spring pressed lever a said lever being
pivotally attached to the bar e rigidly mounted on the strip d. Encircling the
bar e are two spiral springs ff, only one of which is visible in the drawing, the
ends of said springs' pressing against the pivoted frame or lever a, holding the same
continually against the supporting frame b of the book: These springs ⚫ are
•

page_text: 9.
preferably covered by a sleeve or casing as shown in Fig. 7. The angle of the
book holder may be adjusted by means of the thumb screw i, which clamps the
end of the strip.d against the frame The said strip is mounted on frame g on
pivots and the nut is prevented from falling off by a head on the screw
stud. When packed together the desk will appear as shown in Fig. 5. The
arrangement of the book holder on the moveable parallelogram C enables the same
to be shifted into any desired position to the right or left of the person using the
desk as also nearer to or farther from the eyes.
The modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 consists of a simplified form of the
desk. Instead of a moveable parallelogram, a rigid frame G is mounted in
sockets Fat the back of the desk A whilst the angle of inclination of the desk is
invariable, being determined by the shape of the end pieces E E attached by means
of hinges to the desk. To fold up the apparatus the frame G is pushed into its
sockets and the book holder which is of the same construction as the one already
described is folded down as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 shows the book holder up
in position and the frame G drawn out. As shown in Fig. 13 the book holder may
be rigidly attached to the desk. Fig. 14 shows how the supporting frame b
may be made to fold down. Figs. 15-17 show a modified form of arranging the
book kolder according to which the book supporting frame is mounted on a spindle p
supported in vertically adjustable arms mounted at the back of the desk. To
the spindle p is rigidly attached a ratchet wheels, whilst a ratchet t engaging in
the same is mounted in an upwardly projecting arm on boss of the left hand
arm 7. The ratchet is provided with a handle, whilst the lower end of the same
is formed to a spring which bears against the back of the boss of the arm r. The
vertical position of the book holder may be adjusted by means of the ratchet t
which admits of the movement of the same forwards, but prevents its falling
backwards. In order to prevent the book holder from falling forwards, the vertical
end pieces of the frame are extended downwards at w w and provided with sliding
legs, which are prevented from falling entirely out of their guide sockets by
having their ends bent round. These ends project down onto the table and thus
prevent the holder from falling forwards (Fig. 16).
In Figs. 18 and 19 instead of legs aa, the whole frame is adjustable in sockets yy.
by means of a set screw z. In Figs. 20 and 21 the arrangement described with
regard to Figs. 18 and 19 is shown mounted on a separate stand H, and not on the
desk, arms being fixed to the stand. Figs. 22 and 23 show instead of supporting
legs a bow ¹ hinged at each end to the strips kk said bow engaging in notches o¹
of angle pieces o attached to the back of the board A. A satchel M may be
attached to the back of the board for the reception of writing or drawing utensils.
The perforated plate n' serves for hanging the board onto the wall when not in
use. Figs. 24 & 25 show how the book holder may be arranged to slide on its
stand and need no further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner it is performed we declare that what we claim is
1). The combination of a desk A having strips and supporting legs engaging
in notches or ribs on said strips and provided with a book holder & having spring
pressed retaining lever a and being mounted on a moveable parallelogram sub-
stantially as described.
2). In combination with a desk A having a device for adjusting its angle of
inclination a book holder mounted on a rigid frame G adapted to slide in
sockets F F fixed to the back of said desk substantially as described.
3). The combination of a book holder consisting of the supporting frame b, the
spring pressed retaining frame a, mounted on bar e and having spiral springs ffl
arranged on said bar e, the angle of said book holder being adjustable by means of
clamping screw i to clamp the pivoted strip d d d to the fixed frame g and
a desk A having adjusting mechanism substantially as described.
4). The combination of a book holder consisting of a supporting frame b, a

page_text: spring pressed lever a, mechanism for adjusting the position of the said frame b,
with a stand H substantially as described.
5). The combination of a book holder D, mounted and vertically adjustable on a
spindle p said spindle being supported in vertically moveable arms attached to
the desk and having rigidly attached thereto a ratchet wheels, a ratchet having
handle and spring and mounted on the boss 9 of the arm r, adapted to engage
in said ratchet wheel and retain the book holder, which latter may also have legs xx
to rest on the table substantially as described.
6). The combination of a desk as specified with book holder and adjusting
mechanism for its angle of inclination with a satchel such as M substantially as
described.
Dated this 01st da L. 1000
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.