Improvements in Convertible Card Tables.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Convertible Card Tables.
I, JOSHUA SWITHENBANK, Junior, of 15, Godwin Street, Bradford in the
County of York, Produce Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention particularly relates to improvements in the convertible card table
and walking stick for which I have previously made application for Letters Patent
No. 7345 of 1890 and its object is to simplify the construction thereof.
For this purpose I dispense with the stays for supporting the arms of the table
top and I pivot such arms to the sides of a prism rigidly secured to the central rod.
The said arms are pivoted a little distance from their inner ends and notches are
formed in them and guide projections provided so that when they are withdrawn
from the stick they fall down to the horizontal position all in the same direction
and lie in the same plane, whilst the manner in which they are pivoted causes the
notched portion of the inner end of each of the arms to fall into a notch of the
next arm. When in this position said arms are drawn tightly against the top of
the stick by toggle levers or other tension device applied at the other end of the
central rod and are thus held firmly distended.
The legs are preferably pivoted to a fixture at the bottom of the upper half of
the stick and are stayed by stays projecting from the central rod.
Dated this 14th day of January 1891.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Convertible Card Tables.
I, JOSHUA SWITHENBANK, Junior, of 15, Godwin Street, Bradford in the
County of York, Produce Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention particularly relates to improvements in the convertible card table
and walking stick for which I have obtained Letters Patent No. 7,345 of 1890, and
its object is to simplify the construction thereof.
For this purpose I dispense with the stays for supporting the arms of the table
top and I pivot such arms to the sides of a prism rigidly secured to the central rod.
The said arms are pivoted a little distance from their inner ends and notches are
formed in them and guide projections provided so that when they are withdrawn
from the stick they fall down to the horizontal position all in the same direction
and lie in the same plane, whilst the manner in which they are pivoted causes the
notched portion of the inner end of each of the arms to fall into a notch of the
next arm.
When in this position said arms are drawn tightly against the top of the stick by
toggle levers or other tension device applied at the other end of the central rod
and are thus held firmly extended.
The legs are preferably pivoted to a fixture at the bottom of the upper half of
the stick and are stayed by stays projecting from the central rod.
To fully describe my invention reference is made to the accompanying sheet of

page_text: drawings forming a part of this Specification in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a longitudinal view of the walking stick showing how it is
divided into sections arranged in a similar manner to that in the above cited Letters
Patent to be screwed or otherwise secured together when used as a stick.
Figure 2, is a perspective of the table opened out.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the table in which the broken lines represent
the various parts in the position they occupy when enclosed within the stick.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views of detail on a larger scale hereinafter
referred to.
The three legs A are pivoted in the same way as the ribs of an umbrella to the
lower end of the sleeve B preferably mounted so that it is free to revolve in the
screwed ferrule C secured at the bottom end of the upper half D of the stick as
shown in section Figure 8. The stays E for the legs are pivoted at their lower
ends in the hollow of the legs and are connected above to the runner F mounted on
the longitudinal rod G. A prism H of square section is fixed at the top of the rod
near the top of which the four table arms J are pivoted one to each side with their
pivots I all in the same plane. The pivots I are formed on the ends of two pins or
rivets i and passed through the prism at right angles to each other and the pin j
is made thicker in the middle to enable the pin i to pass diametrically through it.
The rectangular piece of fabric L to form the table top is attached to the arms J
in any convenient manner but preferably in a similar way to the cover of an
umbrella and such arms are arranged that they may be moved parallel to the rod G
and the fabric enfolded between them or they may be spread out at right angles to
said rod so that they interlock each other across the top of the stick and form a
comparatively rigid support for the fabric stretched out tightly between them. The
notches a shown on a larger scale Figure 5 are formed in arms J to allow them to
interlock each other when they are extended and the projections & Figures 5, 6 and 7
on such arms cause them all to fall in one direction when it is required to extend
them.
When the parts are enclosed within the stick they lie in the position represented
by the broken lines Figure 3 with the stays E in the hollow of the legs A but to
extend the table the handle and the lower half of the stick are unscrewed and the
rod pushed up until the stop d on the runner F meets the sleeve B. The arms J
are then completely out and with a slight shake they fall over into the position
shown in Figure 2.
The toggle levers e connecting the runner F to the sliding piece g are provided
to draw the rod G tightly down after the table has been opened. When the levers e
are in the position shown in the drawings and on a larger scale Figure 4 the sliding
piece bears tightly against the nut screwed on the end of the rod G and the
ring slipped over the levers holds them in that position. But by lifting the ring
the levers may be opened out as shown by the broken lines so as to relieve the
tension between F and h and allow the table to be closed.
A padding of thin india rubber tubing or other suitable substance is preferably
put on the legs A, the stays E and the boss of the sliding piece g to prevent the
several pieces rattling against each other.
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. In a convertible card table and stick, the general construction and arrange-
ment of the table top, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a convertible card table and stick, the general construction and arrange-
ment of the legs substantially as herein shown and described.
3 The combination with a convertible card table, of toggle levers arranged to
tighten and hold the parts in the open position, substantially as herein shown and
described.

page_text: 4. In a convertible card table and stick, the general combination of parts,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 14th day of October 1891.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.