A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF TABLE TOP
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
TABLE TOP." -A communication from by Johan Ludwig Leeb,
residing at Paris, 182, Boulevard Haussmann.
Sealed the 2nd June 1874, and dated the 5th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th February 1874.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent
5 Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF TABLE TOP," to be as follows:-

page_text: ornamental, artistic, or other devices below a glass top or a panel of
variously coloured woods can be fitted, whereby useful effects can be
obtained and changes made therein when desired.
The table top is constructed with a rotating or a rigid bottom piece,
and with bevilled or other edges for receiving a ring or band of metal,
into which a top plate of glass, veneered woods, or other body or bodies
can be arranged, the top plate alone, or with the bezel ring in com-
bination being arranged to turn up, unscrew, or be otherwise temporarily
lifted or removed to facilitate changes to be made in the appearance of
the table itself.
The glass top piece may be partly ornamented or made opaque by
staining or otherwise, and left plain or transparent at other parts, so that
panels of different coloured woods, cards, or other bodies, can be fitted
under to show through such plain or transparent parts.
As an example of one construction I give the following:-A central
pillar is supported upon spread out feet, and the upper part is formed
with three arms, the ends of which have rollers fitted in them for the
table top to rest and be rotated upon, the top being held and guided by
a central pin and socket.

page_text: In the case of rigid tops, say, of square or of elongated form the bezel,
ring, or band is hinged at one part and jointed to the bottom portion of
the top piece, so that by releasing a catch or fastening the bezel and the
glass top proper can be lifted to facilitate the withdrawal and the placing
of artistic designs from or into the respective channels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussee d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, 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 Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her special
licence that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henri Adrien
Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF TABLE TOP," communi-
cated to me from abroad by Johan Ludwig Leeb, a person resident at
Paris, 182, Boulevard Haussmann, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, or admini-
strators, 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the construction of table tops, the special
construction giving the means of removing and of placing or of replacing
ornamented, artistic, or other devices below a glass top or in a panel of
various coloured woods, whereby useful effects can be obtained and
changes made therein when desired.
The table top is constructed with a movable or a rigid bottom piece,
and with bevelled or other edges for receiving a ring of metal, into
which a top plate of glass, veneered woods, or other body or bodies, can
be arranged, the top plate alone, or with the bezel ring in combination,
being arranged to turn up, unscrew, or be otherwise temporarily lifted
or removed to facilitate changes to be made in the appearance of the
table itself.
The glass top piece may be partly ornamented or made opaque by
staining or otherwise, and left plain at other parts, so that panels of
different coloured woods or other bodies can be fitted under to show
through such plain parts.
The Invention will be well understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings, and to the following description thereof :-
Figure 1 is a plan of a table top A, with divisions or spaces B, B,
sunken into it for the reception of advertisement sheets or labels, photo-
graphic and other views, and so that they can be seen in succession by
rotating the top. The top is supported upon, say, three rollers G, G, G,
upon projecting arms F, F, and is guided in its rotations by the central
socket piece M. bearing against the head D of the pillar or stand E,
which it fits loosely. Above the socket piece M a circular plate R is
arranged, and this is firmly screwed down to the pillar head, as shown
in Figure 2, to prevent the top being lifted off when the table has to be
moved. In order to obtain the necessary pinch of the table top and of
the rollers G, G, G, to prevent the top turning on its pivot without a
slight pressure being exerted the plate R has only one screw hole in it,
while the pillar head D has, say, 5 or 6 holes, so that when the circular

page_text: plate R is screwed home on to the pillar head the adjustment takes place
by the particular hole into which the set screw is placed. The aperture
in the top into which the circular plate D takes is covered by a disc S,
and the bezel ring K with the glass L are held in contact by the set
screws J, J; the photograph, or other views, advertisement, or other
cards or sheets, being held securely in their respective recesses in the
top piece A.
Figure 3 represents a modified method of mounting the table top
upon the pillar. In this case the top is held by a central stud C, the
stud taking into a pillar D of a standard E, the upper end of which
pillar has a number of arms F, F, projecting from it and carrying
rollers G, G, upon which the outer portion of the top A bears. The
top is composed of a base A of wood, and this has a bezel or band I
fastened upon its periphery by screws through a bottom flange J, or it
may be through the edge itself, this portion being screw threaded for
the reception of another bezel or band K, which is screw threaded on its
inner face for taking on to the bezel or band I, as shown. The upper
edge of the bezel or band K is undercut, and serves to hold a glass disc L
in position and down upon the wood A, and also upon the advertisements
or views placed in the spaces B, B, to prevent the advertisements or
views shifting should the table be tilted from any cause.
The spaces
B, B, may be fewer in number than is shown in Figure 1, and the shape
of them would vary according to the shape or outline of the sheets or
views to be exhibited through the glass L, which not only preserves
them from injury but from its transparency enables the views to be
clearly seen. In some cases however the spaces can be dispensed with,
and the views be laid direct upon the base A or secured to the glass.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in plan and sectional elevation a table of
hexagonal form, in which much larger spaces in the top for the rccep-
tion of advertisements, photographic views, portraits, or other exhibits
in sheets are formed. In this case the base A is of metal, and is formed
with a socket M on its under side to take over and upon the top of the
pillar D. The top A is here shown as having the bezel or band K, with
a plain inner face to drop over the glass L and the periphery of the
base A, to which it is secured by screw pins N, N, from the inner flange,
which takes the place of the bezel K referred to with reference to
Figure 3.

page_text: obtained, and by which a table top can be held firmly to its stand, as
described and shown in Figure 2 of the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
H. A. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)