Improvements in Telescope Tables.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telescope Tables.
I, GUSTAV LETSCH, of 52 Krautstrasse, Berlin, Germany, Furniture 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:―
.
My invention refers to a telescope table possessing the advantage of stability in
every stage of extension, and of being capable of easy and rapid adjustment to eight
different sizes. The folding spare leaves are arranged so as to descend and not rise
when the table is being extended, so that the table is lowest when fully extended
whereas when the table is telescoped the various leaves are folded over each other in
book-form. This arrangement does away with the necessity of making the table
frame higher than required in order to provide sufficient room underneath for the
accommodation of the legs of the persons seated at the table. For the rest, the
invention consists in the employment of hinged folding spare-leaves, of which one
on each side of the table is hinged to a rigidly fixed cross-bar on the table frame,
in combination with a moveable bar hinged to the said cross-bar, and which when
turned up serves as an underlay for a centre-leaf inserted between the two outer
ends of the table. The appended drawing illustrates the construction of the table.
Fig. 1. is a plan of the table with all the leaves extended.
Fig. 2. Longitudinal section appertaining thereto.
Fig. 3. Plan of the table with all the spare-leaves folded up and the centre-leaf
laid on.
Fig. 4. Longitudinal section of the table with the centre-leaf laid on, the spare
leaves folded up and the telescoping end-leaves pushed in.
Fig. 5. is a general view, showing the arrangement of the table, with the end-
leaves pushed in, the spare-leaves folded up, the hinged bars turned up, and the
centre-leaf interposed, which in this figure is shown to be raised by the turned up
hinged bars to the level of the outer ends of the table.
a a denotes the table frame divided transversely into two telescoping halves
with two legs (ff and ff) each; 11 denotes two cross-bars which connect the two
longitudinal frame-boards transversely, and to which at the same time the longi-
tudinal bars mm are tightly fitted, being moreover let in or mortised into the
transverse side-boards of the frame, thus forming a rigid support for the table, in
conjunction with the slides C¹ C₁ closely fitted to mm, and which on their part are
made to slide in the central telescoping parts hh, in the known manner of a
"groove and tongue" guide arrangement.
and a
g
The central telescoping parts h. h. are supported below by a cross bar
central leg E, while above they are rigidly joined by a central cross piece M.
Similarly the slide bars C' C' are joined above by rigidly fixed cross bars M' M'
which at the same time serve as supports for the spare leaves when the table is
extended.
:
The whole surface of the table when fully extended is made up of seven parts,
viz. the loosely inserted centre leaf T. the two pairs of folding leaves (each
consisting of two leaves hinged together) A A¹, AA, of which the outside
leaves A are firmly attached to the cross bars 1 by the hinges n² n², and the
telescoping end-leaves BB' which can be pulled out or pushed in, in the known
manner, by means of the double sliding brackets ss, which slide in the table
frame.
A special innovation introduced here is that each of the cross bars (which
are disposed symmetrically with regard to the leaves of the table) are provided,
at their interior side, with a hinged bar which as a rule is folded down against
the table frame and is only turned up and brought into requisition when required

page_text: to serve as an underlay for the inserted centre leaf (Fig. 5). Hence this hinged
bar serves to raise the centre leaf to a level with the remainder of the table top, in
the position shown in Fig. 5. by raising the centre leaf to an extent equal to the
thickness of a table leaf. Thus, hinge n¹ serves for turning down leaf A towards
the inside, so as to bring it on a level with the outside leaf A' (as indicated by the
direction of the arrow) or folding it back over leaf A' (thus raising the level of
the table surface), hinge n² serves for raising leaf A¹ to an extent equal to the
thickness of the leaf, in order to admit of the telescoping end leaf being pushed
under, and hinge n³ for turning up the bars for the purpose of raising the centre
leaf T by the thickness of the table leaf.
By simple readjustments, the table can be altered to the following lengths, viz.:
I. Telescoped table (with centre leaf superimposed).
II. Fully extended table.
III. One of the end-leaves B B' pushed in,-A' having previously been raised
a little for this purpose (hinge n²), the end leaf being lowered to an extent equal
to the thickness of the leaf, by means of its tapered or wedge-shaped slide-
brackets s. s.
IV. Both end-leaves pushed in.
V. The hinged leaves A A being turned back, on the right and left, the
hinged bars being turned up, the frame pushed together and in doing so the
centre leaf being made to rest on the bars 11.
VI. The centre-leaf being removed and the table-frame telescoped.
VII. The centre-leaf being removed and one of the end-leaves pulled out.
VIII. The centre-leaf being removed and both end-leaves pulled out.
This will show how great is the adaptability of the new telescope table owing to
the peculiar application of the spare leaves A A' (which unfold towards the inner
side or centre) in conjunction with the hinged bars arranged under the centre leaf
for raising its level when required.
In the form of construction of the telescope table described above, the central
crosspiece M serves to hold in place the centre or main leaf T (this being moreover
the main object of this cross-piece) but as shown in Fig. 6. this end may also be
served by doing away with the central cross-piece M and substituting for it two
bolts w, fastened on or into the centre leaf T. so as to form guides for or to hold in
place the centre-leaf, gliding freely through the telescope slides h. By thus
doing away with the crosspiece M which in reality is 8 to 10 cm. (about 3 to 4 in.)
wide, a material advantage is moreover gained by affording additional space which
may be utilised for widening the folding leaves A A¹ and the telescoping end-
leaves B B. Thus each of these leaves can be widened by 4 or 5 cm. (say 1 to
2 in.) which, with the six leaves, would amount to a total increase of the length of
the table when extended, by 24 to 30 cm. (9 to 12 in.).
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6. the guide bolts w ware guided in the lower
cross bar as well as in the central slides h and at their lower ends are provided
with a screw-thread fitted with thumb-nuts w¹ which however are not screwed
down tightly but only so far as to admit of the telescoping leaves being pulled out
without difficulty from under the centre leaf.
Hence by this arrangement of the bolts, any lateral displacement of the centre-
leaf is prevented and owing to the arrangement of the nuts on the bolts, vertical
displacement or lifting off is avoided, since on the one hand, raising off the centre-
leaf is rendered unnecessary, and on the other hand, disarrangement of the leaves
in carrying the table is prevented. The chief advantage, however, as already
explained, lies in the possibility of employing wider folding leaves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In telescope tables, with bipartite frame, a centre-leaf T, made to lift out,
and pull-out end-leaves BB¹. The insertion of double folding leaves AA¹ of

page_text: which one A¹ is joined to a cross bar of the table frame with a revolving joint, in
conjunction with a hinged bar attached to the said cross-bar, which bar & serves,
when turned up, to raise the centre-leaf T, so as to bring it to the same level with
the leaf A folded up over A¹
2. In the telescope table characterised in Claim 1. the arrangement of providing
guides for the centre-leaf T. by means of bolts wow which are carried through the
central slides hh so as to glide freely through them.
Dated this 12th day of October 1892.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.