Improvements in Cabinets, Desks, or Tables, with Rising and Falling Platform.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Cabinets, Desks, or Tables, with Rising and Falling
Platform.
I, LEONARD HAYWOOD ELLINGTON, trading as Ellington & Company, of 38A,
Broad Street, Golden Square, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to cabinets, desks or tables with rising and falling
platform, the object of my invention being to provide a free up and down motion
without the chance of sticking or canting and generally to simplify and improve
the construction. I provide the box shaped body of the table or cabinet with a
hinged lid or top instead of two lids as heretofore and connect this lid at the
two opposite sides at or near the middle of their width by links or rods with the
middle of the sides of the suitably guided platform which works up and down
in the body of the table. On each link I provide near the pin that joints it
to the platform a peg, said pegs being guided in upright slots or grooves in the
body and the slots ferminating at the top in lateral continuations wherein the
pegs find their places when the platform is raised to its full height and hold the
platform securely therein, the lid then forming a horizontal flap or table top,
that may be flush with the top of the platform. The raising and lowering of the
platform is effected by respectively opening or closing the lid, which can be done
by the use of one hand. The platform is suitably guided in its up and down
motion which may be effected by the parallel motion described in my patent
Specification 1631 of 1896. In order to check the descent if the platform I may
employ what is called a dashpot or cushioning arrangement of such a nature as
to check the platform evenly in its descent and to lose its checking action when
the platform has fully descended. The dashpot may suitably be made in the
form of a cylinder with an easily fitting piston or provided with one or more
minute holes for gradually letting out the air (or other fluid or liquid) as it is
being compressed in the descent of the piston or the bottom of the cylinder
may have a small valve which is opened to let the air out by contact with the
piston, said vaive closing automatically in the ascent of the piston; or I may pro-
vide bellows provided with a fine air escape device. Springs or other checking
devices may however be used instead of the aforesaid dashpot device. The rising
platform may be made to receive many different articles. It may be made to
receive wine or spirit bottles and glasses, or a tantalus spirit bottle stand and
glasses; or cigars and other smoker's articles. It may carry a sewing machine
or a typewriter, or medicine bottles and the like, or a bookslide, or ladies work
or writing materials, or music, or artists materials, or photographs and other
pictures, or cards and other games, or tea or coffee sets, or many other articles.

page_text: Where the cabinet is not supported or fixed against a wall, I may load it one one
side to keep it from turning over.
Dated this Thirtieth day of June 1899.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents,
Improvements in Cabinets, Desks, or Tables, with Rising and Falling
Platform.
I, LEONARD HAYWOOD ELLINGTON, trading as Ellington & Company, of 38A,
Broad Street, Golden Square, Manufacturer, 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:-
These improvements refer to cabinets, desks or tables with rising and falling
platform, the object of my invention being to provide a free up and down motion
without the chance of sticking or canting, and generally to simplify and improve
the construction.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a vertical section through a cabinet showing the
platform in the raised position and Fig. 2 a like view showing the platform in
the lowered position. Fig. 3 shows a modified form of cushioning device and
Fig. 4 is a detail view.
The rising and falling platform A is arranged in the box shaped body B of
the table or cabinet and is provided with a hinged lid or top C instead of two
Tids meeting in the middle as heretofore. This lid is at the two opposite sides
at or near the middle of their width by links or rods D connected with the
middle of the sides of the suitably guided platform A which works up and down
in the body B of the table. Each link is jointed to the platform A by a
pin D', which takes into a horizontal slot in the said platform, and has a peg D2,
said pegs being guided in upright slots or grooves B in the body, the said slots
terminating at the top in lateral continuations B2 wherein the pegs D2 find their
places when the platform A is raised to its full height and hold the platform
securely therein, the lid C then forming a horizontal flap or table top (Fig. 1)
that may as shown be flush with the top of the platform. The raising and
lowering is effected by respectively opening or closing the lid C which can be
done by the use of one hand. The platform A is suitably guided in its up and
down motion, which may as here shown be effected by the parallel motion bars F,
described in my Patent Specification 1631 of 1896. In order to check the
descent of the platform I may as here shown employ what is called a dashpot
(or I may use other suitable cushioning arrangement) of such a nature as
described in my Patent Specification 5466 of 1899 as to check the platform D
evenly in its descent and lose its checking action when the platform has fully
descended. The dashpot may suitably be made in the form of a cylinder I pro-
vided with an easily fitting piston H or provided with one or more minute holes
in the bottom for gradually letting out the air (or other fluid or liquid) as it is
being compressed in the descent of the piston: or the bottom of the cylinder I
may have a small valve which is opened to let the air out by contact with the
piston, said valve closing automatically in the ascent of the piston; or I may
use bellows provided with a fine air escape device. The piston is by a rod G
connected to the pin F in the parallel motion F.
In Fig. 3 is shown a cushioning device equivalent to the dashpot. It eon-

page_text: sists in a lever L against which the platform A bears in its descent or especially
in the latter part of its descent. This lever is by a link M connected to a lever N
having its fulcrum at N¹ and being connected to a helical spring which may be
enclosed in a box and the lower end of which is connected to the bracket 1.
In the position shown the platform is checked by the spring O but the checking
action gradually diminishes owing to the change of angle between the lever N
and the spring O so that at the last its effect is just a little less than that of the
weight of the platform.
The platform A may be made to receive many different articles. It may be
made to receive wine or spirit bottles and glasses, or cigars and other smokers
requisites. It may carry a sewing machine or a type writer; or medicine bottles
and the like; or a bookslide; or ladies work; or writing materials; or music; or
artists materials; or photographs or other pictures; or playing cards or other
games; or tea and coffee sets; or many other articles. When the cabinet is not
supported or fixed against a wall I may load it on one side such as by a lead
weight Q to keep it from turning over.
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 a cabinet, desk or table with rising and falling guided platform the
application and use of one hinged lid or top which by links is connected with
the platform, that is by preference provided with cushioning devices offering a
gradually decreasing resistance, substantially as set forth.
2. The construction of cabinet with rising and falling platform described with
reference to Figs. 12, and 4.
3. The construction of cabinet with rising and falling platform described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
Dated this Third day of January 1900
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.