Improvements in Knobs or Feet for Looking Glasses, Overmantels, and other Artioles of Furniture.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1886
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knobs or Feet for Looking Glasses, Overmantels,
and other Artioles of Furniture.
ALFRED JOSEPH BILLING, Manufacturing Ironmonger, 169 High Holborn,
London, W.C. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto the knobs or feet for looking-glasses overmantels and other articles of
furniture have been made of wood or earthenware or porcelain and then japanned
usually black or white. Now my invention consists in making the knobs or feet
of any suitable metal and they may be either cast, struck up, stamped out or spun
to the desired shape or contour and afterwards japanned any suitable color.
By my invention the before mentioned knobs or feet can be produced at much
less cost and are not liable to crack or break like those made in wood, earthenware
or porcelain. The knobs are provided with a hole at the bottom for fixing or
attaching to the article by means of a screw or otherwise.
Improvements in Knobs or Feet for Looking Glasses, Overmantels,
and other Artioles of Furniture.
I, ALFRED JOSEPH BILLING of 169 High Holborn, London, 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:-
This invention relates to knobs or feet for looking glasses, overmantels and
other articles of furniture. Hitherto the said knobs or feet have been made of
wood, earthenware or porcelain, which were liable to crack or break and were also
more costly to produce than those manufactured according to this invention.
My present invention consists essentially in forming the said knobs or fect of any
suitable metal which is struck up, stamped out or spun to the desired shape and
afterwards painted, japauned or bronzed any suitable colour.
I will now more particularly describe my invention making reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a view in front elevation in section of one form of knob constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a view in front elevation thereof, and
Figure 3 is a view in plan thereof.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The knob A is made of sheet metal, preferably steel, struck up, stamped or
spun to the desired shape by means of suitable tools. The bottom a is provided
with a countersunk hole a' adapted to receive the head of tho screw or nail by
which the knob is secured or fixed to the article of furniture. I sometimes find
it convenient to make the knobs with lateral or longitudinal corrugations or flutings
and so obtain the same strength with thinner metal.

page_text: In some cases I may strike up or stamp the knobs from a painted, japanned or
enamelled sheet but I prefer to enamel or japan them after manufacture.
It will be understond that I do not limit myself to the exact shape or configura-
tion of the knob illustrated as many other shapes of knob may be produced withont
departing from the spirit of this invention.
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 :-
Knobs or feet for looking glasses and other articles of furniture constructed
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 14th day of October 1896.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.