An Elevating Table or Hoist, Applicable also as a Builder's or Decorator's Scaffolding or the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889°
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Elevating Table or Hoist, Applicable also as a Builder's or
Decorator's Scaffolding or the like.
We, FERDINAND DICK BUTLER of 133 Great Titchfield Street in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and CHARLES EDWARD LYON of 38 Ovington Square Chelsea, in
the County of Middlesex Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to.
be as follows:-
It consists in placing sets of expanding and contracting trellis in such opposition,
that, when checked and supported, they shall acquire sufficient stability and rigidity
to maintain a perpendicular position and raise and hold aloft a table or other
object.
To effect this let there be, say, four sets of pivoting trellis of equal dimensions and
attach one end of each to a base in the form of a parallelogram; the other ends
attach similarly to another and equal parallelogram, which for this purpose, call the
Table. Place bars across and connect them with any of the opposing central
pivoting points in the trellis. Let rods or bars engage in a rack, placed either on
the base or under the table, and lead to any four central pivoting points preferably
those nearest and check these against stops.
It will be found that when the table is elevated by levers acting on the trellis, or
otherwise, and the check bars are placed against the stops, a sufficiently rigid and
stable altitude of the trellis expanded, will ensue.
Similarly in any other equilateral figure; as a triangle.
This system may be applied in various ways; as a Traveller's Table and Writing
Desk; as a Work, Dressing, Card or other Table, contained, say, in an outer case,
and having space between the trellis frame for the necessary implements.
Or, for a Fire Escape, a Scaffolding, and in numerous other ways.
3000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Elevating Table or Hoist, Applicable also as a Builder's or
Decorator's Scaffolding or the like.
We FERDINAND DICK BUTLER of 133 Great Titchfield Street in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer and CHARLES EDWARD LYON of 38 Ovington Square, Chelsea,
aiso in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman 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 an elevating table or hoist applicable also as a builder's or
decorator's scaffolding, as a portable fire escape, military field observatory, travelling
trunk, portable show case, and for various other similar purposes.
The invention consists in arranging any number of sets of articulated levers,
constructed on the "lazy tongs" principle, arranged in the case of three sets, in the
form of a triangle, or in the case of four sets, in the form of a quadrangle in such a
manner that they can be made to expand or contract vertically and thus raise or
lower a table top, show tray, stand or similar article which is attached to corre-
sponding parts of each set of articulated lovers. To ensure rigidity in the structure,
each set of levers is connected to the top and bottom platforms at corresponding
points in the set of levers. i.e. either at the central pivots, or at the end pivots,
according to construction- All the sets may fold into a base tray or case made

page_text: sufficiently deep to take the whole of the show trays or other articles and thus when
closed down, they will form a box which can be easily transported from place to place,
but the rigidity of the structure is unaffected by the addition of an outer case.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice we will now proceed-to-describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters-indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1is a perspective view of an elevating table constructed according to this
invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing, another form of our invention,
provided with a series of trays suitable for the display of goods and for similar purposes.
Figure 3 shews the articulated lovers folded down in the base tray or box, the front
of which is removed. Figure 4 is a plan of the inside of the base tray or box.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a modification of our invention adapted for large and
heavy articles such as a scaffold or the platform for a fire escape at a military field
observatory and shows the articulated levers folded down. Figure 6, shows a
perspective view of the same when extended. Figure 7 is a plan of Figure 5,
Figure 8 shows a modified form of attaching the articulated levers to the base and
platform and Figures 9 and 10 are respectively perspective view and plan, of a
modification of the invention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4 we construct an outer base tray or box A with any
number of sides. To each side or to the bottom of and inside this base tray or box A
we attach one of the legs B of a set of articulated levers C, the other leg D being
moveable. The levers are all of equal length and are pivoted to each other in their
exact centres, and they are so disposed that all the levers which are parallel to each
other are in one vertical plane as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The moveable leg D
may be allowed to work freely on the base or it may be provided with a pin to ride
within a slot in the side of the base tray or box or the leg D may be attached to the
extremity of a rack E actuated from the outside of the base tray or case A as
shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. Each rack gears into a horizontal toothed
wheel Floose on a spindle G affixed to the bottom of the case A. Now
it is obvious that if one of the racks is reciprocated it will rotate the toothed
wheel F and reciprocate the remaining racks which are all similarly toothed
and adjusted to, their respective. sides of the case A. This reciprocation may.
be effected in any well known manner and a convenient means is shewn in
Figure 4. Each rack E works in suitable guides attached to the sides or bottom of
the case A or each rack is provided with rabbets or fillets working in grooves in the
side or bottom or in grooves both in the sides and in the bottom of the case A as
found convenient. On the rack to be actuated we rigidly affix a nut or collar H
internally screw threaded into which takes a rod.J. with an endless screw formed
thereon. This rod J is journalled in fixed-bearings attached to the side or bottom of
the case A and one end of the screw rod J passes through the side,of,,the case, and
.terminates in a square boss which may be actuated by a key, or the,screw rod.may be
rotated by other equivalent means. By rotating the screw rod, the, nut.or collar. H
and the rack affixed thereto will travel to and fro along, the rod, and will rotate the
toothed wheel E which in its turn will actuate the other racks, and will cause.each.set
of articulated levers C to be raised or lowered in an equal degree by the equal closing
up or the extending of the moveable leg D of each set of articulated levers C. By
this arrangement we ensure that the top or table K, which is affixed, to corresponding
parts L of each set of articulated levers will always remain in its proper position
as it is raised or lowered. Similarly with any of the intermediate trays K, which
are fixed to corresponding parts L of each set of levers C.
To fix the apparatus in position when extended or partially extended we adopt the
following means for light articles such as the table shewn in Figure 1.
On the bottom of the case A we fix a plate M carrying a spring, catch' N with a
curved or arched back and a projection or shoulder O at one end thereof., As, the
toothed wheel F rotates so as to elevate the table, the arms P pass over the catch N
and their return is prevented by the shoulder O. When it is required to lower the

page_text: table, the catch N is depressed by the hand or otherwise so that the arms I may pas
thereover. As a modification of this part of the invention a spring catch, not shewn
in the drawings, may be fixed upon the under side of the bottom of the tray or
table K, which spring catch engages with the radial arms of a metal piece pivoted to
the centre of the underside of the bottom of the tray or table K. The extremities.of
the radial arms can thus be made to abut against and behind the upper moveable ends
of the articulated levers, and thus prevent their return. For heavier, articles some
other well known and more substantial fastening may be adopted. QQ are flaps or
trays hinged to the top of the table and R, R is a strap or band attached to the
bottom of the case A by means of which the case A can be secured when the
apparatus is folded down."
In figures 5 to 7, the articulated levers are disposed in pyramidical form. To effect
this, the lower end of each lever is pivoted on the inside of the upper end of the lever
immediately beneath, so that the levers lie in different vertical planes and tending
towards the centre of the structure. This modification of the invention is raised and
lowered by the following means:-
The upper platform K is provided with a screw collar S within which works the
screw T actuated from the top of the platform K by the wheel U. The bottom of the
screw Tworks in a bush on the upper side of the under platform K which is
supported on friction rollers V, riding loosely on the inside of the spindles of the top
central pivots W. The apparatus is elevated or depressed by separating or closing up
the collar S and the pivot W by means of the screw T and is fixed in any desired
position by locking the wheel U. If desired, the under platform K' may be placed
beneath the friction rollers V. on the bottom central pivots W, and the screw collar S
affixed to the bottom platform K2 in which case the structure is elevated or depressed
from the bottom and the wheel U may be actuated by a winch, or by steam or horse
power as required. Each central pivot W moves in a line which is the resultant of
the vertical and horizontal motions. As the apparatus is raised, the central pivots W
are raised, and also move toward the fixed leg.B.and the points L immediately above
it, which said points L move vertically only. Suitable ties X are used to brace the
structure when erected: These ties are placed-diagonally when the structure is
pivoted at the ends, as shewn in Figures 5 to 7 but they will be connected to
opposite central pivots when the structure is pivoted at its central pivots W.
In figure 8 we have illustrated a set of articulated levers C in which the bottom
central pivot W is the fixed point and hence all the central pivots W will move
vertically only, the end pivots L moving towards the centre as they rise, and from it
as they fall. On to the lowermost end pivots L, we loosely pivot legs X¹ which serve
to support the structure when elevated by ratchets or teeth Y taking on to a pin Z
fixed to the side of the base tray or case A. Each leg X' is provided with a longitudinal
slot which slides over the pin Z and allows the leg to lie close down in the case A,
when the apparatus is closed. In this form of the invention, the opening and closing
of the articulated levers C will be effected by separating and closing together the
central pivots W, which means of opening and closing will be found more easy than
the means described and shewn with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In Figures 9
and 10, we have shewn a modified form of our invention applicable as a table or show
tray &c. In this modification two sets of levers are used, each set consisting of two
levers C and C pivoted to each other at their exact centres W. Each lever is fixed
at one end B and moveable at the other D, the moveable ends D being, if desired,
provided with pins riding in slots in the sides of the base tray or case A. Each
pair of levers is affixed to opposite sides, either of the base itself, or of the base
tray or case A, and similarly affixed to the upper tray or table top K. To the
bottom of the base tray or box A and at each end thereof, we hinge a right angled
triangular strut or support X3, the right angle being placed at B against the side
opposite to that on which are the lower legs B and D of the pair of levers C and C¹.
This table or tray may be elevated by hand or other means, and when elevated each
strut X is pulled up so that the apex of the triangle supports the corner B³ which is
unsupported by the levers, the hypotenuse of the triangle forming a diagonal of the

page_text: end of the case, We thus ensure rigidity in the structure. When folded down
the two triangular struts Xlic close against each other, as shewn in Figure 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is: -
(1) The construction of an elevating apparatus consisting of any number of sets
of articulated levers carrying trays K affixed to corresponding parts L of each set of
levers, one leg of each set being attached to the base or sites of a base tray or case,
which said base tray serves as a container for all the sets of levers when the apparatus
is folded down, the levers being actuated by the racks E and wheel F', or their
equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and
illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.
(2) The construction of an elevating apparatus, consisting of sets of articulated
levers disposed in pyramidical form actuated by separating any two of the central
pivots Weither from the top or from the bottom or other part of the apparatus,
substantially as, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in
Figures 5 to 7.
(3) The modified form of attaching the trays to the articulated levers substantially
as described and shewn in Figure 8.
(4) The modified form of our invention described and shewn with reference to
Figures 9 and 10.
(5) Our improved elevating apparatus combined and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Datadh 19th Jul 1000
CASTLE SMITH,
"E
Invention" Office,
54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.