Year: 1853

page_text: without harm to the design. The annexed Drawings will shew how a
vase is adapted to one of my purposes, namely, a writing desk. For
this purpose the three sides a, b, c, Fig. 1, are made in one portion &
united to the other by a hinge at d, & at top by suitable hooks,
catches, or by a lock. In Fig. 2, which is an angular elevation, &
Fig. 3, a plan, this portion is let down, & its upper part 6 now rests
on the table. On this the desk is form"; it is made in two parts
e & f, which are united by hinges in order to fold over, as shewn by
dotted lines, & so allow the whole to be shut up. The near part of f
also rests on the table, by which the desk is very steady. The inside
of the vase is now open to view, & is fitted with partitions or cases to
hold the requisites ready to hand. In the case g, note paper h is
placed, & behind it envelopes i stand up, & at the back are partitions
for pens, pencils, &c. c. The drawer j, & the space under the desk
affords room for other conveniences, the desk being fitted to slide off
as a lid, & under the small lid k, at top of the desk, the ink bottle
may be placed in the usual safe & handy position. The cover l, of
the vase rises on a stop hinge, its cavity is also rendered available.
Secondly, I in like manner open a vase into a drawing desk, & store
it with colours, brushes, pencils, saucers, &c. c, c, the vase serving for
any original to recline against whilst being copied.
The ornamental character of a vase admitting of these conveniences
to be so near at hand in the best furnished rooms may often
encourage the use of spare time in drawing or writing which otherwise
might be lost.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Macomie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALEXANDER MACOMIE, of No. 6, Percy Street, Rathbone Place,
Borough of Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
.Letters Patent, bearing date the 28th day of November, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Macomie, Her special licence that I,
the said Alexander Macomie, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alexander Macomie, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "AN ORNAMENTAL PIECE
OF FURNITURE, SHAPED LIKE A VASE, CONSTRUCTED TO CONTAIN OR FORM A
WRITING AND DRAWING DESK," upon the condition. (amongst others) that
I, the said Alexander Macomie, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Macomie, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
I either select or design a vase whose proportions & kind of decora
tions will agree with the purpose to which I intend it; I then arrange
the ornaments so that any required portion can be. made to separate
without harm to the design.
The annexed Drawings will shew how different kinds of vases may
be adapted to serve my purposes, namely, that of writing or of drawing
& writing desks.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of an octagonal vase, shut close up &
locked; a, is the keyhole.
Fig. 2, a side section, open'd & ready for use.
Fig. 3, a perspective view, quite open.
In these examples three of the sides b, c, &.d, are made into one

page_text: piece or segment, & are. hinged to the remainder of the vase at e, e.
This portion forms a convenient box d, under the desk, as in Fig. 2; over
this the first portion of the desk f slides in as a box lid (the grooves are
made in the sides of the desk in preference to making them in the box),
& is retain'd there by a button g; the second or front portion of the
desk h, is: made to fold over the first, as shewn by dotted lines, for the
purpose of packing in the vase, but here it is open'd out, its front; resting
on the table. The desk is well supported, in three, places, first by the
hinge e, e, secondly at c; & lastly at i; i, in front. The two portions of
the desk f, h, are united by a leather surface & by flush hinges, like a
card table; a second space above the desk is cover'd by a lid, in Fig. 2,
but in Fig. 3, a swing box is placed therë, to keep the ink vessel.per-
pendicular, whether the desk is open or shut; á ledge t; can be slid up
when needed,. to retain a drawing whilst it leans: against the vase.
1 & m are drawers; the space above themi sis-divided into four to hold
writing paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, brushes, &c., all ready to hand;
two of the partitions n, n, may be made capable of sliding out for acci-
dental convenience. The lid o, o, opens till perpendicular on a stop
hinge; it has a recess p, p, to hold colour boxes 7, 7;ione. of these is
shewn open in Fig. 4. ...
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Figs. 5, 6, 7, & 8, are views of another vase adapted for a drawing &
writing desk. Fig. 5, shews the vase.closed; in Fig 6 & 7 it is open.
A segment of the vase c; c, is fitted as a door, & the desk f, h, (which,
when shut, stands up & fills the whole front of the: opening,) is lét down,
it being hinged at e, e, & is at once a:desk: having the cabinet in front,
containing all the requisites for drawing & writing ready to hand, it
being divided into.any. suitable number of drawers or spaces.;a door r,
opens to the lower cavity of the vase, the foot may also contain a drawer,
as at s, Fig. 7. The cavity in the door c, c, will hold cases for pens,
pencils, brushes, &c.. c. Two holes are made in the desk at u, u, Fig. 8,
to hold a moveable ledge v, Fig. 9. Fig 8, is a plan or bird's eye
view.
I construct these cabinet vases of any suitable niaterials, either singly
or combined, as may best serve for strength, ornament, & use, such as

page_text: the various kinds of wood, different kinds of metal, either cast, wrought,
or stamped int form, paper machie, proteine, gutta percha, embossed
leather, &c.
I do not claim any of the materials, but I claim the adaptation of the
forms of vases to the construction of writing & drawing desks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Macomie, have here-
unto set my hand & seal, this 23d day of May, in the year of
our Lord 1854.
ALEXANDER MACOMIE. (L.S.)