IMPROVE- MENTS IN PORTFOLIOS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Octavius Wray, of Clement's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Barrister-at-Law, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PORTFOLIOS."
Sealed the 10th January 1865, and dated the 12th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Octavius Wray
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th July 1864.
I, GEORGE OCTAVIUS WRAY, of Clement's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN PORTFOLIOS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing portfolios in such manner that a
portfolio may be readily used as a desk or easel, which may be attached to the
top of a vertical object, such as the back of a chair or a screen, or may be
placed on a level surface, such as that of a table. For these purposes two
hooks or bent rods are attached to one of the boards or covers of the portfolio,
the stems of the hooks or bent rods being parallel to one another, and at
right angles to the back or line of junction or hinge of the boards or covers.
The attachment of the stems of the hooks or bent rods to the board or cover
is by staples or metal sockets, in which the stems of the hooks or bent rods
can revolve. The other ends of the stems of the hooks or bent rods are bent
or formed (with or without a stop hinge or joint) into feet projecting on both

page_text: sides of the stem, and lying in the same plane as the hooks, and those parts
of the feet which lie on the same side of the stems as the hooks are so
arranged as to enter sockets or shoes fixed to the other board or cover of the
portfolio for the purpose herein-after mentioned, or these sockets and shoes
may be omitted, and the feet may be made to project only on the side of the
stem opposite to and in the same plane as the hooks. The hooks or bent rods
when not in use will lie flat between the boards or covers of the closed port-
folio, and when the portfolio is required as a desk or easel the stems are to be
turned until the hooks stand out from the board or cover to which they are
attached; the same movement causes the feet to project within the back or
flexible hinge of the portfolio, and thus to form with it a projecting ledge to
the desk or easel at an angle suitable for supporting a book, a piece of music,
a picture, or other object. For attachment to the top of a vertical object the
hooks are adjusted over it, and the board or cover to which they are fixed
forms the sloping desk or easel, and the other board or cover resting against
the object acts as a prop or stay of the desk or easel, and is kept in a suitable
position by means of a band or string or metal rod connecting the two boards
or covers, or (if the feet project on both sides of the stems) by the insertion
of the feet which are on the same side of the stems as the hooks in the sockets
or shoes above mentioned. For use on a level surface (as that of a table)
the portfolio is to be closed so far as the hooks will permit, and placed on the
table with the hooks pointing downwards, so that the board or cover to which
they are attached forms the sloping desk or easel. A variation of the form of
the attachment is to divide the stem or rod, so that the hook end and the foot
end will work independently of each other, and instead of the hook end may
be substituted a metal limb attached by a hinge to the board or cover, so that
it will lie flat thereto or will project therefrom, and being kept at a suitable
angle therewith by a string or other stay can be used either for attaching the
portfolio to a vertical object hookwise, or to support it at a proper angle to
form a sloping desk or easel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Octavius Wray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
OCTAVIUS WRAY, late of Clement's Inn, and now of No. 5, New Square,
Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Barrister-at-Law, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Octavius Wray, Her special licence that I, the said George
Octavius Wray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Octavius Wray, my executors, administrators, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PORTFOLIOS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Octavius Wray, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 George Octavius Wray, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in constructing portfolios in such manner that a
portfolio may be readily used as a desk or easel, which may be attached to the
top of a vertical object (such as the back of a chair or a screen), or may be
placed on a level surface (such as that of a table).
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shew different
views of a portfolio so constructed.
Figure 1 is a side view of the portfolio as it appears when being used as a
desk or easel, and when resting on a horizontal surface, such as a table;
Figure 2 is a back view of the same; Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the
boards or covers of the portfolio; Figure 4 is an end view of the portfolio
when closed; and Figure 5 is a side view of the portfolio as it appears when
supported on the back of a chair.
In these Figures a, a, are the two boards or covers of the portfolio con-
nected together by a leather hinge or joint 6; to the interior surface of one of
the boards a are attached two rods c, as is shown at Figure 3; these rods are
parallel with each other and at right angles to the hinge 6, and they are con-
nected to the board by metal sockets d in which they can revolve; one end of

page_text: each rod is bent round into a hook c', and the other is bent into a foot c²,
which lies in the same plane as the hook. The hooks or bent rods c lie flat
between the boards or covers of the portfolio when the portfolio is closed,
and when the portfolio is to be used as a desk or easel the stems c are turned
in their sockets until the hooks c¹ stand out at right angles from the board to
which they are attached; the same movement causes the feet c² to turn up
within the flexible hinge of the portfolio, and thus to form with it a projecting
ledge to the desk or easel at an angle suitable for supporting a book, a piece
of music, a picture, or other object. For use on a level surface (as that of a
table) the portfolio is to be closed so far as the hooks when so turned up will
permit, and is placed on the table with the hooks pointing downwards, as is
shown at Figure 1, so that the board or cover to which they are attached
forms the sloping desk or easel. For attachment. to the top of a vertical
object (such as a chair) the hooks are adjusted over it, as is shown at
Figure 5, and the board or cover to which they are attached forms the sloping
desk or easel, the lower edge of the other board rests against the object, and
acts as a prop or stay of the desk or easel; this board is retained in a proper
position by a band or string e, which is attached to its lower edge, and which
when the board is to be retained in the position shown at Figure 5 is hooked
into a small notch e¹ in the top of the opposite board. In place of the ends
of the stem being bent into a foot c2 on one side only of the rod, as is shown
in the above-described Figures, the rods may be formed with feet projecting
from both sides, which may either be formed in one piece with the rods, or
may be connected to them by a piu joint, as in the portfolio shown at Figures
6, 7, and 8, Figure 6 being a back view of the board to which the rods c are
attached, Figure 7 a side view of the portfolio when open and applied to the
back of a chair, and Figure 8 a side view of the portfolio when opened as a
desk and resting on a table. Those parts of the feet which are on the same
side of the stem as the hooks c are arranged to enter into sockets or shoes g
fixed to the other board or cover of the portfolio; this is for the purpose of
retaining the board in the desired position when the portfolio is supported on the
back of a chair or like article, and then replaces the tape or string demployed
in the portfolio first described. Figures 9, 10, and 11 shew views of a portfolio
in which in place of the hooks c is substituted a metal limb h; in this port-
folio also the limb in place of being attached by hinges to one of the boards
or covers is attached to an intermediate board I, which is hinged at ¹ to one
of the covers; this intermediate board might, however, be dispensed with, the
bent rod or limb would then be hinged to one of the outer boards; the limb
is hinged to the intermediate board in such manner that it may lie flat thereto

page_text: or be turned out at an angle therefrom, the angle being limited by a cord k,
which is connected to the board at the points k', k', and which also passes
through the rings or eyes h¹ on the outer ends of the arms of the rod or limb.
When the portfolio is to be used as an easel or desk upon a flat surface, such
as a table, the arms of the limb h are turned outwards at an angle to the
board until they are stopped by the cord, as is shewn in the side view at
Figure 9, and then form a support for the outer board or cover that forms the
desk or easel. Figure 10 shews the portfolio supported on the back of a
chair, the lower board or cover being retained at the desired angle to the
board (upon which the outer board or cover which forms the easel rests) by
the cord m. When the portfolio is closed the music or drawings to be con-
tained in it are placed between the intermediate board and the outer cover,
which forms the surface of the desk or easel. In this arrangement of port-
folio the ledge for supporting the music or other object is shewn to be formed
by the hinge joint that connects the covers of the portfolio, the flexible
leather hinge having for this purpose connected to it three or more cylindrical
springs, which retain the flexible leather in a cylindrical shape, as is shown,
or in place of these springs short arms may be attached to one of the covers,
the arms being made capable of turning outwards, so as to protrude within
the flexible hinge of the portfolio. In place of the angle which the arms of
or
the limb h may make with the board / being limited by the cord k, the part of
the limb that is hinged to the board may for this purpose have a projection h³
upon it, as is shewn at Figure 12, which when the arms are turned out to the
required angle shall come against the board and prevent the arms from further
moving. Or in place of the limbs h, a stiff board or flap may be hinged to
one of the covers of the portfolio in such manner that the board may either
lie flat upon the cover or be turned out at an angle to it, and the angle which
it is allowed to make with the cover may be limited by bands or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Octavius Wray, have bereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
G. O. WRAY. (L.S.)