IMPROVEMENTS IN WRITING DESKS KNOWN AS SECRETAIRES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Cowic, of Little Queen Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRITING
DESKS KNOWN AS SECRETAIRES.”.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cowie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1872.
I, JAMES COWIE, of Little Queen Street, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WRITING DESKS KNOWN AS SECRETAIRES," to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of escritoires
or secretaires. Writing desks of this description usually consist of a
sliding drawer in a bookcase or other article of furniture, and filled with
interior drawers and compartments for the reception of papers and
valuables. The object of my Invention is to utilize the space heretofore
wasted to increase the size of the interior drawers and compartments.
For this purpose the latter are not fixed in the sliding drawer or writing
desk as usual, but are fitted in a frame hung from the top of the carcase

page_text: of the piece of furniture in which the escritoire is fitted. The drawer
merely consists of a writing desk or table with a fall-down flap as usual,
and is fitted to slide in the case independent of the internal fittings.
The latter consists of a set of drawers, pigeon holes, or compartments
which extend the whole depth of the secretaire instead of being only
half the depth as hitherto. These fittings may comprise besides drawers
and compartments a writing desk fitted to slide as a drawer, behind
which I dispose a set of secret drawers or compartments for the reception
of valuables. These are fitted to slide with the writing case which is
hinged thereto. The writing case is open at front so as not to have the
appearance of a drawer, and access is had to the secret drawers by
releasing a concealed spring which allows the writing case to bc com-
pletely drawn out and turned up or down on its hinges, which discloses
the secret drawer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Cowie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
Cow, of Little Queen Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen. Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said James Cowie, Her special
licence that I, the said James Cowie, my executors, administrators,.
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Cowic, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WRITING DESKS KNOWN AS SECRETAIRES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Cowie, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands.

page_text: and seals, 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 James Cowie, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of escritoires
or secretaires. Writing desks of this description usually consist of a
sliding drawer in a bookcase or other article of furniture, fitted with
interior drawers and compartments for the reception of papers and
valuables. The object of my Invention is to utilize the space heretofore
wasted, and thus to increase the size of the interior drawers and com-
partments. For this purpose the latter are not fixed in the sliding
drawer as usual, but are fitted in a frame hung from the top of the
carcase of the piece of furniture in which the escritoiro is fitted. The
drawer merely consists of a writing desk or table, with a fall-down flap
as usual, and is fitted to slide in the case independant of the internal
fittings. The latter consist of a set of drawers, pigeon holes, or com-
partments which extend the whole depth of the secretaire instead of
being only half the depth as hitherto. These fittings may comprise
besides drawers and compartments a writing case fitted to slide as a
drawer, behind which I dispose a set of secret drawers or compartments
for the reception of valuables. These are fitted to slide with the writing
case which is hinged thereto. The writing case is open at front so as
not to have the appearance of a drawer, and access is had to the secret
drawers by releasing a concealed spring, which allows the writing case
to be completely drawn out and turned up or down on its hinges to
disclose the scount dusua

page_text: Figure 2 is a transverse section of the escritoire taken on line 1, 1,
Figure 1, showing the nest of pigeon holes, drawers, or compartments as
extending the whole depth from front to back of the escritoire.
Figure 3 is a section on line 2, 2, Figure 1, showing the details of the
drawers or compartments, writing case, and secret drawers, the writing
case being drawn out and turned up to disclose the latter.
Figure 4 shows the improvements as applied to a secretaire fitted in
an officer's chest of drawers.
A. is the carcase of the secretaire, which may form part of a bookcase,
a chest of drawers, writing table, officer's chest, or other piece of furni- ]
turc. B is the secretary drawer or writing desk proper. It consists
merely of a sliding table B and two sides B¹, with fall-down front Bª
hinged to B as usual, and forming part of the writing desk. It is fitted
to slide in a suitable frame a, forming part of the carcase A. The inner
case O containing the nest of drawers or compartments is screwed to the
under side of the top of the carcase A, and hangs within the secretary
drawer, which it completely fills when closed, sufficient space being left
however for the drawer to slide freely.
In Figure 2 the writing table B is shown drawn out and also pushed
back, in red lines. The drawers or compartments in the inner case Ca
may be variously arranged, but when it is desired to provide it with
secret drawers or compartments I fit a writing or other case c to slide in
case C. This case extends only part of the depth of case C, and serves
to conceal another sliding case & containing a set of drawers or pigeon
holes. For this purpose the writing casc c is accurately fitted in the
case C, and is made flush with the front thereof so as to appear a fixture
therein. Cases c and d are hinged together, so that by drawing out c
and turning it up or down the secret drawers or compartments are
accessible, as shown in Figure 3. For convenience I apply a spring e at
the back of a to force the same out as soon as a concealed bolt or latch 3
is released. This bolt may be disposed as shown in Figures 1 and 3, in
which is the bolt or latch attached to a spring g, and taking into a
catch in case c. This latch is released by pressing a small stud g' on the
spring 9, projecting downwards into one of the drawers and accessible to
the fingers, although quite concealed from view. For further security a
an additional bolt may be so fitted as to be concealed behind one of
the drawers below the writing case c (and only accessible by pulling

page_text: out said drawer), so that case c cannot be drawn out until both bolts are
withdrawn.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1stly. Fitting the secretary drawer B or writing table to slide indepen-
dently of the case C, of pigeon holes or drawers, which is fixed to the
carcase or frame A, and extends from front to back, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
2ndly. The case d of secret drawers or compartments concealed behind
the writing case c, and hinged thereto and fitted to slide, substantially
as shown and described.
3rdly. The arrangement of secret bolt f and spring 9 operated by a
stud or thumb bolt g³, substantially as shown and described.
•
In witness whercof, I, the said James Cowie, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.