IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTENDING TABLES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Betjemann, of 449, New Oxford Street,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTENDING TABLES."-A communication.
Sealed the 13th November 1855, and dated the 3rd August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Betjemann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd August 1855.
I, HENRY JOHN BETJEMANN, of 449, New Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN EXTENDING TABLES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying to a telescope table, racks and pinions
and clicks or catches in the following manner:-To one of the end slides is
attached an axis, which is turned by a crank handle. On this axis are pinions,
and on the slides there are lever clicks or catches, which are made self-acting.
Two of the pinions on this axis are in gear with two racks attached to slides,
and when the handle is turned the pinions work in the racks and extend the
slides until stops on the slides which are being driven out come in contact with
stops on the second sliding part; then the pinions still working in the first racks
dive out the two end slides together, and when a short distance is passed over
in this manner the pinions take into the racks on the second slides; but before

page_text: this takes place, and directly the second slide begins to move, lever clicks or
catches fastened thereto are forced into notches in the first-mentioned slides by
inclines on the third slides, which are still stationary. Thus, although the pinions
have passed out of the racks on the first slides, they still travel onwards for a
time by reason of their being fixed to the second slides. In a similar manner,
at the end of the second slide the pinions take into the racks on the third
slides, and the second and third slides are connected together by the lever
clicks or catches; as. before, and so on. to the full length of the table.
When the handle is turned in the opposite direction the table is contracted,
by the pinions running over the racks in the opposite direction; and as each
of the slides come up they are disconnected from the preceding slides by
inclines (other than those before mentioned), which act on and withdraw the
lever clicks or catches. There is also connected to the axis on which the
pinions are placed, and at the end thereof a ratchet wheel, into the teeth of
which a paul drops.
The use of this is as follows:-When the slides are sufficiently expanded
and the flaps of the table have been laid thereon, then the paul is let down on
the teeth of the ratchet wheel by a lever suitably arranged, and the handle is
worked so as to draw the slides together and close up the table; then the paul
by falling into the teeth of the wheel holds the table firmly together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John Betjemann in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd February 1856..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN BETJEMANN, of 449, New Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex;
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third, day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 'the said
Henry John Betjemann, Her special licence that I, the said Henry John
Betjemann, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry John Betjemann, 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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EXTENDING TABLES," (a communication,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry John Betjemann, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
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 Henry John Betjemann, 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 applying to a telescopic table, racks and pinions
and clicks or catches in the following manner-To one of the end slides is
attached an axis, which is turned by a crank handle. On this axis are pinions,-
and on the slides there.are lever clicks or catches, which are made self-acting..
Two of the pinions on this axis are in gear with two racks attached to slides,*
and when the handle is turned the pinions work in the 'racks; and extend the
slides until stops on the slides which are being driven out come in contact'.
with stops on the second sliding parts; then the pinions still work in the first
racks, drive out the two end slides together, and when a short distance is.
passed over in this manner, the pinions take into the racks on the second
slides; but before this takes place, and directly the second slide begins to move,.
lever clicks or catches fastened thereto are forced into notches in the first-
mentioned slides by inclines on the third slides which are still stationary..
Thus, although the pinions have passed out of the racks on the first slides,
they still travel onwards for a time by reason of their being fixed to the second
slides. In a similar manner, at the end of the second slide the pinions take
into the racks on the third slides, and the second and third slides are connected.
together by the lever clicks or catches, as before, and so on, to the full length
of the table. When the handle is turned in the opposite direction the table
is contracted, by the pinions running over the racks in the opposite direction;
and as each of the slides come up they are disconnected from the preceding
slides by inclines (other than those before mentioned), which act on and with-
draw the lever clicks or catches.
There is also connected to the axis on which the pinions are placed, and at
he end thereof, a ratchet wheel, into the teeth of which a paul drops. The
se of this is as follows:-When the slides are sufficiently expanded and the -

page_text: Betjemanns Improvements in Latening.
flaps of the table have been laid thereon, then the paul is let down on the
teeth of the ratchet wheel by a lever suitably arranged, and the handle is
worked so as to draw the slides together and close up the table, then the paul
by falling into the teeth of the wheel holds the table firmly together.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section, of a telescopic
table (extended), constructed according to my Invention; Figure 3 shews a plan,
and Figure 4 a longitudinal section, of the same table when closed; the other
a is an axis, supported
Figures show some of the parts on a larger scale.
in bearings on the under side of the fixed or stationary end slides b, b. The
axis a receives motion by means of the crank handle a', which is made capable
of sliding along the axis a, and when not in use is supported by a spring catch
underneath the top of the table, and there are feathers a formed near the end
of the axis which enter into corresponding slots in the socket of the handle,
by which they are readily geared together. c, c, d, d, are pinions fixed on the
axis a, the teeth of which enter into. toothed racks fixed on the under side of
the series of slides c', c², d', d. Each pinion c, c, d, d, is of sufficient width
to take into and gear with two of the racks of the slides c', c, d, de, so that
when the slide c¹ has been extended by the pinion c (acting on its rack) so
far as to bring a fixed stop in its groove in contact with a fixed stop in the
groove of the next slide c², the stop in the slide c¹ will then act to draw out
the slide c, and bring its rack into gear with the pinion c, and in thus drawing
out the slide c² the projection c³ on the lever click or catch c' will be moved
out of the recess con the slide d', and the curved end of the lever catch c
will be forced into a notch or recess c formed in the slide c', and will thus
connect the two slides c¹, c², together; so that when the pinion takes into the
second rack c² it will continue to force out the slide c', by reason of its being
firmly secured to the slide by the lever catch c', and the same effect will
be produced on the successive slides as their racks come into gear with the
pinions d', these slides being furnished with corresponding stops and catches,
as described in reference to the slides c', c. The grooves and tongues or
stops in the slides I prefer to form as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, which
When the crank handle a¹ is turned in the
show parts of the slides full size.
opposite direction the table is contracted, by the toothed pinions acting on the
toothed racks in succession in the opposite direction; and as each of the slides
move back, they are disconnected from the preceding slides by the inclines c

page_text: on the lever catches c coming in contact with the end of the preceding slide,
so as to withdraw the curved end of the lever catch from the notch or recess c
as each successive slide is drawn in. e is a ratchet wheel, fixed on the end of
the axis a, into the teeth of which the paul e falls to prevent the parts being
separated outwards when the flaps are put in, and to hold the parts firmly
together. The paul is thrown out of gear with the ratchet teeth by the lever f
acting on the end of the paul to lift it out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel,
which will allow the parts to be moved in either direction.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
mechanical parts or instruments separately; and the details above described
and the forms of the parts may be varied without departing from the Inven-
tion, so long as the peculiar combination of the mechanical parts be retained.
What I claim is, the mode herein described of combining mechanical parts
with the slides of expanding tables.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Betjeman, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this First day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
HENRY J. BETJEMANN. (L.S.)