Iм- PROVEMENTS IN * FOLDING DESKS' SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN SCHOOLS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stother and George Milton, both of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN * FOLDING DESKS' SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN SCHOOLS."
Sealed the 22nd November 1872, and dated the 4th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stother and
George Milton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 4th June 1872.
We, WILLIAM STOTHER and GEORGE MILTON, both of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING DESKS' SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN
SCHOOLS," to be as follows:-
6
Our Invention relates to such desks intended for use in schools as are
adapted to be changed in form so as to be capable of being employed at
times as desks suitable for writing upon and at other times as seats or
forms only.

page_text: In such desks made previously to our said Invention the part which
forms the sloping top of the desk has been fitted to fold or turn over, so
as to form an inclined back for the seat or "form" attached to the said
desk. When constructing desks in accordance with our Invention we so
hinge, joint, or mount the said part as that it may be turned over and
downwards so as to constitute a seat or form in addition to the ordinary
seat or form which is or may be attached to the desk, and at which
the pupils usually sit when writing at the said desk. We prefer to
form the complete desk with a form or seat attached to the standards
as is usual, and with a book shelf which is below the desk top when
the apparatus is used as a desk. When the said desk top is turned
over as aforesaid, the said book shelf may be used as a "back rest"
for one of the two seats. We may make the cross piece upon which
the desk top rests or may rest when used as a seat in the form of a
box to contain books or other articles. We may so arrange and mount
the said desk top as that it may be fixed either in a horizontal position
to act as a table or as a portion of a table, or in a sloping position to act
as a desk.
An important advantage possessed by our improved desk is that when
it is not required to be used as a desk or table it may be quickly made
to furnish sitting accomodation for double the number which can sit at
the desk in the ordinary manner.
The Drawings illustrate a simple form of the improved desk.
Fig. 1 represents the desk top a in the position as when the apparatus
is used as a desk. In Fig. 2 the said desk top has been turned over to 2
furnish an additional seat. The ordinary seat is shown at b, the book
shelf at C, and the book box at d.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Stother and George Milton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 4th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
STOTHER and GEORGE MILTON, both of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, 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 successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Stother and George Milton, Her special
license that we, the said William Stother and George Milton, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Stother and George Milton, our 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 FOLDING DESKS
SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN SCHOOLS," upon the condition, amongst others,
that we, the said William Stother and George Milton, by an instrument
in writing under our 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 we, the said William Stother and George
Milton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (and accompanying
Drawings), that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to such desks intended for use in schools as are
adapted to be changed in form so as to be capable of being employed
at times as a desk suitable for writing upon and at other times as a seat
or "form" only. In such desks made previously to our said Invention
the part which forms the sloping top of the desk has been fitted to fold
or turn over so as to constitute an inclined back for the seat or
"form
attached to the said desk.
"
When constructing desks in accordance with our Invention we so
hinge, joint, or mount the said part as that it may be turned over and
downwards so as to constitute a seat or "form" in addition to the
ordinary seat or "form" which is or may be attached to the desk, and

page_text: "
on which the pupils usually sit when writing at the said desk. We
úsually construct the complete desk with a "form" or seat attached
to the standards as is usual, and with a book shelf which is below the
desk top when the apparatus is used as a desk. When the said desk
top is turned over as aforesaid the said book shelf may be used as a
back rest for one of the two seats. We may make the cross piece upon
which the desk top rests or may rest when used as a seat in the form
of a box to contain books or other articles. We may so arrange and
mount the said desk top as that it may be fixed either in a horizontal
position to act as a table or as a portion of a table, or in a sloping
position to act as a desk.
An important advantage possessed by our improved desk is that
when it is not required to be used as a desk or table it may be quickly
made to furnish sitting accomodation for double the number which can
sit at the desk in the ordinary manner.
In order that our said Invention might be fully understood we have
attached hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of the methods by
which we carry our said Invention into practical effect made about
one-sixth of the full size, and marked with letters of reference, corre-
sponding marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side
view of one of the standards which support the desk, the said desk being
shewn in cross section, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said
standard showing also a portion of the said desk. Figs. 3 and 4 are
corresponding Figures, but having the desk top "turned over."
"
In the said Figs. a is the standard, formed in this example of cast
iron, b is the desk top, and c is the "form or seat. The said desk is
hinged by means of metal brackets, one of which is shewn at d, to the
upper end of each standard, their being two or more standards to support
each desk as may be required. The said brackets are screwed or bolted
to the wooden desk top 6, and in the example illustrated the end of each
bracket enters a slot formed in the upper part of one of the standards
and is secured therein by means of a joint pin or hinge pin e. The
supporting standards are connected together by the wooden seat c and
the wooden book shelff which are screwed or bolted to suitable flanches
cast on the said standards. The brackets d rest or may rest against
suitable fixed stops which prevent the desk top from moving towards

page_text: b
9
the seat c beyond the sloping position represented in Fig. 1. When in
this position the arrangement may be used as an ordinary school desk.
The desk top 6 may be readily moved in a direction from the seat c into
the position represented in Fig. 3, the said desk top swivelling on the
pins e, and turning over so that its under surface becomes uppermost.
When in this position the said desk top rests firmly upon the standards
or upon the book box g, and may be used as a
"form or seat, the
raised ledge of the book shelf ƒ forming a back rest. The book box
is represented only in Fig. 3, as it may be used or not as preferred, and
does not form any necessary part of our Invention. When applied as
represented the said book box may be made to assist in the connecting
together of the standards. Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate a modification wherein
the said desk top may be fixed in a position intermediate between
the two shewn in Figs. 1 and 3. The bracket d is formed with a slot
h, and with a notch shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and a latch i
mounted on a fixed stud k, and capable of swivelling thereon, may be
caused to enter or engage with either the said slot or the said notch.
When the said latch is caused to engage with the slot h the desk top
becomes fixed in a horizontal position, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6,
and when in this position the desk may be used as a table, or if required
two desks may be put together so as to increase the width of the table.
When the said latch is caused to engage with the said notch the desk
top is retained in the position represented in Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 8 being
a plan view. The said desk top is then suitable to act as a back rest for
the " "form" or seat of the next adjacent desk, or for a separate or
detached "form" or seat.
We prefer that each standard may be
provided with one of the said latches. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a
modified form of the desk suitable to be used in a gallery. In this
example the parts are so proportioned as that the "form" or seat
produced by turning over the desk top is not so high from the floor as
the "form or seat c. If required for any purpose the "form" or seat
produced as aforesaid may be higher than the "form
"
or seat c.
Having now fully described and indicated the nature of our said
Invention, and our methods of carrying the same into practical effect
we would in conclusion have it to be understood that we claim,—
First. So constructing desks as that the desk top may be turned down
and over to constitute an additional form or seat.

page_text: And lastly the form, construction, and arrangements of the desks sub-
stantially as herein-before described and indicated.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Stother and George
Milton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day
of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight i
hundred and seventy-two.