Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 20th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 4th Feb., 1887.
"
We CHARLES JAMES JONES, of 19 Spital Square, and FREDERICK NEWTON
HASELDINE, of Queen Anne's Mansions, St. James's Park, both in the County of
Middlesex, Clerks, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows: —
The object of this Invention is to provide a convenient portable folding bookcase,
simple in construction, ornamental, suited to the requirements of an average person,
and capable of being produced at a moderate price. The term "portable" refers to the
size, shape, and means of handling, which are used, to minimise the effect of the weight
which books, being heavy, must necessarily give to any receptacle containing them.
In carrying out this Invention we construct of wood or metal, or both, or of any
other suitable materials two receptacles for holding books, similar in size and shape,
and each consisting of top, bottom, sides, and back piece, like the plain framework of
an ordinary bookcase, the front sides being open or fitted with doors, (preferably
glass" doors) provided with locks or fastenings, and made to fit inside the framework
flush with the front edges thereof. These two receptacles are then placed side by side
and hinged together at the front edges of the adjacent sides (which may be the shorter
or longer sides) so as to form one continuous bookcase when open with two hinged
partitions in the centre. By means of these hinges the two receptacles may be shut
up together and secured by any suitable lock or fastening. The box thus formed when
in the position for being carried will usually rest on the two hinged siles, handles being
fixed on the opposite sides. To prevent the weight resting on the hinges which slightly
project, small knobs or projections may be inserted in each of the hinged sides to fit
into recesses in the other hinged side. The handles, to prevent side strain, are
preferably slanted to touch each other when the box is closed, but the said handles
may, if necessary be made to fold back and fit into recesses in the sides of the bookcase.
The interior of the receptacles may be provided with any additional partition or
partitions, moveable or fixed, and shelves may be inserted therein in any desired way,
and fixed as hereinafter described. When open, one receptacle, that is one half of the
bookcase, may rest upon the other, or the two halves may stand side by side, the shelves
being arranged accordingly. To prevent the shelves from shifting during carriage

page_text: (as they would be liable to do if merely resting on supports) we prefer to fix them as
follows: We make two or more projections at one end of each shelf, and series of
recesses in the side of the receptacle to receive the projections at the required height,
and at the other end of each shelf we insert two or more bolts, preferably underneath
and flush with the under surface of the shelf, to bolt into series of recesses on that side.
These bolts are arranged at the end of the shelf which is usually lowest during carriage,
to avoid any tendency to their slipping back when working loosely.
When "glass" doors are used we may provide suitable means to prevent the books
from coming into contact with the glass, such as an ornamental wire screen. The handles
or additional handles may also be fixed elsewhere, any projections may be used for
ornamentation, provided that they do not interfere with the proper working of the
bookcase.
"
These bookcases can easily be fixed in angles of rooms, the hinging together
preventing them from falling forward. The parts most exposed to "knocking about
during carriage, are also the parts least exposed to view when the bookcase is open.
When an outer casing of soft material is used for additional protection we make it
similar in shape to the bookcase, except that one side should overlap the other.

page_text: We, CHARLES JAMES JONES, of 19 Spital Square, and FREDERICK NEWTON
HASELDINE, of Queen Anne's Mansions, St. James's Park, both in the County of
Middlesex, Clerks, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this Invention is to provide a folding bookcase suited to the
requirements of an average person, which shall be simple in construction, ornamental,
and capable of being produced at a moderate price, and which shall be of such a size
and form as will enable the bookcase to be carried about without the necessity of
shifting or removing the books, will allow the books to be easily withdrawn at all times,
and will tend to minimize the effect which the weight of books must necessarily give
to any receptacle containing them.
The method of carrying out this Invention will be more clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying drawings. Two receptacles, marked A and B in
Figure 1 are constructed of wood, metal, or both, or of any other suitable material and
of similar size, each consisting of top, bottom, sides (A' A² and B1 B2 respectively),
and back-piece, like the plain framework of an ordinary bookcase, the front sides of the
receptacles being open or provided with glass or other doors or wirework or both fitting
inside the framework flush with the front edges thereof, and provided with locks or
fastenings. These two receptacles which are to hold the books are placed side by side
as shewn in Figure 1, or one may be placed upon the other, and, at the front edges of
the adjacent sides, marked A¹ B¹ in Figure 1 are hinged together so as to form a
continuous bookcase when open, and so that receptacle A can be closed like a door
upon receptacle B or vice versa and the sides A B² be locked or otherwise fastened
together. The box thus formed, when shut and in the position for being carried, will
usually rest on the hinged sides or pieces A¹ B¹, but to prevent any weight on the
hinges, which will probably project slightly, small knobs or projections may be inserted
under and in each of the hinged sides, corresponding recesses being made in the other
hinged side to receive these projections when the bookcase is open. The handles. A³ B³
which we prefer to fix on the sides opposite the hinged sides are slanted to touch each
other when the box is closed to prevent side strain when being lifted, or they may be
loose and made to fold back into recesses in the sides of the receptacle, but we may put
tye handles elsewhere or provide additional handles. The interiors of the receptacles
may be provided with any additional partition or partitions, movable or fixed, and
shelves marked C in Figure 1 may also be inserted therein in any desired way (in some
cases they will be parallel to sides A and B¹), the said shelves and partitions being
fixed as follows, reference being had to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings:-As the
shelves would be liable to slip about during carriage if merely resting on supports we
make projections a a (Figure 3) on one end of each shelf C to fit into series of
corresponding recesses in the side A² or B2 of each of the receptacles, and at the other

page_text: endy (Figure 2) and on the underside of each shelf we insert bolts cc to bolt into
series of recesses d d in the sides A¹ B¹ respectively, the said bolts being preferably
flush with the underside of the shelf and being provided at the end nearest to the
sides A¹ B¹, so as to prevent any tendency during carriage to slipping back when
working loosely.
These bookcases may also be provided with ornamental projections or additions when
such do not interfere with the closing of the same, and they can easily be fixed in
angles of rooms with very little support, while the parts most liable to wear during
carriage are those least exposed when the bookcase is open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said . Invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A bookcase formed of two receptacles of similar size hinged together, and provided
with shelves and partitions, and which can be opened, closed, and carried about, without
necessitating the removal or packing of the books, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In the portable folding bookcase above described the means hereinbefore
mentioned for fixing the shelves and partitions, and securing them in their place during
carriage of the bookcase, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with the portable folding bookcase above described of slanted
or loose handles, ornamental projections, interior doors or screens, and projections for
preventing the weight resting on the hinges, all substantially as, and for the purposes
herein before mentioned, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
CHARLES J. JONES.