IMPROVEMENTS IN READING EASELS AND TABLES FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter, of New Cavendish Street, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN READING EASELS AND
TABLES FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS."
Sealed the 21st October 1876, and dated the 11th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May 1876.
"IM-
JOHN CARTER, of New Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex.
PROVEMENTS IN READING EASELS AND TABLES FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND
OTHERS."
My Invention relates to improvements in reading easels and tables chiefly
designed for the use of invalids when in a reclining or recumbent position on a bed
or sofa, the object of the Invention being to provide a simple apparatus possessing
great facility of adjustment in the different positions, and which may be readily
taken to picces and packed for removal or otherwise.
According to my Invention I mount the table on a pillar or upright supported in
a hollow pedestal attached to a foot stand, said pillar being capable of sliding
freely in the pedestal so as to admit of its vertical adjustment. The upright is
held at any desired height by means of rack teeth formed on one side thereof, in
which engage a weighted pawl or catch pivoted at the upper end of the pedestal.
The table is jointed near one end to the pillar so that it may extend over the body,
while on the bed or sofa, by means of a bracket, and in order to enable the table to
be readily inclined at any suitable angle for the purpose of forming a reading desk,
I attach to the under side of the table a toothed segment gearing with a ratchet
pinion on the upright, said pinion having a screwed stem with a fly nut for
clamping the same tightly against the upright. The foot stand may, if desired, be
dispensed with, and the pedestal attached to the leg of a chair, bed, or sofa by
means of a cramp.
I may also combine with the apparatus when the same is used as a bed table a
reading easel or desk mounted on a bent arm fitted in a socket on the upright
before mentioned. The desk is hinged to a bar supported on a horizontal urur
from the upright, said arm being slotted to enable the easel or desk to be adjusted
in any position desired and fixed by means of a fly nut and screw.
The ledge

page_text: attached to the desk is also slotted to enable it to be moved up and down to suit
varying thicknesses of books, it being held in position by screw nuts. The easel
is also provided with a rack for regulating its inclination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Carter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th November
1876.
JOHN CARTER, of New Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN READING EASELS AND TABLES FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND
OTHERS."
My Invention relates to improvements in reading easels and tables chiefly
designed for the use of invalids when in a reclining or recumbent position on a bed
or sofa, the object of the Invention being to combine simplicity and cheapness of
construction with facility of adjustment to any required position, and the
capability of being readily taken to pieces and packed away.
According to my Invention I mount the table on an upright rack rod fitted to
slide in a hollow pedestal rising from a base or claw. The table is capable of
being adjusted and held at any desired height by a weighted pawl on the hollow
pedestal taking into the rack on the upright. The table is mounted on a bracket
attached to the upright by a pivot to admit of the table being readily inclined to
any suitable angle for the purpose of forming a reading desk, and to secure the
table in the desired position a toothed segment on the bracket is made to
with a
gear
pinion on an axis mounted on the upright, the said pinion being readily capable of
being rendered stationary at will by a screw nut on its axis in order to firmly fix
the table in position. The claws may be dispensed with, and the tubular pedestal
attached to the leg of a chair, bed, or sofa by means of a cramp if prefered. The
table top is attached to its supporting bracket by guides which admit of the table
being adjusted longitudinally so as to extend over the bed or sofa as required.
I may also combine with the apparatus when the same is used as a bed-table, a
reading easel, or desk mounted on a bent arm fixed to the upright of the table
before mentioned. The desk is hinged to a sliding bar secured by a binding screw
to a horizontal arm pivoted on the top of the bent arm, this horizontal arm being
slotted to enable the slide to be shifted along it for adjusting the easel or desk to
any position desired by the reader to suit the sight. The easel is provided with a
slotted bar and binding screw for regulating its inclination.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describe it more fully with reference to the annexed Drawings, in which Figure 1
represents a front elevation of the table and easel combined, Figure 2 an end
elevation, and Figure 3 an under side view of the table.
Figures 4 and 5 show modified means of securing the table.
Figure 6 is an elevation, and Figure 7 a plan of the reading casel.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, a is the table top, bits upright, the
hollow pedestal, and d the base or claw. The table top a has secured to its under
side longitudinal dove-tail guides e of iron to receive an iron plate which is
screwed transversely to a bracket g. The plate is free to slide to and fro in the
guides, and one end of the said plate is bent down at right angles, as at f', so as
to be parallel to one face of the bracket y. Between the part of the plate and
the bracket y the top end of the upright bis received and a pin or a screw bolt h
passed through the three to serve as the pivot for the table top a to work upon
when inclining it to any position desired. The bolt scrows into a nut in the
bracket J. The latter is semicircular, and is formed or provided with a toothed
segment on the side next the upright for a corresponding pinion to work in.
This pinion is fixed on an axis which passes through the upright ₺ and is screw

page_text: threaded to receive a wing nut 1, by tightening which the pinion may be clamped
firmly against the upright b, thus rendering the pinion and consequently the
segment i which gears with it and the table a stationary. The upright has a set
of rack teeth m down one side, as shown, for a pawl n to engage with to support
the table at the desired height. This pawl is pivoted at n¹ to the top of the pillar
c, and for the sake of strength, and to ensure that it will fall into the teeth of the
rack m, it is made of metal, and of sufficient weight to act by gravity only.
In Figures 4 and 5 the table is precisely the same as in Figure 1, except that
instead of the toothed segment i and pinion & the table is held in position by a
screw bolt passing through a semicircular slot in the bracket and through the
upright b, and secured by a wing nut.
O is the reading desk or easel. It is shown also in Figure 6, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same parts. The desk is hinged at p to a short
bar q, and is fixed in any desired position by a slotted quadrant r, and binding
screw. The bar q is secured at any position along a horizontal arm 8 by a wing
nut on a bolt attached to the bar, and passing through a longitudinal slot n
extending nearly the whole length of the arm 8. This bar is pivoted at one end
by a screw bolt to the top end either of a bent arm v bolted to the upright b, as in
Figuro 1, or when used apart from the table to the top end of an upright w
provided with rack teeth m on one face like the upright b, and secured by iron
straps against one side of a bar a provided with a pawl n, as in Figure 1. This
bar terminates at its other end in a clamp y, Figures 6 and Ga, of any suitable
construction by which it may be secured to the leg of a chair or bedstead, or in
other convenient position.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. Mounting the table or reading easel on a sliding rack rod engaging with a
pawl for regulating the height of the table or casel, as shown and described.
2nd. Connecting the table to the rack rod by a pivoted bracket provided with a
toothed segment gearing with a pinion capable of being rendered stationary to
fix the table and enable it to be converted into a reading easel, as shown and
described.
3rd. In a reading easel the desk hinged and connected by slotted quadrants to a
sliding block adjustably connected to a horizontal arm pivoted on an adjustable
upright rack rod, all as shown and described, whereby the height, position, and
inclination of the desk may be regulated as desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter, have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN CARTER. (L.S.)