Improvements in Portable Folding or "Tuck-away" Tables.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Folding or "Tuck-away" Tables.
I, ALBERT BARKER, of 5, New Bond Street, in the County of London, Silversmith
and Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in portable folding or "tuck-away"
tables, and it has for its object to so construct these articles that their halves or
leaves shall, on being fully opened out, automatically lock themselves in position,
without it being necessary to have to fumble under the table, as heretofore, for the
locking device.
To this end, I secure to the underside of one half or leaf of the table, one or more
arms, provided at their free ends with a suitable spring catch, or the like, adapted
to enter an aperture or recess formed in the other half or leaf of the table, or in a
plafe or box secured thereto. These catches, or the like, when to be released,
so as to allow the table to fold, are operated by suitably arranged push-rods or
levers actuated from any convenient part of the table, by buttons, knobs, or other
releasing devices.
By this means, directly the table is fully opened out, which may be done by
simply bringing one of the halves or leaves into the horizontal, it will automati-
cally lock itself rigidly, by the spring catches snapping into the apertures or
recesses.
Or in place of the mechanism above described, I may provide one or more
self-adjusting struts, one portion of which is, or are secured to the underside of
the table, and the other to the table leg, or legs, and if desired suitable means may
be employed to effect their collapse.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent, 78, Fleet Street, London, and
5A Market Street, Nottingham, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Portable Folding or "Tuck-away" Tables.
1, ALBERT BARKER, of 5, New Bond Street, in the County of London, Silversmith
and Cabinet Maker, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention relates to improvements in portable folding or "tuck-away"
tables, and it has for its object to so construct these articles that their halves or

page_text: leaves shall, on being fully opened out, automatically lock themselves in position,
without it being necessary to fumble under the table, as heretofore, for the
locking device.
To render my Invention readily understood, I will describe the same fully by
aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation of the table in its folded condition.
Fig. 3 is an underside view of the same.
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detail views, drawn to a larger scale, of the automatic
locking device.
For the purpose of my Invention, I secure to the underside of the half or leaf a,
of the table, a pair of arms b, and provide their free ends with a catch c. The other
half or leaf a, I furnish with a locking device d, of any suitable construction,
and I arrange the same in a recess d¹ in the underside of such half, and in a
position corresponding to the free ends of the arms b, so that when the table is
opened out, which may be done by simply bringing one of the halves or leaves into
the horizontal, the catches c will immediately snap into such locking device and
retain the halves or leaves firmly in position. The locking device may advan-
tageously consist of a slotted plate d, furnished with a push rod 3 passing through
the leaf al and projecting outwardly, on each side thereof, so as to be readily got
at. Said locking device is controlled by a spring located within the recess d¹.
d is a cover plate; it is provided with a slot d (corresponding to that in the
locking plate) through which the catch c passes and engages with the locking
plate, on the table being opened out to its full extent.
To release the catches, and so enable the table to be folded, as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2, it is only necessary to press the push rods da inwards, so as to free
the locking plates from the catches; this allows the halves or leaves of the table
to collapse to such an extent that they can then be readily brought together and
be secured in their folded position by hooks, or other suitable fastening
contrivances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A portable folding or "tuck-away" table having its halves or leaves provided
with means whereby, on their being fully opened out, they automatically lock
themselves firmly in position, substantially as described.
2. A portable folding or "tuck-away" table having one of its halves provided
with arms carrying, at their free ends, a catch, and the other half with locking
devices adapted to receive the catches and lock the halves in position, push rods
being combined with the locking devices to effect the release of the catches, sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
3. My improved portable folding or "tuck-away" table, substantially as herein
before described, and shewn with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated th
100%
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent, 78, Fleet Street, London, and
5A Market Street, Nottingham, Agent for the Applicant.