A FORM AND FOLDING DESK COMBINED, ADAPTED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Royds Birch, of Paddington, for the Inven-
tion of "A FORM AND FOLDING DESK COMBINED, ADAPTED FOR THE USE OF
SCHOOLS."
Sealed the 27th June 1856, and dated the 29th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Royds Birch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th December 1855.
I, GEORGE ROYDS BIRCH, of Paddington, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for A FORM AND FOLDING DESK COMBINED, ADAPTED FOR THE
USE OF SCHOOLS, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a mode of constructing a seat, known and
distinguished in schools as a form, whereby the same is made to answer two
purposes at one time, viz., a seat and a desk or table, or it may be used as a
form or seat only, the part which forms the table constituting a back to the
seat to recline against. The means by which the above objects may be effected
are as follows:-I fashion a seat similar to an ordinary school form, and to
each end of the top thereof I securely hinge a piece of iron, bent into the
shape of two sides of a square, or as a bell crank, and to the upper part of these
pieces of iron, I.fix, by screws or otherwise, a board of equal length to the top
of the form, so that when the pieces of iron are folded down upon the top of
the seat of the form, the piece of board above mentioned serves as a back to

page_text: recline against, and when such part is required to be used as a desk or table,
the back is then turned forwards on its binges, until it assumes a horizontal
position above and in front of the seat, the table being retained in such position
by making the hinges with rule joints. By placing two such desks together, a
double row of seats and one wide table may thus be formed, and if necessary
they may be connected together by suitable fastenings at each end thereof.
The form has folding hinged feet connected thereto, which are unfolded when
the back is used as a table, to prevent its tipping over.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Royds Birch in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ROYDS BIRCH, of Paddington, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, 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 George Royds Birch, Her spécial licence that I, the said
George Royds Birch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Royds Birch, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "A FORM AND FOLDING DESK COMBINED, ADAPTED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Royds Birch,
my executors or administrators, 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 George Royds Birch, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-

page_text: My said Invention consists in so constructing a form or seat, as that the
same may be used for the purposes of a desk or table and form or seat.
combined, or it may be used as a form or seat only.
According to one arrangement of my Invention, I securely hinge to the
front side of each end of a seat similar to an ordinary school form, a bracket
or piece of iron bent nearly at right angles in such manner as that when the
the parts of the brackets or irons in which the hinges are situated lie in a
horizontal position the other parts shall stand nearly vertical. To these latter
parts of the brackets I attach a board, corresponding in length with the top:
of the form. In the position described this board forms a "back," or portion.
of the form suitable for reclining against. When it is required to be used as a
desk or table, it is turned forward on the hinges until it assumes a horizontal
position (or nearly so) above and in front of the form or seat. The form is
provided with hinged feet, which may be turned to project either forward or
backward as required, to prevent tipping. By placing two such combined forms.
and desks together, they will form a wide table with seats on each side.
Another modification of my Invention consists in applying boards and:
brackets similar to the foregoing, to boxes intended to be used for travelling.
purposes, and thus enabling them to be employed either as seats combined with
desks or tables, or (when placed two together) to be made use of as a bedstead.
The manner in which I carry the first-named modification of my Invention:
into effect is illustrated at Figs. 1, 2, 3, of the accompanying Drawing; Fig. 1:
being an end elevation of the form or seat with the board thrown back; Fig. 2,
a front elevation; and the black lines of Fig. 3, an end elevation of the same,,
with the board turned forward on its hinges to form a table or desk; the red:
lines of this Figure represent the cross section of a second combined form and.
desk, placed against, and, if necessary attached to the former, and forming
with it a wide table with seats on each side. The same letters refer to the
same parts throughout. a represents the form or seat, to which are fitted the.
metal ends b, carrying the pins c, which form the fulcra or hinges of.
the brackets or bent iron pieces d, having attached to them the board e. The.
prolongations d' of the brackets & catch against corresponding projections-b'
formed in the ends b, and combined with the stops 62 relieve the pins c from
injurious strain when the brackets are turned forward into the position shown
at Fig. 3. The feet f, designed to afford additional stability and prevent tipping,
are hinged to the supports of the form at the points 9, and may be turned-
either towards the back or the front, as the position of the board e for the
time being requires. Beneath the seat of the form are constructed boxes h,
for the reception of books or other articles. The fronts or covers of these

page_text: boxes, instead of being hinged, are provided with pins i (Fig. 3), which take
into grooves formed in the upper parts of the ends of the boxes. When a box
is required to be opened, the pins i act as hinges, upon which the cover may
be raised into a horizontal position, it may then be pushed or slid along
the grooves j, so as to lie entirely within and immediately under the seat
constituting the top of the box, until required to be drawn forward and turned
down.
.. The second modification of my Invention is represented at Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8 of the Drawing; Fig 4 being an end élevation of a box, with the board
and brackets placed in a position for travelling; and Fig. 5, a front view of
the same; Fig. 6 is an end view of the box when used as a seat, with the
board and brackets in position to form a back for reclining against; Fig. 7, a
view of the same, with the board and brackets placed to form a desk or table;
and Fig. 8, a view of two such boxes placed side by side, and with the board
and brackets arranged to extend the top surface sufficiently to render it
available for the purposes of a bedstead. In these Figures k represents the
seat constructed in the form of a box, and having upon its ends the cleats 1,
for supporting and keeping in position the brackets m, attached to the board n.
When packed for travelling, the board n rests on the top of the box, and is
held firm by the brackets which pass between the cleats, and are attached to
the box by screws o. When used as a back to the seat, the board n is attached
thereto, by removing the screws o to the position shown at Fig. 6, in which
position they also remain when the board is turned on them as hinges, to form
a table or desk as at Fig. 7. When two such seats or boxes are employed as
a bedstead, the brackets m are slid down between, and are supported by the
cleats, in the manner represented at Fig. 8.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I wish it to be understood, that I do not confine
myself to the precise mode of construction represented, and that what I claim
as new in respect thereof is the combination of parts, whereby forms or seats
are made to serve the herein-before named several purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Royds Birch, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this 28th day of June, A.D. 1856.
GEORGE ROYDS (L.S.) BIRCH.