IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING OR DINING TABLES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NORMAN, of Paradise Place, Finsbury, Cabinet Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of May,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Norman, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Norman, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Norman,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should and lawfully might, make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EXPANDING OR DINING
TABLES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I,
the said William Norman, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Norman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of applying certain apparatus to expanding or dining
tables whereby the same may be readily expanded or contracted, and retained
closed, or in any state of expansion as may be desired. And in order that
my Invention be most fully understood and readily carried into effect,
I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
may
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows the under side view of an expanding table, having part of
my improvements applied thereto, and Figure 2 is an elevation in section. In
both these Figures the table is shown as closed. Figure 3 shows an under
side view, and Figure 4 an elevation of the same table in an expanded state,
and having two flaps introduced. a, b, forms the upper surface of the original
table, and they are fixed to the frame c and legs, and they have each a portion
d, d, of the sliding apparatus affixed thereto. is the centre portion of the
sliding apparatus, carrying the two side rails f, f, of the table. And this
centre portion has also the parts g, g, of the sliding apparatus of a table
affixed thereto. And I would state that such arrangement of parts is similar
to what has heretofore been employed, and is not of my invention. h is a
tube, which is fixed by straps or otherwise to the part e as shewn. On the
ends of this tube are sockets i, i, embracing the tube, one of them being
permanently affixed to the tube, the other being capable of adjustment on the
other end of the table by means of two screw nuts j, j, on the end of the
tube h, where the screw h¹ is formed thereon, the socket i at that end being
between the two nuts, hence it can be placed further from the other socket
should the endless chain k become stretched. Each socket i has a pulley on
an axis fixed to the socket, which pulleys carry the endless chain k. On the
under side of the parts a and b are affixed the connecting rods n, n, one end
of each of which is affixed to the chain, as is shewn. o is a screw, which
turns in a bearing at o¹, where it has a square head for receiving a key with
a crank handle to turn the screw. The other end of this screw passes through
a screw nut fixed in the tube h, by which arrangement, if the screw be turned
in one direction it will expand the table, and if it be turned in the opposite
direction it will contract the table. I would here state that the chain k, the
screw o, and connecting rods n, are not new, but have been before combined
for expanding, the novelty consisting of the use of the tube h in combination
with the screw o, and also the mode of adjusting the distance of the pulleys

page_text: carried by the tube, one from the other, by screw nuts.
And I would state
that the combining of tubes and screws so as to expand dining tables con-
stitutes a very important part of my Invention, and the modes of combining
and using this part of my improvements may be greatly varied.
Figure 5 shows an under side view, and Figure 6 an elevation in section, of
another table, having my Invention applied thereto. These Figures show the
table in a contracted state. The same table is, however, shown expanded in
Figures 7 and 8, which represent an under side view and an elevation in
section. In this arrangement the sliding parts of the table are similar to
those shown in the previous Figures, but the combined use of screws and
tube is different. In these Figures p is a tube, which turns in bearings at p³,
the outer end of the tube being formed with a square so as to allow of being
turned by a key. At the other end of the tube is fixed a screw nut, through
which the screw 9 passes, such screw at its other end being supported by
passing through a hole in the projection r, such hole simply supporting and
keeping the screw in its place. The screw q is hollow, and has a screw nut
fixed at the end where the male screws enters. The screw s is fixed to the
rail at s', as is shown. Supposing this table be in the closed or contracted
state, the simple act of turning the tube p will cause the screw q to pass out
of the tube, and push open the table; and so soon as the end of the screw q
comes to the end of the tube, and a stop on the screw prevents it moving
farther out, the further turning of the tube p causes the screw 9 to revolve,
by which the screw q will move off the fixed screws, and the table will be
expanded to the fullest extent, when the additional flaps may be introduced
between a and b. The tube then being turned in the opposite direction will
cause the table to be contracted so as to hold all parts securely together, as
shewn at Figures 7 and 8.
Another arrangement of table is shewn at Figures 9, 10, and 11, which has
my Invention applied to it. This table allows of a more extended expansion
than the previous ones. It is, however, similar to the table last described; but
there are two hollow screws intermediate of the tube p and fixed screw s.
The other parts of the table are of an ordinary construction, and will not
require description.
Figure 12 shows an elevation partly in section, and Figure 18 a plan
partly in section, of a round expanding table. This construction of table is
well known, and the only novelty consists in applying a combination of a screw.
and tube to give motion to apparatus for expanding and contracting a series of
sliders for supporting additional flaps. tis a tube fixed to the bed or under
frame of the table, and u is a screw turning at one end in a bearing formed
in the slider v, the other end working through a screw nut formed in the end

page_text: of the tube t. w is a rod attached to the slider v, as shewn. It has a rack
formed at its other end, which takes into the pinion x, the axis of which turns
in bearings in the plates y, y. The screw u has a square head formed on it,
and receives motion from a key with a crank handle, which being turned in
one direction causes the slider v, v, to be expanded, and in doing so draws
out the rack w, which gives motion to the pinion which takes into and
drives the racks w³, w³, w³, fixed respectively to the sliders v³, ², v³, which
slide in rails z, z. Between the bed and top of the table a³, a³, are guide
rollers for the racks to bear against and be guided by. I would remark that
the mode of combining a screw and tube, and the giving simultaneous move-
ment by racks put in motion by a pinion or cog wheel, is also new, as com-
bined with the sliding parts of a round table.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark, that I do not confine
myself to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of the
Invention be retained, whereby the screws employed in expanding or dining
tables to contract and expand the same are so used as to be combined with
and pass into tubes, which mode of expanding tables by the use of tubes and
screws I claim.
And I also claim the mode herein described of giving motion to an expand-
ing round table.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Norman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
WILLIAM (L.S.) NORMAN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid William Norman came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.