Improvements in Adjustment of Looking Glasses and Swing Frames.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 3rd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
Improvements in Adjustment of Looking Glasses and Swing
Frames.
I JOHN ALEXANDER MACMEIKAN of 2 Short Street Finsbury Pavement London E.C.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
I place each pivot of the looking-glass or swing-frame in or on a slot or slide pre-
ferably open at the top so that the frame can be lifted out at will and I support the
weight of the frame downwards not upon the pivot but upon a slide or slides or
toothed rack underneath the frame in the centre or at one side or both. This slide or
slides may be slightly curved or straight but approximately horizontal in tendency and
so adjusted that the frame will stay in whatever position is given to it within the
limits of the slide or slides. I preferably however combine the two parts by lengthen-
ing out the pivot or pivots vertically into thin plates set on end and making the lower
end of this rest on the slide which is thus placed just below the level of the centre of
the frame while the upper part of the pivot is prevented from moving from front
to rear by being held in a vertical slot or slide only allowing sufficient play back-
wards & forwards to enable the frame to which it is fixed to pass through the required
angle. The bottom edge of each pivot is preferably in the case of looking glasses
toothed so as to pass down beyond the slide (which stands out a little from the
standard to allow of it) and thus keeps the standards together and prevents the frame
slipping down.
In some cases 1 combine an arm fixed to the lower side of the frame and of an
elastic material so that the outward end of it impinges on the stand (in the case of a
looking glass) and tends to prevent the glass from swinging on its pivot in addition to
the friction supplied by the slide.

page_text: Frames.
JOHN ALEXANDER MACMEIKAN, of 2 Short Street, Finsbury Pavement, London E.C.
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to mechanism for the support and adjustment of looking 5
glasses, and other similar swinging bodies, and has for its object the employment of a
duple pivot bracket or plate, carried upon or acting in combination with a slide bracket,
having an horizontal, inclined, or curved surface, which said surface may be plain, or
serrated, and otherwise formed to guide or control such pivot brackets or plates.
I place the pivot of the looking glass or swing frame in, or on a slot or slide,
preferably open at the top, so that the frame-can-be-lifted out at will.
I support the weight of the frame downwards upon a slide, or slides or serrated or
toothed rack. This slide or slides or rack may be curved, or may be straight, but
tending towards, or approximately horizontal, and so made that the frame will remain
in whatever position it is placed, within the limits of the slide or rack.
Preferably I connect or combine the parts forming the two pivots, by means of a
plate in some instances, so that they virtually become one piece or plate set or end,
the lower end of which rests upon the slide, (which latter is generally placed just
below the lever of the centre of the frame), while the upper end (or pivot) of the
plate, is prevented from moving two and fro more than is necessary, by being held in
a vertical slot or slide, and allowing sufficient working room only for the frame to
pass through the required range of angles.
Suitable provision is made upon the pivots, to prevent their withdrawal sideways
from the slide brackets, which in the case of looking glasses or other swinging bodies
supported between two pillars &c., keeps such pillars or standards together. This is
done by forming upon the said pivots, a tooth, collar, projection, or other equivalent,
as hereinafter more clearly explained.
In order to more clearly explain this my invention, I have appended hereunto
illustrated sheets of drawings upon which are figures and letters of reference, like
letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing or part.
Fig. 1, shews one form in which the pivot plate a, may be made, and which by
screws at b, may be attached to the swing frame &c. c, e, is the portion of the plate
which serves as a pivot, d, is the tooth or projection.

page_text: Fig, 2, shews one form of slide bracket e, which by screws at f, is secured to the
pillar or standard. At h, I provide a slide or surface to receive the lower end c', of
the duple pivot plate a and which is shewn to be of a curved form, but may be made
otherwise as desired. At the slide bracket is narrowed to a slot, open at the top.
Fig. 3 illustrates the position of the pivot plate a, in relation to the slide bracket e,
when in working position, similar as again shewn in Figs. 11 & 12, the pivot plate a,
being secured to the frame j; and the slide bracket e, to the standard g. It will be
seen that the tooth or projection d, passes beyond or behind the slide surface h, and
thereby prevents its withdrawal sideways.
Fig. 4, shows a modification in form of the slide bracket e¹, wherein the slot i, is of
a somewhat angular form, but open at the top similar to that of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5, shows how the slide surface h, may be notched or serrated, and this would
also apply if desired, whether such surfaces were horizontal as shewn, or curved,
inclined, angular or inverted.
Fig. 6 shows a further modification in form of the slide bracket e³, wherein the slot i
is closed across the top, but opened out sideways at k, and further arranged that if
desired it may be secured at the side 1, to the standard &c.
Fig. 7 shows a duple pivot plate, which in particular suits the slide brackets
Figs. 4 & 6, but also applicable to those of Figs. 2 & 5, or others similar. Instead of
the tooth or projection d, as in Fig. 1, I form an enlarged collar m, or its equivalent,
at the end of the pivot, which falls beyond the slide surface h, similarly as does the
tooth d in Fig. 3, and for the same purpose.
Fig. 8 shews the position of the pivot plate Fig. 7 in relation to the slide bracket
Fig. 6, when in working order; the pivot plate a being secured to the frame j, and
the slide bracket e³ to the standard g. It will be here seen that in order to remove the
frame from the standards &c., the frame must have first an upward motion, and then
a backward or forward motion, the second or lower pivot following in the same path
as the first.
Fig. 9 shews a front and side elevation of a modified form of the pivot plate a³
wherein caro the upper and lower pivots. Instead however of having a projection
to overhang the slide bracket as in Figs. 1 & 7, I place such pivots between two
supports n, n, thereby forming a slot o.
Fig. 10 shews a slide bracket e to suit pivot plate Fig. 9, h being the slide surface
for the lower pivot c¹ to work upon. It will thus be seen that the order of support is
here inverted to that of Figs. 3 & 8, inasmuch that in this case, the pivot plate is
secured to the pillar or frame g, and the slide bracket e to the mirror &c. j.
Similar as before is the slot in which the upper pivot c, works. In this case as
in Figs. 2, 4, 5, & 6 the surface h, may be of any desired curve or straight line, and
may be plain or serrated.
It will he clearly seen that the bracket et (or mirror &c.), may be removed fron
the plate a³, by allowing the upper pivot e to follow in the path of the dotted arrow.
Figs. 11, & 12 illustrate its application to the carrying and adjusting of a swing
frame j, upon standard or pillar 9, the opposite standard not being shewn. In Fig. 12,
the frame is supposed to be removed, its position only being indicated by dotted
lines.
Figs. 13 & 14 illustrate the working, arranged with pivot plate a³, Fig. 9, and the
slide bracket e Fig. 10; the two illustrations shewing the mirror J in different
angular positions.
From the description and illustrations here given it will be readily seen, that any
angle within the limit of the slide surface h, provided upon the slide bracket, may be
assumed by the frame &c. j, and retained in that position by reason of the friction
due to the end thrust of the pivot plate c¹, upon the slide surface h, or, of the slide
bracket upon the pivot, at such an angle, while at the same time it can be readily
removed therefrom and adjusted to any other desired angle.
The parts thus constituting my "movement" are simple in construction and from
their form and disposition are not liable to get out of order.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The supporting and adjusting of looking glasses or other swing frames by
means of a duple pivot bracket plate, working upon or sliding along, over, or under,
an horizontal, inclined, or curved surface, such surface being plain or serrated, sub-
stantially, as herein described and illustrated upon the drawings.
2nd. The combination of any of the several parts illustrated and described, suited
to each other, to form or constitute a movement" for looking glasses and swing
frames.
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CHARLES T. POWELL,
4, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Applicant's Agent.