IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINTERS EASELS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Spreckley Cuthbert, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PAINTERS EASELS,"
Sealed the 21st December 1866, and dated the 10th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Spreckley Cuthbert
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th July 1866.
I, JOHN SPRECKLEY CUTHBERT, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINTERS' EASELS," to be as follows:-
Painters' easels usually consist of a base frame mounted on castors, from
which base standards or uprights are erected and suitably strengthened by
struts; in front of the uprights is disposed the frame on which the picture is
placed. This frame is mounted so as to oscillate as on a hinge at bottom;
while near the top it has communication with the uprights by means of gear,
whereby the frame and picture can be inclined or placed upright as may
be
desired. The picture rests on a rest at bottom, which is elevated by a screw
to adjust the picture at the proper height.

page_text: According to my Invention I mount the frame on which the picture is
placed somewhat in the manner of a cheval glass, but in front of the
standards, which I incline forwards, they being erected from the back part of
the base frame, and suitably strutted to afford the necessary strength; at the
top of these standards I connect and support the frame, receiving the
picture by hinges, or on other suitable pivots, the point of support being, say,
one-fourth or one-fifth the length of the frame from the top. The bottom
of the swinging frame comes just above the base of the easel, which is fur-
nished with a quadrant rack and pawl, whereby the position of the bottom of
the frame can be regulated at pleasure, and the incline of the frame adjusted
as may be required; this being in connection with a treadle or part suitable
for action by the foot the artist can adjust and alter the position of his
picture by the foot. The swinging frame is furnished with a rising screw rest
for the picture at the bottom, and a lengthening bar at the upper part as usual
to accommodate the different sizes of pictures to be disposed on the swinging
frame. Besides being less complicated and presenting more convenience for
moving and inclining the picture this improved easel always maintains the
centre of gravity in the same line, and therefore cannot-possibly topple--over
however much the picture may be inclined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Spreckley Cuthbert in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SPRECKLEY CUTHBERT, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea, in the County of Middelesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Spreckley Cuthbert, Her special licence that I, the said
John Spreckley Cuthbert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Spreckley Cuthbert, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINTERS' EASELS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Spreckley Cuthbert, 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 per-
formed, 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 John Spreckley Cuthbert, 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, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
--
Painters' easels usually consist of a base frame mounted on castors, from
which base standards or uprights are erected and suitably strengthened by
struts; in front of the uprights is disposed the frame on which the picture is
placed. This frame is mounted so as to oscillate as on a hinge at bottom,
while near the top it has communication with the uprights by means of gear,
whereby the frame and picture can be very slowly inclined forwards or placed
upright as may be desired. The picture rests on a rest at bottom, which is
elevated by a screw to adjust the picture at the proper height.
According to my Invention I mount the frame on which the picture is
placed somewhat in the manner of a cheval glass, but in front of the
standards, which are inclined forwards, they being erected from the back part
of the base frame and suitably strutted to afford the necessary strength. At
the top of these standards I connect and support the frame receiving the
picture by hinges, or on other suitable pivots, the point of support being, say,
one-fourth or one-fifth the length of the frame from the top. The bottom of
this swinging frame comes just above the base of the easel, which is fur-
nished with a quadrant rack and pawl, whereby the backward or forward
position of the bottom of the frame can be regulated at pleasure, and the
incline of the frame adjusted as may be required. This gear is in connection
with a treadle or part suitable to be acted on by the foot, the artist can thus
adjust and alter the inclined position of the picture by the foot. The swinging
frame is furnished with a rising screw rest for the picture at
lengthening frame or bar at the upper part as usual to accommodate the
bottom, and a

page_text: Besides being less complicated, and presenting more convenience for moving
and inclining the picture, this improved easel' always maintains the centre of
gravity nearly in the same vertical plane, and therefore cannot possibly topple
over however much the picture may be inclined.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a front view of a painters' easel constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a transverse vertical
section of the same, while Figure 4 represents a plan of the base.
A, A, is the base frame suitably, constructed of wood or other suitable
material, it is mounted on castors a, a, for convenience of moving, one of
which has an adjusting screw a¹ to obtain an equal bearing on the floor, all
as usual; B, B, are the standards or uprights fixed in the back part of the
base frame and strutted by struts b, b; these standards, which are disposed
behind the swinging frame D, are obscured in Figure 1; they are tied near
the upper part by a cross bar C. The uprights B have bearing plates d
affixed thereto, which carry gudgeons or axis pins e¹ fixed to and carrying the
main swing frame D of the easel. This frame D may be pivoted at the upper
end, but I prefer to do so at about one-fourth or one-fifth part of its length
from the top. The frame D is braced at bottom by cross bar e, and near the
top by a strong cross bar f, at the back part above which point it has no cross
ties. Frame D is suitably rebated or grooved and fitted with an inner sliding
frame E, see cross section Figure 5, of one-half of the easel framo; this
frame is furnished with the rest 9, on which the picture is sustained while on
the easel. This frame can be elevated or lowered for the purpose of adjusting
the picture, as will be herein-after described. It is also rebated or grooved
for the reception of a third frame or lengthening bar F (see top plan of one-
half of the sliding frames, Figure 6), which is also capable of being slid up
and down as herein-after described. In this inner frame or lengthening
bar F is rebated and fitted to slide a clip frame G for holding the top of the
picture, the clip part G' coming down on and embracing the picture or
canvas stretcher disposed on the ease!. It is simply slid up and down by
hand, and rests on the picture. The lower transverse bar E' of the frame E,
to which the rest 9 is fixed, is furnished with a metal socket bearing
receiving a small winch handle shaft I, which works also in a socket formed
on the metal bracket K fixed to E¹; this bracket K also carries a bearing for
the lower end of a long screw L; on the lower end of screw L is a bevil

page_text: pinion gearing with a corresponding wheel M fixed on shaft I, screw L
rotates freely in its bearing in K, and is screwed into a nut P fixed to cross
bar f, and therefore stationary. The effect of rotating the screw L by the
winch handle (which is conveniently disposed in front of the easel) is to
raise the screw L through its stationary nut P, and with it the bracket K
and frame E to any position desired, and to its highest point, as seen dotted in
Figure 2. The lengthening frame F is elevated in the frame E by a cord R
fixed to the lower part of frame F, which cord passes up over pulleys m, m,
then down under pulley p in E, and through it to cleet r, where it is
fastened, all much in the usual manner. In order to adjust the inclination
of the frame D a treadle bar X pivoted at s to cross bar e is constantly
pressed downwards at the back part by a spring t also fixed to bar e. The
treadle bar X is furnished with a catch nib, which takes into the notches in
the bar S fixed in the base of the easel frame. When it is desired to alter
the inclination of the picture on the easel it is simply necessary to place the
foot on the front end of the treadle bar X and depress it, when the easel may
be oscillated on its gudgeons or axis e¹, e¹, to the desired position, and the
treadle bar X released, when it will again take into a notch of bar S and
secure the frame. Figure 7 represents a front view, and Figure 8 a side view,
of the easel on a smaller scale, showing it in the extended form, which will be
readily understood without any further description, all the parts being the
same, and marked with the same letters of reference. Figure 9 represents a
lateral vertical section of an easel differing from the foregoing only in the
means provided for the elevation of the frame E in lieu of the bevil gear and
screw before described. In this case I provide a fixed rack v, v, extending
between the cross bar e and the centre of oscillation. Into this rack a spring
catch w fixed to cross bar E¹ takes. The frame E on being slid upwards by
hand in the rebates of D will be sustained at any point by the catch w and
rack v, while for lowering it, it is simply necessary to withdraw the catch w
with the finger, it having a hooked projection a conveniently disposed under
the rest 9 for that purpose. In order to render the motion of the frame E
easier I counterbalance it by a weight T sliding on a rod y, the weight being
pendant from a cord z carried over a pulley U down to the cross bar E¹, where
the other end is secured. There may be two counterbalance weights, one on
either side of the easel, if desired.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by the bereiu-before in part recited Letters Patent is, mounting

page_text: the oscillating frame of painters' easels at or towards the upper part of such
frames, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Spreckley Cuthbert, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN SPRECKLEY CUTHBERT. (L.S.)