US952624A - Folding desk. - Google Patents

Description

P. MOTHERSILL.

FOLDING DESK.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.20,1909.

Patented Mar.'22,'1910.

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PHILIP MOTHEBSILL, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

FOLDING DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed March 20, 1909. Serial No. 484,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP MoTHJaRsILL, citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Folding Desk, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a writing desk which though particularly designed to form an attachment to a rotatable panel or door such as is used in convertible rooms of apartment houses, is also applicable for use as an ordinary desk where it is desirable that the depth of the piece of furniture from back to front should be reducible to a minimum when not required for use.

The style of desk which I have selected as being most convenient for application to a rotatable panel is that in which a tier of drawers or bookracks on each side form the supports for the desk top and leave a space in the center for the legs of the user.

To enable a desk of this class to be contracted in its depth from front to rear to serve the required purpose, I hinge the front half of the lateral supports which are provided with drawers to fold within the back part of the same and hinge the desk top to fold up against and inclose the upper part of the desk, by which means the depth of the desk from back to front is reduced by one half.

The particular means by which I attain the desired result is fully set forth in the following specification and illustrated by the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desk when opened for use; Fig. 2 a similar view of the desk when closed, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan of the lower part of the desk showing the manner of hinging the front section of the supports to fold within the frame of the back. Fig. 4, is a detail view showing the hinge connection.

To the back 2 of the desk are secured sides 3 and to the front edge of each side 3 is hinged at 5 a drawer containing frame 4 the drawers 7 of which are exposed to the front when the desk is open for use, but when closed are turned inward as shown in Fig. 2 and as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 3.

Across between the sides 3 is permanently secured the back portion 10 of the desk top on which the upper part 13 of the desk is carried, and to the front edge of portion 10 is hinged at 12 the front part 11 of the desk top, which when open for use rests upon the drawer containing sections l, but when closed folds up as shown in Fig. 2 to inclose the upper part of the desk.

The lower part of the sides 8 on which the weight of the drawer containing sections hang are connected together toward the bottom. by a cross tie 8, and as the strains are opposite afford mutual support to one another.

A desk is thus provided which with all the convenience of a full sized drawer equipped desk is capable of being folded within itself to occupy about half the space and is thus rendered suitable for attachment to a rotatable panel or for use where economy of space is a consideration.

I am aware that prior to my invention cabinets have been used having pivotally mounted drawers and book racks, and that collapsible desks have been used wherein the hinged doors of the lower part have been used to support a hinged desk top similar to that which forms a part of my invention. With such I do not consider that my invention conflicts for the pivotally mounted drawers or book racks are merely introduced to afford greater convenience of access, and form in no respect a support for the desk top, and where a desk top has previously been supported on members hinged to the sides such hinged members have merely been doors closing the front of the lower part of the desk as a cupboard, and have not been. capable of adaptation to the same purpose as mine in that they have not only been wanting the drawer holding frame but the cross tie which supports the sides under their weight.

My invention therefore lies in having the drawer furnished side supports of a desk to fold inward and in tying the back part of the sides together to sustain the weight of the front drawer holding sections.

Having now particularly described my invention what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent is:

1. A desk having a back wall, and side walls and a top projecting forwardly there from, drawer cases on both sides of the desk, means for hingedly securing each of said cases at its outer rear edge to the front edge of one of said side walls to swing horizontally, said hinging means being so positioned that the rear wall of said drawer case lies against the inner face of the side wall of the desk at one limit of its movement, or may be swung outwardly to bring the outer side wall of the case in line with the side wall-of the desk. g

2. A desk having a back wall, and side walls and a top projecting forwardly there from, drawer cases on both sides of the desk, means for hingedly securing each of said cases at its outer rear edge to the front edge of one of said side walls to swing horizontally, said hinging means being so positioned that the rear wall of said drawer case lies against the inner face of the side wall of the desk at one limit of its movement, or may be swung outwardly to bring the outer side wall of the case in line with the side wall of the desk, said drawer cases each being of less length from front to rear than one-half the width of the desk, so as to leave a space between the cases at the middle of the desk when they are folded into the desk.

3. A desk having a back wall, and side walls and a top projecting forwardly there from, drawer cases on both sides of the desk,

means for hingedly securing each of said cases at its outer rear edge to the front edge of one of said side walls to swing horizontally, said hinging means being so positioned that the rear wall of said drawer case lies against the inner face of theside wall of the desk at one limit of its movement, or may be swung outwardly to bring the outer side wall of the case in line with the side wall of the desk, the width of a side wall of the desk combined with the length of a drawer case from front to rear when swung out being greater than the width of the desk top, whereby said drawer cases project beyond said top when swung out, and a lid hinged to said top in position to be folded down upon and supported by said drawer cases when the latter are swung out.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP MOTHERSILL.

A. G. WOOLSEY.

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