US333225A - William hobbocks - Google Patents

Description

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W. HORROGKS. l GABINBT 0R CASE FOR TYPB'WRITERS.

Patented Dec. 29, 1885.

P Hina-S866:

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM HORROOKS, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

CABINET OR CASE FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,225, dated December 29, 1885.

Application filed June 8, 1885.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HoRRooKs, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cabinets or Cases for Type-Writers, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to cabinets or cases for typewriters; and the invention consists in a novel arrangement of the shelfk which supports the typewriter and its operating deviceshwhereby the shelf with the machine upon it can be swung down within the body ofthe case and be automatically covered by a hinged lid, the shelf' being so arranged that as its rear edge is depressed its front edge shall be carried backward out of the way of the knees of the operator, and when raised to the operating posit-ion its front edge shallV be brought over the front rail of the case to give it a rin support, all as hereinafter more fullV set forth. u

Figure l is a perspective View with the machine in position for use. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section showing the case closed.

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the case open; and Fig. 4 is a 'similar View showing the case closed, and showing, also, two modifications of the plan of supporting and guiding the front edge of the shelf, two other forms or modifications being shown inFigs. 2 and 3.

To carry out my invention I make what is known as a cabinet7 desk or case, A, similar to the office-desks in general use in its general appearance, with a space in the. center for the legs of the operator, and preferably with a set of drawers at each side, as shownl in Fig. 1, though for the cheaper style of cases these drawers may be omitted, the case being :made correspondingly shorter, but in all other respects the same.

The top of the case is inclined at each side of the central space, as shown at R R, Fig. l, like an ordinary desk; and a lid, D, is hinged at the rear side of the central space, as shown in the several figures, so that when shut down, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, it will close the central space on top. and thus make the top continuous from end to end, in which condition it resembles and serves the purposes of an ordinary office-desk.

'llo support the type-writer C, I provide a swinging shelf, B, which is so hung that when Serial No. 168,027. (Model.)

the shelf B, about one-third of the width of the shelf from its front edge, as shown at m in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the rear ends of these bars or links being pivoted to the inner side walls 'of the case, as indicated at d in Figs. 2 and 3,

the edges or sides of the shelf being of course cut away as far as these links extend, to permit the shelf to pass by them in swinging up and down. It will readily be seen that as these links swing around their pivot d as a center they will have the effect, when the shelf is lowered, to draw it bodily backward to some ext-ent, and in order to throw its front l edge still farther back, so as to get all the room possible for the knees of 'the operator or person using the case when closed, I support its front edge by links g, as shown in Fig. 4, they being pivoted at h to the case and ati to the under side of the shelf, or by an equivalent device. As these links g swing on their pivot h as the center of motion, it will be seen that their upper ends, swinging in the arc of a circle of which h is the center, will Operate to carry the front edge of the shelf B backward as its rear edge is swung downward, and that the backward movement of the front edge of the shelf B will be in proportion to the length of said links.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a modification, in

' it. The pin e will, preferably have mounted on it a small roller, u, as shown, to avoid or lessen the friction and make the movement more' easy and noiseless.

In Fig. 3 I have shown still another modication, in which a plate, having a curved slot, r, in it, is attached to the shelf B at its opposite IOO sides, the pin e in this case being located so as v to be at the lower end of the slot when the shelf is raised, as shown 5 or, in lieu of these, a curved slot, n, may be formed in the side walls of the case A, as shown in Fig. 4, and a pin or other projection be secured to the shelf at its opposite sides to fit and move in these grooves as the shelf is raised and lowered. It will readily be seen that either of these plans may be used at will, the result with each being to throw the front edge of the shelf backward as its rear edge is depressed', and that it may be arranged to be thrown back more or less, as desired, the only limit to its backward motion being the space that the machine C will occupy when the shelf is lowered, and which will depend also on the width of the case from front to rear, it being desirable, however, to make it as narrow as possible, and get the necessary room for the machine and the operator, both on account of cost and the space it will occupy in rooms.

This" method of arranging the shelf which supports the machine may obviously be used with or without the hinged lid shown, and for which, if desired, any other style of cover may be used-as, for instance, a detachable cover-which can be set at one side and replaced when the case is to be closed. In order, however,'to render the case more complete and convenient in operation, I provide a lid, D, of t-he proper size to fill or close the space in the top of the case when the machine is depressed, this lid D being hinged as shown, so as to shut down on the front rail, I, and thus form an even top from end to end to be used as an ordinary desk-top. I connect this lid D to the shelf B by means of links or rods b, one end of which is pivoted to the lid D by brackets a, or in any suitable manner, and

their opposite ends to the links c, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. rlhe result of this connection is that when the lid D is thrown up to the position shown in Figs. l and 3, the shelf B is thereby raised, thus bringing the machine Cup into position for use, and by shutting down the lid D the shelf B, with the machine, is thrown down to the position shown in'Fig. It will be observed that as the shelf B is raised the links c will force it outward, so that when entirely raised, its front edge will rest on the front rail, I, of the case A, as shown in Figs. l and 3, thereby giving a firm support at the front, and by making the links b of such a length as to permit the lid D to swing back past the perpendicular a little, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, its weight will tend to hold the rear edge of the shelf B up against the cross-bar w, which lthus serves as a stop. A counter balance or weight, o, is connected by a cord, l, to vthe rear side of shelf B, the cord passing over a pulley, o, at the rear of the case, the weight o being such as to counterbalance the other moving parts, thus enabling the parts to be operated with ease. The weight o is preferably arranged to slide in a` box or chute, which thus serves to guide it and cause it to move without noise, and preventitfromswinging aboutloosely. Aspring;f clip, t, for holding copy, is applied to the lid D. A narrow shelf, p, is arranged within the case at the point where the lower or rear edge of the shelf B will rest when down, so as to completely inclose the machine when the casev is closed. If desired to render it dust tight, a strip of felt or similar material may be secured to the edges of shelf B all around, or` to the inner walls of the case at the proper points, this soft flexible material serving to exclude the dust, and yet not interfere with the movement of the parts. By this construction and arrangement of the parts, I am enabled to produce a very neat, compact, and eficient case, which serves the twofold purpose of a case for the type-writer and an office- 5* desk.

I am aware that various forms of folding cases have been made for sewing-machines f and similar implements or machines, and therefore I do not claim, broadly, a hinged or folding case or cabinet; but I am not aware that any such case has heretofore been made or described in which the shelf that supports f the machine is arranged to move in the manner described, or in which there was the same combination and arrangement of moving shelf and lid and connectinglinks.

What I claim as my invention is f 1. In combination with the case or cabinet 1 A, the swinging shelf B, connected to rear z part of the case by the pivoted links c, and having its front edge connected to the case by ,the pivoted links g, or an equivalent device, whereby thefront portion of the shelf' is caused to moved backward when its rear edge is derV pressed, and is brought forward over the rail I when raised to the proper position for operating the machine, substantially as aud for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the case A, the shelf i B, connected to the rear part of the case by pivoted links c, and its front edge supported S by the pivoted'linksg, or equivalent devices, and the hinged lid D, connected to the shelf B by means of the links b and c, substantially r as shown and described.

3. The combinatiomwith case A, of the shelf i B, arranged to swing downward and backward with the counter balance or weight o and the rl hinged lid D, said weight and lid both being r connected to said shelf, and all being arranged f to operate substantially as shown and described.

WM. H. ELLIOT.

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