US376092A - William horkocks - Google Patents

Description

(No ModeL) W. HORROOKS.

CABINET FOR TYPE WRITERS;

' No. 376,092. Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

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" V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HORROCKS,,OF ILION, ASSIGNOR TO WYOKOFF, SEAMANS BENEDICT, OF NEW YORK, N.-Y.

CABINET FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,092, dated January 10, 1888.

Application filed August 22, 1887. Serial Il'o. 247,541. (No model.)

' of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cabinets for Type- Writers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets for typewriters; and the invention consists in a reversible top arranged to serve as a' support for the type-Writer, and also as a desk-top when reversed.

It further consists in a flexible portion so arranged in connection with the reversible top as to close the space underneath the machine when not in use and exclude the dust therefrom, all as hereinafter more fullyshown and described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe cabinet arranged for use as a desk, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section showing the parts in position for using the type-Writer.

1n the drawings, A indicates the body of the cabinet, made in the form of a flat-topped business-desk, with a series of drawers at each side of the central space, though, if desired, the drawers may be dispensed with, in which case the cabinet will be that muchshorter, thislatter style being sometimes desirable on account of want of room.

In the central space I fit a movable sect-ion or top, B, of the proper shape and size to fill said space, as shown in Fig.1, so that when turned to the position there shown its surface will come flush with the top of the cabinet,

thus forming in connection with the rest of the top a smooth even top for use as a desk.

It'is desirable for convenience of the operator that the key-board of the type-writer should be a little lower than the top of the cabinet, and to accomplish this and at the same time have the reversible part B come flush with the top of the cabinet when turned over for use as a desk I pivot the part B eccentrically, as shown in Fig. 2, 6 being the pivots, one at each end, on which it turns, and 0 being brackets, one at each end, secured to the top B and journaled on said pivots. The pivots e are located below the top of the cabinet a distance just equal to the length of the brackets, and which may bemore or less, as preferred, the result, of course, being that when the top B is turned to theposition shown in Fig. 1 it is thrown up above the pivots and brought flush with the top of the cabinet, and when turned over to bring the typewriter into position for use the top or shelf B is brought below the pivots, thereby bringing the key board of the type-writer I into the desired position, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. i

It is obvious that the part B might be pivoted so that either of its surfaces would come flush with the top, and such arrangement is within the scope ofmy invention, and the cabinet Will be so made whenever parties may desire'it; but, for the reason above stated, the plan shown will be generally preferred.

To that surface of the reversible top 13 on which the type-Writer I is secured I secure a strip, 6, as shown in Fig. 2, it being so lo cated that when the top is turned over to the position shown in Fig. 1 this strip 1) will form ing set back a little from the edge of the top B, so as to leavea small recess atthe front when turned in that position, as shown in Fig; 1;

but it obviously may be brought out flush with the front edge of the cabinet, if desired.

In order to close the space underneath the machine when turned down and out of use, I provide a sheet, 0, of flexible n1aterialot' cloth. rubber, leather, oil-cloth, or any similar flexible materialof such a size as to reach from side to side crosswise of the space and secure one edge of it to the inner face of the strip 1), as shown in Fig. 2, its opposite edge being secured to a shelf, D, which projects from the back of the cabinet in the space below, as shown.

\Vhen the top B with the machine on it is turned over in the direction indicated by the IOO pensed with by making the curtain 0 longer and attaching its rear edge to the back wall of the cabinet; but I prefer to use the shelf D, as it serves to unite the two sides of the cabinet, and thus renders it more rigid and strong, more especially as in this case it has no continuous front rail to unite the two ends,though it is obvious that it may be made with a continuous front rail by making the reversible top B a little narrower from front to rear, so that its edges would swing inside of said rail when turned either side up.

It will be observed that when the top is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 the edge of the strip b will come under the back part, H, of the stationary top, which thus serves as a stop or rest to hold it firmly in position, it being prevented from turning back from that position by the preponderance of the weight of machine I in front of the pivots e, the machine being set much nearer one edge of the top B than the other, as shown in Fig. 2, this being done also for thepurpose ofbringing the keys near the front edge of the cabinet for the convenience of the operator, as otherwise the side walls, which project above the key-board, might interfere with the free use of his or her arms.

Of course if the top B be pivoted flush with the top of the cabinet, as hereinbefore stated, then the side walls would not project above the keys, in which case the machine might be set farther back, but that is not thought desirable.

A spring catch or bolt, or a l1ook-andeye,or any similar fastening, may be used, if desired, to lock the reversible top in either position, but it is not deemed necessary, as the strip 1) and the stationary part H of the top serve to hold it secure when turned to the position shown in Fig. 2,while the ogee or beveled edge 0 of the reversible part B fits against and rests upon the corresponding]y-shaped front edge of the part H when turned to the position shown in Fig. 1.

As the loose carriage h of the type-writer I would swing away from the machine when the latter is swung or turned over into the space below the top or platform B, it is provided wit-h a spring-hook, i, by which it is clamped to the bed of the machine at its front edge; but as this will form the subject of a separate application, filed September 24, 1887, Serial No. 250,554, it is not described herein.

By this construction I am enabled to produce a very neat and compact cabinet at a reduced cost, and that fulfills all the conditions required, dispensing with the hinged lid and links heretofore used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A cabinet for type-writers consisting of the case or body A, having a central section, B, of its top pivoted eccentrieallyto or within the body, substantially as shown, whereby said section when turned one side up willserve as a shelf to support a type-writer in proper position for use and when turned the other side up will come flush with the stationary portions of the top and serve as a desk-top.

2. The combination, in a cabinet for typewriters, of the body A, the pivoted and reversible section or shelf B, and a flexible curtain, 0, having one of its edges secured to a stationary portion of the body at or near its rear side and the other edge secured to that edge of the reversible section which is at the front when arranged for use as a desk, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a type-writer cabinet, of the stationary sectional top having its inner edge beveled, and the reversible or pivoted section B,having its edgeo provided with a corresponding bevel to serve as stops and hold the part B in position when arranged for use as a desk.

4. The combination, in a type-writer cab inet,of the body A,provided with the stationary sectional top H, and the eecentrically-pivoted section or shelf B,provided with the strip b, arranged to come in contact with the stationary part H when the section B is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, in a cabinet for typewriters, of the body A, the pivoted reversible section B, and the flexible curtain G, the said parts being arranged to operate substantially as shown,whereby the curtain is made to close the space underneath the machine when the latter is turned downward, and thus protect the same from dust.

VILLIAM 'HORROCKS.

XVitnesses:

A. W. HAsLEnURsT, G. L. AVERY, J r.

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