US379957A - horroces - Google Patents

Description

l (No Model.) f' 2 sheetssheet l1.

W. HORROCKS.

` v CABINET OR'TYPE WRITERS- No. 379,957. l PatentedMar. 27, 1888.-.'k y

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT 4 vFir-ien..

wiLLiAinnonRocKs, on ILIoN, AssIGNoR To wYoKoFF, sEAMANs a` BENEDIGT, or Nnw YORK, N. Y.-

CABINET Foa TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent' No. 379,957, dated March 27, 1888.

' Application iledl August 11l 1F87. Serial No. 246.715. (-No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HoRRocKs, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of 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 type' writers; and the invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as

' the body of the cabinet in such a manner that the hinged shelf or platform which supported the type-writer swung down and carried the .machine downward into a cavity within the case when not needed for use, there being a hinged lid which closed down over the space in such a manner as to make a desk-top for writing and similar purposes.

My present invention is designed for the same general purpose but differs materially in its construction. In this the body A of the cabinet is made in the same general form as in the former case, bubbels, in addition thereto, a raised portion, B, asshown in Figs. l and 2. In the central space I secure, byhinges n, two swinging shelves, C and D, the two being rigidly connected, so as to stand nearly at right angles, as shown in Fig. 2.

Theupper shelf, C, serves as a support for the machine I, as shown in Fig. 2, and also as a door for the raised portion B when the machine is not in use, as shown in Fig. 1. The part D, being rigidly connected to the under side of the shelf O, necessarily moves withthe latter, so that when the shelf 01's turned up to close the space in the elevated portionB of the case the part D will be brought up into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which case it closes the space in the top of the body A, and thus forms a desktop,the same as the hinged lid did in my original patent. Y

There is a space in the central portion of the raised portion B of sufcient size to lreceive the kmachine I when the shelf G is turned up,

within which` the machine will be securely housed, as shown by the dottedlinesin'Fig. 2, the parts C and D then occupying the posi` tions shown in Fig. l, in which case the cabid net looks like an ordinary businessdesk, having a raised portion, B, as is common in that class of desks.

Of course it will be understood that if it be desired to 'have the top of the desk inclined in; stead of flat or horizontal, then the partD will necessarily be'secured to the shelf Cat such an angle as will give it the required inclination when the part G is turned up to close the elevated or top portion, B, it being optional with the manufacturer to make it either way, as is customary with ordinary desks. As is well known, the standard type-.writers have a loose carriage, h, at the top, which, when the machine is turned up, as shown in dotted lines, would fall over back if n`o means were provided to prevent it. To prevent this, I pivot within the chamber of the raised portion B a two-armed lever, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper arm, d, being inclined forward, as shown, so that the carriage h of the machine will come in Contact therewith before the machine has been raised to the vertical position, the other. and shorter-farm of the lever having a weight, c, .0n it so as to hold' the arm d in contact with the carriage with suflicent force or pressure as to prevent thel carriage from falling lover back or away from the machine as the latter is turned or swung up intothe chamber E. It will be seen that while the arm d begins to bear against the carriage h some time before'the latter assumes the i vertical position, yet, being pivoted, it is free to yield as the machine is thrown up into position. l

It is obvious that instead of the weight c a spring may be substituted and be made to operate the same as shown in Fig. 3, where I roo of the chamber E at one end, with its opposite end free to slide as' the carriage is pressed against it; or a spiral spring with or without a cushion may be secured in place, as in Fig. 6, so as to press against the carriage and hold it in position, all that is required in this respect being that there shall be something which will prevent the carriage from falling over back and which will yield sufficiently to permit the machine to be swung into position in the chamber E far enough to allow the shelf C to close the same, as shown in Fig.' l.

A spring catch or bolt, a, may be secured to the shelf C and be used to fasten it in place when up, as shown in Fig. 1, and which may also be used to lock it fast to the side wall of the case when down, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired, there may be such or a similar fastening device at each side.

In order to hold the machine more firmly in position and prevent the shelf C from dropping below the desired point when turned down, I secure stops e at each side of the case, against which the desk-shelf D rests when the machine is in position for use, as shown in Fig. 2. These stops may be simply blocks secured to the side walls of the cabinet, or it may be a bar extending across from wall to Wall.

I have sh own the cabinet'of asuicient width to permit a row of drawers to be applied at each side, and when so made the raised portion B, if made of the saine width, will furnish room at each side of the chamber E for a series of shelves or pigeon-holes for blanks or the ling of letters and papers the same as in ordinary desks, they being closed by doors J, as shown in Fig. 1. Itis, however, .obvious that these may be omitted and the raised portion B be made only wide enough to form the chamber E for the reception of the machine, while the body A may be of full width, as shown. So, too, it is obvious that the body A may be made of such width only as is necessary for the machine, in which case the side drawers would of course be dispensed with, these narrower cab` inets being specially adapted for situations where room is val liable or in crowded positions.

By this construction I not only produce a very neat-appearing cabinet, which serves the twofold purpose of a case for the. type-writer and a desk, but, inV addition, I have the space under the same amply suicient for the knees of the operator when the type-writer isin use, and entirely clear when it is to be used as a desk.

To assist in counterbalancing the weight of the machine I, the hinges n' are of that class which have a strong spiral spring around their pintle, as shown detached in Fig. 7, of which there are many varieties in the market, and which, being wellknown, need not be specially described. Any other form of springhinge may be used, or a spring may be applied separately from the hinges, -if preferred.

It will be observed that the part D is attached to the shelf C just as far in front of the hinged joint as the -latter is below the top of the desk or body A, .so that when the parts are turned up to the position shown in Fig. 1 the part D will be brought on a level with the top of the part A. If it be desired to have the parts O and D each occupy the same position-that is, be brought to the same height when brought to the horizontal position-then the two parts will be united at their extreme edges, where they would be hinged.

Having thus fully described Amy invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, in a type-writer cabinet, of the body A, provided with the elevated portion B, and the shelves C D, rigidly connected to each other at an angle corresponding to the angle at which the front of the part B stands to the top of the body A, said shelves being hinged to the body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a cabinet having a chamber, E, for the reception of the typewriter when not in use, the pivoted lever or equivalent yielding device arranged to bear against the carriage h and prevent it from tipping over away from the machine, as set forth.

3. In combination with the body A, provided with the elevated portion B, the shelves C D, 9 .rigidly connected at substantially a right angle, hinged to the body, and the stop or stops e, al1 arranged to operate substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a cabinet, the combination of the body A, the raised portion B,and the hingedshelves C D, secured to each other at right angles, or nearly so, the former being provided with a bolt or fastening, a, arranged to lock the shelf C in either of the positions to which it may be turned, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM HoRRooKs;

Witnesses:

W. C. PREsooTT, WM. H. FIsKn.

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