25 AUGUST 1860, Page 10

A NEW TELESCOPIC DINING-TABLE.

During the last twenty years no fewer than twelve patents have been taken out in this country and in France for the purpose of superseding the cumbrous and inconvenient mode of shifting the flaps of telescopic dining-tables, together with the unsightly flap-stand. All those patents have to a large extent been failures, with the exception of l3etjemann's, mentioned in a former number of the Spectator. Although the flap- stand in Betjemann's table is dispensed with, a great difficulty still re- mains to be overcome—that of getting the flaps into the centre of the table without injuring them. Not an easy matter, when we consider how heavy those flaps are to lift, at arms' length, across a. wide table. Besides, the table is rendered much heavier than an ordinary table, because of the complicated machinery required to work it. Mr. Lawford, of Berners Street, an architect and a designer of furniture, has, after much study and practical experiment, produced a table answering in every respect the objections made against telescopic dining-tables. His table consists of an outer and an inner frame the one sliding inside the other, as in an ordinary telescopic table. The two frames are, however, kept to- gether more firmly by a peculiar G like tongue or joint, which works in a groove made to fit it in each frame, and prevents the frame shifting either laterally or vertically. Across the middle of the inner or moveable frame is a rail, and across the fixed frame is another rail. Passing through the Centre of the end rail of the table, is a long worm or screw. This screw works into a nut attached to the rail of the fixed frame and through it to the rail of the moveable frame, where its end is secured by an iron plate. This screw is worked by a winch, and expands, or contracts the frame of the table as may be required. At each end of the frame a flap is fixed. The middle flaps are fixed to the sliding frame of the table by means of parallel sided iron frames, double the width of the thickness of the flap, with crank joints. The lower edges of these frames are fixed to the moveable frame of the table, whilst the upper edges are screwed to the flap, or flaps. When the winch is turned, the frames of the table are brought together ; the afore- said iron frames also move, and come in contact with a spring-like stop, which causes the joints to give' the flaps to subside and fall upon the table frame, and pass under the fixed flap at the end. To open the table the winch is reversed ; the centre flaps gradually retreat from under the end flaps, being aided by flannel-covered rollers which ran between the upper and lower flap, and prevent the polish from being rubbed off; the flaps then rise up in their places, and are secured firmly together in the centre joint by dowels. So easily is the whole arrangement performed, that a &Uri ten years of age can expand or contract a table twenty-seven feet long. A four foot by four foot three inch table will expand to seven feet six inches. And a four foot six square table will open to ten feet six inches. The table when closed presents a bolder and more handsome appearance than ordinary tables in consequence of the double, or treble thickness of the flaps. The price will not be increased in the new table.