Frank T. June from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 198922 was issued on January 1, 1878.
This model has four thick, large wooden slats held together by a vertical cast iron rod. The patent established a way to join the slats that form seat backs and seat. The vertical standards would feature a groove and dovetailed slats would slide into place. This system offered ease of construction with few tools.
Frank T. June joined Aaron J. Hull in running the Novelty Iron Works which produced the supports and metal work for many school desk manufacturers. It later became Sterling School Furniture Company. At one time, Hull also served as President of the Sherwood School Furniture Company. A prolific inventor, Hull moved from desks to pumps in the late 1870s.
A. J. Hull from Sterling, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 99440 was issued on February 1, 1870.
This model is made of wood and cast iron. It improves the school desk in its use and combination of washers and projections. "A.J. Hull- Sterling, Ill" is painted on the backrest. The seat is closely slatted and folds straight down. The backrest is flat and therefore offers no lower back support. The desk is attached and the lid does not lift up; however, there is storage underneath the desktop. There are metal hinges on the seat. The legs flare out, and it sits on a metal base.
Aaron J. Hull was born in 1833. With F.T. June, he ran Novelty Iron Works, which later became Sterling School Furniture Company. A prolific inventor, Hull moved from desks to pumps in the late 1870s.
Charles H. Presbrey from Sterling, Illinoi,s received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 135154 was issued on January 21, 1873.
This desk features a hinge designed to minimize the damage done by friction. The wood is an oak color with iron painted black and has a novelty design to it. Dark and light colored wood alternate together. The seat folds up. The seat is curved, and the desk is attached behind the bench. There is a groove for writing utensils and storage under the desk for books. On both sides of the desk is an iron logo that is shaped as a circle. "COGGER" is carved on the wooden base, and there is a signature in black ink on top of the seat that says "Charles H. Presbrey." The monogram “A” is impressed in the lower leg support of the desk probably as a manufacturer's mark. The model is attached to a wooden base for stability, but this would not be present in the full sized desk. Disjointed parts are tied together and attached to the model, indicating an earlier repair.
Charles Presbrey was born in 1835. In 1885 Presbrey and Edward Thomas founded C.H. Presbrey & Co. taking over the Novelty Manufacturing Company, originally founded in 1869.
George Sherwood from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 69850 was issued on October 15, 1867.
Calvin W. Sherwood from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 101670 was issued on April 5, 1870.
These patents use a combination of cast iron and wood, though other suitable materials could be used. George Sherwood’s patent allowed the desk seat to be raised without striking the back of the seat. Calvin Sherwood’s patent allowed for a space leaving the back of the seat independent of the desk behind it. Because desks were frequently attached to the chair of the student in front, his patent was designed to address the problem of a student seated in front moving around and disrupting the student sitting behind.
In 1856 George Sherwood moved from Connecticut to Chicago, Illinois, where he started George Sherwood & Company, later known as the Sherwood School Furniture Company. His brother, Calvin, taught school for many years before joining his brother’s company. In addition to student desks, the company manufactured other school items as well as publishing textbooks.
John M. Mott from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 245087 was issued on August 2, 1881.
This model is made of tubular wrought iron or angle iron. It has a folding seat and folding desktop. The wood slats are pushed together to create horizontal grooves in the chair. The chair alternates between light and dark wood that is polished. It has metal legs that flare out with feet. The desk connects to the back of the backrest of the chair. There are a silver plated logo, keyhole, and an inkwell impression on the desk. There is a small gap in between the seat and backrest.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Herbert L. Andrews from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 82061 was issued on September 15, 1868.
This desk improvement is deliberately missing its wood desk box and wood seat to highlight the juncture that made the desk height adjustable. The brass arm is where the wood seat would have rested and would have been an extented hinge. The three brass legs arevconnected to a square wooden base which stabilizes the model but would not have been present in the desk produced for the classroom. The diamond-shaped patterned metal work supporting the missing desktop was advertised as Gothic. The monobloc and hinges are brass colored with two knobs so the height of the desk can be raised or lowered. The seat is adjustable in height, which allows the two parts to be held together more securely. This desk was produced by A.H. Andrews & Co. in 1870 in Chicago. It was made in six sizes and called the "Triumph School Desk." The desk got a good deal of acclaim and was exhibited at the International State Industrial Exposition in Chicago in 1873. It was displayed again at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where it won an award for "strength, durability, and good form." According to Andrews, they sold over 50,000 of these school desks yearly.
Herbert Lee Andrews was born in New Britain, Connecticut on June 6, 1844. He was educated in public schools and taught for a short period in Meriden and Plantsville, Connecticut. In 1868 he moved to Chicago and entered into manufacturing with his brother Alfred H. Andrews. They were partners in the A. H. Andrews & Co. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (1917) states that Herbert Lee Andrews was the inventor of the first folding seat school desk. He made other desks as well as opera chairs, a dustless blackboard eraser, and an ink well. He also created steel rod framed chairs, tables, and stools, which became a staple of school furniture. In 1895 he invented a steel woven fabric to be used in place of leather or plush for car seats or railroad cars.
George Sherwood from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 69850 was issued on October 15, 1867.
Calvin W. Sherwood from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 101670 was issued on April 5, 1870.
These patents use a combination of cast iron and wood, though other suitable materials could be used if desired. George Sherwood’s patent allowed the desk seat to be raised without striking the back of the seat. Calvin Sherwood’s patent allowed for a space leaving the back of the seat independent of the desk behind it. Because desks were frequently attached to the chair of the student in front, his patent was designed to address the problem of a student seated in front moving around and disrupting the student sitting behind.
In 1856 George Sherwood moved from Connecticut to Chicago, Illinois, where he started George Sherwood & Company, later known as the Sherwood School Furniture Company. His brother, Calvin, taught school for many years before joining his brother’s company. In addition to student desks, the company manufactured other school items as well as publishing textbooks.