Have a look at this beauty

[Mcluma]

This is trully amazing

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/ ... gTable.flv

 

[andyavast]

That really is amazing. I'd love to see drawings of the mechanism so I could fully understand it.

 

[PaulO]

You can see some more examples of their work here
http://www.dbfletcher.com/capstan/

 

[Steve Maskery]

I made one of those only last weekend

It's not just the execution of it, is it, it's the very concept of the mechanism that is amazing too.

S

 

[Raggy]

That is truly amazing, SWMBO was looking over my shoulder while I watched that, now she wants one

 

[PaulO]

She might not when you tell her they are between $50k and $70k, which is of course trifling in the scale of fitting out a super yacht, but plenty for those of us that aren't oligarchs.

 

[Mcluma]

They are a UK company,

And have a look at their prices

 

[Chris Knight]

I made one of those only last weekend
S

What a coincidence - so did I! Mine has a left hand thread though..

 

[Anonymous]

_____

 

[Philly]

Wowsers! Seen it before but still gobsmacking!
Philly

 

[TheTiddles]

well, the good news is they have patented it, so somewhere out there should be a detailed explanation of how it's done, time for a looksey round UK patent office...

Aidan

EDIT: UK patent 2396552,

 

[jonny boy]

It would be a real interesting dinner party if someone knocked the start mechanism while it's full of drinks!!

jonathan.

 

[Mcluma]

well, the good news is they have patented it, so somewhere out there should be a detailed explanation of how it's done, time for a looksey round UK patent office...

Aidan

EDIT: UK patent 2396552,

Super

thanks for that

 

[bugbear]

This is trully amazing

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/ ... gTable.flv

Makes the manual one at the last APTC look mundane!

BugBear

 

[compo]

Does anyone understand patent applications?

If I make a similar table but without the rotation and the star filler, would I be likely to be in breach?
Not really a wood issue, but I think a real issue, especially for designer makers.

 

[TheTiddles]

Does anyone understand patent applications?

If I make a similar table but without the rotation and the star filler, would I be likely to be in breach?
Not really a wood issue, but I think a real issue, especially for designer makers.

In terms of protection, a patent is worth nothing, it is a piece of paper confirming you were first, and that is it. Now, if you decide to sue someone for infringing the patent it's a very usefull thing to have. However, if you don't prosecute, it doesn't help.

I could make 50 of the things and put them in my garden, I'm sure they wouldn't care, though I'd be mightily proud of myself! If I were to then sell them they might take issue, and presuming they had kept up the payments to keep the patent valid (up to 10 years in the EU) they could try to prosecute me for the money they lost by not selling their tables as people had brought mine instead. To do this, they would have to prove in a court that my table was substantially equivalent to their patent by comparing their claims to my design, then I would end up paying the lost earnings (50 tables at lots each) plus leagal costs. However if I could show that I had made a change to the design that was not obvious (like chaning the colours) to someone 'skilled in the art' (like a cabinetmaker) then I would not have infringed their patent and would in fact have grounds for a patent myself, assuming I had not just sold a load of them, which means I had already made the invention public and therefore, not eligible for patent.

Patents exist to get people to share information, in a way that they benefit from it in the short term and we all benefit in the long run. The opposite of this is a trade secret, like the recipe for coke, how could you possibly stop people from copying it? You can't, so the solution is not to tell anyone, interestingly enough, if you try to conceal information, you can't have a patent either.

In terms of furniture designers, you can protect your designs by design registration (in the UK) or by patent (if it is novel and can be proven) but these things only help you if you are prepared to go to court over it.

Does that make sense?

Aidan

 

[compo]

WOW... :shock: I think I've got that!

It's just that it's given me an idea for something similar but working in a different way.
I read through the patent application and it seems pretty encompassing, however I don't see how they can patent the idea of an extending circular table, but only the mechanism or process.
Didn't know about patent application before putting it to market.
But to be honest, I haven't got the cash to apply for a patent so will just rely on design right.
Like you say, it's only as good in as far as you want to go.... ?!

Thanks Aidan

Sean

 

[Benchwayze]

Yes it is gobsmackingly puzzling! I have seen it before, but I thought it opened even once more, to another layer.. Unless I've seen that somewhere else!

I must confess, I don't think my skills are up to that project; even if I had the shop-space to make it and details of the mechanism. So I don't think I will be making one any time soon!

Regards
John

 

[Benchwayze]

You are quite right Compo.

There is no copyright in ideas. So if you made an expanding, circular table, with a different mechanism, then you wouldn't be infringing anyone's copyright. As Tiddles says, once the Courts saw that your mechanism was different and original, end of case.

Were there copyright on ideas, Mills & Boon would be out of business for a start. They would only be able to use one author's work and he/she would be exceedingly busy!

You could even use a storyline and adapt it. (E.g. the films, 'High Noon' & 'Outlander') Same plot, different locale, time, and characters. The first was a Western of course and the second was a Sci-fi film.)

Regards
John

 

[Paul Hardy]

Original concept dates from 1835 when John Johnstone and Robert Jupe patented the design. The huge improvement of the modern design is that the infill leaves automatically insert themselves and are stored internally. The antique version needed the leaves to be put in manually and they were stored in a separate case.

See here for an antique example.

http://www.hodsoll.com/trade/productview/403/14/8/

Paul Hardy