The preview pictures of the auction did not look promising but I went anyway. It’s what I do. And I’m seeking treatment.
I looked around and saw that what seemed mundane at first was actually fairly interesting when you looked at the details. I’ve recently seen two benches with unique systems of folding. At least I hadn’t seen them before. Both are actually the same principle, legs that folds to the center locked in place by cross brace supports that also fold up. Only the details vary.
The first one has tubular cast legs:
The hook on the cross brace locks the legs in place.
To fold the bench, unhook the cross brace, fold the leg up under the cross brace and latch the hook onto the provided post. The cross brace holds the folded leg in place.
The other bench uses similar mechanism but in wood.
Cross brace locks the leg down. To fold, lift the cross brace and the leg is able to fold toward the center.
I was intrigued by this antique exam table:
especially when I saw the leg.
Then there is the matching waste receptacle:
This book shelf on secretary is not as old as some furniture:
but is has a rather interesting apparatus for supporting the slant front in the open position:
And this chest with a wooden pintle hinge:
There is a pintle screwed to the back of the chest that passes through a hole in the end of the batten attached to the lid.
I wrote about this pintle hinge in the older blog: March, Orange County.
Click HERE to see the rest of the pictures from this auction.