HOW IT WORKS: FLETCHER CAPSTAN TABLE

by Ahmed Abbas Momin

The Fletcher Capstan Table is named after designer Fletcher David, its a kind of table which automatically expands from a small size to a larger one.
It is a round table capable of doubling its seating capacity and, in process of expanding it remains truly circular. The original idea for a table of this type was designed in the nineteenth century by a man named Robert Jupe, 1835. It was called as Jupe’s table Youtube Video initially round, and had an ingenious geometry and a similarly ingenious method of making it expand radially, changing from a small size to a table of larger diameter. However, Jupe’s tables could not store their own expansion leaves, were not truly round in every stage, and were slow and laborious to operate. The Fletcher geometry is similar in concept, but different in terms of expansion leaves. It’s minor changes, according to the species of timber used, as the table expands from small to large, and shrinks vice versa.

The top surfaces is made up of six pie shaped planks (figure 1), and an outer skirt in the manner of a drum table . Below this first layer (figure 5) there consist two more layers of planks , the second is made up of six arrow shaped planks (figure 5) and, under that, a large star shaped leaf. Below all of this lies the rotating mechanism  and pushing mechanism, constructed with the combination of hard anodised aluminium and stainless steel. Table planks are made from aluminium honeycomb cored composite for absolute integrity and rigidity. The whole assembly is supported on a base of varying design.
The table can operate manually by rotation of the entire top, or electrically from a pocket sized remote control transmitting unit. All tables, be they manual or electronic, rotate through 120 degrees as they operate, and electronic tables can easily be converted to manual.

The table transforms from a small circular wooden table into a larger diameter by rotating its side while the extra wooden pieces (2nd layer planks) underneath the furniture in its small state and then automatically raises them up and adds them to the whole circular form of the table as you rotate and transform the furniture into a larger piece.

Each section is connected to an underlying frame structure, such that when the table top is rotated, the sections move radially outward, increasing the effective size of the table top . Once the table top has been rotated the left over space is filled by 2nd layer of planks which are pushed up during the process of rotating.

A method for manufacturing
Starting with table support structure and defining a central axis; mounting a table top over the table support structure such that the table top is rotatable around the central axis between a first angular position and a second angular position relative to the table support structure, wherein the table top comprises a guide plate having a plurality of guide slots and a plurality of separate table top sections disposed over a top surface of said guide plate, each table top section being movable radially along a respective one of the plurality of guide slots between a first radial position and a second radial position when the table top is rotated between the first and second angular positions relative to the table supporting structure; and providing a plurality of support elements between the guide plate and the table support structure, the support elements being arranged to support the guide plate relative to the table support structure, wherein the support elements are mounted on a portion of the table support structure, whereby the table top is arranged to rotate relative to the support elements
 Another video of the table