Cajac Patent Table

The underside of this oak folding table is stenciled 'Trademark Cajac Patent'.

Cajac was a name used by Allan Jones & Co. of Gloucester who were better known for their Hatherley patent folding mechanism. In this case Cajac doesn't refer to the design of the folding system but rather to the quality and strength of the article. It was also applied to step ladders, card tables and lean to ladders, all of which were heavier in construction to Jones' other patent designs. The top of this table is made of tongue and groove boards and has canted corners and a beveled edge. The legs fix into position by means of a twist block that locks them, thus preventing the table from collapsing.

To fold the legs, the block is twisted out of position and the legs are opened further. In doing this, it allows you to fold an angled support bar backwards and so flatten the legs against the underside of the top. There is a shadow mark for a paper label to the underside which has long since disappeared. The size and height of this table allows it to be multipurpose, acting as an informal dining or a work table. Allan Jones were founded in 1885 and the Cajac trademark was in use at least by 1905, if not earlier. Early 20th Century.