DB Fletcher capstan tables

Sunday 10 December 2006

This is one of those things that seems impossible or at least impractical, and I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. DB Fletcher's Capstan Tables are round, but have a built-in mechanism that makes them larger when turned. Leaves in the table expand out, and the whole surface re-fits together to make another larger, seamless circle. It's like dynamic oak origami as furniture.

via: gizmodo» 4 reactions

Comments

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Julien Couvreur 11:48 AM on 11 Dec 2006

This is pretty cool.
But its impossible for the table to be round (ie. circle) in both configurations. Not that it matters really... ;-)

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Paul Downs 2:11 PM on 11 Dec 2006

This is based on a table designed bythe English cabinetmaker Robert Jupe in the 1830s. Jupe was the first to conceive of the radial opening geometry, where the top is divided into pie shaped segments that move outward as the table top is rotated. In Jupe's tables, the pentagonal leaves were manually inserted. Fletcher has advanced this one step further by automating the entire process - the key is the star shaped insert in the center. As a professional furniture designer my hat goes off to Fletcher - brilliant design and engineering.

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Jeff 9:39 PM on 12 Dec 2006

If you look at the video, it is circular in both configurations. When collapsed, the leaves drop into a circular rim. Pretty impressive piece of furniture design, if I say so myself.

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xenor 10:43 PM on 18 Dec 2006

That's a damn fine piece of engineering. I'm especially impressed at how smooth the surface is is both configurations.

I wouldn't want to get my fingers caught in the way though.

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