IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND AIRING CLOTHES." IN APPARATUS FORING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas Walton, of Aldenham Street, Saint
Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND AIRING CLOTHES."
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND AIRING CLOTHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas Walton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th June
1863.
I, NICHOLAS WALTON, of Aldenham Street, Saint Pancras, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND AIRING CLOTHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in apparatus for drying and
airing clothes, by the aid of which a greater number of clothes may be dried
and in less time than by the various apparatus at present in use.
I propose in the first place to erect in a yard or drying ground a pole or
post of about 5 or 5 feet high formed hollow, and within this space I place a
second pole supplied on one side with a metallic toothed rack. On the
outer side of the hollow pole is placed a pinion which takes into said rack;
on the upper part of the inner pole a series of horizontal arms are placed,
from the points of which ropes or cords are wound so as to form lines on which
the clothes are to be hung, after which by turning a winch handle which
actuates the pinion, the inner post is elevated and the clothes taken
up
of
Y

page_text: reach; or in lieu of the rack and pinion I propose in some instances to elevate
the inner post or pole by means of a lever.
Another form of apparatus I propose to erect varies slightly from the fore-
going inasmuch as I use only one solid post or pole of from 10 to 15 or 16
feet high, on the summit of which I erect a series of arms which are caused to
tilt over to either side by means of a hinge or joint, and a lever attached thereto,
and which lever lies in a vertical position close to the centre post or pole and
is there held securely by means of a pin, peg, or other suitable catch or fasten-
ing.
When it is desired to hang the clothes on the lines it is merely necessary to
tilt up the lever when the arms fall over on one side, coming nearer the ground
to enable the clothes to be placed on the lines. The arms can be tilted to
any required angle by placing a slotted arm beneath the lever, into which slot
a pin on the lever takes, and by means of nicks cut in said slot the pin remains
in any one of the nicks until released, thereby keeping the tilt at any required
angle.
When the clothes are hung on one side it is necessary to turn that side in
an upward direction, but as the weight of the clothes would tend to bring the
tilt back into its first position the same is obviated by the action of a spring
pin or peg which takes into the teeth of a ratchet wheel placed on the under
side of the tilt so that the tilt can be moved a short distance at a time, but
when the lines are all filled with clothes and tilted up horizontally the spring
pin becomes depressed and allows the arms to revolve in either direction.
I propose also to form clothes dryers for the house, by framing together
strips of wood in the form of an A, so that when not required for use they can
be folded up or closed together and placed on one side.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nicholas Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICHOLAS
WALTON, of Aldenham Street, Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Nicholas Walton, Her special licence that 1, the said Nicholas Walton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nicholas
Walton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree,
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR DRYING AND AIRING CLOTHES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Nicholas Walton, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nicholas Walton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists of certain improvements in apparatus for drying and
airing clothes, by the aid of which a greater number of clothes may be dried;
and in less time than by the various apparatus at present in use. I erect in a
yard or drying ground, a pole or post of about 5 or 5 feet high, formed
hollow, and within this space I place a second pole supplied on one side with
a metallic toothed rack. On the outer side of the hollow pole is placed a
pinion which takes into said rack. On the upper part of the inner pole
a series of horizontal arms are placed, from the points of which ropes or cords
are wound so as to form lines on which the clothes are to be hung, after which
by turning a winch handle which actuates the pinion, the inner post is elevated;
and the clothes taken up out of reach; or in lieu of the rack and pinion I
may elevate the inner post or pole by means of a lever.
Another form of apparatus I propose to erect varies slightly from the
foregoing inasmuch as I use only one solid post or pole of from 10 to 15 or 16
feet high, on the summit of which I erect a series of arms, which are caused
to tilt over to either side by means of a hinge or joint and a lever attached
thereto, and which lever lies in a vertical position close to the centre post or
pole, and is there held securely by means of a pin, peg, or other suitable catch
or fastening.
When it is desired to hang the clothes on the lines it is merely necessary
to tilt up the lever when the arms fall over on one side, coming nearer the

page_text: ground to enable the clothes to be placed on the lines. The arms can be tilted
to any required angle by placing a slotted arm beneath the lever, into which
slot a pin on the lever takes, and by means of nicks cut in said slot the pin
remains in any one of the nicks until released, thereby keeping the tilt at
any required angle.
When the clothes are hung on one side it is necessary to turn that side in
an upward direction, but as the weight of the clothes would tend to bring
the tilt back into its first position, the same is obviated by the action of a
spring pin or peg, which takes into the teeth of a ratchet wheel placed on the
under side of the tilt so that the tilt can be moved a short distance at a time,
but when the lines are all filled with clothes and tilted up horizontally the
spring pin becomes depressed and allows the arms to revolve in either
direction.
I also form clothes dryers for the house by framing together strips of wood
in the form of an A, so that when not required for use they can be folded up
or closed together and placed on one side. In lieu of the drying apparatus
turning round in the post at the top, it may turn by means of its gudgeon or
pin working in a socket of iron fixed at the side of the top of the post.
In order to further explain my said Invention as completely as possible,
I now refer to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 shews the apparatus
turning at the top of a post, and elevated to its bighest position; and Fig. 2
the same apparatus tilted over to receive the clothes; a is the post, and b, b, the
arms fixed in the star or cross iron socket c, having a pin or pivot descending
through the arm or lever d, a projection on which enters and works in the
slotted bar e, hinged or jointed to the post at f, by which means the degree of
tilt is controlled; g, g, are the cords or lines on which the clothes are bung.
As before stated, when the apparatus is tilted, to prevent the weight of the
clothes hung on one series of lines from bearing down that side towards the
ground while the lowermost side is being filled with clothes, a spring pin, or
peg, or pawl takes into the teeth of a ratchet wheel placed on the under side
of the tilt, so that the tilt may be moved a short distance at a time. I also
make the apparatus with a hollow lower post about half the height of the solid
post, and I make the upper half of such dimensions as to rise and fall in the
lower part. An iron rack is to be formed on the upper half, and a toothed
pinion being set on a shaft in the lower half, and worked by a winch handle,
the drying apparatus may easily be lowered and raised, whereby the necessity
for tilting the apparatus is obviated. The apparatus may also be used as a
tent by covering it with canvas or other suitable material. A modification
in the arrangement of the tent may be effected with regard to the drying

page_text: apparatus which works by the rack and pinion, by hinging or jointing the armis
to the top of the small upper post, which may in such case consist of hollow
metal tubing. From the top of the lower post, on a fixed ring, braces are
hinged extending to the arms, which may consist of bamboo, cane, or other
light material; thus, when the apparatus is raised by the winch, the braces
will expand like an umbrella, and throw the arms open or outwards into
positions obliquely to the centre post. I then connect poles from the ground
to the ends of the arms, and the entire construction being covered with
canvas, or other suitable fabric, a tent will be formed which can be lowered
like an umbrella and rendered easily portable.
Having now described my said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed; I would remark in conclusion that I do not limit
myself to the precise details and configuration of parts herein expressed and
shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified without departing
from the principles thereof; but what I claim and desire to be secured to me
by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are the general arrangement and
combination of parts substantially as described and illustrated (in part) con-
stituting the "Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Airing Clothes,"
as set forth in the title hereof..
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Walton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
RICHARD BELL,
11, King St., Manchester.
NICHOLAS WALTON. (L.8.)