Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887
Communicated from abroad by CHABLES HENRY THEODORE CLAWS, OI St. Louis, in
the United States of America, Manufacturer.
I WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY, of the firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Consulting Engineers and Patent Agents, 156 Strand in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Wardrobes as usually constructed can only be made of a certain height in view of
the fact that if made higher the upper parts are of no account because of the difficulty
of reaching that part of the device, and consequently in order to obtain sufficient room
their plan section must be enlarged accordingly. My improved wardrobe is designed
to remedy these defects by providing a structure considerably higher in proportion to
its plan section, and formed with an adjustable top or deck-piece secured in position
beneath the ceiling of the room by means of a central post adjustable by means of
screws, and around the said deck-plate the upper ends of the sides of the wardrobe,
having on one side within a series of independent compartments entirely filling it, the
lower one provided with shelves and hinged laterally and so disposed as to be opened
outwardly, while those above have cords or pulleys attached thereto, so that they may
be raised or lowered when the lower one is swung outwardly. This permits of the
upper ones being lowered when it is desired to place within or remove articles from
them, while the other side is provided with a series of rope or other flexible racks that
may also be raised and lowered by means of pulleys at the top of the device, and thus
the entire inner part of the wardrobe used without reference to the vertical height of
the same, which would not be possible in a wardrobe as ordinarily constructed, all of
which will be fully set forth.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved wardrobe. Fig. 2 is a transverse
vertical central section; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section; Fig. 4, a side view of the
device with the lower case opened outwardly, showing one of the upper apartments

page_text: somewhat lowered; Fig. 5, a view of the flexible pendent racks; Fig. 6 is a detail,
partly in section, to show the means for raising or lowering the post. Fig. 7 is a plan
view of the deck-plate to be hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 8 is a perspective
view of the base block D¹ of the post D; Fig. 9 is a detail view showing the con-
struction of the central post D.
In the accompanying drawings, A represents a wardrobe-frame, formed higher in
proportion to the plan section than the ordinary wardrobe. The front side is provided
with the usual doors, B, and the end provided with two doors, C, independent of each
other and one above the other, as shown in Fig. 1. Centrally within this device I
have a post, D, provided at its upper part with a top ceiling-piece or deck-plate, E,
which is designed to rest beneath the ceiling of the room. This deck-plate is provided
with pulleys o, o, and a cross-bar b, in which is a cavity c, to accommodate the top k
of the post D, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The post D is to be of such a length as to
press the said deck-plate upwardly against the said ceiling, and thus hold it securely
in position, and in order that this may be effective the lower end of the said post is
provided with a screw, d, which fits into a base block, D, or any desired seat. The
post can now be easily turned by hand or by a tool, so that any desired tension may
be obtained upon the post, and thus the top-piece E can be pressed as closely against
the ceiling as desired. After the post has been thus adjusted, if any part of the
screw d, be left standing out of the top of the base block D, it may be covered with
the two part top p. This deck-plate being secured in position, the side casing or
frame of the wardrobe is securely attached thereto by means of screws, so that the
entire device is thus held permanently in position wherever it may be stationed.
This post D may be provided with a series of hooks, F, for the reception of articles of.
wear. At one side of this post D, occupying one part of the wardrobe, 1 provide a
series of shelved compartments. Two of these cases or compartments G are placed in
the upper part of the wardrobe and are suspended in position by means of a cord, H,
extending over a pulley, I, secured to the lower face of the deck-piece E, so that the
said compartments may be raised or lowered into position. Beneath these compart-
ments G, and at the lower part of the wardrobe, I provide a single case or compart-
ment J, hinged laterally to the side of the wardrobe, as shown at K, and so disposed
that it may be opened outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. This permits of the upper
compartments, G, being lowered into the position which was before occupied by the
lower compartment, J, and thus either of the compartments G can be reached.
Afterward these compartments G may be returned to their original position in the
top of the wardrobe and secured there by means of a cord, being tied or securely
attached to any suitable point in the side of the wardrobe and thus make room for
the return of the compartments J, to its original position. These compartment G
and J may either have a series of shelves, L, therein or without them, as desired,
for the reception of larger articles of wear; but I prefer them with the usual
shelving.
In the opposite side of the wardrobe the compartment M has a series of flexible-
rope racks. N, attached to the deck-frame E by means of pulleys O, as shown in
Fig. 2, which permits of their being raised and lowered. To these ropes are fixed the
cross-rods n, provided with hooks n³, for the reception of articles of different kinds
and sizes, such as coats, &c., which cannot be conveniently stowed away in the com-
partments G and J. These flexible ropes N are shown in Fig. 5.
It is obvious that any number of racks N may be used in the device, and so I do
not limit myself to any special number; and it is also obvious that the same may be
said of the adjustable compartments G and J. The principal feature of the device,
as will be noticed, consists in the knock-down qualities of the frame-work, with the
supporting-post centrally, and the adjustable racks and compartments, so that the
wardrobe may take up the entire height of the room and thus greatly add to
the capacity of the device.
•
At times it is necessary to place the wardrobe in a room having a higher ceiling
than the room for which it was expressly designed, and in order that it may be made
stationary between the floor and ceiling I provide a series of supports at its lower end.

page_text: These vertical pieces rest upon the floor while their upper ends are secured by screws
or otherwise attached to the inside of the wardrobe-frame, and thus the height of
the wardrobe is adjusted to various rooms.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this invention and how
the same is performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I now
hereby declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :—
1. In a knockdown wardrobe, a ceiling-piece or deck-plate, combined with a post,
which constitutes its central support, and having at its lower end a screw whereby
said piece or plate can be adjusted to any desired height, substantially as described.
2. In combination with a wardrobe, the flexible-rope racks N, having cross-rods,
provided with hooks n', and pulleys O, whereby said racks can be suitably adjusted
for the reception of articles of clothing, substantially as described.
3. A knockdown wardrobe provided with adjustable ceiling or top-piece, whereby
the wardrobe can be made to fit snugly between the floor and ceiling in a room of any
height.
4. The combination, in a knockdown wardrobe, of a pair of shelved compartments, G,
in the upper part of the wardrobe, adjustable vertically by means of cords attached to
the upper part of the said compartments extending over pulleys secured to the deck-
frame, and beneath the said compartments a third compartment, J, hinged laterally to
the side of the wardrobe, so as to be opened outwardly and thus permit of the upper
shelves, G, being lowered so as to be accessible, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of August 1887.
WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY.