Improvements in Wardrobes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
Improvements in Wardrobes.
We SAMUEL BRENTNALL and SIMPSON BOOTH of the Firm of Brentnall & Co.,
Sole Agents for The Association of American Furniture Manufacturers, North
Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to that type of wardrobe having two doors carrying
mirrors on the outside.
Such exterior mirrors are as a rule available only for single reflections and
cannot be used as double reflectors because even if the doors were hinged so as to
allow the mirrors to turn towards each other, the space between is too narrow to
admit of dressing being effected there.
According to our invention we so hinge, hang or attach the doors to the wardrobe
that the said external mirrors can be turned towards each other so as to serve as
double reflectors, with ample space between for dressing purposes, while at the
same time the blank space between the doors when closed, is not increased. The
means which we employ to carry our invention into effect consist under one
practical form of metal plates secured at the top and bottom of the doorway of the
wardrobe. These plates are of reasonable length, say from 6 to 9 inches and are
slotted, the slot teriminating in a recess at the outer end of the plate. Hinge pins
or pivots extending from the door enter the slots in the plates. Under ordinary
circumstances the doors turn on these hinge pivots, but if it is desired to use the
mirrors in the indicated manner, we pull the doors in opposite directions, the pins
sliding in the slots up to the recess at the ends, whereupon the doors may be turned
so as to bring the mirrors towards each other at the proper angle. The extent to
which the doors have been slid along the slotted plates represents the increased
room between the mirrors, and this space is ample to accommodate any one dressing
between the mirrors and availing themselves of the double reflections. Stops
prevent the doors from being turned beyond a certain angle. The position or
method of locking the doors is altered to suit the changed conditions. Any
suitable antifriction means such as ball bearings or the like may be used to support
the doors when sliding. Instead of the slotted plates and pivots as described we
might use single or double links levers or toggles to carry the doors instead of the
usual hinges, the said links or toggles being hinged to the body of the wardrobe
and to the doors so as to give the additional space between the doors when opened
by practically shifting outward the supporting hinges. We might also use hinged
frames turning on pivots and permitting the sliding outwards of the encased mirror
portion of the doore, or we might have pivotted shoes also capable of allowing
relative movements of the doors so as to produce the results herein before set forth.
In short as our real invention lies in so hinging, hanging or supporting the doors of
such wardrobes in such a fashion as will permit of the said doors with their
externally applied mirrors being turned towards each other, together with the
provision of increased space between when so opened so as to permit of the mirrors
being used as dcuble reflectors for dressing purposes, we do not confine ourselves to
the indicated means for carrying the said invention into effect, any other means

page_text: substantially similar to those described or capable of producing like results being
within the scope of our invention.
Dated this 24th day of October 1896
Improvements in Wardrobes.
We SAMUEL BRENTNALL and SIMPSON BOOTH of the Firm of Brentnall & Co.,
Sole Agents for The Association of American Furniture Manufacturers, North
Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
Our said invention relates to that type of wardrobe having two doors carrying
mirrors on the outside.
Such exterior mirrors are as a rule available only for single reflections and
cannot be used as double reflectors because even if the doors were hinged so as to
allow the mirrors to turn towards each other, the space between is too narrow to
admit of dressing being effected there.
According to our invention we so hinge, hang or attach the doors to the wardrobe
that the said external mirrors can be turned towards each other so as to serve as
double reflectors, with ample space between for dressing purposes, while at the
same time the blank space between the doors when closed, is not increased. To
render our invention plainly understood we will now proceed to describe the same
more fully reference being had to the annexed sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wardrobe with the mirror doors shown in
perspective in their double reflecting position.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the lower part of the wardrobe showing the lower set
of door plates.
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of upper plates looking from above the
wardrobe.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing the plates at the bottom of the mirror
doors.
Figs. 6 and 7 show the plates at the top.
Figs. 8 and 9 show modifications of our invention.
The means which we employ to carry our invention into effect and as shown in
Figs. 1 and 7 consist under one practical form of metal plates a secured at the
bottom of the doorway of the wardrobe. These plates (one being shown in plan at
Fig. 4) are of reasonable length and are slotted as shown the slot terminating in a
recess a¹ at the outer end of the plate. Hinge pins or pivots 61 extending from a
shoe b applied to the door c enter the slots in the plates a. The plate a is formed
with a curved guard a² and stop as a³ the use of which will hereinafter be
pointed out.
A plate d corresponding to the plate a is fixed at the upper part of the wardrobe
doorway and is similarly slotted and recessed as plainly shown in Fig. 6. No
necessity however exists for furnishing this plate d with the guard and stops shown

page_text: on the plate a. In line with the plates a at the lower part of the wardrobe we also
fix plates e carrying pins el which enter slots in the foot of each door the slot
terminating in a side outlet as appears in Fig. 2 for example. Similar plates fare
fixed at the upper part of the wardrobe in line with the plates d and these plates f
carry pins falso engaging with slots in the top of the doors as clearly seen in
Figs. 3 and 6.
When it is desired to turn the mirror doors into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3 we pull the doors away from each other in opposite directions, the pins 61
and e' sliding in the slots up to the recesses at the ends, whereupon the doors may
be turned so as to bring the mirrors towards each other at the proper angle as
shown in Fig. 2. The extent to which the doors have been slid along the slotted
plates a and d represents the increased room between the mirrors, and this space is
ample to accommodate any one dressing between the mirrors availing themselves
of the double reflections. The stops a3 as on the plates a prevent the doors
from being turned beyond a certain angle as shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 4.
The stops as a guard a³ and stop pins g also serve to prevent the mirrors being
turned until such time as the pivots 6', cl occupy the recesses a', d¹ respectively.
The position or method of locking the doors is altered to suit the changed
conditions. Any suitable antifriction means such as ball bearings or the like may
be used to support the doors when sliding. Instead of the slotted plates and pivots
as described we might use single or double links levers or toggles to carry the
doors instead of the usual hinges, the said links or toggles being hinged to the body
of the wardrobe and to the doors so as to give the additional space between the
doors when opened by practically shifting outward the supporting hinges. Such
an arrangement is shown at Fig. 8 where plates & secured to the top and bottom of
the wardrobe doorway are connected to similar plates i secured to the top and
bottom of the doors by loosely pivotted links & the arrangement permitting the
doors to be closed swung out and apart and arranged to any desired angle. We
might also use hinged frames turning on pivots and permitting the sliding outwards
of the encased mirror portion of the doors, or we might have pivotted shoes also
capable of allowing relative movements of the doors so as to produce the results
hereinbefore set forth. We might also adapt the still simpler expedient of simply
pivotting the doors at the top and bottom at a point in their width in the doorway
of the wardrobe as shown at Fig. 9.
Although in this case the available space between the mirrors is much less than
the space which can be obtained under the preceding arrangements.
The essence of our invention consisting in so hinging, hanging or supporting the
doors of such wardrobes in such a fashion as will permit of the said doors with their
externally applied mirrors being turned towards each other, together with the
preferable provision of increased space between, when so opened, so as to permit
of the mirrors being used as double reflectors for dressing purposes, we do not confine
ourselves absolutely to the indicated means for carrying the said invention into
effect, any other means substantially similar to those described or capable of
producing like results being within the scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1.) Constructing wardrobes in such a manner as to permit of the doors with
their externally applied mirrors being turned towards each other so as to permit of
the mirrors being used as double reflectors for dressing purposes, substantially as
set forth and indicated.
2.) The improved means whereby the mirror doors of wardrobes can be opened
and turned at an angle towards each other and so as to provide for increased space
between when so opened in such a manner as to facilitate the use of such mirrors

page_text: C32
double reflectors for dressing purposes, substantially
and as illustrated in the drawings.
4333
herciabefore described
strug
and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1897.
For the Applicants,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents.