Improved Apparatus for Heating, Drying, or Airing.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Heating, Drying, or Airing.
I, HENRY HARGREAVES, of 38, Mount View Road, Finsbury Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as
follows:-
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention is intended to be employed
more especially for the purpose of drying and airing domestic linen, and the like,
thus obviating the employment of clothes-horses with the attendant dangers of being
upset on to the fire, or the articles thereon being blown or drawn into contact with
the fire, and with the disadvantages of occupying the position opposite the fire and
making it a difficult matter to use the said fire for other purposes while the clothes
horse is in use.
According to my invention I employ an apparatus which consists of a flat vertical
hox or casing or series thereof, of sheet iron copper, or other suitable metal or
material, corrugated or not, the two sides of which preferably meet at the top in a
semi-cylindrical curve. The two ends are closed by plates the edges of which
preferably project so as to form flanges. The bottom of the box or casing is more or
less open, and the whole is suitably supported in such a manner as to leave a space
between the open bottom and the floor. A gas pipe with any convenient number of
jets or burners extends from end to end of the box or casing at or near the bottom
thereof, and an extension or branch of this pipe may be conveniently provided for
the purpose of carrying a supplementary burner for boiling purposes. Provision
may also be made whereby laundry irons may be supported in proximity to the jets
or burners when required. The clothes or other articles to be dried or aired may be
hung over the top of the casing itself, or if preferred, rods, wires, or net-work may
be provided so as to allow such articles to come reasonably close to the casing with-
out actually coming into contact therewith. In some cases I provide a fender or
railing around the box or casing on which other clothes may be hung preparatory to
being finished on the apparatus itself. Suitable doors or flaps may be provided for
the purpose of lighting the gas, or for cleaning out the apparatus, which is preferably
mounted on castors so that it can readily be moved from place to place, gas being
supplied by a flexible tube to the pipe containing the jets or burners. Or if gas is
not available the apparatus may be adapted to be heated by oil or spirit lamps.
In order to utilise the apparatus for heating plates, dishes, and other like articles
I provide conveniently shaped rods, bars, or ledges, the ends of which are adapted to
take into suitable openings or brackets formed in the flanged ends of the apparatus,
and plates, dishes and the like may be placed on such rods, bars, or ledges, and rest
against the heated sides of the casing. A suitable stand or rack may be provided at
one end of the apparatus to receive the abovementioned rods, bars, or ledges, when
not in use.

page_text: It will be understood that by the employment of the above described apparatus
the heat is most economically employed and great saving of time and trouble is
thereby effected.
1000
improved Apparatus for Heating, Drying, or Airing.
I, HENRY HARGREAVES, of 38, Mount View Road, Finsbury Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performned, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention is intended to be employed
more especially for the purpose of drying and airing domestic linen, and the like,
obviating the employment of clothes-horses with the attendant dangers of the articles
thereon being upset on to, or blown, or drawn, into contact with the fire, and with the
disadvantages of occupying the position opposite the fire, and making it a difficult.
matter to use the said fire for other purposes while the clothes-horse is in use.
According to my invention I employ an apparatus which consists of a flat vertical
box or casing, or a series of such casings, of sheet iron, copper, or other suitable
metal, corrugated or not, gauze or net-work, incombustible or other suitable fabric or
material, the two sides of which preferably meet at the top in a semi-cylindrical
curve. The two ends are closed by plates, the edges of which preferably project so
as to forin flanges. The bottom of the box or casing may be more or less open, and
the whole is suitably supported in such a manner as to leave a space or spaces
between the bottom and the floor. A gas pipe with any convenient number of jets
or burners is placed at or near the bottom thereof, and an extension or branch of
this pipe may be conveniently provided for the purpose of carrying a supplementary
burner for boiling purposes.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating
one form of my apparatus which I have found to give good results.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a heating, drying, or airing apparatus constructed
in accordance with my invention, Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section on
line X-X of Figures 1 and 3, Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 7-% of
Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 illustrates a device for heating laundry irons as
hereinafter more fully referred to. Similar letters relate to like parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
A A¹ are two metal end plates attached at their lower ends to the timbers B B¹
which are firmly connected together by the longitudinal timber C which latter is
preferably encased with zinc or other protective material capable of withstanding the
required degree of heat and provided with air inlet openings Cx as shewn. It will be
seen that the parts A A¹, B B and C form the base or stand of the apparatus. The
end plates are also held together by the longitudinal hinge bar D, and the curved top
bar E. Fis a cover of what is known as asbestos cloth, which I have found to be
suitable for this purpose; but if preferred such cover may be of thin sheet iron,
copper, or any other suitable metal or material. If sheet metal is employed I
provide suitable outlets for the products of combustion. One end of the asbestos
cloth cover F is sewn or bound round the bar G whence it is carried upwards and

page_text: over the curved top bar E, thence downwards to the bar H round which it is sewn or
bound. The bars G and H are attached by screws or otherwise at each of their ends
to the flanges of the plates J J', and the bar H may be further attached to the hinge
bar D if desired. The side edges of the asbestos cover F may preferably be sewn or
bound to the vertical bars K K¹ which bars may be screwed or otherwise attached to
the flanges of the plates J J. It will be seen that by this arrangement the frame-
work G, H, K, K₁ with the asbestos cloth cover F may be easily removed from the
apparatus for the purposes of repairing or cleansing when required. In order to
further strengthen the apparatus and also prevent the asbestos cloth cover I from
sagging I provide the intermediate vertical bars M. N is a gas pipe with any con-
venient number of any suitable form of burner O. One end of the pipe N is
supported by a bracket P from the longitudinal timber C, its other end passing
through a hole in the end plate A¹ as shewn, and provided if desired with a branch N
for the purpose of connecting to it any suitable or convenient form of burner or stove
for boiling purposes. Qis a door hinged to the har D as shewn by which access is
obtained to the burners O.
The apparatus is used in the following manner:-The gas is lighted, and the clothes
or other articles to be heated dried, or aired, are hung loosely over the top of the
apparatus and are allowed to depend therefrom, so that they are brought into more or
less close contact with the asbestos cloth or other cover F forming the sides of the
apparatus. And in order to increase the hanging accommodation I provide rods R
the ends of which are adapted to hook into holes A* formed in the end plates A A¹ as
shewn, and over which rods other clothing or the like may be hung. Or if preferred
cords or wires may be laced through the holes A* in the end plates A A¹ to serve the
saine purpose as the rods R. In some cases I surround the apparatus with a fender or
railing, on which articles may be hung preparatory to being finished on the apparatus
itself.
The apparatus is provided with castors T so that it may be readily moved from
place to place, and the gas connection may be made by a union, or a flexible tube
according to requirements. Or if gas is not available, the apparatus may be adapted
to be heated by oil or spirit burners.
In order to utilise the apparatus for heating laundry irons, I provide sheet iron
stands S such as shewn in side elevation, end elevation, and plan, in Figure 4. I
place one of these stands over each of the burners O, the gas pipe N passing through
the gaps S, the bottom edges of the stands S resting on the longitudinal timber C. A
laundry iron may be placed on the top of each of the stands, and will be quickly and
thoroughly heated by the burner below it. Or instead of the stands S, I may some-
times employ for the same purpose the sloping hot plate U, which may be placed in
position over the series of burners O, as shewn in Figure 2, the stems U¹ being adapted
to take into suitable sockets or staples C¹ fitted on the longitudinal timber C. This
sloping hot plate U may also be usefully employed for heating plates, dishes, and
other similar articles, and for the same purpose I provide bars W of trough-like
section the ends of which are adapted to take into the beforementioned holes A* in
the end plates A A¹. When the bars W and rods R are not in use, they may
conveniently be placed in the stand or rack V which is provided at one end of the
apparatus for their reception.
It will be understood that by the employment of the apparatus above described
the heat is most conveniently and economically employed, and great saving of time
and trouble is thereby effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. The improved apparatus for heating, drying or airing which consists of a
vertical box or casing of sheet metal, or metallic gauze or network, having a gas,
oil, or other heating apparatus at its lower part, substantially as described.

page_text: Second. The improved apparatus for heating, drying or airing which consists of a
vertical box or casing the sides of which are composed of asbestos cloth or other
incombustible fabric, having a gas, oil, or other heating apparatus at its lower part,
substantially as described.
Third. In a heating, drying, or airing apparatus of the kind herein described, a box
or casing, a gas, oil, or other heating apparatus placed at the lower part of the said box
or casing and rods or rails R for hanging clothes or other articles in close proximity
to the sides of the box or casing, combined and operating substantially as
described.
Fourth. In a heating, drying, or airing apparatus of the kind herein described, a
box or casing, a gas, oil, or other heating apparatus placed at the lower part of the
said box or casing, and bars or rails W or a sloping plate U for supporting plates or
other articles to be heated, combined and operating substantially as described.
Fifth. The use in combination with heating, drying, or airing apparatus of the
kind herein described, of stands S or a sloping plate U for the purpose of enabling
laundry irons to be heated by the heating devices of the said apparatus, substantially
as described.
Sixth. Heating, drying, or airing apparatus constructed and operating substantially
as described.