IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES AND CLOSETS FOR DRYING LINEN OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS.”
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford and Frederick Bolton, both of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STOVES AND CLOSETS FOR DRYING LINEN OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford and
Frederick Bolton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th
April 1880.
THOMAS BRADFORD and FREDERICK BOLTON, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES AND CLOSETS FOR DRYING LINEN OR
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS."
This Invention consists of a novel arrangement of folding screens of such a
portable character that they can be readily folded into a flat form or removed in
parts and fixed as a whole in any position.
When expanded or fixed as a whole they form a square or rectangular shaped
enclosure, so arranged that one of the sides, or a portion thereof, may form an
entrance door, and also that one or more of the horizontal folds that form the top
of the enclosure shall also open and shut so as to admit of the enclosure being filled
with the linen or other fabrics that it is intended to dry.
The soveral screens or folds forming the inclosure we propose to hinge together
at the sides and to hold in position by means of stay rods or rails made of wood or
other suitable material, which stays also are intended to serve as the drying rails
for the heavier kinds of domestic articles, such as blankets, counterpanes, and so
forth.
And in the intermediate spaces between these rails we propose to fix a further
series of lines made of cord or wire with eyes or hooks at the ends of the same in
such a manner that they can be instantly fastened in position to support the
smaller articles of domestic linen, or released for the removal of the said linen
articles.
We propose to heat the closet by a small stove of light and portable construction
to be inserted in an opening made in one side of the inclosure exactly, or as near
as possible, corresponding with the shape or configuration of the stove, and which
stove is carefully guarded by a wire screen which effectually protects the linen
Price Gd1

page_text: from coming into dangerous contact with it; the stove is so arranged and
constructed that the required heat can be obtained by the consumption of coal,
coke, charcoal, or gas; a novel feature of this stove being that the flue which
carries off the products of combustion into any ordinary fire place or chimney is
also constructed in such a manner that it carries into the same fire place or chimney
the moisture evaporated by the heat from the wet linen.
As a further improvement we propose to dispenso with the special stove and to
make the side of the closet in which the stove would otherwise be placed in such a
manner that the heat of an ordinary kitchen or other fire would be radiated into
the closet, and the moisture thereby evaporated from the wet linen carried into
the chimney of the same fire place.
A further modification of the closet is that we also propose to arrange the interior
so that one or more of Bradfords Patent radial drying horses (Patent dated May
28th, 1869, No. 1636) can be used in it for placing the wet linen upon, either in
conjunction with or without the aforesaid drying rails and lines, and that the said
"radial" horse shall be kept in motion when desirable by mechanical or other
means, so that the drying process may be further facilitated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Bradford and Frederick Bolton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th October 1880.
THOMAS BRADFORD and FREDERICK BOLTON, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES AND CLOSETS FOR DRYING LINEN AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS."
This Invention consists principally of a novel arrangement of folding screens of
such a portable character that they can be readily folded into a flat form or
removed in parts and fixed as a whole in any required position.
When expanded and fixed as a whole they form a square or rectangular shaped
inclosure or closet so arranged that one of the sides, or a portion thereof, may form
an entrance door, and also that one or more of the horizontal folds which form the
top of the inclosure or closet shall also open and shut so as to allow the linen or
other fabric that it is intended to dry to be hung upon rods and lines therein.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention we will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
we have annexed hereto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing is an elevation showing the closet or screens
folded together for stowage or removal, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the
same when expanded and fixed as a closet with the special stove adapted thereto.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the same when folded, and Figure 4 is a plan
view of the same with the cover removed.
The several screens or folds a, b, c, d, e, f, forming the inclosure or closet we
propose to hinge together at the sides and top, and to hold them in position by
means of stay rods or rails y, y, made of wood or other suitable material, which
stays are also intended to serve as the drying rail for the heavier kinds of domestic
articles, such as blankets, counterpanes, and so forth, and in the intermediate spaces
between these rails we propose to fix a further series of lines g*, g*, made of cord
or wire with eyes or hooks at the end of the same in such a manner that they can
be instantly fastened in position to support the smaller articles of domestic linen, or
released for the removal of the said linen articles. In some cases we propose to
employ additional bars or rods in place of these lines. The part d* of the side d
forms a door as above described (see Figure 4). By preference the cover is made to
lift off the top of the closet.
We propose to heat the enclosure or closet by means of a small stove h, h, of light
and portable construction to be inserted in an opening made in one side of the
enclosure, such opening exactly (or as near as possible) corresponding with the
shape or configuration of the stove, and which stove is carefully guarded by a wire
screen i, i, which effectually prevents the linen from coming into dangerous contact
with it. The stove h, h, is so arranged and constructed that the required heat can
be obtained by the consumption of coal, coke, charcoal, or gas; a novel feature of
the stove being that the flue k, k, which carries off the products of combustion into
any ordinary fireplace or chimney is surrounded by an exterior flue or pipo l, l,
which carries into the same fire place or chimney the steam or moisture evaporated
by the heat from the wet linen.
As a further improvement we sometimes propose to dispense with the special
stove h, h, and to make the side of the closet in which the stove would otherwise
be placed open in such a manner that the heat of an ordinary kitchen or other

page_text: open fire would be radiated into the closet, and the moisture thereby evaporated
from the wet linen carried into the chimney of the said fire place.
As another modification of the closet we also propose to arrange the interior so
that one or more of Bradford's Patent radial drying horses (Patent dated 28th May
1869, No. 1636) can be used in it for placing the wet linen or other articles upon,
cither in conjunction with or without the aforesaid drying rails and lines, and that
the said "radial horse" shall be kept in motion when desirable by mechanical or
other means so that the drying process may be further facilitated.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the saine is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention,―
First. The construction of a portable or folding drying closet, substantially in
the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings; and,
secondly, we claim the adaptation thereto of the portable stovo having an outer
flue or pipe surrounding the ordinary one for carrying off the steam or moisture
into an ordinary fire place or chimney, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Bradford and Frederick Bolton, havo
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.