An Improved Collapsible Bracket Device for Suspending or Supporting Articles, applicable for Household and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
TROVIVAL SIMULTIVATION.
An Improved Collapsible Bracket Device for Suspending or
Supporting Articles, applicable for Household and other
Purposes.
I, ARTHUR BRAMHALL of 2, Cunard Road, Litherland, Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Corresponding Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the rails usually affixed to the mantels of most kitchen
fire places below the shelf for convenience in "airing" or warming articles of
clothing and for similar purposes.
At present a single rail, usually a piece of brass tubing, is affixed by hangers or
brackets and is found of great utility.
Now the object of my invention is to provide a device comprising several rails
which gives a correspondingly greater extent of accommodation, but which can be
readily placed out of the way when not in use.
The invention consists essentially in providing a series of rails and a pair of
brackets or hangers as supports for said rails, said supports being adapted to be
collapsed with the rails against the mantel when not in use, and to be readily
extended with the rails when required.
In carrying out the invention, I prefer to form the supports as rolling brackets
by pivotally connecting together a number of links and cheeks in the form of a
chain flexible in one direction only, which can thus be readily coiled up on a roller,
but which will not bend in the opposite direction when extended. For this
purpose each link is preferably formed as a segment of a circle or suitably curved
and connected to the succeeding link by means of a pair of side plates or cheeks,
the connections being made by pivots or pius in a suitable manner to produce a
series of hinge-like joints. Shoulders are formed on the links to engage the side
plates or cheeks when the bracket is extended to support the hinges from below
and thus prevent the chain bracket from bending downwards, whilst not interfering
with the free bending of the chain upwards. The links preferably decrease in
width (and also if desired in thickness) towards the outer end of the bracket, and
the cheeks are made of greater height than the links so as to prevent lateral
displacement when winding up the bracket.
.
attach a pair of brackets such as above, one to each end of a roller having a
spring attachment similar to the roller of a spring blind, and to the brackets at
suitable intervals 1 attach a series of rails, say four, for instance, the connection
being made to either the cheeks or the links in any suitable manner.
The spring roller is attached to the mantel by rigid brackets or any ordinary
means of support, and a projection is provided at some suitable point at each side
such as the foot of the rigid bracket over which to engage one of the links when
the rolling brackets have been extended, and this acts to prevent a recoil of the
brackets when in use, and to support the brackets and rails at a suitable angle when
extended. This projection may, if desired, such as where a heavy strain is liable
to be placed on the brackets, be placed lower down in order to better support the
brackets.

page_text: As in many cases, the articles suspended on these rails are damp, I prefer to
form my improved device of non-corrosive metal.
It will be readily understood that whilst I have described one form of carrying
out the invention, various modifications may be adopted without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
It is also obvious that the improved device may be attached to any suitable
place other than to a mantel for any similar purpose.
Dated this 19th day of March 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Collapsible Bracket Device for Suspending or
Supporting Articles, applicable for Household and other
Purposes.
I, ARTHUR BRAMHALL, of 2, Cunard Road, Litherland, near Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Corresponding Clerk, 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 :-
This invention relates to the rails usually affixed to the mantels of most kitchen
fire places below the shelf for convenience in "airing" or warming articles of
clothing and for similar purposes.
At present a single rail, usually a piece of brass tubing, is affixed by haugers or
brackets and is found of great utility, but such hangers or brackets are not adapted
to be collapsed.
Now the object of my invention is to provide a device comprising several rails
which gives a correspondingly greater extent of accommodation, but which can be
readily placed out of the way when not in use.
The invention consists essentially in providing a series of rails and one or more,
preferably a pair of brackets or hangers as supports for said rails, said supports
being adapted to be collapsed with the rails against the mantel when not in use, and
to be readily extended with the rails when required.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved arrangement attached to a inantel
and extended for use;
Figure 2 a front elevation of one end only;
Figure 3 a partial end elevation ;
Figures 4 and 44 clevation and plan of a link of the chain bracket, and
Figures 5 and 5^ elevation and plan of the side plates or cheeks of the chain
bracket.
In carrying out the invention, I prefer to form the supports as rolling brackets
by pivotally connecting together a number of links a and cheeks b in the form of a
chain flexible in one direction only, which can thus be readily coiled up on a
roller d, but which will not bend in the opposite direction when extended. For
this purpose each link a is preferably formed as a segment of a circle or suitably
curved and connected to the succeeding link by means of a pair of side plates or
cheeks similarly curved, the connections being made by pivots or pins in a
suitable manner to produce a series of hinge-like joints. Shoulders care formed on

page_text: the side plates or cheeks b (Figures 5 and 54) to engage the ends of the links a
when the bracket is extended to support the hinges from below and thus prevent
the chain bracket from bending downwards, whilst not interfering with the free
bending of the chain upwards. These shoulders may if desired be formed on the
links a but are preferably formed on the side plates 6 by partly cutting them and
bending inwards the part thus eut as shown. The links a and plates & preferably
decrease in thickness and also if desired in width towards the outer end of the
chain bracket to secure lightness.
I attach a pair of chain brackets such as above, one to each end of a roller d
having a spring attachment similar to the roller of a spring blind and to the chain
brackets at suitable intervals I attach a series of rails e, say three for instance, the
connection being made to either the cheeks b or the links a in any suitable manner.
The attachment to the roller may be effected by means of a lug placed on the
roller and secured by a screw passed through from the inside of the roller, the
first link of the chain being pivoted to said lug.
The spring roller is attached to the mantel by rigid brackets for any ordinary
means of support, and a projection g is provided at some suitable point at each
side, such as the bottom of the rigid bracket f over which to engage one of the
links a when the rolling brackets have been extended, and this acts to prevent a
recoil of the chain brackets when in use and to support the chain brackets and
rails at a suitable angle when extended. This projection may, if desired, such as
where a heavy strain is liable to be placed on the chain brackets, he placed lower-
down in order to better support the brackets. The link a which engages the
projection 9 is formed with a projecting part a' to effect the engagement. This.
part a' serves also to carry the rail and each of the links which carry a rail are
similarly formed so that the rails will permit of a better rolling of the chain brackets..
In use, the device is pulled out to the extent of say one, two or three rails as
required and then hooked onto the projection y to retain it in position as shown in
Figure 3. To collapse the same it is simply raised to clear the projections g and then
allowed to run up on the roller under the spring action of the latter, finally locking
on the last link a², Fig. 1, which is suitably formed to engage the projection g. In
the form shown in the drawings, the outermost ends of the chain brackets are
arranged farther apart than the ends attached to the roller, the rails being
graduated in size. The coils of the chain will thus lie side by side as wound on
the roller as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The chain brackets can however
be arranged parallel to each other in which case however they will wind up in a.
coil of gradually increasing diameter instead of in the form just described, and in
such case the side plates & should be made of greater height than the links in.
order to prevent lateral displacement.
As in many cases, the articles suspended on these rails are dainp, I prefer to
form my improved device of non-corrosive metal or suitably strong metal covered
with a non-corrosive substance.
It will be readily understood that whilst I have described one form of carrying.
out the invention, various modifications may be adopted without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
It is also obvious that the improved device may be attached to any suitable.
place other than to a mantel for any similar purpose."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An improved collapsible bracket device for suspending or supporting articles,.
applicable for household and other purposes, which consists of one or more parallel
rails carried by collapsible or rolling brackets having means for retaining them
when extended for use, substantially as herein before described.
2. In a supporting or suspending device of the kind described, a rolling or
collapsible bracket in the form of a chain having its links or side plates so formed.

page_text: as to admit of flexion of the chain in one direction only, whereby said chain may
be extended as a bracket or collapsed or wound up when not in use substantially as
herein before set forth.
3. In a supporting or suspending device of the kind described, the combination
of a spring roller and collapsible brackets adapted to be wound thereon by the
recoil of the roller spring, said brackets having means for retaining them when in
their extended position, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
4. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming
the improved collapsible bracket device for suspending or supporting articles,
applicable for household and other purposes substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 18th day of December 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.