IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR. DRYING OR AIRING LINEN OR OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Soutter, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, Turner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR.
DRYING OR AIRING LINEN OR OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL."
Sealed the 8th February 1859, and dated the 18th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Soutter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th.
December 1858.
I, JAMES SOUTTER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Turner,..
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN:
APPARATUS FOR DRYING OR AIRING LINEN. OR OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING.
APPAREL," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of open frames.
for exposing linen or other articles of wearing apparel to the heat of a fire, for
the purpose of drying or "airing" them.
Under one modification the linen airer consists of two plain or turned bars
of wood disposed horizontally, and connected by two longitudinal bars cut to
the length the linen airer is desired. The two end bars are raised from the
floor by suitable knobs or feet. In each of the end bars two uprights are
arranged. parallel to each other; these uprights are connected longitudinally
by cross rails, made either plain or ornamental; these longitudinal rails
serve as supports for placing linen thereon; other supporting rails are obtained

page_text: by securing to each pair of uprights a horizontal bar, which extends outwards
beyond the upper longitudinal rails; short vertical pieces are connected to the
extremities of the horizontal bars. These vertical pieces have fitted to them
cross rails, which form supporting bars parallel with, but lower than the upper
longitudinal rails before described.. A's thus arranged, this linen airer is
capable of exposing a large surface of linen to the fire, at the same time it is
more compact, and stands firmer than the frames in ordinary use; the smaller
sizes may
be conveniently used as towel stands, and for this purpose may be
made in various kinds of ornamental wood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Soutter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SOUTTER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Turner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Soutter, Her special license that I, the said James
Soutter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Soutter, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRYING OR AIRING LINEN OR OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING
APPAREL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Soutter,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause, the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE; that I, the said James Soutter, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow

page_text: ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of open
frames for exposing linen or other articles of wearing apparel to the heat of a
fire, for the purpose of drying or "airing" them.
Under one modification the linen airer consists of two plain or turned bars
of wood disposed horizontally, and connected by two longitudinal bars cut to
the length the linen airer is desired. The two end bars are raised from the
floor by suitable knobs or feet. In each of the end bars two uprights are
arranged parallel to each other; these uprights are connected longitudinally by
cross rails, made either plain or ornamental; these longitudinal rails serve as
supports for placing linen thereon. Other supporting rails are obtained by
securing to each pair of uprights a horizontal bar, which extends outwards
beyond the upper longitudinal rails; short vertical pieces are connected to the
extremities of the horizontal bars.. These vertical pieces have fitted to them
cross rails, which form supporting bars parallel with, but lower than, the upper
longitudinal rails before described. As thus arranged, this linen airer is
capable of exposing a large surface of linen to the fire, at the same time it is
more compact, and stands firmer than the frames in ordinary use; the smaller
sizes may be conveniently used as towel stands, and for this purpose they may
be made in various kinds of ornamental wood.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be
judiciously carried out in practice.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of illustrative Drawings is a longitudinal elevation or
side view of one modification of my improved linen airer, and Figure 2 is an
end elevation corresponding to Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevation. of an
improved linen airer differently arranged to the modification shown in Figures
1 and 2; Figure 4 is an end view corresponding to Figure 3.
.
According to the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2 on. my Drawings,
the vertical parts of the airer are supported in two base blocks or feet A; these
are arranged parallel to each other, and are connected by means of a pair of
turned wooden bars B, the ends of which are fastened into the feet A. These
parts of the airer are carved, turned, and polished, or otherwise ornamented
according to the style in which the article is to be got up. Two holes are
made in each of the feet A, near to the ends of the central part, and in these
holes are fixed the standards C; these are slender pillars of wood turned and

page_text: polished to correspond to the feet A. The end standards C have fitted to them
the two end cross rails D, which extend outwards in a lateral direction over-
hanging the feet A. In the extremities of the rails D are fixed the short
upright pillar pieces E, which serve to connect the cross rails D with the
corresponding horizontal rails F. The ends of the rails F are connected to
each other by the longitudinal rails G, which form the lowest of the series of
horizontal rails on which the clothes are hung. A corresponding pair of rails
is obtained by fitting to the extremities of the end cross rails F the pillar
pieces H, in the upper ends of which are fastened the rails I, that extend
longitudinally and parallel to the lower pair of rails G. The end standards C
are in this modification made so as to extend above the rails I, and each
extremity is connected to the standard at the opposite end of the airer by the
rails J. According to this mode of arranging these articles of domestic use,
there are six rails on which articles of wearing apparel can be disposed for the
purpose of "airing," so that a much larger surface is obtained, and the work
is done in a shorter time than can be effected with linen airers of the ordinary
construction.
Another and very compact mode of arranging my improved linen airers is
shown in the front and end elevations, Figures 3 and 4, on the accompanying
Drawings. In this modification the feet A are connected with each other by.
the rails B, the feet having fitted into them the three vertical end pillar pieces
or standards C. The outer end standards on each foot are made to correspond
with each other in height; the central standards are, however, prolonged
upwards above the outer ones. The three standards are connected with each
other and strengthened by means of the transverse rail D, and at this part
the two outer standards have fitted to them the longitudinal rails E. A fellow,
pair of rails F is fitted to the upper extremities of the outer standards G, and
advantage is taken of the upward prolongation of the central end pillars to fit
thereto the upper longitudinal rail G, which completes the series.
modification of the linen airer has one or two rails less than the arrangement
shown in Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Drawing, but is nevertheless
more compact, and occupies less space than the modification with the duplex
end standards.
This
In arranging a third modification of my improved linen airer, the feet are
connected by horizontal rails, as before described, and two vertical standards
or pillar pieces are fixed in the feet, in manner similar to the arrangement
shown in Figure 2 on the accompanying Drawings. These end standards are
of corresponding height, and they are connected and strengthened at the
central parts by
a short transverse rail extending between each pair of end.

page_text: standards. The transverse rails are united by means of a longitudinal rail, the
ends of which are fitted in the centres of the cross rails. The upper extremities
of the end standards carry the longitudinal rails which form the supports for
the articles to be aired. Arranged in this manner, with the two rails level and
parallel, the article forms a convenient towel horse as well as a linen airer.
In some cases I prefer to arrange the linen airer upon a circular stand or base,
in which is fitted a foot piece carrying the end standards and longitudinal
supporting rails. The foot piece and the upper parts are made to rotate upon
a pivot which works in the stand or base; in this manner the linen airer is
readily turned round upon its centre, so that the outer sides of the articles
arranged upon the rails may be easily exposed to the fire without shifting
them from one rail to another.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I'
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the arrangement
and construction of apparatus for drying or airing linen, in which improved
apparatus an increased surface is obtained, combined with economy of space
and facility of use, as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Soutter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES SOUTTER. (L.S.)