CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE OR STATIONARY WARDROBES.”
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Fisher, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Banker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTABLE OR STATIONARY WARDROBES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Fisher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th May 1871.
"
I, HENRY FISHER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Banker, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE OR STATIONARY WARDROBES," to be as follows (that
is to say) :-
:―
.
My Invention consists in making the exterior cases of wardrobes
stationary with one or more openings for internal access, while the
internal fittings for hanging or suspending garments are so arranged
that they may be readily revolved or turned around so as to present
to the opening the garment desired, and the same object may be effected,
by making the interior stationary and the exterior to revolve, or both

page_text: interior and exterior may revolve if preferred, but as the former is more
consistent I will describe my Invention as applied to a wardrobe of
that description, say of a round, square, or polygonal form, or otherwise
shaped to suit any angular recess or position required.
In giving effect to my Invention the arms, pins, or hooks, for sus-
pending the garments may radiate from a vertical central upright
attached pendantly to a ceiling plate fitted with or to an axis descending
from the dome or top, thus permitting of ready and convenient revolution
being imparted to the interior or exterior as preferred. The dome or top
may be supported on or connected to a metallic, wood, or composition ]
cornice, sustained on an outside case of wood or metallic panelling, or
by tubular or other formed standards, fitted with drapery over the
intermediate parts in such a way as to permit of ready and convenient
access to the interior for hanging up or removing garments.
In some instances the lower or base portion may also be arranged
for holding boots and shoes or other articles of dress, and may revolve
on the central upright before referred to, or on a central axis extending
downwards through the bottom of the case, so as to be readily revolved
and thereby bring the particular articles wanted to the opening for
inspection or removal, or this base part may be fixed or stationary if
so preferred.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 2
FISHER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Banker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty- 3
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Fisher, Her special license that
I, the said Henry Fisher, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Henry Fisher, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, 3

page_text: from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTABLE OR STATIONARY WARDROBES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Fisher, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal, 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 Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Fisher, 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 following statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in making the exterior cases of wardrobes
stationary, with one or more openings for internal access, while the
internal fittings for hanging or suspending garments are so arranged
that they may be readily revolved or turned around so as to present
to an arranged doorway or opening the garment desired, and this same
object may be effected by making the interior stationary and the
exterior to revolve, or both interior or exterior may revolve if preferred,
but as the former (that is, for the interior to revolve and the exterior
to be stationary) is more consistent, I will describe my Invention as
applied to a wardrobe of that description, and which may be of a
round, square, or polygonal form, or otherwise shaped to suit any
angular recess or position required.
In giving effect to my Invention the arms, pins, or hooks, for sus-
pending the garments may radiate from a vertical, central, upright
attached pendantly or otherwise to a ceiling plate fitted with or to an
axis descending from the dome or top, thus permitting of ready and
convenient revolution being imparted to the interior or exterior as
preferred. The dome or top may be supported on or connected to a
metallic, wood, or composition cornice, sustained on an outside case of
wood or metallic panelling, or by tubular or other formed standards
fitted with drapery over the intermediate parts, in such a way as to
permit of ready and convenient access to the interior for hanging up
or removing garments.

page_text: In some instances the lower or base portion may also be arranged
for holding boots and shoes or other articles of dress and may revolve
on the central upright before referred to, or on a central axis extending
downwards through the bottom of the case, so as to be readily revolved,
and thereby bring the particular articles wanted to the opening for
inspection or removal, or this base part may be fixed or stationary if
so preferred.
The advantages derived from my Invention may be enumerated as
economy in cost, additional utility and portability, as such wardrobes
may be so constructed as to render them capable of being collapsed or
packed in a small space for exportation and yet possessing all the
advantages both as to cleanliness and security obtained by the more
costly, cumbersome wardrobes now generally used, as reference to the
Drawings hereunto annexed will fully show.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents as much of a wardrobe necessary for describing my
Invention, and which said wardrobe is represented as made principally
of wood of an octagon shape, as seen in the transverse section, Fig. 2,
taken through the dotted line a, b, of Figure 1, the top being supported
on the vertical stays c, d, e, f, g, h, and i. The base may be constructed
and shaped as here shown or otherwise without affecting my Invention,
and this remark also applies to the dome A and terminal ornament B.
The door occupies two sides. of the octagon and is represented open
marked C, C. Concentric with the bottom, Figure 2, is placed a central
rod of iron marked j, j, which may be screwed into a bottom plate
marked k, k, and fixed with screws as here shown, while the top end of
the rod is screwed for screwing into the terminating ornament B,
which may be of wood, metal, earthenware, or part metal, and part
earthenware; and by way of particularizing the mode of constructing
or finishing a wardrobe herein exhibited in skeleton, I will remark
that the octagon sides or panels may be of wood or with drapery plain
or fluted, stretching from below the cornice to the floor above the base,
the nails used by the upholsterer with such kind of finish being covered
with gimp or fringe top and bottom, a mode of finish well understood
by upholsterers, and in like manner the door may be covered. The
dome may also be of the same description of fabric gored to the shape
here shown and held up by a helical spring placed on the top of the
central rod (hereafter referred to) in the manner in which the central.

page_text: parts of parasols are held up, but instead of covering the dome or panels
with ornamental fabric as described, they may be first covered with a
suitable woven fabric such as brown holland, and papered and varnished,
such paper being stained to represent wood or pictorial designs after
the manner in which ordinary wall papering is produced. This mode
of finish would be very economic and easily renovated, whilst the wood
of the base and top could be painted and stained if desired.
The internal fittings in connection with the central rod I have exhibited
detached at Fig. 3, and on which centre rod I purpose placing a disc
of wirework marked 1, 1, connected by the wirework arms m, m, to a
wirework disc marked n, n, for the sake of portability. The arms m, n,
have terminal bent ends which fit into loops marked o, o, and p, p,
which loops are secured triangularly to a tube shown in section which
passes down over the central rod and rests on the boss k; thus I impart
to the table part and lower divisions the quality of being revolved, so
that any part of them can be presented at the door. In fabricating the
disc n, n, of wirework arms may be formed in the same of curved wire
readily elevated for forming a stand for a hat, cap, or bonnet, and yet
be readily laid down without presenting projections when not required,
a skilled wireworker will readily understand this, and although I have
described this of wirework, of course it may be readily produced of
other material without affecting the general design; q, q, represent
brackets having sockets formed on the same with holes of a sufficient
size to permit the central rod to be passed through them. I recommend
three of these brackets to be used, the sockets being so placed that
they come one above the other so as not to interfere with the rod
passing through and holding them concentrically in position, their triple
divisional position being secured in any convenient way, such as by
small rods passing from one to the other at the top part; these brackets
I purpose casting with projecting wires which may be laid in the sand
in moulding them at right angles with their plane so that when the
molten metal of which they are composed is poured in the process of
casting it will encompass such pins and be fixed thereto with the
evolving of the metal, and to the ends of these pins I purpose applying
china or other knobs as represented in the edge view, Fig. 4. At r,
Figure 3, I have represented a transverse pin simply passing through
the central bar to hold in position the helical spring for elevating the
fabric of the dome as before referred to, the said fabric being gathered in
and fastened with a small suitable collar of any suitable material. The

page_text: .
bracket q¹ is represented with the lower collar S resting on a small ring
marked t, which may be of brass, china, or other material suitable for
carrying the weight of the brackets. Of course the whole of this may
be diversified.in shape as in mode of and material of construction.
Fig. 5 represents a vertical transverse section of a wardrobe made of
sheet iron and finished internally and externally after the manner in
which japanned goods are finished. A concentric hole at the bottom and
top admits a central axis marked u, u, and on which axis flanged collars
are secured marked v, v, v, and into these collars wire staples engage from
the inner edge of the divisional flaps D and E, and on which divisional
flaps hooks are secured as here shown for suspending garments, and
arc united by triple horizontal table picces marked F and G, but which
parts may be omitted or limited to one or increased to more than two,
according to requirement, the flaps D and E terminating at the bottom
by wires extending into holes formed in a disc marked H, H, such disc
resting on the lower collar v, and forms the floor as it were of the
receptacle, while the divisional flaps may be united at the top by three
small rods engaging with the projecting pins marked 10, 10, the table or
divisional parts F and G may be fitted and dropped in position by shanks
being formed at the back edge, passing through the loops secured to the
flaps D and E as shown, the flaps as here fixed and connected to the
central rod with the horizontal divisions are intended to move or revolve
together with the rod, the projecting part of the rod top and bottom
forming the axis for that purpose. I name this because I desire to show
that this mode of construction admits of great portability, as the whole
construction is capable of being taken entirely to pieces, as in Figure 1,
and packed in a small compass.
Fig. 6 is simply a transverse section of Figure 5 taken through the
dotted line, x, x, representing the door formed of one of its octagon sides
and standing open representing the facility and convenience of this
mode of constructing wardrobes, as it is obvious by turning the part F
to the right or left the compartments I and J may be brought in front
and used either for removing or applying the garment or garments
required, and although I have represented hooks for the convenience
of suspending such garments, they may be readily formed in such a
manner as to terminate with china or other balls presenting a smooth
surface, so as not to injure articles so suspended. The mere form of
the base and cornice L and M as also the body may be different both

page_text: in the character of the moulding, and may be made circular or other
form in its transverse shape, instead of octagon, part circular and part
octagon or hexagon as desired, thus conserving the advantage of placing
such an appendage in a corner of the chamber or dressing room, and
leaving the part obscured by the angular walls of the room unornamented
whilst the portion standing in front (in which may be placed the door)
may be elaborately finished, and as my improvements in wardrobes
admit much diversification of construction as well as of material, I
have represented at Fig. 7 a wardrobe as made of basket work, which
material in the hands of a skilled workman may be worked to great
advantage as to fineness or closeness of structure and diversification of
shape, but in this case the wardrobe is represented round, the door
being formed out of the body and round at the top, and placed open to
show the interior, which may be constructed as before described, or
from the lightness of the material the interior may be made stationary
and the exterior to revolve, a convenience when such wardrobes aro
provided in school or other dormitories where the wardrobe would stand
conveniently in the room and could be used on any side, the user having
simply to open the door and turn it round to arrive at the compartment
appropriated to his or her use.
Fig. 8 is simply a transverse section of Fig. 7 taken through the
dotted line, y, y, showing six divisions, which is again represented in
Figure 7 as divided into three transverse divisions merely to show how
such construction of wardrobe admits of its space being divided and
numbered or classified as required, or the interior parts of either of the
arrangements described may form a separate divisional part working
on axes top and bottom, or the top only connected to a pendant rod, or
the whole volume may be left and arms may be connected to a pendant
rod, to which arms hooks may be applied.
Having explained various ways in which my Invention may be carried
into effect I will observe that such useful chamber appendages may be
constructed at a small or trifling cost, rendering them from their
capaciousness and occupying so little floor room of great convenience as
a general article of furniture for the working classes, or they may be con-
structed of costly material and elaborately finished, so as to make them
a most elegant, refined, and highly convenient requisite in the chamber
of the wealthy, admitting of almost every variety of material and mode
of construction, and I claim as my Invention and wish protected by

page_text: these my in part recited Letters Patent, the general mode of con-
structing wardrobes without drawers or trays as herein exhibited,
described, and generally expressed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Fisher, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
WILLIAM LOACH,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
HENRY FISHER. (L.S.)