Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Airing Clothes and Fabrics.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Airing Clothes and
Fabrics.
I, JACOB SCHMITZ of Henne af Sieg in the German Empire, Technical
Draughtsman, 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 apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics
upon rods or staves and its object is to enable such apparatus to be adapted to, and
employed in combination with, ranges and stoves, or to be used in kitchens and
laundries, in such a manner that it shall occupy very little space, and if desired, be
capable of entire removal. The apparatus may also be employed in the open air or
in ordinary dwelling rooms or special drying chambers.
I will describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which―
Figure 1 represents a partial sectional elevation of one form of the apparatus ;
Figure 2 a plan of the base of the same apparatus ;
Figure 3 a sectional elevation of the upper part of the apparatus shewing the
staves liberated; and,
Figure 4 a diagrammatic plan of the top plate.
The apparatus as shewn in these figures consists of a hollow pedestal A which
may stand on the top of a stove or range or be fixed to the floor by means of bolts
passing through the holes b. This stand has a broad base which is gradually
contracted to a columnar form bored for the reception of the rod or tube c upon the
upper end of which the table e is fixed. The rod or tube c may be adjusted at any
desired height within its limits by means of the set-screw a. A disc d may be
formed around the upper part of the pedestal A to act as a stop and support for
the staves when they are let down. When this disc is employed it is advisable to
arrange a soft caoutchouc ring around its periphery, to act as a buffer and prevent
damage either to the staves or to the disc when the staves are allowed to fall down.
It is preferred to fix the table e upon the rod or tube c in such a manner that it can if
desired, be rotated thereon. This table carries two concentric sets of pairs of lugs,
in the outer set of which the sockets for the staves are hinged or pivoted as shewn
in the drawings. The upper part of each socket has a nib m formed upon it with
which engages a catch formed upon the outer end of a lever i fulcrumed in the
inner set of pairs of lugs, there being of course one of these catch levers for each of
the staves. The levers i are fulcrumed nearer to their inner ends, so that the
outer ends h naturally tend to fall by gravity, and the outer ends are also bevelled
or curved so as to more readily engage automatically with the nibs m when the
staves are lifted into the horizontal position. From the construction of the
apparatus it will be seen that, the staves being in the horizontal position as when
in use, if either of the parts h of the levers i be lifted, the corresponding stave f
will drop into the vertical position as indicated by Figure 3, whilst if any stave is
lifted out of the vertical into the horizontal position, the catch / will engage with
the nib m and hold the staves in that position.
To provide for the simultaneous liberation of all the staves, a cone pis suspended
immediately above the inner ends of the levers i from the lever n which is
fulcrumed at s in the upper part of the bracket t fixed on the table e.
The lever n
is normally held up with the cone p out of contact with the inner ends of the levers, by
means of the spring q. Assuming all the staves to be in the horizontal position, if
the lever n be depressed, the cone will depress the inner ends of the levers i, thus

page_text: raising the catches and liberating the nibs m whereupon the staves will fall, as
shewn in Figure 3.
A modification of the herein before described construction is illustrated in partial
sectional elevation by Figure 1. In this modification the lever from which the
cone is suspended is shortened, and to the under side of the cone there is attached
a rod and chain or cord k which passes down the centre of the tube c, under the
pulley and out through the pedestal over the pulley".
With this arrangement
the chain or cord k is simply pulled when it is desired to drop all the staves into the
folded or vertical position. In other respects the construction is similar to that
illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.
Figure 5 represents in elevation and Figure 5A in plan, a simpler arrangement of
the drying staves. In this modification the staves care secured in the boss D which
is supported in the end of the bracket B fixed to the wall. It will generally be
more convenient to have the staves of differing lengths and these lengths may be
such that the ends of the staves will lie in an ellipse having its major axis parallel
with the wall to which the bracket is fixed. If the staves are arranged above a
range or stove the longer staves will lie in the direction of the length of the range
or stove so that the greatest available heating area is utilised. It is preferred that
in this arrangement the staves should be made to fold in a similar manner to those
illustrated by Figure 1 although this is not indicated by the drawings.
Figure 6 shews in elevation, and Figures 7 and 8 in plan, a further modification
of the apparatus designed with the object of more perfectly utilizing space. In this
arrangement, the staves F, F1, F2, and F3 are jointed so as to fold together, and are
hinged or pivoted to the wall plate D one above the other, as shewn by Figure 6.
There may be a pair of sets of the folding staves as illustrated, and in use they are
arranged as shewn in Figure 7 so that no stave is above another. When the staves
are not in use they are folded back against the wall plate as shewn by Figure 7.
To prevent the staves coming into contact with the wall, stops such as G may be
cast upon the wall plate.
Figure 9 represents in partial elevation, and Figure 10 in vertical section a
hood H which can be secured to the wall plate K by means of the hook J. The
hood is provided with a series of holes into which the ends of the drying staves
may be inserted. The staves are not indicated in the figures, but it will be obvious
that they will project from the hood radially.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves, con-
structed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves,
hingeing the staves so that they may move vertically upon a fixed or movable table,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In an apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves,
the combination and arrangement with a series of hinged staves, of nibs on the inner
ends of the staves, and levers having catches thereon capable of engaging with the
nibs; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
4. In an apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves,
the combination and arrangement with a series of radial hinged staves, of nibs on the
inner ends of the stave, levers having catches thereon capable of engaging with the
nibs, and a cone or weight adapted to come into contact with the inner ends of
the levers and in its descent to liberate the catches from the nibs and thus also to
liberate the staves; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. In an apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves,
folding staves hinged one above the other so as to move horizontally, substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
6. In an apparatus for drying and airing clothes linen and fabrics upon staves, a
hood capable of being temporarily secured to a wall plate and having holes therein
in which the staves may be inserted radially; substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of February A.D. 1892.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.