An Improved Rack for Exhibiting Curtains and other Goods.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rack for Exhibiting Curtains and other Goods.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention a communication to me from
abroad by Mrs. Tillie Back of 20 Walker Street, New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a practical device whereby lace curtains
and other goods may be exhibited to customers to advantage.
The invention consists of a rack or frame supporting swinging arms upon which
the goods are hung for the purpose of being displayed. The upper and lower
members of the swinging arms are pivoted in upper and lower supporting members
which are of semi-circular, curved, or straight form, and which project forwards from
a flat frame adapted to be secured to a wall or other flat upright support for holding
the swinging arms in horizontal position. The arms are made of wire folded in the
centre to form the upper and lower members, the ends of the wire being bent downward to
form pivots to enter corresponding holes in the bows or supporting members of the
frame. The lower members of the arms are practically horizontal, and it is over
these that the fabric to be exhibited is to be placed. The upper members are inclined
and act as braces to the lower members, and the upper and lower members being
connected by an additional brace-rod, which serves to prevent the arms from sagging.
The arms turn freely on their pivots in the supports so that a piece of fabric may be
placed upon each arm and the whole swung to one side and then swung out again
singly to exhibit the goods. If the arm supporting members of the rack in which
the arms are pivoted be short and of semicircular form one half of the arms must be
swung one way while the other half must be swung in the opposite direction. To
adapt the rack to permit the arms to be swung in one direction, which is necessary in

page_text: some situations, the length of the frame may be increased and the arm supporting
members may be fixed at an angle in the horizontal plane to the main frame and to
the wall. By this form and arrangement of the supports for the arms the whole
series of arms may be folded to one side and occupy small space.
Dated this 20th day of Angust 1888
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rack for Exhibiting Curtains and other Goods.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Mrs. Tillie Back of 20 Walker Street New York City, United States of
America, Manufacturer) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a practical device to be used in
shops, etc., whereby lace curtains and other goods may be exhibited to customers to
advantage.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion, in which figure 1 is a plan view of the rack, figure 2 is a sectional elevation of
the same, shewing the rack attached to a wall, pillar, or other support; and figure 3
is a perspective view, shewing a modification. The same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures.
A represents the main body of the rack formed with supports a a¹ for the arms B B.
In figures 1 and 2 the supports a a¹ are curved or semi-circular in form, and are pro-
vided with a corresponding series of holes 6 for holding the said arms B.
The
frame A is made flat and adapted to be secured to a flat surface, as a wall or other
flat upright support, D for holding the arms B in horizontal position. The arms B
are made of wire folded in the centre, to form the upper and lower members cc²,
the ends of the wire being bent downward to form hooks d to enter the holes 6 bin the
bows a a¹, as shewn clearly in figure 2. The lower members c¹ of the arms B
are practically horizontal and it is over these that the fabric to be exhibited is to
be placed. The upper members c are inclined, as shewn in figures 2 and 3, and

page_text: act as braces to the lower members c¹, and on each arm is placed an additional
brace-rod E which serves to prevent the arms from sagging. The arms B turn
freely in the supports a a¹, the hooks d serving as hinges so that a piece of fabric
may be placed upon each arm and the whole swung to one side and then swung
out again singly, to exhibit the goods. In the form of racks shewn in figures I
and 2, one half of the arms B must be swung one way while the other half must
be swung in the opposite direction. To adapt the rack to permit the arms to be
swung in one direction, which is necessary in some situations, the frame A is made
rectangular in form, as shewn in figure 3, and has an upright end bar h with hori-
zontal arms F F. To the outer ends of these are connected the bars ff which
reach diagonally to the opposite end-bar h¹, so that the bars ff are diagonal to the
main frame A and to the wall against which it may be attached or held. The bars ff¹³
are correspondingly pierced with small holes b to receive the hooks d of the arms B.
By this form and arrangement of the supports for the arms, the whole series of arms
may be folded to one side and occupy small space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;
1st. A rack for exhibiting curtains and other goods, consisting of swinging arms
constructed as described and of a frame adapted to be secured to a wall or other
surface and provided with curved or semi-circular supports for the arms, substantially
as specified.
2nd. The vertical frame. A having horizontal arms F F at right angles to the
said frame and the pierced horizontal diagonal supports or bars ff, in combination
with the arms B B bent to form the members c c¹ and hooks d, substantially as
described.
Date : 101 1
CAT
1
1000
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.