Improvements in Clothes Props.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan, 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 189
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clothes Props.
JAMES HINDLE, JOHN LAW HINDLE both of Browfield House Accrington
Lancashire, Timber Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows: -
This invention has for its object to improve the construction of clothes props of
the folding projecting or adjustable type.
This improved clothes prop consists of two scantlings or laths of wood A B &
CD (see drawing) of suitable size & about half the total length of the prop when
extended, which when placed in position (see drawing, which shows prop fully
extended) and secured by the aid of the two metal guides or clamps E & F, the
piece A. B. can slide or telescope up or down the piece C D. for a distance of
about half the total length of the prop, and it may be secured at any desired point
by tightening a thumbscrew H fitted into clamp É. By this arrangement the prop
can be shortened to about half its length & secured there for convenience of
storage.
The guides or clamps E & F may either be made in the form of a rectangular
hoop or that of a square bottomed U in the latter case the thumbscrew H would
go through the bottom of the U. They may be secured fastened or fixed to the
laths by either bolts or screws in a similar manner to that shown in drawings. The
clamp E is made slightly larger than clamp F so as to admit of a protecting
plate K being placed between end of thumbscrew H & that part of A B it is
screwed against, so as to protect the wood. This plate is of such a shape that it
will not drop out when the thumbscrew H is slackened.
The prop may be made in another form by replacing piece CD by two pieces of
wood, the piece A B being placed between them, when it can be telescoped up or
down in a similar manner to that in the first form.
In the latter form the clamp F may be replaced by two buttons or strips of
metal of suitable width and thickness secured by means of bolts or screws one button
or strip being placed on each edge of the middle piece of wood.
Clamp E may be fixed as in the first form & arranged so that the thumbscrew
compresses the three pieces of wood together, or the thumbscrew may go through
the first piece of wood, which would be one of the two which replace C. D, &
compress the middle & the remaining piece together which fixes the prop at the
desired point.
The two pieces of wood replacing CD would be kept equidistant at the bottom
by means of a piece of metal or wood of the same thickness as the middle piece of
wood, placed between & secured by means of bolts or screws, thus allowing the
middle piece to slide or telescope up or down between the other two.
Dated this 20th day of A nril 1892.
JAMES HINDLE.
JOHN L. HINDLE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clothes Props.
We JAMES HINDLE and JOHN LAW HINDLE, both of Accrington Saw Mills,
Accrington in the County of Lancaster, Timber Merchants, do hereby declare the
5 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 improvements in the construction of projecting, or
n

page_text: adjustable clothes props, the object being to construct a clothes prop
which can
telescopically be adjusted as to its length so that when closed, or collapsed the prop
will only be about half the length of a prop extended to its full length, thus
affording facilities for storage of such clothes props, and also allowing of props
being placed in a vertical, or nearly vertical position even when the clothes line, or 5
cord is comparatively low, or near the ground.
"
According to this invention we employ two scantlings, or laths of wood, each
being about half the total length of the prop when extended. The scantlings, or
laths are held together by metal guides, or clamps fixed to one of the laths or
scantlings in such a manner that the other lath or scantling is free to slide tele- 1
scopically in the guides or clamps, and when adjusted to the required length, the
moveable lath, or scantling is fixed in position by a thumbscrew, or winged nut
which passes through one of the metal guides or clamps, and its inner end 'rest
against a plate which is forced tightly against the moveable lath or scantling, and
the latter is thereby held securely.
The plate is made of such shape that it will not fall out of the clamp or guide
when the thumbscrew is turned back or slackened.
Stop pieces are provided which prevent the moveable lath or scantling telescoping
or moving too far in either direction.
Such being the nature and object of the said invention the following is a complete
description of same reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of part of an adjustable clothes prop made in
accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 but the whole of the prop (extended)' is shewn
drawn to a reduced scale.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but the prop is shewn closed or collapsed.
Fig. 5 is an end sectional view on.line A, B of Fig. 2.
'
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5, but the clamp or guide is slightly different.
Fig. 7 is a view of the protector plate which is placed between the lath and the
end of the thumb screw or winged nut.
"
According to this invention we employ two laths, or scantlings 1. 2 of wood each
of the laths or scantlings being about half the length of the entire prop when
extended (see Fig. 3). To one of the laths or scantlings 1 we secure the clamp or
guide 3 which is made of metal, preferably malleable iron, and secured rigidly to
the lath or scantling 1 by means of screws 4 and small projecting V shaped ridges
or spikes 5.5 (see Figs. 5 and 6) cast or formed on the outside of the clamp or
guide 3.
These ridges or spikes 5. 5 with the screws 4, 4 prevent all movement; either
vertical or lateral, of the clamp or guide 3 which it is necessary should be quite
rigid to allow of the free sliding movement of the lath or scantling 1. When the
screws 4. 4 are tightened up the ridges or spikes 5. 5 pierce or indent the wood lath
or scantling as shewn. A somewhat similar clamp or guide 6 is fixed to the lath or
Scantling 2 in the same manner as the clamp or guide 3, but the side 7 is made
rather stronger and has a hole tapped in it, in which hole is received the thumb
screw, or winged nut 8. Between the end 9 of the thumb screw, or winged hut 8,
and the lath or scantling 1, we place the loose protecting plate 10 (see Fig. 7) the
projecting corners or flanges 11. 11. loosely clipping the outer edges of the sides of
the clamp 6, the plate 10 is quite free to move, but cannot fall out of position, or
be removed without removing the clamp or guide 6 or partially taking the prop to
pieces.
Two stop pins or screws 12. 12 (see Figs. 3 and 4) are fixed in the lath or
Scantling 2 to limit the amount of movement of the laths or scantlings 1. 2. .
"
Each of the clamps or guides 3. 6 (see Figs. 5 and 6) is made slightly wider at
that part through which the loose lath or scantling passes allowing more "play'
for the lath or scantling to move freely and providing for any swelling of the wood
thus preventing sticking, or jamming.

page_text: In Fig. 3 the prop is shewn as extended to its limit, that is until the stop pin 12
meets the clamp, or guide 3 the pin being fixed in the lath 2 and the clamp fixed
to the lath 1.
In Fig. 4 the prop is shewn as collapsed or closed to its shortest length that is
until about half the length of the prop shewn by Fig. 3. and until the clamp 3
meets the stop pin 12.
It will be seen that the length of the prop can be telescopically adjusted to any
length between the limits above described and when adjusted can be fixed in
position by giving a few turns to the thumb screw or winged nut 8 the end of
which bears against the plate 10 and the latter against the lath or scantling 1.
The size of the plate 10 prevents the lath or scantling 1 being marked or indented
by the pressure of the thumb screw or nut 8 and also ensures a firm grip on the
lath or scantling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of the
said iuvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
The improved clothes prop consisting of two laths or scantlings 1.2 clamps or
guides 3. 6 thumb screw or winged nut 8 and protecting plate 10 all in combination
as and for the purpose herein described and as illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
DL: 00
T
JAMES HINDLE,
JOHN LAW HINDLE,
By their Agent, Walter Brierley,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.