Metallic Clothes Horse.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Metallic Clothes Horse.
I, FREDERICK CHARLES FREEMAN 86 Lambeth Walk Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A Folding Clothes Horse, made of metal rods, similar in shape to the old type of
wooden Clothes Horse as at present used for domestic purposes. By using suitable
The folds or
metal rods the weight and bulk is reduced and strength increased.
leaves of this Metallic Clothes Horse are connected by means of loose S-shaped
joints or hinges of metal.
This Metallic Clothes Horse may after being made be either galvanized, painted
or enamelled to prevent rust or corrosion.
My invention is designed to act as the equivalent of the old type of wooden
Clothes Horse as at present used for domestic purposes and drying linen which
Clothes Horse is made of square uprights of wood with stays or cross pieces of the
same material. The folds or leaves of this said wooden Clothes Horse are held
together by pieces of what is technically known as chair-webbing which act as hinges.
This style of Clothes Horse has many defects which mine has not, it is very bulky
and occupies a great amount of space in a room, it is also liable to fall in pieces
after being in use a short time. Moreover the aforesaid chair webbing which act
as hinges does not hold the folds or leaves of the Clothes Horse firmly together.
The chair-webbing being a woven fabric is also liable to wear away quickly and
need renewing.
My Invention is a Metallic Clothes Horse made with round or square rods of iron
or any suitable metal and afterwards either galvanized, painted or enamelled to
prevent rust or corrosion.
The general outward shape of the Metallic Clothes Horse is similar to that of the
wooden Clothes Horse only smaller in bulk.
The frame work of the Metallic Clothes Horse is made of one metal rod bent into
shape.

page_text: The stays or cross-peices which may be two or more in number, are also metal
rods of a smaller diameter than the rod forming the frame-work, and are turned
at each end in the form of a hook and pressed, bent or closed tightly on to the
frame, thus forming the stays or cross-pieces of the Metallic Clothes Horso.
The Metallic Clothes Horse may have two or more folds or leaves which folds or
leaves are connected or held together by loose S shaped metal joints or india rubber
rings. But the metal joints are preferable.
The stays or cross-pieces can when necessary be fitted into holes made in the frame,
instead of making them with hooked ends.

page_text: Metallic Clothes Horse.
FREDERICK CHARLES FREEMAN 86 Lambeth Walk Lambeth in the County of
Surrey, Ironmonger, 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 :—
My Invention is designed to act as the equivalent of the old type of Folding
wooden Clothes Horse as at present used for domestic purposes and drying or airing
Clothes and linen; which wooden Clothes Horse is made of squaro uprights of wood
with stays or cross pieces of the same material. The folds or leaves of this said
wooden Clothes Horse are connected or held together by pieces of what is technically
known as chair-webbing which act as hinges.
This wooden Clothes Horse has many defects which mine has not.
The wooden Clothes Horse is very bulky and occupies a great amount of space
when in a room or elsewhere; it is also very unsightly in appearance.
The wooden Clothes Horse is also liable to fall in pieces after being in use a short
time. Moreover the aforesaid chair webbing which acts as hinges does not hold the
folds or leaves of the wood on Clothes Horse firmly together.
The chair webbing being a woven fabric is also liable to wear away quickly and
need renewing.
My Invention (a new departure or principle in folding Clothes Horses) is a Metallic
Clothes Horse made of or from or with round, square, oval or any suitable section or
size of iron or suitable metal the leaves or folds of this Metallic Clothes Horse are
connected or held together by means of joints or hinges of any suitable metal or
material. The said joints or hinges are S-shaped or double S-shaped or I may make
these joints or hinges in various forms and sizes to suit the different sizes and styles
of this said Metallic Clothes Horse. The stays or cross-picces of this said Horse are
made of metal rods of any size or section to match the frame-work of the leaves or
folds of the Horse, preferably smaller in diameter than the metal of which the frame
work is made.
The general outward appearance of the Metallic Clothes Horse is similar to that of
the folding wooden Clothes Horse only smaller in bulk and the parts of a different
section or sections. After being constructed the Metallic Clothes Horse may be
galvanized, tin, enamelled or japanned or coated in any suitable way or manner to
prevent rust or corrosion and also to add to its attractive appearance and value.
1. may construct this Metallic Clothes Horse in size, from the smallest possible size,
suitable for a childs toy to the largest size necessary for household or general
purposes.
This Metallic Clothes Horse may also be used for a number of purposes other than
drying clothes and the like viz. For drapers and similar tradesmen for displaying
goods also by numerous classes of tradesmen for like purposes; also for ladies and
others to make up into fire, door and other screens by the addition of suitable draperies
and fabrics.

page_text: -
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a Metallic Clothes Horse with two stays or cross-pieces, which
Metallic Clothes Horse I have purposely drawn with as few parts as possible to
simplify the illustration. Fig. 1 shows the Metallic Clothes Horse open to its fullest
extent. A. A. B. B. show the ends or feet of the two frames of the Horse which
frames are each made of one entire piece or length of metal rod which may be
round square, flat, oval, solid half-round, hollow-half-round or concave or convex,
hollow-round or any suitable sections or fancy patterns or diameters or sizes of iron,
brass, steel or suitable metal as may be required.
I do not bind myself to use one section of metal only, but I consider the round
rods of metal and round metallic wires preferable for all parts of the Metallic
Clothes Horse.
The two frames A. A. B. B. are made each in one piece by bending into shape as
shewn in Fig. 1.
The corners where the metal rod is bent may be more or less rounded as required;
by this method or process of working I obtain a complete frame as shown in Fig. 2.
The balls or feet on frame (Fig. 2.) are added afterwards as may be required; but
I think the frame without balls or feet, ample for the purpose for which the Metallic
Clothes Horse is intended.
C. C. in Fig. 1. are stays or cross-pieces which may be two, three or more in
number.
These said stays or cross-pieces may also be used to form the joints or hinges, as
after being bent, twisted or turned round the frame A. A. another eye, hook or loop
as shewn in Fig 3: is-made-and-pressed or closed on- to-the frame B. B. as shown in
the two joints E. E. F. F. in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. shows combined joint-and-stay, the oyo F. being pressed or closed so as to
become fixed on to the frame A. A. as shown in E. E. in Fig. 1. and the eye, hook or
loop C in Fig. 3. is closed or pressed on to the frame B. B. as shown in F. F. in
Fig. 1, by this method or process-I-form-a hinge or joint or hinges or joints which
works or work loosely on the frame, leaf or fold B. B. in Fig. 1. by means of this
device the leaves or folds of the Metallic Clothes Horse open and shut freely.
Fig. 4. shows stay in Fig. 3. as it is before the eye, hook or loop is made, which
forms the hinge or joint.
Fig. 5. shows manner or method of making stays or cross-rods or pieces D. D. in
Fig. 1. as fixed on frame, leaf or fold B. B. which stays or cross-pieces are afterwards
closed, pressed or fastened in any suitable manner on to the frame, leaf or fold B. B.
in fig. 1.
Instead of fastening these stays or cross-pieces as hereinbefore described and as
indicated in drawings I may dispense with the eyes, hooks or loops and rivet the
rods of metal (stays or cross pieces) into the frames and connect the frames by
means of loose metal joints similar to Figs. 6. 7. 9 10 or otherwise; although I may
considerably vary or modify the joints or hinges as may be required for this Metallic
Clothes Horse I consider the joints and method of fixing same as shewn in Fig. 1.
preferable.
a b. c. d. in Fig. 2. denote annular incisions, cuts or grooves just deep enough to
press or close the hooks or joints C. C. D. D. E. E. in Fig. 1. into, to prevent them
slipping from their places, or I may dispense with these annular incisions cuts or
grooves and fasten the stays or cross-pieces on to the frames by means of pressure
only; but I prefer to make incisions, cuts or grooves or "nicks" of some kind to
prevent the stays or cross pieces slipping from their places on the frames.
After being constructed the frames, leaves or folds may be allowed to remain
disconnected where it is required to coat with metal such as the process of galvanizing
or tinning after which process, if any, they are connected-two or more leaves or
folds together by means of the hinges or joints as herein before described.
The Metallic Clothes Horse may be formed as composed of two, three, or more folds
or leaves as may be required.

page_text: I wish it clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the making of one
particular kind of joint or hinge, alone; or to the use of any such, only, for this
Metallic Clothes Horse.
Although I consider the joint or hinge as shown in Fig. 1 preferable I may if
necessary use or make as well as many other forms of hinges or joints, as may be
required to suit the various styles and sizes of this Metallic Clothes Horse-the
following or like joints
Fig. 6. shows a plain S-hook, hinge or joint, two or more of which may be used to
connect the leaves or folds of the Metallic Clothes Horse together.
Fig. 7. shows a double S or similar shaped hook or hinge which may be used if
necessary in the same manner as Fig. 6.
Fig. 8. shows a flat H-shaped piece of suitable metal which is bent into an
S-section as shown in Fig. 9. and also used as a joint or hinge.
Fig. 10. shows a ring of india rubber, which may also be used as a joint or hinge.
The four foregoing hinges or joints as well as others not here mentioned I may
use to connect the leaves or folds of my Metallic Clothes Horse as may be required.
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) A Folding Clothes Horse of Metal substantially as hereinbefore described,
with feet if required as in Fig. 2. which Clothes Horse I intend as a substitute
for the old type of wooden Clothes Horse as before described.
(2) A Metallic Clothes Horse substantially as described herein before which may
be used for a number of purposes other than drying clothes and the like viz.:
For drapers and similar tradesmen for displaying goods; also by numerous classes
of tradesmen for like purposes; also for ladies and others, to make up into fire,
door and other screens by the addition of suitable draperies and fabrics.
(3) A Metallic Clothes Horse substantially as described which in the smaller sizes
I make for childrens' use as toys.
(4) A Metallic Clothes Horse substantially as described with the peculiar hinges
as applied to this Metallic Clothes Horse, all as hereinbefore described.
(5) A Metallic Clothes Horse substantially as hereinbefore described and set forth,
made from the different sections, patterns and sizes of metal all as described.
Dated this 21st day of February 1889.