Improvements in Tongs or Devices for Withdrawing Clothes from Boiling Water.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tongs or Devices for Withdrawing Clothes from
Boiling Water.
I, ELBERT BROWN STEVENSON, of Philipsburg, in the County of Mississquoi,
Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Clerk, 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 relates to improvements in clothes tongs.
The objects of my invention are to provide a clothes tongs which will allow the
user to withdraw the clothes from the boiling water easily and without; tearing or
danger of slipping. A further object is to provide a device which is simple in its
operation, durable in its construction and which can be made at a nominal cost.
To these ends, my invention consists in the improved construction and combination
of parts, as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate similar
parts in all the figures of the drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device shown in its open position.
Figure 2 is an elevation showing the tongs in their closed position.
Devices have heretofore been constructed for withdrawing clothes from the boiling
water, but all of such devices have been made in an exceedingly clumsy manner owing
to the faulty principles upon which they have been constructed.
A designates my improved tongs which are composed of the members a a¹, con-
nected together by the bolt or rivet a²; member a¹ is provided with an off-set
portion a³, having one of its faces inclined, as shown at a, against which the inner
face of the member a is adapted to rest, the meeting faces of the off-set portion and
the member a being adapted to fit, as shown in Figure 2.
The off-set portion may
be formed integral with the member a¹ or be secured thereto by any suitable means.
It will be seen that the ends of the tongs which are adapted to withdraw the
clothes, are formed in such manner that a head or expanding portion is formed
gradually leading from the connecting bolt to the ends of the tongs.
By this construction I am enable to use the tongs in cases where it would not be
possible to grip the clothing by placing the head of the tongs, in its closed position,
into the clothing and by rotating the tongs, owing to the peculiar form of the head,
the clothes will be caused to wrap around the tongs and be held thereon.
This couia'
also be done if the tongs were opened to grip the clothes which are to be withdrawn.
The tongs shown can be made at an exceedingly low cost, they will be easy to
operate and durable in their construction.
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 clothes tongs comprising two members pivotally connected, one of said
member being provided with an off-set portion, substantially as described.
2. A clothes tongs comprising two members pivotally connected, one of said
members being provided with an off-set portion, against which the inner face of the
other member is adapted to abut, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A clothes tongs comprising two members pivotally connected, one of said
member being provided with an off-set portion having an inclined face against which
the other member is adapted to abut, the meeting faces of said inclined face and the
opposite member being arranged to fit one another, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.