IMPROVE- MENTS IN CURTAIN STRETCHING APPARATUS to be as follows:- :-
Year: 1884

page_text: We, JAMES HUME GIBSON and WILLIAM GLAZIER, at the Office for Patents,
6, Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Ironmonger and Joiner
respectively, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CURTAIN STRETCHING APPARATUS to be as follows:-
:-
"
This invention has for its object the improvement of the present arrangement
of folding stretchers, which are used to stretch curtains upon to dry after washing..
As at present constructed they consist of a frame of four bars pinned at the
corners and hinged at the sides. Now these hinges are frequently getting loose,
the frame is apt to bend at the hinges when not wanted to, and the corners being.
simply pinned to allow of taking in to suit various sizes of curtains are apt to get
askew instead of standing at right angles. It is to secure rigidity in the folding,
part, and also at the angles, that these our improvements are designed.
1st. We fix the hinges with two simple wood screws at or near their outer ends,
and a good rivet, or preferably screw and nut, flush nearest the end of the wood
frame and joint of hinge. The nut prevents this screw from drawing out with
frequent strains like the present ones do.
2nd. We place a sliding clasp or flanged plate on the outer edge of the side bar
near the hinge, so arranged that without covering the part into which the brass
pins for holding the curtains are placed, it shall yet hold the hinge perfectly stiff.
when slid over the two ends of the side bar not covered by the hinge. This clasp.
or flanged plate could be made in a variety of ways, but we prefer a simple piece
of channel metal embracing the edge of frame and sliding on a pin or pins, stop:
guides or screws in the frame overlapping it at the edge or through a slot or slots.
in the middle or other part, or a simple skeleton socket of sheet or cast brass or
other metal.
3rd. Instead of having simple holes and plain pegs at the corners, we have
screwed pegs and nuts or screwed pegs and screwed holes, so that we can tighten
the sides and cross bars of the frames together, and instead of their lying flat
against each other we place a double metal shoe of sheet metal or other suitable
material between them of square or rectangular form with alternate sides bent up
on opposite sides at right angles to each other. Two flanges thus grasp. the end or.
cross-bar, and two the side of the frame. A central hole through the shoe permits
the pin to traverse it unimpeded.

page_text: We, JAMES HUME GIBSON and WILLIAM GLAZIER, Office for Patents, 6 Lord
Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, Ironmonger and Joiner respectively do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CURTAIN STRETCHING
APPARATUS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object the improvement of the present arrangement of
folding stretchers or hinged folding frames; which are used to stretch curtains upon,
to dry after washing, or for mounting scenery for use in theatres, and like places,
or for other similar purposes.
As at present constructed they consist of a frame of four bars pinned at the
corners, and hinged at the sides. Now these hinges are frequently getting loose,
the frame is apt to bend at the hinges when not wanted to, and the corners being
simply pinned to allow of taking in to suit various sizes of curtains are apt to get
askew instead of standing at right angles. It is to secure rigidity in the folding
part, and also at the angles, that these our improvements are designed.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation..
Figure 2, side elevation.
In these A. B are parts of two of the four bars. Ca hinge with two simple
wood screws D at or near its outer end, and a good rivet, or preferably screw and
nut E flush, nearest the end of the wood frame and joint of hinge. The nut
prevents this screw from drawing out with frequent strains, like the present ones
do. F is a sliding clasp or flanged plate on the outer edge of the side bar.near the
binge, so arranged that without covering the part into which the brass pins for
holding the curtains are placed, it shall yet hold the hinge perfectly when slid
over the two ends of the side bar not covered by the hinge. This clasp or flanged
plate could be made in a variety of ways, but we prefer a simple piece of channel
metal embracing the edge of frame, and sliding on a pin or pins G, G, with stop
guides or screws H in the frame, the pins G passing through a slot I in the middle.
A simple skeleton socket of sheet or cast brass, or other metal can be used if
desired.
Instead of having simple holes and plain pegs at the corners, we have screwed
pegs and nuts or screwed pegs J, and screwed holes as shown in drawing, so that
we can tighten the sides and cross bars of the frames together, and instead of
their lying flat against each other we place a double metal shoe K, of sheet metal
or other suitable material, between them of square or rectangular form with
alternate sides bent up on opposite sides at right angles to each other. Two
flanges thus grasp the end, or cross bar, and two the side of the frame. A central
hole through the shoe permits the pin to traverse it unimpeded. As one curtain
differs from another in dimension, one hole or another is used to insert the cross
bar screws J in, but as it 'frequently happens that the width of the curtain will
not suit any special hole we prefer to form the terminal holes not screwed, or all
terminal holes if a bolt and nut be used instead of the screw J-of a slotted

page_text: elongated form as shown at M. The curtains are attached to the frames in the
usual manner by pins N, projecting from the bars, but of course tacks could be
used if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st The manufacture and use of curtain stretching apparatus having double
flanged shoes, at the joints between two bars, so as to maintain them at right angles
to each other, substantially as described.
2nd The manufacture and use of curtain stretchers hinged to fold-up, with
sliding guards formed to slide over the joint, and prevent the hinge from opening,
substantially as described.
3rd The curtain stretchers constructed and arranged substantially as described
and illustrated herein.