A New or Improved Clothes Prop.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
A New or Improved Clothes Prop.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM LUCAS and HENRY WEBB, both of 9, Balstrode Mews,
Marylebone Lane, London, W., Gentlemen, 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:-
This invention relates to a new or improved clothes prop, the object being to
provide a simple and inexpensive device or prop having advantages over those now
in general use, inasmuch that it can be quickly and easily adjusted to any re-
quired height, within certain limits, according to the size of the prop, while it
is perfectly rigid and firm and incapable of side movement or "swaying" which
occurs more or less with all props of the ordinary kind, with the result that
clothes or the like frequently sway over to one side coming into contact with a
fence, outhouse or the like, and are soiled or damaged.
In carrying this invention into practical effect, we take two flat strips of wood
or other suitable material which are pivoted together near one extremity in such a
manner that when opened out they form two long legs or supports, while the two
short upper arms form a V-shaped support for the line, the whole being arranged
in such a manner that upon drawing the two legs of the device close together the
height of the prop is increased while upon further separating them the prop is
lowered.
This improved form of clothes prop can further be adapted for advertising pur-
poses, as it allows of suitable advertisements being printed, impressed or marked
in any convenient manner upon the sides of the strips of wood or the like of which
it is formed.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood, we will now proceed
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved prop in the open position.
Fig. 2 being an edge view of same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the prop in the closed or folded position, and
Fig. 4 illustrates a slightly modified form of prop.
According to this invention we take two strips of wood or other suitable mate-
rial pivoted together near one extremity as at c and in such a manner as to form
two long legs or supports aa¹ and two short upper arms 661 forming between
them a V-shaped recess d for supporting the clothes line or the like, while the
height of this improved supporting device or prop can be regulated as required by
drawing together or separating the legs a a', and upon the surfaces of these legs
and arms any suitable advertisement or the like may be marked or impressed.
According to a slightly modified form of our invention, instead of the clothes
line or rope being supported within the V-shaped recess d formed by the arms bb¹,
one or both of these arms may be forked at its extremity as shown at g (Fig. 4),
the clothes line being supported by this forked end, and where this form of prop
is employed one of the legs or supports may extend only slightly above the
pivotal point c, where it may be cut off as indicated in dotted lines at h.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1/. The new or improved prop or supporting device for use in connection with
clothes lines and the like consisting of two pivotally connected strips forming
legs or supports a a¹ and having upper arms bb forming a V-shaped recess or
part d for supporting the line, substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
2/. The modified form of the invention substantially as herein described and
shown with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of September 1898.
F. G. CASSELL,
(Of Cassell & Co.,)
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.