Improvements in Drying Closets and Clothes Horses for Use therewith.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th May, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drying Closets and Clothes Horses for
Use therewith.
I JOHN GAMGEE, of 6 Lingfield Road, Wimbledon, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference more particularly to drying closets in which the horses
or frames for holding the clothes or goods to be dried can be moved into and out of
the closet on wheels or otherwise; but it is also applicable to those in which the
horses and frames are fixed.
The improvements mainly consist in constructing or fitting the closets with a series
of hot water pipes so arranged as to present horizontal portions extending from back
to front of the closet, or nearly so, and in such positions that each of such horizontal
portions shall be covered by or come just helow one of the rails or racks of the
horses; also in constructing the rails or racks of the horses in the form of half
tubes of galvanized sheet iron or other suitable material perforated with holes ;
these half tubes when the horses are in position covering or coming just above
the horizontal portions of the hot water pipes, each half tube preferably embracing
or enclosing the pipe; also in the general construction and arrangement of the
closets and horses as hereinafter described whereby a rapid and even drying of the
clothes is effected.
My invention will be understood by the following description of a drying closet
and horses constructed in accordance with my improvements.
I form a chamber preferably made angular having three walls and floor and roof
of brick, concrete or other bad conductor of heat; the fourth wall which constitutes
the front of the chamber or closet is formed by the front uprights or panels of the
horses hereinafter described. For the purpose of heating the closet, I employ hot
water pipes arranged in the following manner :-I place the inlet pipe from a hot
water pump or circulator horizontally at the back of the closet, near the top
thereof, and support it on cast iron brackets or otherwise. At the bottom of the
closet or in a trench formed along the floor I arrange the return pipe to the hot
water pump, this return pipe being in the same vertical plane as the inlet pipe. A
series of pipes or tubes several times bent so as to be of zigzag form and corre-
sponding in number to the horses, connect the said delivery and return pipes. These
tubes or pipes are at right angles to the delivery and return pipes and extend
almost from back to front of the closet, and may be supported by light cast iron
brackets projecting from the back wall or otherwise. A rail is fixed on the floor
of the closet under each bent pipe and extends a suitable distance into the drying
room in front of the closet. The horses can be run in and out of the closet on these
rails or may be arranged to. run on tracks suspended from the roof or ceiling of
the drying room by means of rods fastened into the joists or in any other well known
manner, in which case the rails would be unnecessary. Each horse consists of
rear and front uprights connected together by galvanized sheet iron half-tubes
perforated with holes and by a guide at the top and casting at bottom carrying two
grooved rollers or wheels. The said galvanized sheet iron half-tubes serve as the rails
or racks on which the clothes to be dried are placed, and when the horses are in
the closet form hoods over the horizontal portions of the bent hot water pipes before
mentioned. The heat from the bent hot water pipes is thus brought as close as is
practicable to the clothes, the heated air of the closet circulating through the per-
forations in the hoods and through the clothes upon them. At the front of the drying
chamber or closet a frame, constructed of T-irons arranged vertically between
the horses, is formed to receive the panels or doors when the horses are in the
alocat

page_text: The arrangement as above described for the direct heating of the wet clothes or
other materiais admits of the most active ventilation and removal of the steam that
rises. The atmospheric currents can be accelerated by a shaft or fans. and air
circulators so that dry air forced into the lower part of the drying closet may be
withdrawn from the top and desiccation become most rapid.
Dated this 11th day of Aroust 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drying Closets and Clothes Horses for
Use therewith.
I, JOHN GAMGEE, of 6 Lingfield Road, Wimbledon, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, 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 has reference more particularly to drying closets in which the horses
or frames for holding the clothes or goods to be dried can be moved into and out of
the closet on wheels or otherwise, but it is also applicable to those in which the horses
and frames are fixed.
The improvements mainly consist in constructing or fitting the closets with a series
of hot water pipes so arranged as to present horizontal portions extending from back
to front of the closet, or nearly so, and in such positions that each of such horizontal
portions shall be covered by or come just below one of the rails or racks of the horses ;
also in constructing the rails or racks of the horses in the form of half tubes of
galvanized sheet iron or other suitable material perforated with holes, these half tubes,
when the horses are in position covering or coming just above the horizontal portions
of the hot water pipes, each half tube preferably embracing or enclosing the pipe ;
also in the general construction and arrangement of the closets and horses as
hereinafter described, whereby a rapid and even drying of the clothes is effected.
My invention will be understood by the following description of a drying closet
and horses constructed in accordance with my improvements.
I form a chamber preferably made rectangular having three walls and floor and
roof of brick, concrete, glass or other bad conductor of heat; the fourth wall, which
constitutes the front of the chamber or closet is formed by the front uprights or panels
of the horses hereinafter described. For the purpose, of heating the closet I employ
hot water pipes arranged in the following manner: I place the inlet pipe from a hot
water pump or circulator horizontally at the back of the closet, near the top thereof,
and support it on cast iron brackets or otherwise. At the bottom of the closet or in
a trench formed along the floor I arrange the return pipe to the hot water pump;
this return pipe being in the same vertical plane as the inlet pipe. A series of pipes
or tubes several times bent so as to be of zig-zag form, and corresponding in number
to the horses, connect the said inlet and return pipes. These tubes or pipes are at
right angles to the inlet and return pipes and extend almost from back to front of the
closet, and may be supported by light cast iron brackets projecting from the back
wall or otherwise. A rail is fixed on the floor of the closet under each bent pipe and
extends a suitable distance into the drying room in front of the closet. The horses
can be run in and out of the closet on these rails; or they may be arranged to run on
tracks suspended from the roof or ceiling of the drying room by means of rods fastened
into the joists, or in any other well known manner, in which case the rails would be
unnecessary. Each horse consists of rear and front uprights connected together by
galvanized sheet iron half tubes perforated with holes and by a guide at the top and
casting at bottom carrying grooved rollers or wheels. The said galvanized sheet iron
half tubes serve as the rails or racks on which the clothes to be dried are placed, and
when the horses are in the closet form hoods over the horizontal portions of the bent

page_text: hot water pipes before mentioned. The heat from the bent hot water pipes is thus
brought as close as is practicable to the clothes, the heated air of the closet circulating
through the perforations in the hoods and through the clothes upon them. At the
front of the drying chamber or closet a frame constructed of T irons arranged
vertically between the horses is formed to receive the panels or doors when the horses
are in the closet.
The arrangement as above described for the direct heating of the wet clothes or
other materials admits of the most active ventilation and removal of the steam that
rises. The atmospheric currents can be accelerated by a shaft or farms and air
circulators so that dry air forced into the lower part of the drying closet may be
withdrawn from the top, and desiccation become most rapid.
The accompanying drawings represent a drying closet and clothes horses constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 1 is a side view with the side wall of the closet removed and with the horses
drawn out. Figure 2 is a plan with the ceiling or top of the closet removed and
with the horses in position. Figure 3 is a front view showing two horses in place
and four removed in order to allow the pipes in the closet to be seen.
a is the drying closet or chamber which has two side walls, a back wall and a
floor and roof formed of brick, concrete, glass or other bad conductor of heat. The
front wall is formed by the front uprights or panels 6 6 of the horses. c is the inlet
pipe from a hot water pump or circulator; this pipe is placed horizontally at the back
of the closet near the top thereof and is supported on cast iron brackets d d.
e is the
return pipe to the hot water pump arranged at the lower part of the closet in the
same vertical plane as the inlet pipe c; it is supported on similar brackets. ffare
a series of pipes or tubes bent as shown so as to be of zig-zag form and corresponding
in number to the horses. These pipes connect the inlet pipe c to the return pipe e.
They are at right angles to these inlet and return pipes and extend almost from back
to front of the closet as shown. g is a rail fixed on the floor of the closet under each
pipe and extending some distance into the drying room in front of the closet. The
horses are run in and out of the closet on these rails.
Each horse consists of rear and front uprights h h connected together by galvanized
sheet iron half tubes i perforated with holes, and by a guide ; at the top and a
casting k at the bottom carrying grooved rollers or wheels 7. The front uprights have
the wooden panels bb and handles nn connected thereto. These perforated half
tubes serve as the rails or racks on which the clothes to be dried are placed and when
the horses are in the closet form hoods over the horizontal portions of the bent hot
water pipes as clearly seen in Figure 3 in which the half pipes are shown in
dotted lines.
It is preferred to make the upper perforated half tubes of somewhat larger
dimensions than the lower ones so that clothes hung upon these upper tubes may
hang clear of those hung upon the tubes below. p p are vertical T irons at the front
of the closet forming a frame against which the panels or front uprights of the horses
fit when the horses are pushed into the closet. 9 is an inlet and ran outlet for air
so as to provide for ventilation through the closet and ensure the removal of the steam
given off by the clothes. This ventilation can if desired be accelerated by a shaft or
fans and air circulators as already stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a drying closet a series of hot water pipes so arranged as to present hori-
zontal portions extending from back to front of the closet, or nearly so, and in such
positions that each of the said horizontal portions shall be covered by or come just
below one of the rails or racks of a corresponding horse when the latter is in place,
substantially as described.
2: A clothes horse constracted with rails or racks in the form of perforated half
tubes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: 3. The combination with a drying closet fitted with a series of hot water pipes
arranged in the manner referred to in Claim 1, of a clothes horse constructed with
rails or racks in the form of perforated half tubes which cover or come just above the
horizontal portions of the hot water pipes, substantially as described.
4. The combination or arrangement of parts as hereinbefore described and repre-
sented in the annexed drawings, forming an improved combined drying closet and
clothes horse or horses.
D
..
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.