US391191A - Clothes-drier - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. J. RITTERHOUSE GLOTHES DRIER. I No. 391,191. Patented Oct. 16,1888.

UNITED STATES ATENT Prion.

ERNEST J. RITTERHOUSE, OF BRIGHT'WOOD, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,191, dated October 16, 888.

Application filed May 1, 1888. Serial No. 272,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ,ERNEST J. RITTERHOUsE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Brightwood, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Driers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class ofelothesdriers for indoor use in which a folding portable frame has a series of rungs or rods on which the clothes to be dried or aired are hung; and it has for its object to provide a clothes drier of this class on which may be hung a large quantity of clothes without the drier itself occupying a large amount of space, and which may be easily and compactly folded for storage or transportation; and it consists of the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved elothesdrier; Fig. 2, a like view showing the drier folded, and Fig. 3 a detail perspective view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.

A represents the standards, which arejoined' together in pairs at their upper ends by hinges a, so that when they are opened or drawn apart attheir lower ends they will form invertedV- shaped supports. In thesestandards are formed perforations at suitable intervals apart, into which the ends of rods B on which the clothes are to be hung, are inserted and secured in a suitable manner, that shown being screws or nails Z), driven into the edges of the standards and into the ends of the rods, although the rods may be so tightly forced into the perforations as not to require any other fastening device, if so desired.

0 represents arms on one side of the frame, through the ends of which the rods B pass, these arms being located near the ends of the rods just inside and against the sides of the standards, while on the other side arms 0 are secured in a like manner, excepting that they do not abut against the standards, but have a (X0 model.)

washer, 0, between them and the standards. This washer may be a separate piece from the arms, or they may be formed on the latter at one end. The object of this construction is to enable the arms 0 to fall in place between the standards and the arms 0 when the frame is folded. At the upper ends of the arms 0 Oa perforation is formed, into which the rods D enter, thusjoining the upper ends of said arms together, so that they work as on a hinge. It will be noticed that there are four bars on each side in this instance, which pass through the standards, and that there are a corresponding number of rods, D, passing through the upper ends of arms 0 C, said rods D being located one above the other in the center of the frame, so that when the device is opened or in position for use they will form, in connection with the next two rods, B, below, an inverted-V-shaped frame or rack for the reception of the clothes, this being accomplished by making the lowermost arms on each side of the greatest length and the others forming the frame gradually decreasing in length to the top. This applies to all the rods B and D, excepting the set next below the top, in which the arms E are shorter than any of the others, so that when the frame is spread, as in Fig. 1, they will project directly across the frame in a horizontal position and form a brace to hold the standards apart, but which, when the frame is folded, assume a position similar to the other arms 0 G.

F represents brace-rods extending from near the foot of the standards to the bottom rods, B.

One of the advantages of this construction of the drier is that the heavier the center rods, D, are loaded with clothing the greater the rigidity imparted to the entire machine and the better the standards A will be kept apart, as the weight on the rods forces the arms 0 O outwardly, and of course the standards, and at the same time straightens the arms E, forming a brace to hold said standards apart. All that it is necessary to do to close or fold the frame is to raise or lower the rod D, pivoted in the arms E, when the standards will be drawn together, as indicated in Fig. 2. Thus it will be seen that my clothes-drier provides a great amount of space within a narrow compass, and that it can be easily folded when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The hereinbefore-described clothes drier, consisting of the standards hinged together at their upper ends, the rods B, secured at their ends in said standards, the arms 0 O, gradually decreasing in length, pivoted at one end to said rods, rods D, pivoted in the ends of said arms, the washers interposed between the arms 0 and the contiguous standard, the brace-arms E, and the brace-rods F, connecting the lowermost rod B to the standards, substantially as described.

2. Thecombination, in a clothes drier ofthe type described, with the standards and the rods B, of the arms 0 O, pivoted to said rods, the

rods D, pivoted to said arms, the washers interposed between said arms and standards,and the short arms adapted to straighten or assume a horizontal position when the standards are pulled apart, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I ERNEST J. RIT'IERHOUSE. Witnesses: .J. A. HINSON,

PHILIP MAURO.

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