US240807A - beneke - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1- (NO Model.)

" G. BBNEKE.

Clothes Bank. v

Patented May 3,18%?

Jw W W APHER. WA$HINGTOIL u C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented May3, 1881.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. q 04 -(No Model.)

' G, BENEKE; Clothes Back v o m /g2 5 7///////////4// 22 z U rrEo STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GUSTAV BENEKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH ES-RACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 240,807, dated May 3, 1881.

Application filed October 25, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV BENEKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, inthe State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes Racks, of which the. following is a specification.

My invention is directed to the production of a folding rack for drying and airing clothes, in which a large holding capacity is obtained when unfolded, with a compact and cheap construction, and with convenience for setting the rack aside or for hanging it up out of the way when folded and not in use, and capable for use as a wall-rack.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the rack supported in position for use in its full capacity; Fig. 2, the rack folded, inverted, and shown as hung upon the wall. Fig. 3 shows its adaptation as a wallrack, and Figs. 4 and 5 details of the rackjoints and standard-connections with the footsupports.

Two standards, (ta, connected by cross-bars b b at the top and at or near the bottom, are supported by foot-pieces c c, and carry pivoted racks cl (1, which, when unfolded, stand out in upwardly-inclined positions on opposite sides of said standards. These racks are supported in pairs upon long and short arms 0 e, by which they are folded with and unfolded from the standards on each side in a manner to be presently described. The outer sets, 01, are carried by the long arms 6, which are pivoted at the opposite edges of the standards, whilethe inner sets are carried by the short arms 6, which are pivoted to the inner sides of the standards and out of the way of the close folding of the longarms againstthe said standards, and these racks, thus arranged, alternate'in inner and outer sets, so that the clothes will hang from each rack without interference and with ample space for drying and airing. In folding the racks, the inner short arms, 0, close upon each other against the inner sides of the standards, while the outer long arms, 0, close upon the opposite edges of the standards. In folding the outer racks they come against and serve to fold the inner ones.

A convenient way of securing the long arms is by sawing the standards so as to splitthem (No model.)

in the direction of theirlength, and fastening platesf within thekerf by rivets g, and pivoting the arms to the projecting ends of said plates, as shown in Fig. 4. When unfolded these rack-arms are supported in n wardly-inclined positions by having their pivoted ends out oblique, so as to abutagainstthe standards. The pivoted ends of the short arms are also cut oblique, and when unfolded they abut against a pin, it, projecting from the inner side of the standard. In the example shown the standards are of suflicient length to carry three outer and three inner racks, in pairs, making six on each side; but there may be a greater or less number, according to the height of thes'tandards. The securing of the kerf-plates and the pivots of the short arms bind the split parts of the standards firmly together.

The foot-supports must be long enough to hold the rack firmly when in use, and as they stand out crosswise it would be impossible to hang the rack upon the wall or to utilize the folding capacity of the racks for compactness in setting it aside when not in use. These parts are, therefore, joined in a manner to allow the foot-supports to be turned in positions parallel to the rack-bars, so that by inverting the structure the racks will close together by their weight, their pivoted ends being uppermost; and it can be hung by the cross-bar b upon hooks in the wall, with the footsupports in line with each other and flatwise next the wall. In this position there is no danger of the racks falling down when not in use, and nofastenin gs are needed to hold them in folded positions. A convenient way ofobtainingthese turning foot snpports is provided by dowelpins 43, formed upon the lower ends of the standards fitting into and through holes j in the footsupports, which are also provided on their tops with shoulders 70, preferably formed by a recess adapted to receive the angular ends a of the standards, and thus lock the foot-supports secure when the rack is in use, as shown in Fig. 1. The foot-supports are held upon the dowel-pins by cross-pins l, which,however, do not act as keys to clamp the foot-supports over the angular ends a of the standards, but act merely as stops to prevent the foot-supports from falling off in handling the rack, and allow the standards to be raised 'sufficient to clear their angular ends from the foot-shout ders, so that said footsupports can be halfturned in line with each other for putting away, as shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 2 the rack is shown as hung in an inverted position upon the wall, and in such position it cannot be used; but in Fig. 3 it is shown as hung upon the wall by the top bar, I), so that the inner and the outer sets of racks on the outside can be turned down, and thus form a wall-rack, whereby the structure is adapted for use both as a clothes-horseand as a wallrack, with large holding capacity in comparatively little space.

I claim 1. In a folding, clothes-rack, the combination, with the united standards a a, provided at different heights with the plates f, projecting from their opposite edges, of the racks d d and arms 0 6, having beveled ends and pivoted, in sets one above the other at the opposite edges of said standards, to the said plates, said pivots having such relation to the standards that the said arms will be supported when unfolded, substantially as specified."

2. In a folding clothes-rack, the racks d and arms 0, racks d,*and the arms 0', having beveled ends, in combination with the standards provided with plates f, to which the beveled ends of said arms e are pivoted, and a stop, h, for the beveled ends of the arms 0', the said arms 6 folding against the edges of the standards, and the said arms a being pivoted to and folding upon the inner sides thereof and supported when unfolded, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described clothes-rack, consisting of the connected standards a a, the racks d e, pivoted upon the opposite edges of said standards, the racks d e, pivoted to the inner sides of said standards and in positions intermediate with the long arms a, and the footsupports 0 a, united to said standards by shouldered recesses or sockets and pins M, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV BENEKE.

Witnesses:

S. STEINGUT, A. VELLAR.

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