US1502395A - Soap holder for washboards - Google Patents

Description

July 22. 1924.

M. J. MURPHY ET Al.

SOAP HOLDER FOR WASHBQARDS Filed April 17. 1922 Patented July 22, 1924.

MARY J. ll/IURIE'HY, OF ST. PAUL, AND OLIVE SANDBANK AND WILLIAM AT T Fi l Li].

SANDBANK,

or NEW YORK MILLS, MINNESOTA.

soar HOLDER roe wAsHBoAnns.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 554,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARY J. MURPHY, OLIVE SANDBnNK, and WILLIAM SANDBANK, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul and New York Mills, respectively, in

the counties of Ramsey and Otter Tail, respectively, and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap Holders for Nashboards; and we 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 it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to a washboard and particularly to a positioning and holding means for such a board. As is well known, a washboard is usually provided with a soap receiving recess adjacent the top portion of 2 the rubbing surface. It is generally the practice in washingarticles on a washboard to take the bar of soap in the hand and rub over the articles spread out on the rubbing surface. As the soap is wet it isslippery and hard to handle and is often dropped into the water of the tub causing delay and vexation in recovering the same.

It is an object of this invention to rovide a novel and efiicient means for hol ing the soap in position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a means by which the soap can be held at different heights relative to the rubbing surface of the'board and in such position that the articles washed can be rubbed up over the soap.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and in which,

F ig. 1 is a view in front elevationof the washboard with the device applied thereto; and V Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the washboard is shown comprising a frame 1 and the usual roughened or corrugated rubbing surface 2. Adjacent the top of this rubbing surface is a fixed transverse member 3, the top surface of which is substantially flush with the top of the rubbing surface. Spaced from the member 3 is another transversely extending member 4 having its ends disposed and guided in slots 1? in the sides of the frame. This member is adapted to be moved or pushed toward the member 3 by a wedge member 5 having a groove formed in its surface adjacent the member 4 which engages with the rib 4* on said latter member. This wedge member 5 is provided with a hand hold 5*"- for conveniently withdrawing it from clamped position. The wedge member 5 also contacts and co-acts with another wed 'emember 6 reversely disposed to the mem er 5 and located between the same and the top portion of the washboard. The wide end of the wedge member 6 has a tongue portion disposed in the groove 1 and the other end thereof has'a tongue portion held and slidable in a staple member 7 also secured to the top member of the washboard frame.

From the above structure it is seen that by moving the wedge member 5, the member 4 will be moved toward the member 3 and a bar of soap I) can be clamped in position be tween the members 3 and 4. r V

A plate member 8 isprovided adapted to be disposed between the members 3 and A and to form the bottom of the soap receptacle formed therebetween. This member 8 has its top surface provided with punchedout holes or corrugations to secure a firm contact with the soap. A pair of crank arms 9 formed of small rodsor wires are mounted for oscillatory I movement, being journaled in small staple-like bearings 10 and in the member 0. These arms have their cam portions underlying the member 8 which is loosely mounted and supported thereon. The crank members 9 have upstanding and bent ends 9 adjacent the top member of the washboard frame, which ends are connected by a bar 11 pivotally connecting the same. A rack or ratchet tooth meniber 12 is attached to the top surface of. the member 6 and has its teeth disposed so that the upwardly extending portion 9 of one of the arms 9 may be engaged by said teeth.

The soap 6 will be placed on the member 8 and the bar 11 which is provided with a convenient handle or holding means 11, will be swung upwardly and to the left, as seen in Fig. 1. This will swing the crank arms 9 upwardly raising the plate 8 and the bar of soap 6. When the latter is at the desired height, the vmember 6 will be moved upwardly so that the portion 9? of the crank arms will be engaged by the member 12 and held between two ofthe teeth of the same. The wedge 5 will be pushed to the right, as seen in Fig. 1 and the bar 4 will be pushed down against the bar of soap 6 and firmly clamping the same adjacent the bar or member 3. At the same time, the wedge member 6 will be pushed upwardly and held in firm and clamped position with the member 12 pushed firmly against the portion 9 of the crank arm. The upward movement of wedge member 6 may be effected entirely by wedge 5, if desired, The member 8 is thus firmly held in its adjusted position and the soap is tightly clamped at its sides. WVith the soap held as shown, it will not be necessary to take the bar and rub the same over the clothes. The clothes can be brought up and rubbed over the soap which will be found to be a much more convenient and equally efficient method. As the bar of soap is worn, it will only be necessary to readjust the'member 8 to bring the top surface of the soap in the correct relation to the rubbing surface 2.

From the above description it is seen that applicants have provided a simple and eiiicient soap holding and clamping means for a washboard and one which will have greatutility in connection therewith. The parts of the device are comparatively simple and can be easily made of wood atsmall expense. The rack bar 12 will be preferably ofmetal and the plate 8 will preferablybe made of wood with a covering of roughened or'corru gated metal.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, de tails and arrangement of the parts without departing fromthe scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a washboard having a roughened surface, of a fixed transverse member at the ,top of said surface, a second transversely extending member spaced from and movable toward and from said member, a pair of longitudinally extending reversely arranged wedges above said last mentioned member, a soap elevating mechanism, one of said wedges being longitudinally movable transversely of said board and parallel to said surface to move said last mentioned member toward the first mentioned member to clamp the soap in position and to move said other wedge to engage and lock said soap elevating mechanism in fixed position.

2. The, combination with a washboard having a rubbing surface and a soapreceptacle adjacent thereto, of a movable bottom in said receptacle, an operating means for said bottom disposed at the front and within the sides of said board and above said rubbing surface for moving said bottom to different positions to support a bar of soap in different positions relatively to the rubbing surface, and means at the front of said board adapted to be manipulated by the operator for holding said first mentioned means in the desired position.

3. A washboard having a rubbing surface and a soap receptacle, a movable bottom in said receptacle, a pair of rotatable members journaled in said board each having an eccentric portion engaging said bottom to move the same forwardly, a common means for rotating said 'members, and a locking means engaging one of said members for holding said bottom in adjusted position.

4:. A washboard having a rubbing surface and a soap receptacle, a movable bottom in said receptacle, a pair of spaced movable members supporting said bottom rotatable about axes extending longitudinally of said board and a locking means for said members for holding the same and said bottom member in various adjusted positions.

5. A washboard comprising a rubbing surface and a fixed member extending across the top of the same, a member movable toward and from said member to clamp a bar of soap thereagainst, a wedge member longitudinally movable parallel'to said rubbing surface above said last mentioned member, a second reversely disposed wedge member above and co-operating with said wedge member and movable vertically of, said board in a plane parallel to said rubbing surface, a soap elevating means having an operating member above said last mentioned wedge member, said first mentioned wedge member actuating said second mentioned member to clamp the soap and actuating said last mentioned'wedgemember to lock said soap elevating means andoperating member in stationary position.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, a pair of crank arms extending under said movable member having crank portions extending between the same and the first mentioned member, a soap holding plate disposed on said crank portions, and means for swinging said crank arms to move said plate to'various positions.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6, and a rack bar secured to said second mentioned wedge member and adapted to engage one of said crank arms to hold the same and said soap carrying plate in position.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

MARY J. MURPHY. OLIVE SAN'DBANK. WILLIAM SANDBANK.

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