US715792A

US715792A - Apparatus for dusting and cleaning garments.

Info

Publication number: US715792A
Application number: US11496902A
Authority: US
Inventors: Winfield Harbough
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-07-09
Filing date: 1902-07-09
Publication date: 1902-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1919-12-16

Description

No; 715,792. Patented Dec. l6, I902.

- w. HARB'OUGH.

APPARATUS FOR BUS TING AND CLEANING GARMENTS.

(Application filed July 9, 1902.|

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINFIELD HARBOUGH, OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR DUSTING AND CLEANING GARMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,792, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed July 9, 1902- Serial No. 114,969. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, WINEIELD HARBOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Barbara, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Dusting and Cleaning Garments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to construct an efficient device for the removal of accumulated dust and dirt from ladies skirts and otherarticles of clothing.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Vide a device of this character which may be effectually operated with but slight exertion on the part of the operator and which when not in use may be folded out of the way or removed from its support and packed in small space for transportation or storage.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of clamping means for firmly supporting and holding garments of different weight and thickness and which will automatically adjust itself to any thickness of material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a beating mechanism in which the boaters may be simultaneously moved in opposite directions for contact with the opposite sides of the skirt or other garment, and thus positively expel the dust from the fabric.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an improved cleaning device constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrating the same supported in operative position on the frame of a window or of a door. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of the clamping mechanism for holding the dress or other article in proper position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a yoke for supporting a pair of arms carrying cord-guides more particularly referred to hereinafter.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures in the drawings.

The device forming the subject of the present invention may be supported in any suitable manner; but it is preferred to secure the same to a window or door frame, or other suitable place and with a free exit for dust beaten from the garment, and thereby avoid injury to the operator from inhaling the'dust expelled from the garment during the operation of cleaning. To the supporting-frame is secured a socket comprising a fiat metallic plate 1, secured to or formed integral with a section of tubing 2. This socket serves for the reception of the vertical arm of a hooked member 3, having a horizontal arm, to which is secured a bar or arm 4, on which the garment to be cleaned is hung. The outer end of the bar 4 is provided with a vertically-disposed longitudinal slot 5 and a thumb-screw 6 for a purpose hereinafter described.

To the rear or inner portion of the arm or bar 4: is secured a yoke 7, having verticallydisposed parallel arms serving partly as guides for the rear end of a clamping-bar 8. To the rear end of the bar 8 is secured a rearwardly-projecting metallic plate 10, to the under side of which is secured, by soldering or otherwise, a helical spring 11. The lower end of the spring 11 is soldered or otherwise secured to a metallic plate 12 on the upper surface of the bar or arm 4, and said spring serves as a hinge between the arm and the upper clamping-bar to permit the raising of the latter and the insertion thereunder of the garment to be cleaned. In placing the garment in position the arm 8 is raised and the garment hung on the arm or bar 4. The clamping-bar 8 is then drawn down tightly on the garment, the spring yielding to a greater or less extent in accordance with the thickness and number of folds of the fabric. At the outer end of the clamping-bar is a pivot-pin 14, supporting a metallic strip 15, said strip being inserted in the slot 5 of the supporting arm or bar and there secured by turning the thumb-screw 6. This forms a ready and convenient means of supporting and holding a garment of any thickness in position, the garment being clamped with a degree of force dependent on the thickness of the fabric and the consequent difference in the tensional strain exerted by the spring. The upper ends of the yoke-arms are bent in such manner as to form sockets 16 for the reception of the lower ends of a pair of angular arms 17, the latter being each provided at the extreme outer end with a short section of curved tubing, as indicated at 18, and on the inner or rear end of the arm 4: are similar tube-sections 19, all of such tubes forming guides for a flexible cord 20, from the central portion of which depends a counterpoise 21, adapted to move in a vertical line below the supporting-arm. The opposite ends of the cord depend from the guiding-tubes 18 at the outer ends of the arms 17 and serve as supports for the reception of beaters 22. Each beater 22 comprises an elliptical or rounded head 23, formed of wood or metal and having an inner casing or covering 24:, of rubber or other pliable material, and to the outer faces of each head are secured a plurality of clips 25, soldered or otherwise fastened to the ends of handled rods or bars 26. The terminals of the cord 20 are attached to the beaters, as by eyes or rings 27, at a suitable point to balance the heaters with their operating-handles and normally hold the latter in an approximately horizontal position. The weight 21 counter-balances the weight of the beaters and handles and relieves the operator of sustaining the weight of the heaters during the operation of cleaning the garment.

In operation, the skirt or other garment having been clamped in position, as previously described, the heaters are moved outwardly from the garment and then moved simultaneously toward each other for contact with the opposite sides of the garment, thereby eifectually expelling dust and dirt from the fabric without chafing the fabric and without injury to the nap, as when a broom or brush is used for a similar purpose, the fabric being left in a soft and pliable condition after the cleaning operation. As the heaters are perfectly counterbalanced, the operator may readily move them for contact with every part of the garment without the fatigue incident to the use of a beating device of which the weight must be supported during the beating operation. After the cleansing of a garment the thumb-screw 6 is released from contact with the strip 15 and the spring 11 raises the clamp 8 and supports the latter in a slightly-elevated position, so that another garment may be readily placed on the supporting arm or bar 4. When the heaters are released, the counterpoise elevates them to a position adjacent to the clamping-bars, and the device as a whole may then be turned inwardly toward the wall in readiness for future use.

For purposes of transportation or storage the hook 3 and all of. the operative parts of the device may be readily removed and will ocou py a comparatively small space.

While the construction herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is the preferred form of the device, it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A cleaning device having opposite beaters mounted for simultaneous movement perpendicular to and parallel with the plane of an interposed object and means for supporting said beaters.

2. A cleaning device having beaters mounted for universal movement and capable of simultaneously opposite contact with an interposed object.

3. A cleaning device comprising a supporting means for a garment, and a pair of oppositely-disposed counterbalanced beaters mounted for universal movement and capable of simultaneously contacting with opposite sides of the garment.

4. A garment-cleaning device comprising a movable support, beaters suspended there from, and a counterbalancing-weight for said beaters.

5. A garment-cleaningdevice comprising a pivotally-mounted support, means for clamping a garment in position thereon, anda pair of oppositely-disposed counterbalanced beaters.

6. A garment-cleaning device comprising a socket member, an arm pivotally mounted in the socket and adapted to support a garment, means for clamping a garment in position on said arm, a pair of oppositely-disposed beaters, and means for counterbalancing said heaters.

7. A garment-cleaning device comprisinga supporting-arm, a clamping-bar, a yielding hinge between the bar and arm, means for securing the arm and bar to each other, and a pair of counterbalanced beaters suspended below said arm.

8. A garment-cleaning device comprising a supporting arm, a clamping-bar disposed above the arm, a spring forming a yielding hinged connection between the arm and bar, means for securing the arm and bar to each other, and a pair of counterbalanced heaters suspended below said arm.

9. A garment-cleaning device comprising a pivoted supporting-arm, a clamping-bar arranged above said arm, a spring forming a connection between one end of the bar and the arm, a pivoted securing-strip depending from the arm, a clamping-screw for holding the strip and arm to each other, and a pair of counterbalanced beaters suspended below said arm.

10. A cleaning device comprising a movable garment-supporting arm, means for securing the garment on the arm, and suspended beaters having flexible suspending means with a counterbalance-weight attached thereto, said heaters being adapted to be brought simultaneously into contact with opposite sides of the garment during the cleaning operation.

11. A garment-cleaning device comprising a pivotal1ymounted supporting-arm,a yoke secured thereto, angle-arms carried by the yoke, curved tube-sections securedto the outer end of said angle-arms, curved tube-sections arranged at the rear end of the supporting-arm, a clamping-bar guided partly between the yoke-arn1s,a yielding spring forming a hinged connection between the bar and arm, means for securing the bar and arm to each other; a flexible cord extending through the guidingtubes and having a counterbalance-weight thereon, and a pair of beaters to which the terminals of the cord are attached, said beaters being adapted to be brought into simultaneous contact with the opposite sides of a garment during the cleaning operation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WINFIELD HARBOUGH.

Witnesses:

J. W. RIED, F. M. WHITNEY.