US997270A - Folding portable closet. - Google Patents

Description

P. GOFRODE.

FOLDING PORTABLE CLOSET.

APPLICATION FILED 0'01. 3, 1909.

997,270.. 1. Patented July 11, 1911..

2 sums-sum 1.

Di g

aw attomu COLUMBIA PL ANOGRAPH cp., WASHINGTON. D. c.

Par/fir Cofrode P. GOPRODE.

FOLDING PORTABLE CLOSET.

APPLI ATIQK FILED our 8, 1909.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBlA PLANUORAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. d.

PARKER COFRODE, 0F JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING PORTABLE V CLOSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed October 8, 1909. Serial No. 521,654.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARKER OorRoDE, a citizen of the United 6 States, I residing ,at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Portable Closets, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide accommodation of its kind suitable to the needs of contractors, and the like, who have gangs of men working at places where such accommodations are ordinarily not available or are located distant from the Work.

One of the important features of the invention relates to its being foldable, so that it will occupy but little space, making it easy to handle and transport.

Another feature is its adaptability to different conditions, inasmuch as it can be placed over sewer drops or vaults dug in the earth. While peculiarly suitable for contractors as above set forth, it may also be successfully employed bycamping parties,

and the like.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illust-ratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure set up. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the frame-work in extended position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the frame-work folded. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line -55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of seat that may be employed. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing one form of supporting foot. Fig. 8 .is a similar view of a modified form of supporting foot. Y

Similar reference numerals designate cor-- responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment disclosed, an inclosure is employed that is foldable, and when set up, is preferably triangular in plan, as will be obvious by reference to Fig. 8. This inclosure consists of three walls 9, l0 and 11, and said walls include hingedly connected frames, the frames being formed by four standards 12, 13, 14 and 15. The standards 12, 13 and 14 have suitable supporting feet. Thus, as disclosed in Fig. 7 ,said feet are in the form of horizontal plates 16 having stems 17 that are threaded into the lower ends of the standards. This form of foot is employed where the ground is hard or where the structure is employed on a paved street or the like. In soft grounds, each foot is in the form of a spur 18, shown in Fig. 8, having a stop flange 19, said spur being threaded into the lower end of the standard. The remaining end standard 15 is slightly shorter than the others, so that its lower end will not touch the ground or surface on which the inclosure is placed. The various standards are connected by horizontal cross rods 20, terminating in cars 21, through which said standards pass. Certain of these ears are pinned to the standards, as shown at 22. Others are free to rotate thereon, and are held against longitudinal displacement by the adjacent pinned ears and by cotters 23 located thereover. It will thus be seen that the dilferent framescan assume different relative positions, as will be clear by a comparison of Figs. 2, 3 and 4t, but when the structure is set up, such frames form a triangle, of which the standard 15 and the cross rods 20 connected thereto, constitute a swinging door-frame. The frame thus produced is covered with a curtain 24:, which is suspended by hooks 25 secured to its upper end and engaging over the uppermost set of cross rods 20.

For the convenience of the user and also in order to maintain the structure in set up condition, a seat 26 is employed having straps 27 at one end that; surround one of the lowermost cross bars, forming journal ears for said seat. The other end of this seat has terminal hooks 28 that engage over the cross rod of the opposite frame. This seat may be a comparatively narrow board, as shown in Fig. 3, or a wide one, as illustrated at 26 in Fig. 6, in which case, an opening 26 is formed therein. In order to maintain this seat in upright condition to permit the compact folding of the frame, said-seat has an eye 29 contiguous to its free end, which eye is arranged to be engaged by a snap hook 30 carried by a rod 31 that is fastened toa ring 32, this ring being mounted on the cross rod above the rod on which the seat is journaled.

The manner of using the device will,'it is thought be obvious. It is set up with the walls disposed in triangle, the three feet, either 16 or 18 supporting the frame, leaving the door so that it may be conveniently opened and closed, and the seats preventing the opposite side walls from approaching each other or separating. When it is desired to transport the structure, it is only necessary to disengage the free end of the seat from its supporting bar, and hook it to the holding rod 31. The frame can then be compactly folded, as illustrated in Fig. 4. In this connection, a further feature of the invention resides in employing a top covering or canopy 50, intended to provide a cover for the top of the framework when folded in position for use, This top covering or canopy preferably consists of a triangular piece of canvas fastened at two sides, as at 51, when the structure is in position for use. The fastenings 51 for the top covering or canopy are hooks or equivalent devices which may be readily disen gaged or loosened when the closet is being prepared for transportation. By simply loosening the set of fastenings 51 at one side edge of the top covering or canopy, the latter can be neatly folded between the side walls of the structure, as will be readily ap parent.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advan tages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, with out further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size,

shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

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

A portable closet of the class described comprising a folding structure consisting of a plurality of standards and cross-rods connecting the standards and journaled on cer tain of the'same, said standards and crossrods being arranged to form three folding side walls, one of said side walls having a standard which is shorter than the others thereby forming a swinging door for closing the space between two of the standards when the structure is arranged for use, supporting feet carried by the longer standards, a top covering for the structure, side curtains for each of the folding walls, and a seat journaled on a cross-rod of one of the walls and having fastening means to detachably engage the cross-rod of the opposite wall.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PARKER COFRODE.

Witnesses HENRY WVILSON STOREY, I. E. ROBERTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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