US1378214A - Towel-rack - Google Patents

Description

' E. T. BRIGHAM.

TOWEL RACK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1912.

1,378,2 1 4. v Patented May 17, 1921.

. v F 9 I i3 W leiszses [ILUQ/libl" UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice.

EDWIN T. BRIGHAM, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, .ASSIGNOR TO JACQUES ROUSSO, OF

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOWEL-RACK.

Application filed September 26, 1912. Serial No. 722,473.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. BRIGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to towel racks for use chiefly in public buildings, hotels, bath houses and the like, where it is a frequent occurrence for hand or face towels to be carried away or thrown carelessly aside, and my object is to produce a simple and efficient rack designed chiefly for the support of towels of the class mentioned, where by the towels are accessibly supported with more than a reasonable degree of security against loss, and upon which towels as used, can be isolated from the unused or clean ones.

With this general object in view, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to "be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l, is a side elevation of a towel rack embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is afull-sized vertical section of the upper bracket of the rack, and also shows the upper extremity of the rod of the rack, in engagement with the said bracket.

Fig. 3, is a similar section of the lower bracket and also shows the lower extremity of the rod engaging said bracket and a device for preventing disengagement of said parts.

Fig. 4, is a face-view of the lower bracket.

In the said drawing, a bracket 1, consists of a hollow vertically-elongated socket portion 2, provided at its upper corner with an opening 3, lying in an inclined plane, and a flange 4, projecting outwardly from the socket portion, and secured to a suitable support by screws 5, or equivalent attachingfdevices. 1 I

ertically below the bracket descrlbed, 1s a second bracket 6, consisting of a hollow vertically-elongated socket portion 7, and a flange 8, through which attaching devices 9 extend to fasten it to the support. In the front or inner end of the socket portion is formed an inverted keyhole slot 10, and in arm being arched or humped at 12 where it projects from the upright portion, for a purpose WhlCll hereinafter appears.

The upper arm is also bent downward at .13 and terminates at its free end in a short Patented Ma 17, 1921.

horizontal portion 14, the construction being such that an upper and a lower shoulder 15 and 16 respectively, are formed at the junction of ortions' 13 and 14, the shoulder 15 being isposed nearer the free extremity of portion 14 than the shoulder 16, so that when the portion 14 is fitted in the socket portion 2, shoulder 15 will bear against the upper portion of the wall of the inclined slot 3, and the shoulder 16, which faces in the opposite direction from shoulder 15, will bear against the lower portion of the wall of said opening, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

To fit the upper arm of the rod in socket portion 2, the said arms must be arranged at such an angle that it shall extend approximately at right angles to the inclination of the opening 3. It is then slipped into said opening until the'shoulder 15- engages the upper part of the wall of said opening, by which time the shoulder 16 is ap-. proximately in the lane of the inclination of the opening; he rod is then swung downward until its portion 14 bears against the overlying part of socket'portion 2, and shoulder 16 is within said socket portion and adjacent to the lower wall of its opening 3..

When thus arranged it will be impossible to withdraw the upper end of the rod from opening 3, without first swinging the rod upwardly to substantially the position it hole slot. Before such engagement can take place however, the rod must be sprung ,downward to permit its lower end to be pushed into the enlarged end of said keyhole slot, and as this occurs, the tendency of the rod to retract to normal condition,

causes said end to spring 11 ward and its notches to receive the said sir e walls of the of said slot.

To prevent an unauthorized person from accomplishing the purpose last referred to,

the hasp of a small padlock 18 is engaged with hole 11, and the enlarged end of the,

keyhole slot, and to prevent displacement of the padlock, a small chain 19 is fastened at its opposite ends to said padlock and the lower bracket.

When the rod. is disengaged from the brackets, a large number of perforated towels (not shown) can be slipped upon it, preferably on the upper arm,' and then the rod is secured to the brackets as explained, and the padlock is secured in place for the purpose of preventing any one from readily slipping one of the towels off the rod. After each clean towel suspended from the upper arm is used, it is slipped over the arched or humped portion 12 and down upon the upright portion and onto the lower arm, where it hangs until removed for washing, it being noted that the arched or humped portion of the rod guards against accidental passage of clean towels from the upper to the lower arm of the rod.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a towel rack possessing-the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention, and I wish it to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes as fall within the principle of construction defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A towel rack comprising a towel guide and retaining member; detachable connections for the ends of said member, one of said connections consisting of means for engaging and releasing the corresponding end of said member when shifted out of normal position of use, and the other connection consisting of means for engaging and holding the corresponding member end in normal position of use; and means for locking said member end in engagement with said other connection, substantially as described.

2. A towel rack comprising a towel guide,

rod; detachable connections for the ends of said rod. one of said connections consisting of means for engaging and releasin the corresponding end of said rod when sh fted out of normal position of use, and the other connection consisting of means for engaging andholding the corresponding rod end in normal position of use; and means for locking said rod end in engagement with said other connection, substantially as described.

3. A towel rack comprising a combined towel supporting and guide member; detachable connections for the ends of said member, one of said connections consisting of means for engaging and releasing the corresponding end of said member when shifted out of normal position of use, and the towel supporting and guide rod detachable connections for the ends of said rod, one of said connections consisting of means for engaging and releasing the corresponding end of said rod when shifted out of normal position of use, and the other connection consisting of means for engaging and holding the corresponding rod end in normal posi: tion of use; and means for locking said rod end in engagement with said other connection, substantially as described.

5. A towel rack comprising upper and lower securing members adapted to be ar-' ranged on a support, the upper member consisting of a socket adapted and arranged to receive a rod end when in upwardly inclined position and to interlock therewith when rocked downwardly into substantially horizontal position, and the lower securing member consisting of a socket havin an inverted key hole slot therein; a spring rod bent into substantially U form and having its ends detachably engaging said securing members; and a lock "arranged to lock the lower end in the lower securing member, substantially as described.

6. A towel rack comprising a rod adapted to be threaded through towels, and embodying a horizontal arm, a vertical arm termi nating at its free end below the free end of the horizontal arm, and a hump rising above the horizontal arm and connecting the same and the upper end of the vertical arm, a

having grooves at opposite sides to receive the edges of the walls'of the bracket at opposite sides of thenarrow portion of the keyhole slot.

8. Av towel rack comprising a pair of brackets, one being hollow and having a keyhole-shaped slot of which the narrow portion is nearest the other bracket, a U- shaped spring rod arranged with its arms substantially horizontal, one of the arms engaging one of the brackets and the other arm being capable of being fitted into the other bracket through the enlarged end of the keyhole slot thereof, the last-named arm having grooves at opposite sides to receive the edges of the walls of the bracket at opposite sides of the narrow portion of the keyhole slot, and a locking device extending through the slotted bracket to prevent the 15 arm engaging the narrow portion of the keyhole slot from being sprung downward into the enlarged portion of said slot.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN T. BRIGHAM. lVitnesses:

HELEN C. RODGERS, G. Y. THORBE.

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