US1295578A - Towel-cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

A. A. OLSON.

TOWEL CABINET.

` APPLICATION FILED JAN.8.1Q18. i 1,295,578. Patented Feb. 20, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

A. A. OLSON.

TowE-L CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1918.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'"";: |1=` A. LSON, 0F CHICAGO, UJEIOAIS, ASSIGNOB. 'T0 JACQUES ROUSSFU, 0F

LGS ANGELES, CALHORN'IA.

@WEI-Ummm To all whom z' may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR A. OLsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Towel-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in towel cabinets, of the type designed for use in dispensing individual towels, that is a clean individual towel to each user.

The object of the invention is the production of a towel cabinet as mentioned, which 'will be of durable and economical construction and efcient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations l and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. p

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure '1 is a partially sectional side elevation of a towel cabinet embodying one form of the invention,

' Fig. 2, a front elevation of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a vertical section through another form of cabinet embodying the invention,

Fig. 4, a front elevation of Fig. 3, and

Fi 5, a fragmental section illustrating a modi ed iorm of the construction seen in Figs. 3 and t.

The form of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a cabinet consisting of a rear vertical wall or body 6 adjacent the upper end of which is provided a forwardly projecting shelf 7, which is adapted, when t e cabinet is in use, to support a stack of towels 8 as illustrated. At the sides of the support 7 are provided side pieces or da es il to hold the towels against lateral disp acement from said support. At the front side ot su port 7 are provided two vertically extending posts 10 which serve to hold the towels against forward horizontal displacement trom support 7, said posts 10 being rigidly secured at their lower ends to said support, as'seen in Fig. 2.

Each towel 8 is provided adjacent its front edge with a centrally positioned grometed opening 11,'throngh which a dexible retaining member 12, in the form of achain,

is adapted to be passed, said chain, 'after Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application led January 8, 1918. Serial No. 210,825.

- passing upwardly through the holes in the towels, being brought forward and then downward loosely, the same depending into an upwardly opening soiled towel receptacle 13 provided at the lower end of the cabinet. The-two ends of the chain are locked together' by a padlock 14. In order to accommodate the chain, the support 7 is pro# vided at its front edge with a forwardly opening central notch' 15, through which the chain is adapted to loosely pass. The posts 10 are spaced apart so as to form a vertically extending slot 16 between the same, which permits of free passage and free vertical movement of the chain,ythe arrangement, in

other words, being such that the upper por? tion or bight of the chain will be unsupported, except by the towels through which it passes, the upward extension of the chain being determined by the height of the stack of towels on support 7 In using the cabinet a bundle or stack of towels may be strung and locked upon the chain at the laundry, the attendant or laundry man placing the stack of towels upon the support 7 with the chain arranged as seen in Fig. 1. A prospective user of a towel needs only to grasp the uppermost towel and bring the same over or between the posts 10, and after use allow the same to drop, when the towel will be guided by the chain into the soiled towel receptacle 13. The towels remaining in the stack, after a towel has thus been removed from the stack. will be held in place against'forward horizontal displacement by the posts 10.

ln the form shown in Fi 3, 4 and 5, a cabinet is provided, comprlsing a body 17, in the upper end et which is provided a shelf or towel support 18. Said support 18 constitutes the bottom of a clean towel receptacle 19, the upper side of which is provided with an upwardlyswinging door 20. hinged at 21. The front side of the clean towel receptacle 19 is formed by a forwardly or horizontally swinging door 22, which is hinged at. 2d, said door being adapted to be looked in closed position bv any suitable locking means, such as a padlock 2d.

rlhe door 22 is formed with a central vertical slot 25 which entends downwardly from the upper edge thereof, said slot being adapted to accommodate the towel retaining chain 12 in precisely the same manner as the slot lo formed between the posts l0 in the forni of the construction first described.

ln this forni of the construction the towel retaining chain passes upwardly through the towels 8, a stack of which is adapted to be accommodated in the receptacle 19` arranged upon the support i8, said chain, after passing upwardly through the towels, being brought forwardly through the slot 25, whence the same hangs loosely, passing downwardly into a soiled towel receptacle 26 formed in the lower end of the cabinet. rll`he ends of the retainer chain are, as before, locked together by a suitable locking device 14. 'lhe forward edge of the support or shelf 18 is forn'ied with a centrally positioned notch 27 through which the chain is adapted to loosely pass, in precisely the saine manner as in the form of the construction first described. ln order to guide the soiled towels-into the receptacle 26, after release by a user, a forwardly projecting inclined chute or lip 28 is provided, leading- 'to said receptacle,

ln this forni of the construction it will be seen that the retainer chain will embrace or encircle the door 22, so that when said door is locked by the loclr 2li, the retainer chain and hence the towels arranged thereon will be positively locked to the cabinet. ln using this forni of the cabinet, a user needs only to raise the cover 20, reach into the receptacle it' and withdraw v.ie uppermost towel from the stach, so doing the towel is upwardly and forwardly over the door or through theslot 25, the towel after use and release by the user, being guided by the retainer and the chute 28 downwardly into the soiled towel receptacle 26. lin order to insure ready engagement of the chain with the 25, after each succeeding withdrawal of a clean towel, the upper end of said slot may be dared, as clearly seen in "Fig, d. fl correspending;P formation of the slot lf3, of the first described form, may also be employed for the saine purpose. ln

this 'form of the cabinet, as in the forni first described, the upper end or bight of the retainer chain will be unsupported except by the towels arranged the clean towel receptacle i9, the upward extension of the chain being,r determined by the height of the stach of towels. is said stach of towels diminishes, the bight or upper portion of the chain will correspondingly lower by gravit and will be guided in this movement y the sides of slot i6. The gradual lowering of the bight or upper portion of the chain renders it unnecessary for a towel user to lift `the towel above the stack; it being possible, in removing the uppermost towel from the stach, simply draw the saine forwardly through the slot between the stops or in the door, as the case may be, at the front of the clean towel support. Also, with nascere this arrangement, the weight of the towel guide, especially when soiled towels weigh down the lower end thereof, will have a tendency to hold the towels in close, compact arrangement on the clean towel support and will prevent accidental shifting or displacement of the towels from said support.

ln the forms of the construction described, it will be seen that the front portion of the chain rests closely against the front side of the cabinet, and thus the free downward sliding thereon of the towel be i capable of variation and modification with- I out departing from the spirit of the invention. l, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction iet forth, but desire to avail myself of sush variations. and inodii'ications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what l claim as new desire to secure by Letters hatent is:

l. 'in a device of the class described, a

towel support; a flenible retaininr;n member extending upwardly from said support through the towels arranged on said support and then downwardly beyond the edges i of the towels, whereby the upper portion of said retaining member is unsupported encept by the towels on said 'towel support, and the upward extension of said retaining member is determined by the height of the stack of towels on said towel support; and means for holding the towels against horizontal displacement from said towel support. said means being vertically slotted to permit of free downward vertical movenient of said retaining1 member as the number of towels on said support diminishes, substantially as described.

2. ln a device of the class described, a

towel support; a lenible retaining member i extendingq Iuqcwardly from said support through the tiwels arranged on said support and then downwardly beyond the front edges of the towels, whereby the upper por-v tion of said retaining rneinber is unsup-- a ported except by the towels on said towel support and the upward extension of said retaining member is determined by the height of the stack of towels on saidtowel support; and forwardly inclined means enlll lll

Masacre gaging with-the front edges of the towels Afor holding the latter against horizontal displacement from said towel support, said means having a slot t0 permit of free downward vertical movement of said retaining member as the number of towels on said rupport diminishes, substantially as desribed.

3. In a device of the class described, a towel support; a flexible retaining member extending upwardly from said support through the towels arranged on said support and then downwardly; and means encircled by said retaining member for holding the towels against horizontal displacement from said towel support and permitting of free downward vertical movement of said retaining member above said towel support as the number of towels on said support diminishes, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a

towel support; a flexible retaining member l extending upwardly from said support through the towels arranged on said support and then downwardly; and a horizontally swinging door at the front of said towel support for holding the towels against horizontal displacement from said towel support, said door having a slot extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof to said support permitting of free passage and downward vertical movement of said retaining member as the number of towels on said support diminishes, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, a towel support; a flexible retaining member extending upwardly from 'said support through the towels arran ed on said support and then downwar ly, whereby the upper portion of said retaining member is unsupported except by the towels on said towel support; and means for holding thel towels against horizontal displacement from said towel support, said means permitting free downward vertical movement of said retaining member as the number of towels on said support diminishes, and guiding said retaining member in said movement thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification ir the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR'A. oLsoN

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