Dec. 12, 1967 W. B.

HARVEY 3,357,109
PORTABLE DRYER
Filed Aug. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet

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WALTER B. HARVEY
56 INVENTOR.
Dec. 12, 1967 W. B. HARVEY 3,357,109
PORTABLE DRYER
Filed Aug. 17, 1965 2. Sheets-Sheet 2

FIG. 8

WALTER B. HARVEY
IN \ }. NTOR.
 United States Patent Office 3,357,109
Patented Dec. 12, 1967
2
3,357,109 The housing is preferably lined with aluminum foil or
PORTABLE DRYER similar material to keep heat in and to keep the exterior
Walter B. Harvey, 28 Brown Drive, cool. A handle 22 extends upwardly from lid 18 to pro
Walpole, Mass. 02081 vide a convenient means for carrying the unit when the
Fied Aug. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 480,318 lid is closed and latched by means of snap latches 24.
3 Claims. (C. 34-95) When the end cover 17 is latched in place by latches
26, the intermediate wall 6b serves, in effect, as a parti
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE tion dividing the interior of the housing into two cham
The invention has to do with a portable clothes drier bers 28a and 28b of different size. A removable tray con
and hair drier combination in which means is provided
O taining an absorbent block is located at the bottom of the
chamber 28a to collect moisture and lint.
for directing heated air alternatively to a foraminous ro A cylindrical clothes basket 30 is rotatably mounted
tatable
drier.
basket to dry clothes or to a connection to a hair within chamber 28a by means of short, axially-aligned
end shafts 32a, 32b journaled in bearings in the end and
15 intermediate walls 16a and 16b. Shaft 32b extends through
Heretofore, clothes dryers have been manufactured as intermediate wall 16b and is connected at its outer end
relatively large, heavy units adapted for stationary op by means of a gear set 32 to the vertically-disposed drive
eration in either home or industrial installations. More shaft 34 of motor 36. Motor 36 is mounted on the out
over, although portable hair dryers have been developed, side surface of wall i6b within chamber 28b.
their combination with clothes drying apparatus has never 20 The end cover 17 is provided with an air inlet 38
been successfully accomplished. One object of the pres which is connected by means of a duct 40 to an outlet
ent invention is to depart from this conventional practice 42 in intermediate wall 16b. The wall 16b not only sep
by providing a light-weight compact clothes dryer capable arates section 28a from 28b, but also provides a barrier
of being carried about in much the same manner as an 25 against moisture and lint, protecting all electrical parts.
ordinary handbag or piece of luggage. An intake fan 44 is positioned within duct 40 and powered
Another object of the invention is the provision of by the motor 36 through a second, horizontally-disposed
a portable drying apparatus which may be alternately drive shaft. The fan operates to draw air from the exterior
used as either a clothes dryer or hair dryer. of the housing through an inlet 38, a duct 40, and an out
A still further object of the instant invention is the let 42 into the interior of chamber 28a. The basket 30 is
provision of a simple means for converting the apparatus 30 provided with perforations (indicated typically at 46) in
from hair drying to clothes drying. its cylindrical wall in addition to perforations 48 in its
Another object of the present invention is to provide end wall adjacent outlet 42. In this manner, air exiting
a combination clothes and hair dryer incorporating a from outlet 42 will enter immediately into the interior of
Safety device which precludes the possibility of the user 35 basket 30 via perforations 48, thereafter leaving radi
being accidentally injured. ally from the interior of the basket into chamber 28a.
A further object of the instant invention is the pro through the perforations 46 in the side of the basket. The
vision of a portable combination clothes and hair dryer air will then flow upwardly in chamber 28a and exit from
which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manu the housing through a filtered exhaust opening 50 lo
facture and reliable in operation. cated beneath handle 22 in lid 18. The end cover 17 is
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent 40 provided at a lower corner with a small door for storage
to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the of a long extension cord. In addition, a vent at the bottom
combination of parts set forth in the specification and of the chamber 28b provides cooling air for the motor.
covered by the claims appended hereto. A heater 52 in the duct 40 provides a means of heating
The character of the invention, however, may be best 45 the incoming air prior to its reaching the interior of
understood by reference to certain of its structural forms, basket 30. The heater 52 and the motor 36 are both con
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: trolled by a switch 54 mounted on the end cover 7.
FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of a portable dryer Referring next to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the switch 54
constructed according to the teachings of the present in is rotatably adjustable between HIGH, COLD, LOW and
vention; : MED. contact points. When in the OFF position, as illus
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 50 trated, both heater 52 and motor 36 are without current.
I-II of FIG. 1; When the switch is adjusted to the COLD position, the
FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view with parts omitted motor 36 is energized to drive fan 44 and basket 30, but
taken along line III-III of FIG. 2; the heater 52 remains de-energized. When switch 54 is
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the electrical circuit 55 adjusted to either the HIGH, LOW or MED. positions,
used in the invention; motor 36 will be energized and, in addition, one of three
FIG. 5 is a general perspective view of an alternate resistors 56a, 56b, and 56c will be placed in series with
embodiment of the invention; heater 52 to vary the temperature of the air being heated.
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the top and Included in the switch 54 is an automatic timer to control
side covers and perforated clothing receptacle removed; 60 the length of the operation.
5; FIG.
and 7 is a vertical sectional view taken through FIG. As can best be seen in FIG. 2 the duct 40 is provided
with a branch extension 58 leading to an accessory outlet
FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line
VII-VIII of FIG. 7. 60 in the end cover 17. The outlet 60 is suitably shaped to
have inserted therein the end of a flexible hose 63 to which
Referring initially to FIGS. 1 through 3, wherein are 65 is connected a conventional hair dryer hood (not shown).
best shown the general features of one embodiment of A pivotal damper 62 at the junction between the duct 40
the invention, a portable dryer, designated generally by and the branch 58 is adjustable by means of an exterior
the reference numeral 10, is shown provided with a rela knob 64 (mounted on the cover 17) from a “clothes dry
tively small housing having a bottom 12, side walls ing' position, as indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 3,
14a and 14b, rear and intermediate walls 16a and 16b, an
70 to a "hair drying' position, as shown in dotted lines.
end cover 17, and a top lid 18 which is pivotally attached
When in a clothes drying position, the damper 62 will
to side wall 14b by means of a hinge connection. 20. close off the branch 58 and will allow air to pass through
 3,357,109 4.
3 elements 104 into an accessory outlet 108 to which may be
the outlet 42 into the rotating clothes backet. However, connected the flexible hose 110 of a hair dryer.
when in a hair drying position, the damper will direct the In view of the above, it should now be apparent to
same flow of air into the branch 58, from which it will one skilled in the art that the invention provides signifi
progress through the hose 63 to the hair dryer hood. cant advantages over prior art devices. To begin with,
When the dryer is being loaded with clothing, the switch the apparatus is compact and light weight in construction,
54 will first be adjusted to the OFF position to deenergize making it simple and convenient to carry when traveling.
both the motor 36 and heater 52. The lid 18 is then opened Moreover, the apparatus may be operated as a clothes
to permit access to the interior of chamber 28a. At this dryer or, as a hair dryer. In the embodiment designated
point, it should be noted that a safety switch 68 is posi by the reference numeral i0, conversion from one to the
tioned on the interior of wall 14b adjacent one edge of 10 other is accomplished by simply turning knob 64 to ad
lid 18. This switch is provided with an actuating arm 70 just the position of damper 62. In embodiment 10a, the
underlying a raised lug 72 on the inner surface of lid i8. same result is achieved by shifting the position of shelf
When the lid is closed, the lug 72 contacts the actuating
arm 76 to close the switch 68, thus permitting the motor 5 S9.Both embodiments employ perforated cylindrical bas
36 and the heater 52 to be energized, depending on the kets (30,98) into which clothing may readily be deposited
setting of control switch 54 (see FIG. 4). However, for drying. The baskets are rotated by a motor which also
should the lid 18 inadvertently be opened without first drives the intake fan to provide air circulation. By em
adjusting switch 54 to the OFF position, both the motor
36 and the heater 52 will automatically be de-energized 20 ploying a single motor in this dual capacity, the overall
weight of the apparatus is reduced while, at the same time,
by the opening of the safety switch 63. providing a cost saving.
Once the lid 18 has been opened, a second hinged lid It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the
74 on basket 30 is provided to provide access into the in form and construction of the invention without departing
terior of the basket. After clothes are deposited in the from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired
basket, both lids 18 and 74 are again closed and the con
trol switch 54 is adjusted to the desired setting. The hair 25 to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown
and described, but it is desired to include all such as
drying tube, hood, and other curling and drying equip properly come within the scope claimed.
ment can be carried in the clothes drying tumbler. A The invention having been thus described, what is
compact unit containing all necessities for clothes drying claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:
and hair drying is thus provided. 1. A portable clothes and hair dryer combination com
When the unit is to be used for hair drying, one need 30 prising: a housing adapted to be carried in a convenient
only connect the hose 63 to outlet 60, after adjusting the manner; a partition dividing the interior of said hous
knob 64 to the hair drying position. The same switch 54 ing into first and second chambers; a substantially cylin
may be utilized to control the temperature of air being drical foraminous basket journaled for rotation within
directed to the hair dryer. 35 said first chamber; access doors in said housing and basket
Referring next to FIGS. 5 through 8, an alternate em permitting the interior of said basket to be filled with
bodiment of the invention, generally indicated by the clothes to be dried; an inlet opening in said housing ad
reference numeral 10a, is shown provided with a carrying jacent said second chamber; an air duct in said second
handle 75 and with upper and lower removable lids 76
and 78. The interior of the housing is subdivided by an 40 chamber leading from said inlet opening to a first outlet
adjustable horizontal shelf 80 into upper and lower cham extending through said partition into said first chamber;
a second outlet extending through said housing into said
berS 82 and 84. A drive motor 86 is mounted in lower
chamber 84 and connected to an intake fan 88 positioned second chamber; a fan for drawing air from the exterior of
adjacent an intake port 90 which is exposed by the re said housing through said inlet opening into said duct;
moval of lower lid 78. The motor 86 is also connected by 45 aandmotor in said second chamber driving both said basket
a system of pulleys to two parallel shafts 92a and 92b from saidfan;firstanchamber;
said exhaust opening in said housing leading
a hair dryer detachably con
journaled for rotation in the upper chamber 82. Gears nected to said second outlet; heater means in said duct
94 on the shafts 92a and 92b are positioned to mesh with
circumferential ring gears 96 on the exterior of a cylin said fan; and, damper means in said ductbyforoperation
for heating air being drawn therethrough of
alternately
drical clothes basket 98 when the basket is held in its 50 directing air flowing therethrough from said first outlet
operative position by means of opposed open brackets to said second outlet.
100 into which end shafts 102 on the basket 98 are seated. 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further char
With this construction, the basket 98 may be removed
entirely from the housing simply by lifting it through receptaclebyin order
acterized means for rotating said perforated clothes
the opening afforded by the removal of upper lid 76. 55 contained therein. to impart a tumbling action to clothes
The heater elements 104 are provided to the rear of 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further char
the fan 88 in the lower chamber 84. With the horizontal acterized
shelf 80 adjusted to a position indicated by the solid lines when the by means for automatically stopping said motor
access door in said housing is opened.
in FIG. 7, a space 106 is provided through which the
flow of air created by operation of fan 88 will rise. The References Cited
air will then pass through the rotating perforated basket 60 UNITED STATES PATENTS
98 in much the same manner as in the previously de
scribed embodiment. During a clothes-drying operation, 2,513,218 6/1950 Turnipseed ----------- 206-4
the upper lid 76 is simply left ajar (as indicated by the 2,679,112 5/1954 Thompson ---------- 34-55 X
dotted lines 76a in FIG. 3), thus allowing the air to 65 2,787,841 4/1957 Warino ----------- 34-133 X
escape from the dryer. A switch 112 on control panel 114 2,793,444 5/1957 Turner -------------- 34-133
operates both the motor 86 and heater 104 through a 2,858,619 11/1958 Hughes -------------- 34-45
control circuit identical to that discussed in FIG. 4 in 3,157,475 11/1964 Stainbrook --------- 34-90 X
connection with the first described embodiment. FOREIGN PATENTS
When it is desired to employ the unit as a hair dryer, 0. 631,390 11/1949 Great Britain.
shelf 80 is simply adjusted to the alternate position indi
cated by the dotted lines. This effectively seals off the FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.
space 106 between upper and lower chambers 82 and 84
and directs the flow of air from fan 88 through the heating 4C. R. REMKE, H. B. RAMEY, Assistant Examiners.