Gilbert Toyne
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Toyne Australian inventor.
Gilbert Toyne was born at Darriwill, Victoria, Australia
and trained as a blacksmith
, wheelwright
and farrier
. He went on to invent, patent and market four rotary clothes hoist designs in Australia. His most significant invention was the classic 1925 all-metal rotary clothes hoist design.
As one of 13 children and the large amount of resulting laundry, Toyne realised early on the need for an improved clothes line
design. In 1911 with fellow blacksmith Lambert Downey, he patented ‘Improvements in clothes hoists and the like’ (Australian Patent No. 1276/11). Together they established the Aeroplane Clothes Hoist Company, with an office in Queen Street, Melbourne
. A family relative, Henry William Barnes, became involved in the company. To help manufacture, promote and reduce the price of Toyne’s clothes hoists, Barnes established the Aeroplane Hoist Manufacturing Company of Australasia Limited on 13 August 1913. This business acquired the assets of the previous company.
The Toyne rotary clothes hoist was marketed at state agricultural shows and interstate agents were sought. Some of the advantages of the rotary clothes hoist listed in promotional material were the ‘quick drying powers, due to the revolving lines; saving in labour, due to clothes being hung from one position; less strain on the cloth; economy of ground space; and durability, as with proper treatment the “Aeroplane” should last forever.
Gilbert Toyne’s life and the progress of his rotary clothes hoist business was much affected by contemporary events. The two world wars halted production of the clothes hoist and the Great Depression
slowed its popular acceptance. Toyne served in World War I
and returned home to face personal turmoil in 1919. However, still passionately committed to promoting the clothes hoist, he developed a new design and patented ‘Rotary clothes hoist’ (Australian Patent No. 11373/23) in 1923. This design used a rack-and-pinion method to raise the clothes line frame. Then in 1925 he patented ‘Improvements in and relating to hoisting mechanism especially applicable to rotary clothes lines’ (Australian Patent No. 24553/25). This model had an enclosed crown wheel-and-pinion winding mechanism that would define the standard for Australian rotary clothes hoists for decades to follow.
Gilbert Toyne sold the rights to manufacture his rotary clothes hoist designs in Victoria, Australia to Archibald McKirdy in 1925. The McKirdy family were significant promoters of Toyne’s hoists until the 1960s. They established Toyne’s Rotary Clothes Hoist Pty Ltd and McKirdy’s son also patented and marketed several of his own clothes hoists designs.
Toyne relocated to Adelaide
, South Australia in 1926, in order to establish manufacturing centres for his clothes hoist design in other Australian states. He sold the rights to manufacture and sell Toyne rotary clothes hoists in South Australia and Western Australia to Leonard Lambert in 1928. Moving to Sydney, New South Wales in 1929 Toyne established a business at 661 Parramatta Road
, Five Dock.
Gilbert Toyne's final patented rotary clothes hoist design was in 1945 “Improvements relating to hydraulic clothes hoists” (Australian Patent No. 128009). Hydraulic clothes hoists used fluid as a means of raising and lowering the clothes line frame. At least seven hydraulic clothes hoists had been patented in Australia prior to Toyne’s design. He also developed several other inventions to improve efficiency in the laundry, including the 'ezewac' clothes lifting device and a gas regulator for the washing copper (Australian Patent No. 18078/29).
Gilbert Toyne's efforts to be a leading figure in the growing and dynamic Australian rotary clothes hoist market were affected by world events and personal loss. Having established ongoing production of his patent design in Sydney, he returned to Melbourne in 1933 and continued manufacturing clothes hoists well into the latter years of his life. During the “baby boom" and housing boom that followed World War II
, rotary clothes hoists based on Toyne's 1925 design came to dominate Australian backyards. He died on 30 July 1983, aged 94 years at Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria. Over many years he lived to see his classic 1925 rotary clothes hoist design regularly, but incorrectly, credited to Lance Hill of Hills Hoist
s.
During the 20th century a number of companies were established primarily to manufacture, promote and sell the Toyne’s clothes hoists, including, the Aeroplane Clothes Hoist Company, Toyne's Rotary Clothes Hoist Pty Ltd, Toyne Trading Company and the Quick-Dry Revolving Clothes Line Company. Gilbert Toyne first used the term 'rotary clothes hoist' around 1912 and by the 1930s Toyne’s rotary clothes hoists were available for purchase in all Australian states including the Australian Capital Territory and also New Zealand. Manufacturing bases had been established in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney with others states having distribution through major retail stores.
Gilbert Toyne was born at Darriwill, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and trained as a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
and farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
. He went on to invent, patent and market four rotary clothes hoist designs in Australia. His most significant invention was the classic 1925 all-metal rotary clothes hoist design.
As one of 13 children and the large amount of resulting laundry, Toyne realised early on the need for an improved clothes line
Clothes line
A clothes line or washing line is any type of rope, cord, or twine that has been stretched between two points , outside or indoors, above the level of the ground. Clothing that has recently been washed is hung along the line to dry, using clothes pegs or clothes pins...
design. In 1911 with fellow blacksmith Lambert Downey, he patented ‘Improvements in clothes hoists and the like’ (Australian Patent No. 1276/11). Together they established the Aeroplane Clothes Hoist Company, with an office in Queen Street, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. A family relative, Henry William Barnes, became involved in the company. To help manufacture, promote and reduce the price of Toyne’s clothes hoists, Barnes established the Aeroplane Hoist Manufacturing Company of Australasia Limited on 13 August 1913. This business acquired the assets of the previous company.
The Toyne rotary clothes hoist was marketed at state agricultural shows and interstate agents were sought. Some of the advantages of the rotary clothes hoist listed in promotional material were the ‘quick drying powers, due to the revolving lines; saving in labour, due to clothes being hung from one position; less strain on the cloth; economy of ground space; and durability, as with proper treatment the “Aeroplane” should last forever.
Gilbert Toyne’s life and the progress of his rotary clothes hoist business was much affected by contemporary events. The two world wars halted production of the clothes hoist and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
slowed its popular acceptance. Toyne served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and returned home to face personal turmoil in 1919. However, still passionately committed to promoting the clothes hoist, he developed a new design and patented ‘Rotary clothes hoist’ (Australian Patent No. 11373/23) in 1923. This design used a rack-and-pinion method to raise the clothes line frame. Then in 1925 he patented ‘Improvements in and relating to hoisting mechanism especially applicable to rotary clothes lines’ (Australian Patent No. 24553/25). This model had an enclosed crown wheel-and-pinion winding mechanism that would define the standard for Australian rotary clothes hoists for decades to follow.
Gilbert Toyne sold the rights to manufacture his rotary clothes hoist designs in Victoria, Australia to Archibald McKirdy in 1925. The McKirdy family were significant promoters of Toyne’s hoists until the 1960s. They established Toyne’s Rotary Clothes Hoist Pty Ltd and McKirdy’s son also patented and marketed several of his own clothes hoists designs.
Toyne relocated to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia in 1926, in order to establish manufacturing centres for his clothes hoist design in other Australian states. He sold the rights to manufacture and sell Toyne rotary clothes hoists in South Australia and Western Australia to Leonard Lambert in 1928. Moving to Sydney, New South Wales in 1929 Toyne established a business at 661 Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road
.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
, Five Dock.
Gilbert Toyne's final patented rotary clothes hoist design was in 1945 “Improvements relating to hydraulic clothes hoists” (Australian Patent No. 128009). Hydraulic clothes hoists used fluid as a means of raising and lowering the clothes line frame. At least seven hydraulic clothes hoists had been patented in Australia prior to Toyne’s design. He also developed several other inventions to improve efficiency in the laundry, including the 'ezewac' clothes lifting device and a gas regulator for the washing copper (Australian Patent No. 18078/29).
Gilbert Toyne's efforts to be a leading figure in the growing and dynamic Australian rotary clothes hoist market were affected by world events and personal loss. Having established ongoing production of his patent design in Sydney, he returned to Melbourne in 1933 and continued manufacturing clothes hoists well into the latter years of his life. During the “baby boom" and housing boom that followed World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rotary clothes hoists based on Toyne's 1925 design came to dominate Australian backyards. He died on 30 July 1983, aged 94 years at Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria. Over many years he lived to see his classic 1925 rotary clothes hoist design regularly, but incorrectly, credited to Lance Hill of Hills Hoist
Hills Hoist
A Hills Hoist is a height-adjustable rotary clothes line, manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia by Lance Hill since 1945. The Hills Hoist and similar rotary clothes hoists remain a common fixture in many backyards in Australia and New Zealand...
s.
During the 20th century a number of companies were established primarily to manufacture, promote and sell the Toyne’s clothes hoists, including, the Aeroplane Clothes Hoist Company, Toyne's Rotary Clothes Hoist Pty Ltd, Toyne Trading Company and the Quick-Dry Revolving Clothes Line Company. Gilbert Toyne first used the term 'rotary clothes hoist' around 1912 and by the 1930s Toyne’s rotary clothes hoists were available for purchase in all Australian states including the Australian Capital Territory and also New Zealand. Manufacturing bases had been established in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney with others states having distribution through major retail stores.