CLOTHES LINE AND CLOTHES PIN ASSEMBLY

• US 3,656,630 A
• Filed: 01/02/1970
• Issued: 04/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Miguel
• Original Assignee: Robert Miguel
• Inventors: Miguel, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Application Number:
  US05/000,195
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 211/119.11,119.12,119.13,119.1,119.01,119.02,119.03,119.14
• US Class Current: 211/119.11
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 53/00 Clothes-lines; Supports therefor drying frames incorporating clothes-lines D06F57/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 53/02 Clothes-lines

Abstract

A combined clothes line and clothes pin assembly embodying an endless clothes line suspended from two pulleys, one pulley being secured to one support and the other pulley being carried in a pulley block suspended from another support opposite to said one support. Mounted within the pulley block is a combined pulley and reel unit rotatable on a common axis, the upper run of the clothes line being wrapped around counter-clockwise on the pulley of the pulley and reel unit and the lower run extending freely from the pulley in the pulley block to the other pulley secured to said one support. Within the pulley block, the pulley and the pulley of the combined pulley and reel unit rotate on parallel axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of the pulley block. Wound counter-clockwise on the reel is a reel line having one end secured to the reel and the other end to a selected point on the lower run of the clothes line. Secured to the reel line in selected spaced relation are clothes pins or clips each having opposed resilient arms for gripping an article of apparel, etc. The reel line with its clips is unwound as the clothes line is moved in a direction towards the pulley carrying one end of the same remote from the pulley block, the articles of apparel being hung on the clothes line in a zone beneath the pulley block such that the unwinding reel line will successively present clothes clips that will grip desired parts of the articles of apparel, etc. to be carried by the lower run of the clothes line.

Claims

1. A clothes line and clothes clip assembly comprising:

a. an endless clothes line stretched out to form parallel upper and lower runs with turns at opposite ends of said runs b. a pulley block carrying one end of the clothes line;

c. said pulley block including a first pulley rotatably mounted on a first transverse axis;

d. a combined co-axial second pulley and reel unit mounted within said pulley block on a second transverse axis longitudinally spaced from said first transverse axis;

e. a third pulley carrying the other end of the clothes line;

f. said second pulley and reel unit being longitudinally positioned between said first pulley and said third pulley;

g. a portion of the upper run of said clothes line being wound around said second pulley;

h. a reel line wound on the reel of said unit having one end secured to said reel and its other end secured to said lower run of said clothes lines; and

i. a row of spaced apart clothes clips each individually secured to the reel line, whereby movement of the lower run of the clothes line will impart an unwinding of the reel line to successively present a clothes clip in operative relation to the lower run of the clothes line for securing thereto objects placed thereon;

j. said pulley block comprising a pair of vertical elongated parallel side plates;

k. a cross-brace connecting said side plates at one thereof;

l. a swivel eye connected centrally to said cross-brace for mounting the pulley block on means attached to a support;

m. said side plates at their other end being open and facing said third pulley, n. an underside of the first said pulley side plates each having a longitudinal notch on the underside thereof for clearance above a horizontal portion of said clothes line lower run extending between said first pulley and said reel and second pulley so to form a loading and unloading zone so that clothes may be draped across said clothes line and removed therefrom, said zone at one end opening out on a junction where said clothes clips reel line begins contact with said lower run, and o. means connecting said third pulley to a support opposite said first mentioned support.

2. The clothes line and clothes clip assembly of claim 1, including:

a. a first pin transversely connected to each of said side plates providing said first transverse axis;

b. said first pulley being rotatably mounted on said first pin;

c. a second pin transversely connected to each of said side plates providing said second transverse axis;

d. said combined co-axial second pulley and reel unit being rotatably mounted on said second pin; and

e. said combined co-axial second pulley and reel unit being disposed adjacent the open end of the pulley block opposite the cross-brace.

3. The clothes line and clothes clip assembly of claim 2, wherein:

a. said portion of the upper run of the clothes line is wound counter-clockwise on said second pulley;

b. said reel line carrying the row of clothes clips is wound counter-clockwise on said reel; and

c. the end of the reel line connected to the lower run of the clothes line having its point of attachment thereto forwardly of the open end of said pulley block;

whereby movement imparted to the lower run of the clothes line in a direction towards the third pulley will impart a counter-clockwise rotation to the combined seconD pulley and reel unit to unwind the reel line from the reel, with the reel line positioned above the lower run of the clothes line.

4. The clothes line and clothes clip assembly of claim 3, wherein each clothes clip includes:

a. an upper eye portion surrounding the reel line;

b. means fixedly securing said eye portion to the reel line;

c. a pair of opposed resilient clamping arms depending from said upper eye portion and integral therewith;

d. said arms adjacent the eye portion being bowed outwardly to accomodate therebetween the lower run of the clothes line and an object carried thereon; and

e. the lower free terminal ends of the resilient arms being curved outwardly and in substantially abutting engagement such as to clampingly engage said object to hold the same to the lower run of the clothes line.