US2885758A - Clothespin - Google Patents

Description

y 1959 J. P. RUSSO ET AL 2,885,758

CLOTHESPIN Filed May 15, 1958 INVENTORS, Jae/r P Russo MIL 701v ELL/5 ATTORNEYS,

U i d S at Q atn CLOTHESPIN Jack P. Russo and Milton Ellis, Peekskill, N.Y. Application May 15, 1958, Serial No. 735,615

4 Claims. c1. 24138) The present invention relates to clothespins, and particularly to clothespins of the type which are normally retained on the clothesline.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clothespin having means for retaining the clothespin on a clothesline while the clothesline is moved around a pulley.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothespin formed of an integral cast structure while providing a spring tension clasp for securing the pin to the clothesline and for securing clothes in the clothespin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothespin of the class described above having means thereon for clamping the clothespin to a clothesline in a manner to prevent rotational movement of the pin on the line.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clothespin of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and which effectively secures clothes to the clothesline for drying.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a clothes pulley and clothesline illustrating the invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken along the line 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the clothespin.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a clothespin constructed in accordance with the invention.

The clothespin 10 is used with a rope clothesline 11 having its opposite ends supported in a pulley 12 mounted on a yoke 13. A pivot pin 14 secures the pulley 12 to the yoke 13 for rotary movement thereon.

The clothespin 10 is formed of a suitable plastic and includes a pair of elongated lever members 15, 16 arranged in spaced apart generally parallel relation and integrally connected adjacent their mid-portions by an arcuate spring forming bar 17. The lever members 15, 16 are transversely curved on their outer faces and have their adjacent faces substantially flat. The lever members 15, 16 have their opposite ends tapering in- 2,885,758 Patented May 12, 1959 ice wardly to give the clothespin 10 the approximate shape of a cigar.

The lever members 15, 16 are provided with handle extensions 18, 19 respectively at one end. The lever 15, at the end thereof opposite the handle 18, is provided with an inwardly extending transverse tooth 20. The lever 16, at the end thereof opposite the handle portion 19, is provided with a pair of spaced apart transverse teeth 21 which engage on opposite sides of the tooth 20, as best seen in Figure 2, to provide means for grasping clothes therebetween.

Between the arcuate spring bar 17 and the teeth 20, 21, the lever 15, on the side thereof adjacent the lever 16, is provided with an inwardly sloping portion 22 closely adjacent the spring bar 17. The lever 16 is provided with an inwardly sloping portion 23 arranged in opposed relation to the portion 22.

The sloping portions 22, 23 are each provided with a pair of spaced apart transversely extending teeth 24 arranged to bite in and grip the rope 11 to prevent the clothespin 10 from turning thereon.

The arcuate spring bar 17, sloped portions 22, 23, and teeth 20, 21 are longitudinally arcuately grooved as at 25 on each side of the clothespin 10, as can be best seen in Figure 4, to permit the rope 11 to lie closely to the side of the clothespin 10 while passing around the pulley 12.

In Figure 7 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein a clothespin 10a is provided with spaced apart lever members 15a, 16a integrally connected by an arcuate spring bar 17a intermediate the opposite ends thereof. A flat metallic spring 26 is embedded in the levers 15a, 16a and extends through the spring bar 17a to provide additional spring tensioning means for the clothespin 10a.

In the use and operation of the invention, the clothespin 10 has the handle portions 18, 19 pressed together to open the inwardly sloped portions 22, 23 as wide as possible and the clothespin 10 is then forced downwardly onto the rope 11 so that the rope 11 moves upwardly between the inwardly sloped surfaces 22, 23 and lodges against the transverse arcuate spring bar 17, as shown in Figure 2.

The teeth 24 become embedded in the rope 11 preventing the clothespin 10 from turning on the rope 11. Clothes are grasped between the teeth 20, 21 by opening the clothespin 10 pressing on the handle portions 18, 19 thereof and releasing so that the spring tension from the spring bar 17 presses the teeth 20, 21 together to grip the clothes.

The cigar shape of the clothespin 10 assists in guiding the clothespin 10 into the pulley 12 so that the clothespin can pass through the yoke 13 supporting the pulley 12 without snagging or becoming dislodged from the rope 11. Obviously, the clothespins 10 only pass around the pulley 12 after the clothes have been disengaged from the teeth 20, 21.

It should be understood that as many teeth 20, 21 as are required as well as other structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothespin for use on endless clotheslines of the type including a line trained around a pair of spaced pulleys for movement therearound, comprising a pair of levers, each of said levers having an outer face and an inner face, said inner faces of said levers being in spaced apart confronting relation, an arcuate spring bar integrally connecting said inner faces of said levers intermediate the opposite ends thereof, means adjacent said arcuate spring bar on said inner faces of said levers for gripping said levers for grasping clothes therebetween, said arcuate spring bar, said means for gripping said line and said means for grasping said clothes each being longitudinally arcuately grooved on opposite sides of said clothespin whereby said line will lie closely to said sides of said clothespin while said clothespin is passing around said pulley.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said levers has its outer face transversely arcuately curved whereby said outer faces will nest more readily in the grooves of said pulleys to facilitate passage thereabout.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said levers each have the opposite ends thereof tapered to assist in guiding said clothespins into the grooves of said pulleys.

4. A device as claimedin claim 3 wherein said means for gripping said line comprise a plurality of transversely extending teeth formed integrally on said confronting inner faces of each of said levers for engaging in said line to prevent rotation of said clothespin about said line, said teeth when engaging in said line being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,704 Borneman Jan. 23, 1906 1,916,856 Copeman July 4, 1933 1,928,536 Heinlen et a1. Sept. 26, 1933 2,255,467 Kabriel Sept. 9, 1941 2,779,076 Schenek Jan. 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 433,611 Italy Apr. 10, 1948 496,093 Belgium June 30, 1950 549,677 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1942 646,615 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1950

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