AU610921B2

AU610921B2 - Washing line protector

Info

Publication number: AU610921B2
Application number: AU20951/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Maurice John Matthews; James Wallace
Original assignee: MATTHEWS MAIRUCE JOHN
Current assignee: MATTHEWS MAIRUCE JOHN
Priority date: 1987-08-15
Filing date: 1988-08-15
Publication date: 1991-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-15
Also published as: NZ221133A; AU2095188A

Description

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''C A U S T RA L I A PATENTS ACT 6 19.

COMPLETE SPECIFCTO O R I G I NA L (FOR OFFICE USE) ClIa ss Int Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 Name of Applicant(s): a 00 go~ Address of Applicant(s):...... o 00 H ~angaeiNEWZEAANDand 0 00 I Whareora Road, Whangarel NEW ZEALAND respectivel]y Acr'ual inventor(s) 0 00 0 00 0 0 Q0000~ 0 0 Address for Service: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES, 26 Ellingworth Parade, Box Hill, Victoria, 3128 Australia.

Complete specification for the invention entitled: WASHING LINE PROTECTOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to To: The Commissioner of PaLents

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-2- This invention relates to a washing line protector.

The invention has particular but not necessarily exclusive application to so-called rotary washing lines which are washing lines supported on a central vertical column such as a pipe or the like and capable of rotating about the axis thereof. Such washing lines comprise rigid horizontal members (also constituted by pipes or the like) radiating outwardly from the central column, with lines on which the washing is hung supported between each pair of adjacent horizontal members. Washing lines of this type are designed to rotate of their own accord, driven by the action of the wind on the washing.

a a 0 It is a problem with all washing lines t'_.71 the washing hung thereon is liable to get wet if rain starts to fall before the washing can be taken down. Dust and other pollutants in Sthe atmosphere are also liable to settle on the washing. Presumably to prevent this S 15 happening it has previously been proposed to mount a cover over a washing ine. For 00 example New Zealand registered designs 17478 and 15689 disclose such covers.

000 a 0 o o00 00:The cover shown in registered design 17478 shows no satisfactory means for 0 mounting the cover on the washing line. The means for mounting the cover shown in o 0o registered design 15689 would not be wholly satisfactory in the applicant's opinion.

The reason for this is that the applicants have found that unless a cover of lightweight sheet material such as plastic is correctly stretched when it is mounted it will flap in the 0 wind and soon be destroyed. Alternatively or in addition it will tend to sag under the 0000 00:0 0 weight of rain water ponding collecting in low spots) thereon. This is liable to o cause the cover to suddenly tip the collected water on to the washing, thereby 00 0 0 25 drenching the washing; and also to damage the cover due to the weight of the water which collects thereon. Furthermore, it is not easy to provide satisfactory means to maintain an anti-ponding profile. Unless the cover is provided with such means it is 0 o0 00 liable to tear where the means for mounting the cover on the washing line joins the 000 cover.

0 cc It is an object of the invention to provide a washing line protector having characteristics which address these problems or at least to provide the public with the choice of a cover of alternative design.

According to the invention there is provided a washing line protector for a rotary washing line having three or more radially extending arms, said protector comprising a S

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-3sheet of material having a centre and a peripheral edge, said sheet adapted to fit over said rotary washing line, said sheet having a plurality of anchorage means spaced apart along the periphery thereof, each said. anchorage means comprising an elongate flexible element secured to said sheet along its length for at least one half of the distance between the centre and the edge of said sheet, and each said flexible element extending outwardly from the edge for attachment to a respective radial arm of said rotary washing line.

In one form of the invention each flexible element comprises a length of tape affixed to the sheet. Where the sheet is of plastics material in one aspect the tape is glued to the sheet. Alternatively it may be welad to the sheet. It may alternatively be sewn or fixed in any other manner suited to the characteristics of the materials.

00* 15 According to one aspect of the invention, the anchorage means are equally spaced so 00 that the sides of the sheet are of equal length, the elongate flexible elements being 0000 O oodisposed along lines between the anchorage means and the centre of the sheet. For 0 0 example, where the figure is a square, there will be four elongate flexible elements o extending orthogonally from the centre of the square. In this case the length of the portion of each flexible element attached to the sheet comprises at least one half and preferably about two thirds of the distance between the centre of the square and each a° o100 corner.

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o In one form of the invention a substantial portion of each flexible element overlaps the 0 0 25 periphery of the sheet. This projecting portion is useful for fixing the element to an anchorage. In the case of a rotary washing line of the type described above comprising radially extending horizontal members, the projecting portions of the elements may be bound or otherwise fixed to the horizontal members.

Go 0 In the case of a rotary washing line comprising four such horizontal members of equal length extending orthogonally from the central column, the entire sheet is advantageously substantially square and held taut, each corner thereof being located adjacent and fixed to a said horizontal member. i The invention is further discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which an embodiment thereof is described by way of example only and in which: LS LS.

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-1 -4- Figure 1 is a side view of a cover over a rotary washing line Figure 2 is a plan view of the cover; and Figure 3 is a sectional view on Arrows A A in Figure 2.

In the drawings there is shown a rotary washing line comprising a central column only the upper portion of which is shown. Rotatably mounted on the upper end of the column is a framework comprising four orthogona!ly disposed horizontal pipes 12 fixed at their inner ends to an upstanding central pipe 14 and braced by struts 16 mounted between the upper end of the pipe 14 and points 18 on the pipes 12 somewhat N' more than halfway between the inner and outer ends thereof. There are thus portions C 20 of the pipes projecting outwardly from the points 18. Lines on which the washing is C C C hung by means of clothes pegs or the like are stretched between the pipes 12.

C 15 Advantageously these lines pass through holes drilled in the pipes, each end of each line being attached to a single one of the pipes and the holes being located so that the lines are arranged in square configurations having a common centre in alignment with 0 othe vertical axis of the column 10 and the pipe 14.

o 0 A cover comprising a transparent plastics material 22 is located over the washing line.

The cover is of square configuration having its centre also in alignment with the 0 oboe* vertical axis of the pipe 14 and its corners disposed each over the outer end of one of 00 othe pipes 20. A length of self-adhesive plastics tape 24 is applied to the sheet at each o corner thereof. Each tape is disposed on a straight line extending from the centre of the S 25 sheet to a corner of the cover and extends inwardly from the corner a distance of about two-thirds of the distance between the corner and the centre. A portion 25 of the tape also projects beyond the periphery of the sheet. This portion 25 of the tape is used to o 00ae* pull the sheet taut and fix it to the outer portion 20 of the pipe by the simple means of o binding the tape to the pipe with a length of tie tape 26. A disc-shaped element 28 of o 00 self-adhesive plastics material is applied as a reinforcing to the centre of the sheet.

The tapes 24, when they have been pulled sufficiently taut, serve to keep substantially the whole of the sheet taut so that it will not flap in the wind nor sag under the weight of rainwater falling thereon and tending to pond. Because they distribute the stresses applied thereto over a substantial part of tho sheet the tendency of the sheet to tear or stretch at the junction with a tape is eliminated or at least much diminished. The tapes L S Uy- IV ij I L I~ and disc may be doubled, one applied to the lower surface and one to the upper surface of the sheet with the sheet sandwiched therebetween if it is considered necessary to increase the strength thereof.

The sheet may be of suitable plastics material. Naturally it should usually be transparent to maximise penetration of the heat of the sun to the washing being dried.

It should also be ultraviolet-stabilised and may be optionally reinforced for example with an open mesh-woven material.

It is not intended that the scope of a patent granted in pursuance of the application of which this specification forms a part should exclude modifications and/or improvements to the embodiments described and/or illustrated which are within the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims or be limited by details of such embodiments further than is necessary to distinguish the invention from the prior art.

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Claims

1. A washing line protector for a rotary washing line having three or more radially extending arms, said protector comprising a sheet of material having a centre and a peripheral edge, said sheet adapted to fit over said rotary washing line, said sheet having a plurality of anchorage means spaced apart along the periphery thereof, each said anchorage means comprising an elongate flexible element secured to said sheet along its length for at least one half of the distance between the centre and the edge of said sheet, and each said flexible element extending outwardly from the edge for attachment to a respective radial arm of said rotary washing line.

2. A washing line protector according to Claim 1, in which each elongate flexible element corresponds in position to the radially extending arms of a rotary washing line.

3. A washing line protector according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which each flexible S ,element comprises a length of tape affixed to the sheet. 00 C, o t o

4. A washing line protector according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sheet is of a plastics material and the elongate flexible elements are glued to the sheet. o 0 aoo:

5. A washing line protector according to claim i or claim 2 in which the sheet is of S0 0 a plastics material and the elongate flexible elements are welded to the sheet. a 0 0 0 Sa 25

6. A washing line protector according to any one of the preceding claims in which the anchorage means are equally spaced. 0

7. A washing line protector according to claim 6 in which there are four anchorage Sa a0 means located on the corners of a square and the sheet is square-shaped having corners located one adjacent each anchorage means, and the flexible elements are disposed along orthogonal lines intersecting at the centre of the square.

8. A washing line protector according to claim 7 in which each elongate flexible element is attached to the sheet for a distance equal to at least two thirds of the distance between the corners and the centre of the square. i A LSZ

9. A washing line protector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated the G7412. day of FJi.;rucarj 1991 0 tO 00 C 00C *0 PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES Attorneys for the Applicants M J Matthews and J Wallace 0 00040£ 0 00 0 0 0 0 0u 0 4 0 a 0b 2114AUSP.291/jh