GB2072736A

GB2072736A - Line gripping peg

Info

Publication number: GB2072736A
Application number: GB8009751A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-03-22
Filing date: 1980-03-22
Publication date: 1981-10-07
Also published as: EP0037229A1

Description

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GB 2 072 736 A

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SPECIFICATION

Line gripping peg

5 This invention relates to a line gripping peg of the kind in which a pair of gripping arms extend from one end of a body portion.

The most frequently-met form of such a peg is the common clothes peg for securing clothes to a line 10 for drying, but similar pegs are used in drying photographic films, orfor displaying articles for inspection or sale, e.g. magazines and the like.

Known pegs are often made of wood, either as one piece depending on the resilience of the material to 15 provide the gripping forces, or as two pieces held and forced together by a metal spring. When not in use, such pegs must be stored in a random arrangement, for example in a bag or box, thus presenting difficulties for the user in removing them 20 from the storage location and orienting them for use. Also it is difficult to hold and manipulate more than two orthree pegs simultaneously. Furthermore,

prior art pegs of the first-mentioned unitary kind are prone to spring offa gripped line, as no means is 25 provided to retain them thereon.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a line gripping peg which will be capable of ordered storage, to facilitate handling and orientation in use. This is achieved by providing a nestable 30 line gripping peg.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a peg in which a restraining means tends to retain the peg on a gripped line and prevent its springing off the line.

35 According to the present invention, a line gripping peg comprises a body portion and a pair of gripping arms extending from one end of the body portion, the body portion and arms being of resilient plastics material and together defining an integral hollow 40 structure such that another like peg may next within the hollow structure. The exteriorof the peg may be of generally frusto-conical form, and the hollow interior may also be of generally frusto-conical form over at least a substantial portion of its length, the 45 frusto-conical forms of the exterior and interior being complementary. The end of the body portion remote from the arms may be closed.

The facing edges of the arms may be spaced apart in their regions extending from the body portion, the 50 spacing corresponding to the sizes of line to be gripped. The spacing between the edges may be reduced " at a throat between the regions extending from the body portion and the extremities of the arms to retain the peg, in use, on a gripped line. The spacing 55 "may be progressively increased overthe regions of the edges between the throat and the extremities of the arms to provide a guide portion of the peg. Flanges or beads may be provided on these regions of the edges to improve their guiding action in use. 60 The generally frusto-conical interior of the hollow structure may extend between the extremities of the arms and the vicinity of indented areas forming holding surfaces on the exterior of the peg. A protuberance may be provided on the structure to retain one 65 peg within another when inserted. The pegs may be brightly coloured and may have letters and/or numbers embossed or printed on them for use as educational playthings.

The peg according to the invention is nestable and 70 thus provides enhanced convenience in use, and efficient storage of pegs, while the provision of the throat tends to prevent the peg from springing offa gripped line.

One embodiment of a line gripping peg according 75 to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a line gripping peg according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 1 ; 80 Figure 3 is a section on the line B-B of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows two pegs, nested together.

The line gripping peg 1 according to the invention consists of a hollow structure formed of a resilient plastics material, of generally frusto-conical exterior 85 form, having a pair of gripping arms 2 connected by a body portion 3 at one end of the arms, the end of the body portion remote from the arms being closed. Over a substantial portion of its length, the hollow interior of the structure is also of generally frusto-90 conical form corresponding to the frusto-conical exterior of the peg, whereby pegs according to the invention can be nested one within another as hereinafter described. The peg may suitably be formed by injection moulding.

95 The facing edges 4 of the arms 2 are spaced apart in their regions 5 extending from the body portion 3, the spacing between these regions of the edges being determined by the size of line to be gripped and the nature of the article to be secured to the line. 100 The regions 5, at their ends adjacent to the body portion 3, merge into a region 5a, of part-circular profile, the diameter of which is greaterthan the spacing between the regions 5, whereby the flexing of the arms, during use, is facilitated.

105 The spacing between the edges is reduced at regions 6 of the edges, from the spacing between the edges in the regions 5, to form a throat between the regions 5 of the edges and outer regions 7 thereof, the throat serving in use to retain the peg on a grip-110 pedline.

The spacing between the outer regions 7 of the edges, extending from the regions 6 forming the throat to the extremities of the arms, progressively increases overthe lengths of the regions, thus form-115 ing a guiding section of the peg which, in use, serves to guide the peg on to the line and article to be gripped.

Flanges or beads may be provided on the edges of the arms in the regions 7, whereby the guiding func-120 tion of these regions may, in use, be improved.

The lengths of the regions 5 and 7 are not critical and may be determined by factors such as the resilience of the material and the dimensions of the lines and articles to be gripped. The regions 8 of the edges 125 are profiled to provide a smooth transition between the regions 5 and the throat regions 6 so that in use the peg may be removed without difficulty from a gripped line.

As already mentioned, the peg according to the 130 invention is nestable. The exterior of the peg is gen

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GB 2 072 736 A

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erally frusto-conical but includes, in the body portion 3, two indented areas 9, these serving to provide holding surfaces, to be grasped when the peg is in use.

5 The inner form of the peg is also generally frusto-conical overthe portion of its length extending from the extremities of the arms to the vicinity of the portion of the indented areas nearest the arms. This frusto-conical interior is adapted to receive the

10 frusto-conical exterior of another like peg whereby the pegs may be nested, one within the other.

The portion of the interior of the peg between the vicinity of the above-mentioned ends of the indented areas 9 and the closed end of the body portion may

15 be generally frusto-conical or may be cylindrical. There may be a step portion forming a transition between the first-mentioned frusto-conical portion of the interior of the peg and the second-mentioned portion.

20 A protuberance may be formed on the peg to retain it when nested within another like peg. Such a protuberance 10 is shown in Figure 1 on the body portion, nearthe end of the body portion adjoining the arms, but it may be located elsewhere on the

25 peg.

A pair of nested pegs is shown in Figure 4 and the location of the protuberance of one peg within the throat of the peg within which it is nested serves to hold the pegs together.

30 A drain hole may be formed in the body portion of the peg, at its closed end or the body portion may be formed with an open end.

The pegs may be highly coloured, in a variety of colours, and may have letters and/or numbers

35 embossed or printed thereon so that they may additionally serve as educational playthings for children.

The plastics material from which the pegs are formed may be polystyrene, or preferably polypropylene.

Claims

40 CLAIMS

1. A line gripping peg comprising a body portion and a pair of gripping arms extending from one end of the body portion, the body portion and arms being of resilient plastics material and together

45 defining an integral hollow structure such that another like peg may nest within the hollow structure.

2. Aline gripping peg according to claim 1, wherein the exterior of the hollow structure is of

50 generally frusto-conical form and the interior is also of generally frusto-conical form over at least a substantial portion of its length, the frusto-conical forms of the exterior and interior being generally complementary.

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3. A line gripping peg according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the end of the body portion remote from the gripping arms is closed.

4. A line gripping peg according to any preceding claim, wherein the facing edges of the gripping arms

60 are spaced apart in the regions of the arms extending from the body portion.

5. A line gripping peg according to claim 4, wherein the spacing between the edges is reduced at a throat between the regions of the arms extending

65 from the body portion and outer regions of the arms.

6. A line gripping peg according to any preceding claim, wherein a protuberance is provided on a surface of the peg which, when the peg is nested within another like peg, engages with a complementary 70 receiver portion of the said like peg.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by The Tweeddale Press Ltd., Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981.

Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Efaildings, London, WC2A1 AY, from which copies may be obtained.