GB2210260A

GB2210260A - Support for rotary clothes line cover

Info

Publication number: GB2210260A
Application number: GB8823036A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geraldine Fitzharris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-10-01
Filing date: 1988-09-30
Publication date: 1989-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-30
Also published as: IE59902B1; IE871549L; GB8823036D0; GB2210260B

Abstract

A rotary clothes line cover support 10 comprises a boss 18 and a plurality of radially extending elongate members 19. One end of each of the elongate members 19 is attached to the boss 18 and the free end of each of the elongate members 19 has means for securing the member 19 to a respective arm 16 of a rotary clothes line 13. A canopy 11 is supported by the elongate members 19 so as to cover the rotary clothes line 13 and protect clothes hanging on the rotary clothes line from rainfall. <IMAGE>

Description

ROTARY CLOTHES LINE COVER The present invention relates to a cover for a rotatable clothes line, to protect clothes hanging on the clothes line from the effects of the weather and in particular rain.

A problem for many people is the drying of clothes and other articles on clothes lines, particularly in maritime climates where rainfall is often not predictable with any great accuracy. This usually results in a person closely watching the weather in an effort to anticipate rainfall and remove clothes from the clothes line. In addition, the rainfall may only persist for a short period after which the person has the troublesome task of putting the clothes onto the clothes line once again. Further, if the clothes on the clothes line get wet with rainfall, they often get dirty as a result of the air pollution and smog which the rainfall may precipitate with it. This is a particular problem in city areas.

Although, automatic spin drying machines are known for drying clothes and other articles they are expensive to purchase and run. Further, it is more desirable to dry clothes and other articles after washing, in the open air as this leads to a fresher character of the clothes.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cover for a rotatable clothes line which will mitigate the above problems.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a rotary clothes line cover support comprising a boss, a plurality of radially extending elongate members one end of each of which is attached to said boss, the free end of each elongate member having means for securing the member to a respective arm of a rotary clothes line, such that the boss and the elongate members can support a canopy to cover the rotary clothes line.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary clothes line cover support and canopy according to the invention; I Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rotary clothes line; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rotary clothes line cover support of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the boss of the cover support of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rotary clothes line cover and canopy of Figure 1 in use on the rotary clothes line of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of a rotary clothes line cover support; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cover support of Figure 6 in use on a rotary clothes line and; Figure 8 is a side view of the rotary clothes line of Figure 7 with a canopy in place.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown therein a rotary clothes line cover support and canopy generally indicated at 10. The apparatus 10 comprises a canopy member 11 and a cover support 12 for suporting the canopy member 11 on a rotary clothes line 13 (Figure 2). The rotary clothes line 13 comprises a central support 14 having rotatably mounted thereon a hub 15 which carries a plurality of radially extending arms 16. Although the form of rotary clothes line 13 illustrated has four arms 16, it will be appreciated that it may have any number of arms 16. A number of parallel spaced apart lines 17 are engaged around the radial arms 16, and clothes or other articles to be dried are normally hung on the lines 17. The clothes line 13 is normally fixed in place in the garden of the home.

The cover support 12 comprises a boss 18 having fixed thereto a plurality of radially extending elongate members 19. The end 20 of each of the members 19 is secured to the boss 18 in conventional manner by means of a nut and bolt 21, 22 respectively. The free end 23 of each of the members 19 each have a two-part bracket 24 including flange portions 25 having an aperture 26. Each of the members 19 can be secured to a respective arm 16 of the rotatable clothes line 13 by the brackets 24 which in use embrace the arms 16 at the extremities of the arms 16.

A respective bolt (not shown) can be passed through the apertures 26 to secure the two parts of each bracket 24 together around a respective arm 16.

The boss 18 further has a central aperture 27 and a stopper member 28, the purpose of which is described below.

The canopy 11 is preferably a waterproof sheet of suitable size to be arranged over the rotatable clothes line 13. The canopy 11 has four rubber pads 31 suitably arranged on its undersurface to engage on the free ends of the radial arms 16. Further, the canopy 11 has a centrally mounted rubber pad 32 on its underside which also has an aperture 33 for receiving the stopper member 28 as will be described.

The canopy 11 further has a peripheral depending skirt portion 35 which in use extends downwards slightly below the free end of the radial arms 16 of the clothes line 13. In addition, the canopy 11 has an additional depending skirt 36 which is removably attachable to the preipheral depending skirt 35 by means of co-operating velcro strips 37, 38.

In use, the cover support 12 is secured to the rotatable clothes line 13 as described above with each of the two-part brackets 24 being secured to a respective one of the radial arms 16. The canopy 11 is then arranged over the clothes line 13 with the pad 32 located on the hub member 18 so that the aperture 33 is in register with the aperture 27. The stopper member 28 is then engaged in the apertures 27 and 33 to retain the canopy 11 in position. It will be appreciated that the support 12 is of suitable dimensions so that when it is secured in place on the clothes line 13, the boss 18 will be positioned above the free ends of the radial arms 16. Thus, the canopy 11 will slope downwards from the boss 18 to the free ends of the radial arms 16 to enable rain falling on the canopy 11 to run off it.

The pads 31 each engage the free end of a respective one of the radial arms 16, and will prevent the free ends of the arms from wearing a hole in the canopy 11. As the canopy 11 is preferably elasticated around its margin 40, it is securely retained on the clothes line 13. The additional depending skirt 36 may be kept in place attached to the portion 35, however if only light rainfall with little wind is expected it can be removed to allow greater ventilation of articles hanging on the lines 17.

Referring now to Figures 6, 7 and 8 there is shown therein another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the cover support 40 comprises a boss 41 having pivotally mounted thereon three radially extending elongate members 42. The end 43 of each of the members 42 is secured to the boss 41 by means of a respective screw 44. The boss 41 has three recesses 45 which are disposed in the same orientation as the arms 46 of a rotatable clothes line 47. Thus, to orientate the members 42 to correspond to the orientation of the arms 46, the members 42 are pivotted until their ends 43 are located in the respective recesses 45 and the screws 44 are then tightened. The ends 43 of the members 42 are suitably bent so that when they are located in place, they project downwardly from the boss 41.The free end 48 of each of the members 42 has fixed thereto a spring clip 49 which in use is located on a respective arm 46 of the clothes line 47 adjacent to the ends 50 of the arms 46. Thus, the cover support 40 is located on the clothes line 47 as shown in Figure 7, in which position the boss 41 is located at a height above the free ends 50 of the arms 46. A removable stopper member 51, similar#to the stopper member 28, is screw-threaded into an aperture (not shown) in the boss 41.

In use, with the cover support 40 located as shown in Figure 7, a canopy 60 is supported on the cover support 40 to protect clothes 61 hanging on the clothes line 47. The canopy 60 may of course be similar to that described in relation to previously described embodiments of the invention. Since the elongate members 42 may be pivotted on the boss 41, by untightening the screws 44, the members 42 may be arranged side by side as shown in Figure 6 to minimise the storage space required when the aparatus is not in use. Further, the spring clips 49 enable the support means to be readily fixed to and removed from a clothes line.

Thus, the advantage of the invention is that clothes can be safely left on the clothes line 13 to dry, overnight if desired, without concern as to the weather conditions. The canopy also protects clothes from sunlight which may cause fading of the colours of the clothes.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rotary clothes line cover support comprising a boss, a plurality of radially extending elongate members one end of each of which is attached to said boss, the free end of each elongate member having means for securing the member to a respective arm of a rotary clothes line, such that the boss and the elongate members can support a canopy to cover the rotary clothes line.

2. A cover support as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the boss is in use located at a height above the free ends of the arms of the rotary clothes line.

3. A cover support as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongate members are fixed to the boss.

4. A cover support as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongate members are pivotally mounted on the boss.

5. A cover support as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the securing means comprises spring clips.

6. A cover support as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the boss has an aperture for receiving a removable stopper.

7. A cover support as claimed in any preceding Claim further comprising a canopy, for in use covering the arms of the rotary clothes line.

8. A cover support as claimed in Claim 7 when dependent on Claim 6, wherein the canopy has an aperture corresponding to the aperture in the boss.

9. A cover support as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the canopy has a detachable depending skirt.

10. A cover support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 or Figures 6 to 8.