GB2266916A

GB2266916A - Ball clamp clothes peg.

Info

Publication number: GB2266916A
Application number: GB9210348A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Ritchie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-14
Filing date: 1992-05-14
Publication date: 1993-11-17
Also published as: GB9210348D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a clothes peg comprising a body part 11 adapted to be captive on a length of clothes line, the body part having a void 19 therein communicating with an opening from at least one side of which is an outwardly directed finger 20, and a free wedge member 12 captive within said void but capable of protruding through said opening. The wedge is preferably a ball but may also be a disc. A hole 13 is provided for attachment to a clothes line. <IMAGE>

Description

CLOTHES PEG This invention concerns a clothes peg, by which is meant a device for securing a textile article to a clothes line rather than the traditional wooden item from which the artefact derives its name.

Known clothes pegs are generally detachable from the line and thus need to be stored in a bag or similar, are frequently lost, dropped and broken. Many incorporate spring mechanisms requiring considerable finger pressure for operation militating against easy use by the aged and infirm such as arthritics for example.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothes peg which overcomes, at least to some extent the problems aforesaid.

According to the present invention there is provided a clothes peg comprising a body part adapted to be captive on but slidable along a length of clothes line, the body part having a void therein communicating with an opening from at least one side of which is an outwardly directed finger, and a free wedge member captive within said void but capable of protruding through said opening.

The body part may be in the form of a generally U-shaped member whose limbs converge inwardly and one of which defines said finger and having opposed side walls extending from the web connecting the opposed limbs part-way along the length of those limbs and part-way across the width of the web towards the limb defining said finger.

The wedge member may be a circular disc or a sphere.

The body part may be provided with an aperture enabling it to be threaded onto a length of clothes line with the finger depending from the line.

The invention also includes a length of clothes line fitted with a plurality of clothes pegs as aforesaid.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawing, which show, by way of example only, one form of clothes peg embodying same.

Of the drawing Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the clothes peg; Figure 2 shows an end elevation of the clothes peg of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a plurality of the clothes pegs of Figure 1 threaded onto a length of clothes line.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the clothes peg, generally indicated at 10 comprises a body part 11 and wedge member in the form of a spherical ball 12.

The body part 11 has an aperture 13 therethrough to enable it to be threaded onto a length of clothes line L as shown in Figure 3.

The diameter of the aperture 13 is such relative to that of the line L that the peg 10 can be slid along the line L but not without application of significant force.

The body part 11 comprises a generally U-shaped member having opposed inwardly converging limbs 14 and 15 connected by a web 16. Side walls 17 and 18 extend from the web 16 on opposed sides of the U-shaped member part-way towards the free-ends of the limbs 14 and 15 and part-way across the width of the web towards the limb 15 to define a void 19 within the body part 11 with an opening between the limbs 14 and 15. The limb 15 extends well beyond the edges of the side walls 17 and 18 remote from the web 16 to define an elongated finger 20.

The ball 12 is free and captive within the void 19 but capable of protruding through the opening but not to such extent that its equatorial plane can pass through the opening.

In use a plurality of the pegs 10 are threaded onto a clothes line as previously mentioned. To anchor the edge of an article of textile material such as an aritcle of clothing, bedding or other household textile it is simply necessary to introduce it between the ball 12 and the inwardly directed face of the finger 20.

This is achieved by pulling such edge upwardly into the body 11 whilst holding the edge on either side of the peg 10.

Pulling the article downwardly causes the edge to be firmly wedged between the body 11 and ball 12.

The weight of suspended items tends to twist the bodies 11 on the line L to jam them in position and prevent unintended sliding along the line L even in high winds.

To remove articles from the pegs 10 it is only necessary to raise the balls 12 slightly to free their edges for removal. This can be accomplished with ease even by the aged and infirm.

Loss of the pegs cannot of course occur, and as long as their parts are of weatherproof materials such as plastics and glass for example indefinite life can be expected.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A clothes peg comprising a body part adapted to be captive on a length of clothes liner the body part having a void therein communicating with an opening from at least one side of which is an outwardly directed finger, and a free wedge member captive within said void but capable of protruding through said opening.

2. A clothes peg according to claim 1 wherein said body part is adapted to be slidable along the length of line.

3. A clothes peg according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said body part is in the form of a generally U-shaped member whose limbs converge inwardly and one of which defines said finger and having opposed side walls extending from the web connecting the opposed limbs part-way along the length of those limbs and part-way across the width of the web towards the limb defining said finger.

4. A clothes peg according to any preceding claim, wherein the wedge member is a circular disc.

5. A clothes peg according to any one of claims 1-3 wherein said wedge member is a sphere.

6. A clothes peg according to any preceding claim wherein the body part is provided with an aperture enabling it to be threaded onto a length of clothes line with the finger depending from the line.

7. A length of clothes line fitted with a plurality of clothes pegs according to any preceding claim.