US1128899A - Portable clothes-reel. - Google Patents

Description

J. T. PILKINGTON.

PORTABLE CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1914.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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J. T. PILKINGTON. PORTABLE CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1914.

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J. T. PILKINGTON.

PORTABLE CLOTHES REEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1914.

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WIT/VESSES JOI-IN THOMAS PLKINGTON, OF ENDERBY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO STEQPI-IEQN' LELLMAN, OF ENDERBY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

POR/TABLE CLOTHES-REEL.

`Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Original application filed June 13, 1913, Serial No. 773,465. Divided and this application filed August 18, 1914. Serial No. 857,429.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN T. Piniri'NsToN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

a resident of Enderby, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Portable Clothes-Reel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to clothes reels of that type having a plurality of arms carrying separate clothes means.`

A design of my invention is to provide a reel in which the several arms may be revolved separately or in unison; in which the respective arms may be turned to bring them into vertical alinement whereby the reel may be run through a doorway or be conveniently placed on a veranda or in compact form adjacent to a building.

lt is a yfurther design of my invention to provide. novel means for elevating the respective arms on the main post or standard.

It is also a `design of my invention to improve in various particulars devices of the general character indicated; to the end that efliciency in operation may be promoted as well as economy in manufacture and simpllcity of adjustment and control.

The present application is a division of an application iled by me June 13, 1913, Serial No. 773,465.

The `distinguishing features of my invention and the improved structural elements characterizing the practical embodiment which is illustrated as an example will be more particularly explained in the speciiic description following.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothes reel embodying my invention, dotted lines indicating a raised position of the arms; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a'partial vertical section; Fig. 4 isl a fragmentary vertical section on a larger scale, parts being` broken out; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the sliding members to which the arms are secured; and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are details to be hereinafter referred to.

ln constructing a clothes reel to embody my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a base 10 is provided on which the main post or standard 11 is supported, the base desirably being formed of radially extending arms secured to the post by brackets 12 and bolts 1221.` A series of endless clothes lines 13, 13a, 13", here illustrated as three in number, are carried by radial arms 14, 15, 16, the arms for each of the clothes lines being arranged in pairs, the arms of each pair being opposite, diametrically. The arms are secured to vertically sliding supports 17, 18, 19 fitted in vertical series on the main post 11.

In order to elevate the clothes lines, a telescoping post section 20 is sleeved on the main post 11, and is adapted to be raised and lowered by a lift bar 21 fitted within the post 11 and having guided vertical movement by suitable guides such as elements 24. The guides 24 are shown as two spaced sides of a three sided boX secured vertically in the upper end of the hollow standard 11. The lift bar is actuated by a rope 22 which is wound on the reel 23. The upper end of the telescoping post section 20 has a cap 25 preferably formed with a central bearing 26 against which a bearing ball 27 on the lift bar 21 has a bearing when the lift bar 21 is raised by the rope 22. The result is that the cap will be raised by the said lift bar and will carry upward the post section 20. In order that the upward movement of the telecoping post section 20 will successively raise the arms 14, 15, etc., and their respective clothes lines, each slide support 17, 18, 19, is provided with spaced collars 28, 29, 30, there being an upper and a lower collar on each slide, one of which is adapted to be engaged by collars 31, 32, 33 on the telescoping section 20. Thus the uppermost collar 31 on the telescoping sections will engage the lower collar 28 on the upper slide 17, thereby raising the uppermost arms 14 and their clothes line 13. A continued movement of the telescoping section will cause the next lower collar 32 thereon to engage the upper collar 29 on the succeeding slide 18 and carry the arms 15 of the latter and their clothes line 13a upwardly. Next, the lowermost collar 33 on the telescoping section will engage the upper collar 30 on the sleeve 19 and thereby raise the third set of arms 16 and their clothes line 13".

With the several arms in the raised position, it will be obvious that all will be supported on the ball bearing 27 of the slide 21,

and also that the telescoping section may ybe revolved on said bearing. In order that section, I provide for an interlocked en` gagement between the several slides 17, 18, 19 and the said telescoping section, to which end the collar on each slide that is engaged by `the collar on the telescope section is formed with corrugations indicated at 29 in Fig. 6, and similar corrugations 31 (Fig. 7 are produced on the opposed edges of the collars on the said telescoping section or equivalent means provided to effect an interlocked 'engagement between the respective collars. The collars 31, 32, 33 may be secured in any suitable manner as by producing a hole 31b therein to receive a fastenl ing pin to be passed into the section 20. It

is possible also to raise any slide 17, 18 or 19 so as to disengage it from the telescoping section whereby any individual slide and each set of arms and the clothes line may be revolved independently of the others, the result being that all the sets of arms may be disposed in cruciform as indicated in Fig. 2, or be so disposed as to all points in vertical alinement to present the minimum `total width in which adjustmentthe reel is adapted to be passed through a door into the house, or be placed .close against the house as on a porch for instance. If it is not desired to utilize the locking function of collar 31, the latter may be secured with its uncorrugated side uppermost.

For the moving of thereel and to bring the base into compact form to correspond i' kwith .the folded position of the arms, the

base members 10 have their outer ends 10 hinged as at 10b so that the outer portions may be'folded into parallelism as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Running rollers or casters 10c may be provided on the outer ends, of the folding sections as indicated in The respective clothes lines are endless and supported on pulleys 34 which are mounted on the outer ends of their-respective pairsofreel arms. The pulleys are adjustable to vary the distance between the respective pairs; the pulleys are held by keepers 35 and pins 36 which may be removed to adjust the pulleys, there being provided radial series of holes 37 in the arms 14, 15, etc., (see Fig. 8).

In order to sustain the respective arms 14, 15, etc., against sagging under the weight of the clothes, the brace arms 38 are provided, preferably in U-shape form as shown in Fig. 9, the U bend of the bracesA being rockable in eyes 39 of the respective arms.-

rlhe inner ends of thebraces are receivable in `any convenient member as 40 on the slides 17,18, etc., (see 6), the inner ends being passed through said members and receiving the cotter pins 43 whereby the braces may be detached at their inner ends and permit the arms 14,15, etc., to fold either upwardly or downwardly into approximate parallelism with the main post. The braces 38 are surrounded near their lower ends by spiral springs 41 which serve to yieldingly sustain the arms and clothes line, the springs bearing at their inner ends against the members 40 of the slides, and at their outer ends against adjusting nuts 42 to vary their tension.

The slides 17, 18, 19 in the example shown consist of sections 44 (Fig. 6). The'adjacent sides of each section are in the form of webs 45 which are integral with the collars 28, 29, etc., the arms 14, 15, etc., being secured as by pivot pins 46 or equivalent to the respective sections 44.

In the illustrated example also (see Fig. 4), the rope 22 from the reel 23 is shown as running into the interior of the fixed post 11 through a hole 11 therein around a lower guide sheave 47 thence to an upper sheave v48 on said post then downward and around a sheave 49 in the fork 21n on the slide 21, and then to any suitable fixture 50 within the post. By the described arrangement, it will be seen that the rope has running engagement with the sheave 49 on the slide 21. Any suitable means may be provided for turning the reel 23. I have shown devices for giving a ratchet movement to the reel; thus a crank handle 23a on the reel carries a pawl 51 which engages a ratchet 52, there being a second pawl or holding dog 51a also in engagement with the ratchet. A pull wire 51b may connect with pawl 51 and with a lever 51c fulcrumed on crank handle 23. The reel may be removed if desired by loosening the bolts 53 on the bearing plates 54 that receive the journals 23b of the reel.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be apparent that by reason of the spring pressed brace arms 38, the tension of the springs may be such, and in practice will be such as to maintain the arms 14, 15, etc., at a slight angle above the horizontal, so as to dispose the pulleys at an inclination to the horizontal, to better enable the line with the clothes directly pinned thereon to pass around the pulley without the line leaving the said pulleys, the arms are swung downwardly under the weight of the clothes, and will finally approach or reach the horizontal position so that the opposite arms of each slide will be diametrically opposite or approximately so. Since as the arms move downwardly from a position at angles to each other toward a position in line with each other, the opposite pulleys 34 will be at an increasing distance from each other, the result being that the line will be tightened and maintained on the pulleys and prevented from leaving the pulleys. The arms 14, etc., constitute frames for supporting the line pulleys, and when arms are referred to, it is understood that any equivalent frame is meant.

Having thus described my invention, Iv

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a reel of the kind described, a central post, a vertical series of frames, means for mounting the frames to slide vertically and to turn about the post, each frame eX- tending in two opposite directions from the post, said frames each havingr means to support a clothes line, means for raising and lowering the frames independently of one another for turning relatively to one another, and movable means to interlock the several frames with one another and cause the same to turn in unison.

2. In a reel of the kind described, a post, a vertical series of separate frames mounted to turn about the post, each frame eX- tending in opposite directions from the post, and having means to support a clothes line, means to support the frames independently of one another for turning relatively to one another, and movable means to interlock the several :trames with one another and cause the same to turn in unison.

3. A reel of the kind described, comprising a relatively liXed post, a vertical series of frames, means mounting said :trames to slide on the post or to turn thereon, a post section mounted to slide and to turn on the fixed post, means for raising and lowering said post section, and means on said section to engage the several frames in succession, the several frames being movable to positions in planes crossing each other, or into vertical alinement with each other to extend in the same directions.

t. A reel of the kind described comprising a relatively iiXed post, a post section mounted to slide and to turn on the iiXed post, frames mounted to slide and to turn on said section, means on said section to engage the several Jframes in succession to raise and lower the frames, and means for locking 'the frames to the movable postsection to turn with the latter or for unlocking the `frames to permit them to turn independently.

5. In a reel of the kind described, a central post, sets of arms mounted to turn on the post, the arms of each set extending from the post in two opposite directions, means to support the frames independently of one another for turning movement relatively to one another, and means to connect the several sets of arms to cause them to turn in unison, the several sets when unlocked being adapted to turn independently and being movable into positions in planes at angles to each other or into vertical alinement and disposed in the same direction.

6. In a reel of the kind described, a iXed post, a revoluble vertically movable post section thereon, a vertical series of slides separately slidable and revoluble on the said post section, said slides having arms projecting in two opposite directions therefrom and pivotally connected with the slide to rock vertically, and means on the arms to support clothes lines, the slides including collars surrounding the movable post section, and the latter also having collars, the collars of the slides and the post section having mating members to interlock with each other when brought together.

7. In a clothes reel, a post, a base formed of cross arms, the outer ends of said arms being hinged so that they all may fold into approximate parallelism or into cruciform, frames revoluble on the post and presenting arms extending in opposite directions at two sides, and means supporting a clothes line on said arms, the frames being adapted to be turned into approximate vertical alinement with the arms of the basewhen the latter are parallel with each other.

8. In a clothes reel, a post, a vertically sliding post section thereon, a series of frames mounted to slide and to turn on the said post section and hating means Jfor supporting a clothes line, a slide within the main post, a cap on the sliding post section, means for raising the slide in the post into contact with the said cap, the said post section when engaged by the slide being adapted to turn on `the latter, and means for locking the frames to the sliding post section to cause them to turn with the latter or permit the said frames to be unlocked from the sliding post section to turn independently of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN THOMAS PILKINGTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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