US1262914A - Clothes-line stretcher and support. - Google Patents

Description

E. B. BERTWELL.

CLOTHES LINE STRETCHER AND SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3|. I916.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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ELGIN B. BERTWELL, OF BEAVER CITY, OKLAHOMA.

CLOTHES-LINE STRETCHER AND SUPPORT.

Application filed August 31, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELGIN B. BERTwELL, a citizenof the United States, residing at Beaver City, in the county of Beaver, State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Clothes-Line Stretchers and Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a new and useful clothes line stretcher and support, and an object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind, which is simple in construction and efficient in operation, and may be manufactured and sold at a small cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide standards or posts which may be adjusted vertically, so as to raise or lower the clothes line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of pivoted standards or posts, which, when the clothes line is not used, may be collapsed, in combination with means for holding the standards in vertical positions.

In practical fields, the details of construction may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved clothes lie stretcher and support.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the clothes line supporting standards and the means for holding the same in a vertical position.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate a pair of plates. Secured on each plate at one end by means of the bolts 3 is an auxiliary plate 4 having ears 5, between which on a pivot bolt 6 a standard 7 is pivoted. This standard consists of two sections 8 and 9, which are telescopically united. The lower portion of the section 8 is provided with a series of apertures 10, any one of which may receive the pin 11, which extends transversely of the upper end portion of the section 9, so as to hold the section 8 in differentvertical adjusted positions, whereby the clothes line 12 (which is connected to the eyes 13 of the sections 8) may be raised and lowered. Se-

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 16, 1918- Serial No. 117,931.

cured to the underface of the base plate 1 by means of the bolts 14 is a plate 15 of the standard 16 of an anchor 17 which is driven or embedded in the ground, thereby holding the base plate 1 firmly in place. Secured on each base plate 1 by the bolts 18 is a sector plate 19, to which a foot lever is pivoted by means of the bolt 20. This foot lever is substantially angular and consists of the two arms 21 and 22, the arm 21 terminating in foot trip plate 23. Also pivoted upon the sector plate, as shown at 24, is a lever 25 on which a slide 26 is mounted. The arm 22 of the foot lever is pivoted to an car 27 of the sliding sleeve 26. The free end portion 28 of the lever 25 on one edge is provided with a series of ratchet hook teeth 29, any one of which is designed to engage the pin 30, which is carried by the section 9 of the pivoted standard, so as to hold the standard in a vertical position. It is to be noted that when there are two standards, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby a clothes line connects the upper ends of the same, the ratchet levers 25 will operate against each other, and it will be noted that by moving the standards pivotally from each other, the clothes line 12 may be drawn and held taut by the pins 80 ratcheting over said teeth 29. By depressing the foot lever. it is to be noted that the ratchet lever may be thrown out of engagement with its respective pin 30, in which case the standard is allowed to collapse. Only one standard may be used, and in this case, it is necessary to connect one end of the clothes line to a stationary support, then the single standard may be ad- .justed to draw the clothes line tight.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a clothes-line stretching and supporting device, the combination of a baseplate having means to attach the plate to the ground and a clothes-line standard or post pivoted thereon and having a laterally extending pin, and means consisting of a ratchet lever cooperating with the pin for holding the standard or post at various angular positions to the plate, said standard being adjustable axially, means for holding the standard in different adjustable positions axially. and a foot-operated means for releasing said ratchet lever from said pin to permit said standard to fall.

2. In a clothes-line stretching and supporting device, the combination of a baseplate having means for attaching the plate I to the ground and a clothes-line standard or post pivoted thereon and having a laterally extending pin, and means consisting of a ratchet lever cooperating with the pin for holding the standard or post at various angular positions to the plate, said standard being adjustable axially, means for holding the standard in dilferent adjustable posi tions axially, and a foot-operated means for releasing said ratchet lever from said pin to permit said standard to fall, said footoperating means comprising a bell-crank lever having a foot-rest, a sector-plate to Which said bell-crank lever and said ratchetlever are pivotally connected and a slidingsleeve engaging said ratchet lever and pivotally connected to said bell-crank "lever.

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

ELGIN B. BERTVELL.

Witnesses: i

H. N. LAWSON, M. B. SMITH.

(Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. C.

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