US14262A

US14262A - Clothes-clamp

Info

Publication number: US14262A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1856-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1873-02-12

Description

rs raras 1 OFFICE.

W. H. TOWERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-CLAMP.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. TOWERS, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Clamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l, is a perspective view of the improved clothes clamp. F ig. 2, is an elevation of ditto. Fig. 3, is another elevation of ditto, attached to a line, showing the manner in which it secures the clothes upon the same.

fliers the same letters occur in the figures they indicate corresponding parts.

This invention and improvement consists in forming slits in the upper portion of clothes clamps, on either side of the center slit in which the clothes are clamped, in such a manner as to give an increased degree of elasticity to the clamp near the apex of said lower center slit, and enable the clamping jaws to be opened by pressing the upper portions of the clamp, outside the upper slits, together, to receive and firmly impin'ge the clothes upon the line between grooves in the jaws, and to detach the jaws therefrom, without soiling the clothes.

This clothes clamp may be made of the rectangular form represented, or round after the manner of the ordinary clothes pin, and has concave-grooves A, formed on the sides of its lower tapering slit B, for enabling the elastic pressure of the clamping jaws C, to be exerted above and below, as well as at the extreme sides o f the line, and thereby cause the clothes to be impinged more firmly around the line than if the sides of the slit were plain, and prevent the clamp being disengaged from the clothes and line by the action of the wind or other cause. The upper' slits D, are made of a reverse taper to that of the lower one B, and extend from the upper end of the clamp to near the center of the same, their lower ends being situated about midway between the lower center slit and the outside of the clamp, so as to leave a suflicient body of material between the three slits t-o give the proper degree of elasticity to the lower clamping jaws C, as well as strength in the tongue piece D, above the center slit, and such a body of material outside, as to form stiE parallel prongs, D2, which, when pressed together, so as to close the slits D, between them and the tongue, and open the lower jaws, C, act after the manner of levers, of which the elastic portions of the clamp between the ends of the three slits, are the fulcrums, and the jaws t-he points of purchase.

In securing clothes to the line, the lower jaws are extended to their fullest extent, by pressing the prongs D2, together between the forefinger and thumb, and after being placed over the clothes, the grooves A, on their inner sides are allowed to spring upon and press the clothes against the corresponding rounded sides of thev line. In detaching the clamp the prongs D2, are pressed together in like manner, so as to clear the grooved jaws C from contact with the clothes, before removing it therefrom.

Instead of forming two slits as above, one only may be made, immediately above the lower slit of t-he clamping jaws, and the tongue dispensed with, a sufficient space being left between the ends of the two slits to prevent the body of material splitting by the opening of the jaws, but as the tendency of the two slits being on a line with each other would be to split the wood, it is deemedI best to form two slits on either side of the center one, as described and represented.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

Forming slits D, at the upper portion of the clothes clamp, as represented and described, in such a manner as to give an increased degree of elasticity `to the upper portion of the jaws C, between which the clothes are clamped, and enable said jaws to be opened sufficiently to admit the clothes and line between the grooves, A in the same and to detach them therefrom, without scraping the clothes with the sides of the lower slit, by pressing the prongs formed by the upper slits together, as herein set forth.

WILLIAM H. TOWERS.

Vitnesses:

I-I. E. SMITH, G. B. SUTHERLAND.