US1592334A - Reenforcing attachment for clothespins - Google Patents

Description

S. BOWER REENFORCING ATTACHMENT-FOR CLOTHESPINS July 13, 1926. 1,592,334

Filed Feb. 6, 1925 Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES SIGMUND BOWER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BEENFORCING ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHESPINS.

Ap'plication filed February 6, 1925.- Serial IlTo, 7,253.

This invention relates to clothespins and particularly to the provision of an attachment thereto for reenforcing and strengthening the pin and especially the split portions thereof; and the object of theinvention is to provide adevice of the class specified which will operate to prevent the breaking of clothespins as is commonly experienced when subjecting the same to undue stress in securing clothes or garments on a clothesline; a further object being to provide a device of the class specified which comprises one or more bands of unitary construction adapted to encircle the periphery of a clothespin adjacent the base of the split portion thereof and further to the provision of means cooperating with the wallsvof the split portionof the pin for locking the device, under tension, against displacement; a I

further object being to provide a device which when in position will imbed itself in the periphery of the pin to aid in locking the same in position; a still further object being to provide means for compensating for the different diameters of clothespins where by a single device may be utilized universally for pins of varying sizes; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in an attachment of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction and inexpensive in manufacture and, which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. a The invention is fully disclosed in the .following specification, of which the accompanying. drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Fig. .1 is a side View of a pin showingone of my devices mounted in connection there- -with.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a slightly perspective View of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 detached. Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig.- 3 but showing a modification. r

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a hand tool which may be used in mounting the device upon a clothespin.

Fig. 6 is a side viewof a part of a clothespin at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1

andshowing a modification in the forma tion of the device; and,

Fig. 7 is an edge view of a device similar to that shown'in Fig. 4: and showing another modification.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown at 10 a clothespin of the usual construction and comprising a head member 11 and split end portion 12, the split 13 of which extends to the point 14 where the body of the a pin is slightly enlarged as shown at l5,and

at 1 6 1 have shown one form of reenforcing devlce mounted upon the enlarged portion 15 of the p n and serving to reenforce the base of the split 13 therein to prevent the separation of the members 17 and 18 formed by the split13 or the splitting of the enlarged portion 15 and the head 11 thereof.

The device 16 in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is fashioned from a rod to form one continuous ring 19 encircling the periphery of the pin 10 and two semi-circular end portions 20 and 21 partially encircling the pin and terminating in straight ends 22 and 23 respectively which extend substantially radially of the ring 19 and constitute spring members adapted to be passed through the split or aperture 13.

of the pin 10 and to be compressed therein as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing and these members or the ends thereof will imbed themselves in the walls of the aperture 13 to aid in holding the device in position.

It will be understoodv that the device 16 is passed onto the pin over the split end sulting in the im edding of the ring 19 or the semi-circular portions 20 and 21 thereof in the material of the pin as indicated at 24 in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this also aiding in retaining the attachment in position, it being also apparent that the tension of the sufficient to maintain the device in place.

In Fig. '5 of the drawing, I have indicated at 25 a part of one form of a hand tool which may be usedfor placing the attach ment 16' on a clothespin by hand and the toolas shownis provided witha; bore 26 to receive thesplit end portion of the pin and at one end of the bore is a recess 27 to receive the device '16, and said endpordevice when placed in position initself is i tion of the tool is flared outwardly as shown at 28 to receive the flared split end portion 12 of the pin. In the use of the tool one of the devices is placed in the recess 27 and a clothespin is passed into and through the tool, in which operation the device passes over the members 17 and 18 and by employing suiiicient pressure, the device may be set to proper position on the pin.

It is not necessary to employ the continuous ring 19 and the two semi-circular members 20 and 21 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and as a matter of fact a simpler and cheaper form of construction such as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing will be sufiicient to accomplish the desired result, and in said figure, the device 29 is composed of a wire fashioned to form a ring member 30, the end portions of which overlap in substantially semi-circular members 31 and 32 which terminate in radially arranged straight ends 33 and respectively. In

said figure the wire is shown of squared cross section, but it will be understood that round or any other cross sectional form of the wire may be employed in any form of the devices shown. The straight ends 33 and 3% also constitute spring members which pass into the split or aperture 13 of the pin and function in the same manner as the members 22 and 23 as will be apparent.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, I have illustrated a ring similar to that shown in Fig. 4 but composed of. round wire, and in said figure, the ring portion 30 of the device substantially centrally of that portion thereof opposite the members 31 and 32 is offset as shown at 35 preferably in the. direction of the head end portion of the pin, and this offset increases the spring property of the ring 30 of the device 29 and allows for a slight expansion thereof to compensate for the slight varying diameters in the enlarged portions of clothes pins. The same result accomplished by theattachment shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing may be accomplished by providinga number of oppositely disposed offset portions 36 in the ring 30 as seen in the edge View of the ring in Fig. 7 of the drawing. In other words, one or more of the offset portions may be employed.

In all the forms of the devices shown, it will be understood that when the same are placed upon the clothespin, the possibility of breaking or splitting the pin is absolutely obviated and the only possibility of destroying the pin would be in the breaking or snapping of either of the members 17 and 18. A clothespin with one of my reenforcing devices thereon will be of far greater strength and durability, the pin being able to withstand much greater stress or allow the pressures upon the members 17 and 18 and by reason of the simplicity in the construction of the device, the increased cost of a pin made with the device thereon is very slight, it also being understood that the devices themselves may be placed upon the market and sold as accessories and may be attached to and removed from clothespins at will or in the manufacture of the clothespins the reenforcing devices may be applied thereto, and while I have shown certain details of construction for carrying my invention into effect, it will be understood that I am not necessarily limited to the specific construction herein shown and described, and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described fashioned from a strand of wire to form a ring member, the end portions of which terminate in inwardly and radially directed members, and the circumferential portion of said ring member having an ofl'set portion, arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane. of the ring member.

2. A reenforcing member for clothespins comprising a ring body and parts extending substantially radially through the axis of said body, said device being adapted to be placed on a clothespin by passing the ring body over the split end portion thereof, said part-s passing through the split or aperture of the pin, said parts being adapted to tensionally engage the walls of the split -of the pin, and said ring body proper being fashioned to form an offset portion thereon,

directed at right angles to the plane of the rin A device of the class described comprising a ring body fashioned from a strand of metal, the end portions of said strand extending radially from approximately diametrica-lly opposite points of the ring body in crossed relation and transversing the major portion of the area within the ring body.

4. A device of the class described comprising a ring body fashioned from a strand of metal, the end portions of said strand extending radially of the ring body in crossed relationand transversing the major portion of the area within the ring body, and an offset portion in the circumferential portion of said ring body disposed thereon at a point at right angles to said ends to render said ring body expansible.

5. The combination with a clothespin of a device for reenforcing the split portion thereof said device comprising a ring body adapted to be passed over the split end portion of the pin and provided with members transversing said ring body radially and in cross relation, the length of said members being substantially equal to the Width of the split of the pin and being adapted to engage the Walls of the split of'the pin when ring body being adapted to encircle that portion of the pin at the base of the split therein, and said ring body being offset in a plane at right angles to the plane'of the ring body to provide for the placement of the ring body on pins of varying diameters.

6. A device of the class described comprising a closed ring body fashioned from a strand of predetermined material the end portions of said ring body having areshaped portions lying upon the ring body and terminating in straight ends extending inwardly from opposite points on the ring body substantially radially thereof, and said straight ends being in crossed arrangement centrally or the ring body and parallel in horizontal relation.

7. The combination with a clothespin' of a device for reenforcing the split portion thereof, said device being formed from a strand of metal and comprising a closed ring body encircling the periphery of the pin, and said strand terminating in straight ends extending inwardly and radially of the closed ring body and adapted to pass through the ring body is mounted in position, said the split of the pin and to tensionally engage the corners and Walls of the split portion of the pin and said ends being parallel in horizontal relation.

8. The combination With a clothespin of a device for reenforcing the split portion thereof, said dev ce being formed from a strand of metal and comprising a closed ring body encircling the periphery of the pin, said strand terminating in straight ends extending inwardly and radially of the closed ring body and adapted to pass through the split of the pin and to tensionally engage the corners and Wallsof the split portion of the pin, and said straight ends being in crossed arrangement centrally of the ring body and substantially parallel in horizontal relation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 2nd day of Feb. 1925.

SIGMUND BOWER.

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