US2250281A

US2250281A - Clothesline reel

Info

Publication number: US2250281A
Application number: US263337A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl A Sundstrand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-03-22
Filing date: 1939-03-22
Publication date: 1941-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 1958-07-22

Description

y 1 c. A. SUNDSTRAND 2,250,281

" v CLOTHESLINE REEL' Filed March 22, 1939 Q mmp Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE REEL Carl A. Sundstrand, Rockford, Ill. Application March 22, 193 9, Serial No. 263,337

7 Claims. (01. 242 96) This invention relates to a new and improved clothesline reel.

Clothesline reels as heretofore designed have been objectionable because of the strain imposed upon the wrist in holding the same While winding or unwinding the line, and the operation of most of the reels with which I am familiar was awkward and tedious. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a clothesline reel of a different design in which the handle is centrally disposed in the reel in the plane of center of mass so as to eliminate the objectionable cantilever action which imposed such a strain on the Wrist in the reels of other design, whereby to make the reel simpler to operate and more efiicient and less fatiguing.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a reel in which the handle extends diametrically in bisecting relation to a central stationary ring-shaped bearing unit, and the rotary body of the reel is arranged to be turned thereon by means of a knob projecting from one side thereof whereby to facilitate still further the operation of the reel.

Still another object consists in the provision of a reel in which the parts are designed to be stamped from sheet metal with minimum waste of material and so that the number of operations necessary are reduced to a minimum, with a View not only to reducing cost of manufacture but also building in strength, rigidity, and durability.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of a clothesline reel made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the handle turned to a position in the plane of the section;

Fig. 3 is a similar cross section showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational detail of the handle portion of the reel shown in Fig. 3, containing a sectional detail to show the handle construction.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

The reel shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a reel-body 5 rotatably mounted on a ring-shaped central bearing unit 6, which has a handle 1 extending diametrically therein. The peripheral annular guiding recess 8 in the bearing unit 6 receives an annular inwardly projecting runner 9 provided on the rotary reel-body 5 with ample clearance so that the body can be turned with respect to the bearing unit by means of the knob Ill. The fact that the handle 1 is thus located in the central plane through the reel, which planei of course passes through the center of massof the reel and the clothesline wound thereon, obviously eliminates any cantilever effect on the wrist when a person supports the reel by grasping the handle I. The wrist is furthermore in a naturalposition and there is therefore nothing awkward about the operation of the reel. In winding up the line, the reel-body 5 can be turned by means of the knob 10, and when paying out line one can turn the reel-body by means of the knob in the opposite direction, or let it turn freely; Due to the presence of the knob, the operator will'invariably pick up and operate thereel always one way, and in that way there is no danger of getting the line twisted as there is in many other designs of reels. There is ample space Iefton opposite sides of the handle 1 within the ring-shaped bearing unit 6 for the thumb andfingers of the hand in grasping the handle.

The reel-body 5 is formed similarly to the reelbody- 5a shown in Figs. 3 and 4, namely from two pieces of sheet metal stamped to substantially identical truncated conical form so as to provide diverging annular walls II and I2, and matching cylindrical portions l3 and i4 slightly larger in diameter than the bearing unit 6. In both cases, the body 5 or 5:1 can be given added stiffness and .better appearance by forming radial ribs I5 therein and by curling the peripheral edge portions as indicated at It, the curling being of further benefit in eliminating exposed sharp edges.

Where the reel, as in Figs. 3 and 4, is to have a stationary central handle la, diametrically extending web portions I! are left in the punching of the blanks and are stamped substantially to channel-shaped cross section to lend strength and at the same time give added thickness to the handle la, which is formed by the registering Webs I! of the two stampings forming the reelbody 5a. The edge portions Ila of the two webs are bent inwardly, as clearly appears in Fig. 4, so that there will be no sharp edges exposed on the handle la.

' In both cases, however, the one stamping a or a is formed with an inwardly projecting annular flange l8, and the other stamping b or b is formed with a wider inwardly projecting flange l9, which has its marginal portion 20 folded over the inner edge portion of the flange [8 to join the stampings together into an integral body, and, in the form Figs. 1-2, form the runner 9. It is therefore apparent thatthere is very little difference in the production of the complete twopiece reel shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the production of the body for the reel shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bearing unit 6 for the reel of Figs. 1 and 2 is formed from two sheet metal rings 2| having diametrically extending web portions 22, which are arranged to be riveted together as at 23 prior to the placing on opposite sides of these web portions of the wooden'cleats 24, from which the handle I is formed. Rivets 25 are passed through the cleats 24 and the webs 22 to join the cleats together as shown and at the same time further secure the two halves of the ring-shaped bearing unit 6 together by their web portions 22. opposite ends of the webs 22 are bent outwardly, as at 26, to connect to the annular inwardly projecting flanges 21 provided on the rings 2|. These flanges are so spaced as to provide the annular guiding recess 8 previously mentioned.

for reception of the runner 9 on the reel-body 5. The cylindrical portions l3 and M of the body turn on the periphery of the rings 2|, and the runner 9 merely holds the body in place on the bearing unit by projection into the annular recess 8 thereof.

The stamping a of Figs. 1 and 2. has an embossed portion 28 on which the knob I is mounted on a rivet 29 disposed parallel to the axis of the bearing unit 6 whereby to make for easy turning of the reel-body 5.

In both reels akey-hole-shaped slot 30 is provided in one of the stampings to permit extension outwardly from the windingchannel of a knotted end on the clothesline, which upon being entered in the tapered small end 3| of the keyhole slot will be securely anchored and thus facilitate winding the line on the reel.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sections having their central portions open and in juxtaposition and secured together, the outer annular portions of said sections together providing an annular Winding recess therebetween, and said sections having narrow integral web portions extending diametrically across the open central portions and disposed in register and abutment with one another jointly to form a handle for supporting-said reel,

2. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said web portions are both formed to channel cross section with the open sides of the channels toward one another, substantially as and for the purpose described. 1

3. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said sections has a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the open central portion thereof and the other section has a similar flange thereon, the inner edge portion of which projects radially inwardly beyond the edge of the first flange and is folded laterally and outwardly over the edge thereof to secure the sections together.

4. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said web portions are both formed to channel cross section with the open sides of the channels toward one another, the longitudinal edge portions of said channel-shaped webs being extended inwardly and said inturned edge portions being disposed in face to face abutment when the two sections of the reel body are fastened together, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sections having their central portions open and in juxtaposition and secured together, the outer annular portions of said sections together providing an annular winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sections having a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the open central portion thereof and the other section having a similar flange thereon, the inner edge portion of which projects radially inwardly beyond the edge of the first flange and is folded laterally and outwardly over the edge thereof to secure the sections together and also provide a runner to operate in a circular bearing, a bearing ring providing an annular recess in which said runner is rotatably engaged, and a supporting handle rigid with said ring.

6. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sections having their central portions open and in juxtaposition and secured together, the outer annular portions of said sections together providing an annular winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sections having a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the open central portion thereof and also forming a runner to operate in a circular bearing, a bearing ring comprising two ring-shaped sections adapted to be placed in juxtaposition on opposite sides of said runner and conformed relative to one another to provide an annular guiding recess rotatably receiving said runner, and each of said ring sections having a diametrically extending integral web portion, said web portions abutting and being secured together to hold the sections in assembled relation while providing a handle for supporting the reel.

7. A reel comprising a pair of sheet metal centrally dished sections having their central portions open and in juxtaposition and secured together, the outer annular portions of said sections together providing an annular Winding recess therebetween, at least one of said sections having a radially inwardly projecting annular flange defining the open central portion thereof and also forming a runner to operate in a circular bearing, a bearing ring comprising two ringshaped sections adapted to be placed in juxtaposition on opposite sides of said runner and conformed relative to one another to provide an annular guiding recess rotatably receiving said runner, and each of said ring sections having a diametrically extending integral web portion, said web portions being flat and disposed in abutting relation, handle cleats abutting opposite sides of said registering webs, and means passing through the cleats and webs to hold the parts together.

CARL A. SUNDSTRAND.