US2383802A

US2383802A - Retractable line appliance

Info

Publication number: US2383802A
Application number: US533965A
Authority: US
Inventors: Johnston John Odell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-05-03
Filing date: 1944-05-03
Publication date: 1945-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1962-08-28

Description

1945- J. o. JOHNSTON RETRACTABLE LINE APIPLIANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3', 1944 INVENTOR clwv ,0- Jvmvsram ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1945. ,1.- o. JOHNSTON RETRACTABLE LINE APPLIANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed May 3, 1944 Ill- o R M 0 \0 A N t- I l Patented Aug. 28, 1945 OFFIC RETRACTABLE LINE APPLIANCE John oaeii. .Iohnstom-Irvington, NJ. Application May 3,1944, Se'rialNo. 533,965

a claims. (or. 211-119.

This invention relates to a line appliance adapted for use by housewives in the hanging of clothes, and for similar uses.

It is customary to string clotheslines between a pole, located at some distance from the house proper, to a point adjacent the outside of the window casing, the clothesline beingpassed around pulleys located at the points mentioned; It is thus necessary for the user to lean partly out of the window casing for access to the clothesline, a procedure which is at once dangerous and awkward.

It is the object of myinvention to provide a clothesline appliance whereby the user may at tach clothes to the line or remove the-same therefrom while remaining within the comfort an'dsecurity of the inside of the house.

A further object of my invention is'to provide a device of this character which isadaptedto be fixed at one position in substantially the plane and axis of the clothesline proper for use of the clothesline, and is adapted to be fixed in another position at substantially right angles thereto when theclothesline is not to be used. In the latter position, the appliance is out of the way and does not in any manner interfere with-theopening and closing of the windows of thecasing through which the line'passes in' the use of the device.

A further object of the-invention is to provide a device of this character which is adapted-to bemanufactured at low cost, and consists of few and simple parts, which are positive in operation, simple in construction andv durable in use.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and; exhibited-in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one form of the invention in its operative position,

Fig. 2 is a view on a similar plane of the device in its inoperative position,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line. l4 of Fig. 1 in the direction of I the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a, fragmentary elevational view of another form of the invention, taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 6, in the direction of the arrows," and disc I8, theofiset 7 the cover' platev 22, arranged apertures" member M, the latter being secured to asuitabl'e support, or to a bracket [5' which, inturn, is'secured to'the support such as the casing C, by means of screws f6 orthelike'. The device is thus rotatably disposed onthe base, for a purpose presently explained; A stud ll isffixedby' ring [3, or by welding orsimil'ar meansto the'bracket IE or other support and protrudes therefrom at right angles thereto. A disc member I8 is positioned on the head H, and adisc member I9, provided with centrally arranged ofi'set boss 20' adapted to abut the disc member lli ispositioned on the latter; The disc members I8*and l9 are provided with oppositely flared peripheral por tions which definea rope guide channel 29 for a purpose presently more fully explained. A spring 2| is seated within the ofise't portion 20' of the disc l9, the other endiofthe spring bearing against a cover platej2fl2 welded or otherwise secured to the latch member. 3 0. .The' variousparts described, namely, the tapered. portion" M "of j the base, the. tapered portion. 12 ofthe head H, the

are providedwith centrally to receive the stud member l7{, the cross sectional diameter of" the spring 21 being ample to' freely receive said stud member.

To hold thev parts in predetermined positionon" the base f4, and for the'operation of the device the manner more particularly set forth herein'after, a Iatchmember 30" is provided, said latch member having a Iever'3l by which it may be conveniently rotated and being internally threaded' at 32 for engagement with the externally threaded'end'33 of the stud' i1.

The opposite end of the bar a bracket portion 34 in which the axle 35 of the pulley 36 is journalled. The bracket IE on which the device is mounted as above set forth is secured to the outer face of window casing C in alignment with the window opening 0, (see Fig. 2) In order to use the device for hanging clothes or for taking in a clothesline, the bar [0 is rotated to a position in which it projects inwardly through the window opening 0 in the horizontal plane and axis of the clothesline proper (Fig. 1). In this position, the clothesline L passes from the remote pulley at the clothesline pole (not shown) through the window casing, tangentially through portion 211 of the disc I59. and" I0 is provided with other portion of the the line are around'the pulley 36 and 1n the one the channel 29, around the pulley 35, and at a tangentially diametrically opposed point through the channel 29 and back to the pole pulley. As the pulley 36 is well inside of the house, the person using the line is in a convenient and safe position at all times in using the device. To latch the bar in this position, it is merely necessary to rotate the lever 3| of the latch 30 to thread the same on stud ll whereby the various parts will be clamped between-the 'cover plate-22 and base H, the tapered portion 12 of the head ll having complementary frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the base H for this purpose. The parts are left in that position until the user I has finished using the line, at which time it is merely necessary to rotate the lever in the opposite direction to release the parts and the bar I may be moved downwardly at right angles to its previously described position, through the window opening 0 and outside the house in a vertical plane as shown in Fig. 2. Before dropping the bar ID to this positio'n,the line is lifted out of its lower tangent position in the channel 29 and is positioned at the upper tangent position in the channel so that bothportions of the line are around the pulley and in the upper tangent position in the channel 29, as shown in Fig. 2. There is thus provided the iulcrumeffect of a weighted end 31 which will effectively tend to resist movement thereof through opening 0 of thewindow casing until such time as it is desired to manually do so for the purpose of using the line. In the construction shown in Figs. and 6 the axis A of the stud H is disposed in avertical planeisee Fig. 5) instead of in the horizontal plane shown in Fig. 1 and the bracket member (see Fig. 5) is disposed in a horizontal plane, with an angularly disposed portion 38 which is adapted to' be secured adjacent the casing opening at the outside of the house. In this form of the invention the bar I'D- is moved inwardly in a horizontal plane for use of the device (full lines Fi 6) and moved outwardly, also in a horizontal plane, but at right angles to its position of use andinto a position across the opening 0 when it is notdesired to use the same (dotted lines Fig. 6).

In the construction shown in'Figs. 5 and e, the bracket 34 is disposed at right angles to the plane of the base 14, the bar In being twisted and offset as at 39, for'this purpose and to offset the bracket 34 so that, as shown in Fig. 5, the rope L passes from the pole'pulley (not shown) tangentially through the channelZSL'around the pulley 36 and downwardly out of the pulley and back to the pole pulley. When the user has finished using the line, the return portion of the line passing downwardly from the pulley 36 is lifted and positioned at the tangent position in'the channel 29 adjacent the rope, so that both portions of tangent position in the channel 29 shown in dotted portion of Fig. 6. The latching of the structure of Figs. 5 and 6 is like that described in connection with the structure of Figs. land 2. Like parts are correspondingly numbered in the several figures of the drawings, for the sake of a more facile understanding of the invention.

While I have particularly described my invention as used in connection with clotheslines, it is equally applicable to any other application for use in connection with ropes, cables or the like wherein the structure described may be used to advantage. The parts described may be made of any desired or convenient metal, alloy or plastic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a retractable line appliance, a bracket, a stud fixed to said bracket, a disc positioned on said stud, a second disc member positioned on said stud and provided with a centrally arranged ofiset boss adapted to abut the first mentioned disc member, said disc members being provided with oppositelyfiared peripheral portions which define a rope guide channel, a spring seated within said ofiset portion of the disc member, a latch member, a lever on said latch member, said latch member and said stud having complementary engaging means to latch the parts when the latch member is rotated in one direction and to release said parts when it is rotated in the opposite direction.

2. In a retractable line appliance, a bracket, a

stud fixed to said bracket, discs positioned on said stud provided with oppositely flared peripheral portions and one disc having an ofiset portionwhich defines a rope guide channel, a latch member, a cover plate secured thereto, an a spring seated intermediate the disc members and cover plate, said latch member and said stud having complementary engaging means to latch the parts when the latch member is rotated in one direction and to release said parts when it is rotated in the opposite direction.

3. In a retractable line appliance, a bracket, a stud fixed to said bracket, discs positioned on said stud and provided with oppositely flared eripheral portions and one disc having an offset portion which defines a rope guide channel, a latch member and cover plate on said stud, a spring seated intermediate the disc members an cover plate, a bar in said appliance rotatably mounted at one end on said stud, and a pulley rotatably journalled on the opposite end of said bar, said latch member and stud having means to latch the bar against rotation on the stud.