US2444841A - Clothesline holder - Google Patents

Description

July 6,1948. Y A, L MERONK y 2,444,841

CLOTHESLINE HOLDER Filed June 25, 1945 I nventar Attorneys Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicEl CLoTHEsLINE HOLDER Anthony J. Meronk, Jeerson, Wis. Application June 25, 1945, Serial No. 601,505

and has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive device whereby a clothes line may be gradually tightened a-s laundry is placed on the line, which due to gradually increasing weight the line is sagged down.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a clothes line holder having jaws so arranged as to permit free passage of a line n one direction only and immediately clamping the same upon a reversal of movement whereby the line is held taut.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a line holder including a casing and means whereby the line may be easily and quickly placed in the casing.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my invention shown in operative position,

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the elements of the device disassembled,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view substantially on line 3--3 of Figure l.

In the accompanying drawings a-s above enumerated and in the folowing specication, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout and in which II) indicates my clothes line holder and tightener which includes a housing I I, having an extension I2, with an aperture I3, in its reduced terminal I4, for engagement with the sustaining hook I5 of a clothesline or the like. The housing is provided with a rear wall I6 along opposite side edges of which extend spaced parallel wall-s, I'I and I8, formed at their side edges with flanges I9 an-d 20, which taper from one end to the other to form a convergent passage through which the clothesline or the like may be entered into the device.

Telescopically fitted in the housing I I between the walls I6 and the anges I8 and I9, is a slide 26, having a rear wall 2l, side walls 28 and 29 and a forward extension 3| terminating in a perpendicular flange 30. The extension 3| is provided in opposite side edges with inwardly extending recesses 32 and 33. Extending inwardly midway between the bottom edges of the recesses 32 and 33 are slots 38 and 39 the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Secured in the wall I6 and the flanges I9 and 20 are spaced parallel transversely extending pintles 39 and 40 respectively. These pintles ex- 1 Claim. (Cl. Zug-119.15)

tend through the recesses 32 and 33, respectively to permit relative telescopic movement between the housing II an-d the slide 26. Pivotally supported on said pintles are opposed clamp jaws 4I and 42 carrying serrated cam faces 43 and 44, between which a clothes line 45,is adapted to be clamped. Formed in the edge ofthe ange 30 opposite that joining the extension 3| is a V-shaped notch 46, which not only forms a guide for the rope, but because of its wedge shape tends to grip the rope so that any pull thereon tends to move the slide partially outward of casing II.

The jaws 4I and 42 respectively are provided with laterally projecting pins 48 and 41, which extend into the slots 38 and 39 respectively so that as the slide 26 moves outwardly of the housing II the jaws will be drawn together to grip the clothesline or the like 45. By reason of the frictional contact of the walls of the notch 46 on the ange 30, any sag of the clothesline will exert pull on the iiange and tends to displace the slide longitudinally of the casing II so as to bring the walls of the grooves into engagement with the pins 39 and 40 so as to exert a further clamping action on the jaws 4I and 42 on the clothesline 45.

In use, the rope 45 is seated in the device by slipping it into the space 5I, between the convergent edges of the flanges I9 and 20, and between the jaws 4I and 42. By grasping the end 56 of the clothesline and exerting pull thereon while using the hook I5 as a guide, the line may be pulled to a desired tension for hanging laundry thereon. As the rope sags under the weight imposed thereon it may again be tightened. In this manner the clothesline may be maintained under the desired tension to sustain the clothing hung thereon clear of the ground.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be yable to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described my invention that which I claim as new and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

A clothesline support and tightener comprising a tubular housing of rectangular cross secjaws with the slide to cause the clamp jaws to` advance toward one another as the slide moves away from the extension, a flange on the end of the slide remote from the extension `and rsaid Ilange having a V-shaped notch therein which registers with the longitudinal slot in the housing for receiving a clothesline whereby, as the load imposed on the clothesline increases, the slide will move and increase the pressure of the clamp jaws on the clothesline.

ANTHONY J. MERONK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 343,814 Hedden June 15, 1886 690,438 Jones Jan. 7, 1902 975,247 Johnson et al Nov. 8, 1910 1,250,876 Hicks Dec. 18, 1917 1,271,294 Duigan July 2, 1918 '1,813,918 Fisher July 14, 1931 `1,913,032 Krause June 6, 1933 1,959,722 Lackner May 22, 1934

Images