US2515661A - Combination clothesline support and lawn ornament - Google Patents

Description

J y 1950 G. E. NITSCHKE 2,515,661

COMBINATION CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT AND LAWN ORNAMENT Filed March 23, 1946 w 1 4 I I F L J 4- Y 4 3 INVENTOR.

E GEORGE E. NITSCHKE BY wPOam ATTORNEY.

Patented July 18, 1950 OFFICE COMBINATION CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT AND LAWN ORNAIVIENT 6 George E. Nitschke, Toledo, Ohio Application March 23, 1946, Serial No. 656,732

2 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to a clothes line support and particularly to one which serves a dual purpose by being transformable into an attractive lawn ornament when not set up for wash day service.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of such a structure which may readily be changed from a clothes line support to a lawn ornament.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device which is simple and sturdy in design and one which may be manufactured easily and at low cost.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a supporting structure having a main vertical post built in two telescoping sections, the lower or base post being hollow to receive the upper section in its lowered position and the upper section having hinged horizontally extending arms which swing downwardly along the upper post section so that they may also be received within the lower post section.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of automatically acting latching means for holding the upper post in its upwardly extended position and such a latch which is effective in any of the rotatively variant positions the upper and base post sections may be telescoped together.

Another object is the provision of a hexagon shaped lower or base post section and an upper post member being H shaped in cross section, whereby the open sides of the member may receive the laterally extending arms when folded downwardly in their collapsed position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying my invention arranged in extended form in pro-per position to support clothes lines.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same structure in its compact form wherein the upper post memher is telescoped entirely within the lower base section except for the ornament holding plate and the ornament at its top, depicted here as a large silvered globe;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the top end of the upper post member with the side arms in their collapsed position;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through both post parts taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the upper post member and the lower ends of the arm struts taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Figure 1 through the side arm at the point where its supporting strut is pivoted; and

Figure '7 is a side elevation of the top end of the upper post member with a sun dial mounted thereon to demonstrate a possible alternate article to replace the silvered globe of Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figure 1 the base post member I is embedded in concrete through which it extends slightly into ordinary soil 3. This is considered desirable in order that any water reaching the interior of the post will not be confined there to rust the metal by the concrete blocking the end.

The base post I is preferably hexagon shaped and is hollow so as to receive, in sliding but nonturning relation, the upper post section 4 as shown in Figure 4. The post member I may be rectangular or octagonal and still be adaptable to receive section 4 in several positions if any of these shapes are preferred for other reasons. Post section 4 is formed of two U channels welded together back to back. Near its lower end is a latch 5 mounted with its center of gravity on the outer side of the pivot pin 6. In this way the latch 5 is always inclined to fall outwardly to catch over the upper end of base post 4 when the upper section is raised into its extended position as shown in Figure 1.

At the top of post section 4 is a plate 1 which may be bolted in place through the depending portions of the angle members 8 to which it is welded as shown in Figure 3.

The outer edge of plate 1 extends beyond the periphery of post extension 4 so that it will engage the upper end of base post I when these two post sections are telescoped together. Supported from the top end of post extension 4 are arms 9 hinged at It). These carry conventional hooks II to which clothes line may be fastened, Pivoted at 12 to the arms 9 are struts it, on the lower ends of which are button headed studs I4. These slide into bayonet slots l5 cut into one side of post extension 4 to hold the arms 9 in their horizontal extended position as shown generally in Figure 1 with the detail brought out in Figure 5.

When it appears that the structure will not be needed as a clothes line support for a while, the clothes line may be removed and the arms 9 swung downwardly by withdrawing struts l3 from the bayonet slots l5. Both the arms and the struts hang within the laterally facing openings of the H shape of the post extension 4. The arms 9 are U-shaped in cross section and are of sufficient size to fit snugly at their hinged ends l0 between the parallel sides of post extension 4.

The struts I3 are flat straps and are held along one side of the arms 9 by bushings IS on the pivot pins I! as may be noted in Figure 6. By this, positional interference between the hooks H and the struts I3 is avoided when both are lodged within the confines of the openings of post extension 4.

Post extension 4 is then raised slightly so that latch 5 may be unhooked from the edge of base post I and swung inwardly to permit extension 4 to drop within base member I. In order to provide an air cushion to prevent upper post 4 from dropping too rapidly down into base post I, fastened to the bottom of the upper post is a hexagon plate 18 designed to conform to the interior shape of the base post I. The fit should be sufliciently close to let the air by at a slow'rate. With the angular arms and struts concealed, and height of the post reduced fifty per cent the structure becomes compact and much more sightly. With an appropriate ornament mounted on the top it is an attractive addition to the grounds. As outside clothes line supports are ordinarily used only one day a week during pleasant weather and not at all during winter months or when the weather is bad, most of thetime this device maybe left in its ornamental position. The part of the yard where it is located may then be used Without embarrassment for lawn furniture and game equipment for the entertainment of guests. Instead of being a structure to be screened with shrubbery the clothes line support has thus become a decorative feature of your grounds of which you may be proud.

While one specific embodiment of the inventionis herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination clothes line support and lawn ornament a stationary hollow post of polygonal cross section, an extension member nonrotatively and telescopically mounted within the post, laterally raisable arms pivotally mounted near the top of the extension member, supporting means for holding the arms in their lateral position, means on the outer ends of the arms to which clothes lines may be fastened, and overhanging plate means on the top of the extension member for keeping the member from dropping below the top end of the post and also for providing a support for a decorative article.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the extension member is H-shaped in horizontal cross section and the ends of the legs of the H fit into corners between the sides of the polygonal post.

GEORGE E. NITSCHKE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 261,908 Chorman Aug. 1, 1882 345,741 Thurston July 20, 1886 667,562 Norton Feb. 5, 1901 724,582 Jones Apr. 7, 1903 919,405 Walden Apr. 27, 1907 1,042,262 Pelletier Oct. 22, 1912 1,423,762 Franzen July 25, 1922 1,714,693 Stoll May 23, 1929 1,894,176 Hirsch Jan. 10, 1933 2,123,329 Combs et a1. July 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 800,085 France Apr. 30, 1936

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