US2852142A - Bed sheet drying post - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1958 F. SEEBERG BED sx-uzs'r DRYING POST Filed June 5, 1955 IN V EN TOR. M web zy United States Patent BED SHEET DRHNG POST Frieda Seeberg, Libertyville, Ill.

Application June 3, 1955, Serial No. 512,979

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-45) This invention relates to a bed sheet drying post which is used in/combination with similar posts to stretch and dry sheets, bedspreads, draperies, etc., in the open air, aid to the combination of said posts and a frame for drying sheets and the like inside a building.

Applicants principal object is to provide a simple drying apparatus for use in a yard. Applicant seeks to avoid the use of the large frame. One of the features of this invention is the provision of a post which can be pressed into the ground and which has a vertical tier of holding elements for fabrics. With three other similar posts, sheets may be stretched from their four corners, the posts being positioned in the ground in a rectangle approximating the size of the sheet to be stretched.

The first specific object of this invention is to stretch horizontally at waist height or less a wet sheet. A dry sheet weighs approximately one pound, and after being whirled dry may still carry several pounds of water, Stretching a wet sheet over a line six feet above the ground is very burdensome for many women. A feature of the present invention is the stretching of a sheet in a horizontal plane a few inches above the ground. Additionally, sheets hanging vertically are whipped by strong winds, which have comparatively little elfect when engaging the edge of a sheet stretched horizontally.

A second specific object of this invention is to provide means for holding a plurality of sheets in spaced relationship so that the breeze may pass between them. An ordinary curtain stretcher can be used to stretch sheets, but women do not place more than one or two lace curtains on a stretcher at a time, and because of the closeness of the weave, it is impractical to place more than one sheet on a curtain stretcher at a time. The result is that sheets are not dried on curtain stretchers. A feature of applicants invention is the provision of holdig means for individual sheets which are spaced vertically from one another so that a plurality of sheets may be stretched horizontally one above the other.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate a stretching frame. Drying sheets on a stretching frame is more work than drying them on a line. Moreover, the stretching frame has to be carried from the garage or basement and set up. A feature of applicants invention is the provision of four separate identical posts, each of which has prongs for insertion into the ground, and which a woman may erect in Whatever spaced relation is required for the size sheet or drapery that she may wish to dry. The holding elements are spaced along the side of the post and when she places the posts in the ground, these holding elements are faced toward each other.

Another object of this invention is to hold the sheets without damaging their weave. In curtain stretchers, steel nails having inch diameter stems are provided over which the curtain is stretched. vThe weave of curtains is usually coarse. In the case of sheets, the weave is very close, 60, 70, 80, to the inch. A inch nail so spreads the threads that an opening remains. One of the features of this invention is the provision of a sponge rubber surface of substantial area on the face of one of the jaws for griping the sheet and holding it. A fine nail may be used in the other jaw as a starter, but tension is not applied to the sheet until after the sponge rubber jaw has been tightly clamped on the sheets surface.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a frame which may be used in places where one cannot push the posts into the ground, as for example, a basement or paved court yard. A feature of the invention is the provision of a frame of fixed length but variable width which has four holding elements for the bottom of the posts. The frame provides no means for holding any kind of a fabric.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of four of applicants posts mounted in the earth and holding four sheets;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of applicants posts;

Figure 3 is a full-size front elevation of the wood clamp for holding the fabric to be stretched; and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one-half of the frame with one post holder in position.

Continuing to refer to the drawings, the numeral 10 identifies a portion of an unpaved yard, that is, dirt usually covered with grass. Four stretcher posts such as 12 have been positioned by pressing them into the ground at spaces such that the length dimension 20 and spaced by two or three inches from each other so that the wind blows between them. Sheets for adult beds are usually nine feet long, so that the posts on opposite sides of the length of a sheet Will be spaced apart to retain the sheets taut in the manner shown in' Fig. 1. The width of sheets varies, and the housewife will, therefore, move the far posts closer to or farther from the near posts to accommodate the particular width sheet she wishes to dry.

The height of a four-clamp post when positioned in the ground is about eighteen inches, with the lowermost clamp clearing the ground by about six inches. When using, the housewife attaches one corner of a sheet to the first post, i. e., 18, without letting the sheet touch the ground. She then runs one edge to the next post and so on around. She uses the lowest level of clamps first. After the first sheet is stretched, it is less difficult to keep the next sheet off of the ground. While the posts shown have only four tiers of clamps, it will be appreciated that by heightening the posts, more clamps may be provided. Applicant does find that it is not wise to place the clamps closer than two inches apart.

In drying, there will be some sag, and it is desirable that the sheets not touch each other. Two inches is about the minimum allowance to take care of irregular sag. Even with two inches, in a breeze the sheets will flap against each other.

Examining now one of applicants posts, and referring to Figure 2, the base of the post is a tranverse iron bar 30 to the opposite ends of which are welded the ends of tines 32 and 34. Fastened by any suitable means, in this case long screws, to the first bar 30 is a Wood post 36. This post is centered on the iron bar 30 so that one may place ones foot on the ledge 38 or the ledge 40 for driving the tines 32 and 34 into the ground. Transversely through a hole 41 in the top of the post and parallel to the length of the iron bar 30 is a wooden pin 42 which provides hand grips on both sides of the post to facilitate insertion into the ground.

The numeral 44 generally identifies one of the fabric holding clamps. As illustrated in Figure '2, the lowest 1 3 clamp 46 is positioned about six inches above the transverse bar 30. The remaining clamps are spaced two and one-half inches apart. While only four are shown, the post could be made higher and the number of clamps increased. If stooping is deemed undesirable, the lowermost clamp could be positioned eighteen to twenty-four inches above the transverse bar and the post suitably lengthened.

The design of applicants clamp is of importance because of its operating simplicity and the fact that it is made principally of wood. The clamp consists essentially of two separate wood jaws 48 and 50. The jaw 48 is a rectangular block which is fastened by suitable means into a horizontal notch 52 in the post 12. Projecting upwardly from the jaw 48 is one (or more) short rustproof pin 54. Extending through and upwardly from the block 48 is a bolt over the upper end of which is fastened the jaw 44. This jaw 44 is movable along the bolt 60 and can be clamped down by means of a single nut 62.

While the wood jaw 44 if brought against the pin 54 will hold a sheet in position, it is important that the real holding be not done by the pin because in a strong wind the pin may tear a sheet. To the bottom of the jaw 44 is 'affixed a sponge rubber face 64. When the jaw 44 is clamped down on a sheet 22, as indicated by the dotted line position 66 in Figure 3, the sponge rubber does the holding. If the stretching is done properly, there need never be any pull on the pin. When the initial corner is clamped, there is no pull. When the housewife reaches the second clamp, if she continues to hold the corner after impaling it over the pin, while tightening down the set screw 62, the sponge rubber will take over the holding when the hand releases and not the pin. Indeed, applicants clamp works satisfactorily without the pin.

The posts as thus far described when mounted as shown in Figure 1 will attain the first three objects of this invention.

The last object, namely, to make the posts useful all year round and in places where it is not possible to force the tines into the ground, is attained by the frame 70 in Figure 4.

The frame 7|) is rectangular. Each of its long sides consists of two 3x1 A" boards 72 and 74 which are about five feet long and joined by a hinge '76. The width members of the frame each consist of two boards of like cross section, 78 and 80, which have complementary tongues 82 and 84 with alignable horizontal holes such as 86 and 88 through which a pin 90 may be passed so as to alter the overall length of the two end members 78 and 80. Each of the two end members 78 and 80 are removably joined to the longitudinal member 70 by reducing the thickness dimension by half to form a tongue 92 to underlie a similar tongue 94 on the longitudinal member. The two are held together by a single nut.

The devices mounted on the frame for holding the posts will be called post sockets, and they consist of two wire straps 96 and 98 which fit over the wood frame member 78 and are welded to a rectangular wire frame L00. The height of this frame 100 equals the length of the tines 32 and 34 of Figure 2. Welded to the outer vertical edges of the frame 100 are stiff helixes 102 and 104 which have an inside diameter sufficient to receive the tines 32 and 34. Because these post sockets are fastened to heavy wires 96 and 98, a pull by a sheet from a position two feet above the frame will cant the wires and keep them from slipping longitudinally. On the other hand, these wires slide fairly easily along the frame member 78. They provide a Woman with a second width adjustment for the frame. There are some situations where she does not wish to go to the trouble to reset pin 90. She can slide the post socket along frame member 78 quite easily.

The housewife can erect this frame on a basement floor, drop the four posts into four sockets, and proceed as heretofore described as to stretching sheets in the yard.

The various features of this invention make it practical to stretch sheets as contrasted with curtains. Sheets are a weekly task and drying one sheet at a time on a curtain stretcher is wholly impractical. Moreover, the nails damage the close weave of sheets. Applicants device makes it possible to handle a plurality of sheets at one time and to adjust for different sizes very quickly. An important advantage resides in the fact that the sheets need not be ironed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a rectangular frame and with four drying posts each having a plurality of clamps mounted lengthwise along one side thereof, and each having two tines mounted on one end of the post and extending parallel thereto away from the row of clamps, a socket assembly comprising means for gripping a member of the rectangular frame together with a pair of sleeve sockets spaced to receive the tines of the posts and hold them at right angles to the plane of the rectangular member.

2. A drying post for supporting and retaining a corner of one or more sheets to be dried in a position substantially parallel to the ground, consisting of a transverse bar, a tine depending from said bar adjacent each end thereof to be embedded and retained in the ground during drying, an upstanding polygonal wooden post rigidly anchored at its lower end to the upper portion and centrally of the bar, vertically spaced and laterally projecting anchoring means on one face of said post with each of said anchoring means receiving a corner of a sheet and holding it taut in a substantially horizontal plane while drying, and a member projecting through said post to provide laterally projecting hand grips adjacent its upper end, said hand grips when grasped by the operator and pressure applied to the transverse bar by the operators foot pressing and embedding the tines in the ground to anchor the post at the desired elevation.

3. Means for securely retaining the corners of one or more sheets to be dried with the sheets held in substantially horizontal planes, comprising a drying post embedded in the ground adjacent each corner of said sheets, each of said drying posts consisting of a transverse bar, spaced depending tines projecting from said bar to be embedded in the ground, an upstanding poly onal wooded post anchored at its lower end upon said bar, vertically spaced projections on one side of said wooden post with each projection having means for securing thereon a corner of a sheet and suspending said sheet in substantially horizontal position for drying, and lateral projections on said wooden post by which the operator holds the drying post while applying pressure to the transverse bar for forcing the tines into the ground, the vertically spaced projections on said drying posts when the latter are embedded in the ground extending inwardly toward a corner of the sheets to retain said sheets taut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 374,765 Waltman Dec. 13, 1887 526,490 lessen Sept. 25, 1894 685,974 Cote Nov. 5, 1901 1,192,486 Young July 25, 1916 2,086,826 Smith July 13, 1937 2,360,432 MacKenzie Oct. 17, 1944 2,577,333 Klum Dec. 4, 1951 2,643,843 Brown June 30, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 464,829 Italy July 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (IERTIFICATE 0F 'CQREQTION Patent No, 2,852,142 September l6,7 1958 Frieda Seeberg Column 1, line 16, for "aid" read me and column 2, line 1, for

"griping" read gripping column 4, line 49, for "Wooded" read Wooden a Signed and sealed this 25th day of November 1958,

SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho AXLINE Commissioner of Patents

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