US3345708A

US3345708A - Dual clothespin

Info

Publication number: US3345708A
Application number: US491788A
Authority: US
Inventors: Escapa Lucy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-09-30
Filing date: 1965-09-30
Publication date: 1967-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1967 L. ESCAPA DUAL CLOTHESP I N Filed Sept. 30, 1965 L ucy E scapa IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent f 3,345,708 DUAL CLOTHESPIN Lucy Escapa, 276 Henry St., Brooklyn, NY. 11201 Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,788 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-137) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The clothespin shown is characterized by an elongated plate of suitable shape, size and material preferably with flat sides and provided at its respective ends with keyhole shaped slots constituting keepers. A single suitably elongated and appropriately narrowed strap has a median portion riveted to a median portion of the plate and has longitudinally bowed resilient self-shaped retaining flexible end portions terminating in normally disengaged finger tabs. Each tab has a headed stud constituting a fastener normally spaced from but releasably engageable with the coacting keeper slot.

The present invention relates to a clothespin which is distinguishable from commonly used clothespins in that it is characterized by an elongated plate or an equivalent body member which is provided with fastening means at both ends and which, in addition, is provided at at least one end with conveniently arranged hook means which, when it is desired to use the same, can be releasably hooked over a clothesline, a garment hanger or other support means.

A general objective of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and in other practical ways to improve upon prior art clothespins, to advance this line of endeavor and, in so doing, to provide a clothespin which will comply with manufacturing requirements and economies of manufacture, is such that it can be unhesitatingly recommended for sale and use by retailers, and will serve the purposes and needs of prospective users.

Briefly summarized, the improved dual purpose clothespin comprises a suitably shaped elongated plate. This plate is provided at least at one end with a keyhole slot. As a matter of fact, it is preferably provided at both ends with selectively usable keyhole slots, the latter being centralized and extending lengthwise and being located on opposite sides of the transverse median center of the plate. The inner larger end portions of the respective keyhole slots are positioned or located inwardly and the narrower or restricted end portions are situated outwardly that is adjacent the corresponding end portions of the plate. These keyhole slots serve to accommodate insertable and removable garment attaching and securing button-like fasteners. More particularly, each fastener is characterized by a stem. or stud having a head on the outer end and wherein the stud is attached to a flexible tab constituting a free end portion of a flexible strap, the median portion of said strap being riveted or otherwise equivalently connected to the median portion of said plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothespin wherein, inaddition to the keyhole slots and strapretained headed fasteners, outstanding hooks are formed integrally with the respective or opposite end portions of said plate, said hooks being conveniently usable whenever necessary or desired.

Stated somewhat more explicitly, the invention has to do with an elongated plate which can be ellipsoidal in plan and which is provided at its respective ends with properly proportioned and located keyhole slots to accommodate the headed studs, said studs being mounted on free end portions of a strap. The strap is secured intermediate its ends to the median portion of the plate and the outer free ends provide finger grippable and actuatable tabs which carry the stud portions of the headed fasteners, that is fasteners which are positioned for cooperation with their respective keyhole slots.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a dual purpose clothespin and how it is constructed and can be used to attach one garment to and suspend the same from a lower edge portion of an upper clothesline-supported garment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the plane of the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, that is a view observing what may be called the front side of the clothespin shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the opposite or rear side of the improved clothespin.

The improved clothespin comprises an elongated ellipsoidal body member which is here referred to, specifically speaking, as a rigid flat faced plate 6. The median transverse relatively wide portion is denoted at 8 and the duplicate upper and lower end portions are denoted at 10 and 12 respectively. Each end portion is provided with an integral laterally projecting hook, the upper one denoted (FIG. 1) by the numeral 14 and the lower one by the numeral 16. These hooks are optionally usable in that the user may desire to hang either hook on a clothesline (not shown) and then fasten a marginal edge portion of a garment thereto. As suggested, it is within the purview of the concept to use either one or two hooks, preferably two. The respective slotted end portions of the plate are the same and to simplify the description it is to be pointed out that each end portion of the plate is provided with a central longitudinally extending keyhole slot having an enlarged end portion 18 adjacent to the median portion 8 of the plate and outwardly extending relatively narrow portion 20. It is within the purview of the invention to employ a single keyhole slot and fastening means therefor but as experience has shown, it is deemed feasible and advisable to provide keyhole slots at each end of the plate. It follows too that garment clasping orretaining means is also provided at each slotted end. The means in each instance comprises a button-like headed stud, the stud portion of which is denoted at 22 (FIG. 2) having a suitable button-like head 24 thereon.

Keeping in mind the dual aspect of the concept adapter means is provided for mounting the button-like fasteners in position on the plate and this means comprises an elongated flexible self-shape-sustaining plastic or equivalent strap 26 which is shown in FIG. 2 as a median portion 28 superimposed on the median part 8 of the plate and riveted or otherwise secured thereto as at 30. The end portions 32 are flexible and freely bendable. The free end portions 34 constitute manually grippable and actuatable tabs. The headed fastener is mounted on the tab in such a manner that it can be lined up with the enlarged end portion 18 of the keyhole slot and then slid up in the narrow portion of the slot in a generally well known manner such as is done in socalled garter fasteners.

As is thought to be evident from FIG. 1, the herein disclosed multipurpose or dual clothespin lends itself to practical use where, for example, the upper garment A is fastened by a regular clothespin to a suspended clothesline (not shown), and wherein space is limited one 3 desires to suspend a second garment B directly below the garment A and utilize the improved clothespin to accomplish this result. With this thought in mind it Will be evident that the lower edge portion C of garment A is buttoned, so to speak, to the keyhole slot at the upper part of the plate 6. Then the cooperating edge portion D of the second garment is buttoned and clasped by way of the button fastener and keyhole slot to the lower end portion, say the end portion 12 of FIG. 1. Accordingly, garment A provides a support means for the detachably connected clothespin and the clothespin in turn is attached to and suspends the second garment B. The fact that the fastening means is the same at both ends of the plate it makes no difference which end is considered as the upper end in FIG. 1. It will also be evident that the side of the plate opposite the side on which the strap means is mounted is provided with

hooks

14 and 16 which under certain circumstances can be hooked over a line so that this clothespin can be used much like any other clothespin which is being marketed (not shown).

It is evident that the clothespin herein disclosed provides a range and scope of usefulness and capability which is destined to interest users where space for clotheslines is at a premium. Accordingly, it will serve the unique purposes for which it has been devised for use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A clothespin comprising an elongated plate having hook means at at least one end capable of being detachably connected whenever necessary or desird to support means such as, for example, a suspended clothesline,

said plate having a lengthwise keyhole slot at said one end, a button-type garment clasp embodying a stud adapted to be cooperatively lined up with and fitted into the restricted end portion of said slot, said stud provided at a free outer end with an enlarged studpositioning and retaining head which is adapted to be passed freely through the usual enlarged end portion of said keyhole slot and retained releasably in place by said restricted end portion, and a flexible adapter strap having a portion anchored on a median part of said plate and a readily attachable and detachable free ended tab portion manually movable toward and from said slot, said stud being fixedly joined to and carried by said tap portion, said hook means being positioned closely adjacent the restricted end portion of an associated slot so that an associated stud when in garment engaging position is opposite the free end portion of said hook means and normally restricts the opening of the hook means to prevent inadvertent release of the hook means from an associated support means.

2. The clothespin according to claim 1, and wherein said plate is also provided at its other end with alternatively usable hook means corresponding to said first named hook means.

3. The clothespin according to claim 1, and wherein said plate is also provided at its other end with a second lengthwise selectively usable keyhole slot.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and, in combination, a second button-type garment clasp embodying a 4 stud adapted to be cooperatively lined up with and fitted into the restricted end portion of said second named keyhole slot, and flexible tab means anchoring said second garment clasp on said plate.

5. A clothespin comprising an elongated plate with flat sides and provided at its respective ends with keyholeshaped slots, said slots being longitudinally centralized and having their larger end portions disposed inwardly toward the median portion of the plate, a strap having a median portion attached to one side of the median part of said plate, having flexible end portions terminating in finger grippable tabs, each tab being provided with a stud and a head on said stud providing a headed fastener capable of alignable attachable and detachable cooperation with the adjacent coordinating slot, said plate being provided on one side at opposite ends thereof with outstanding integral plate attaching and suspending hooks which are located closely adjacent their respective restricted end portions of coacting slots so that each associated stud when in garment engaging position is opposite the coacting free end portion of the associated hook and accordingly functions to restrict the entrance opending to the hook in a manner to prevent inadvertent release of the hook from an associated support means.

6. A clothespin of the class described comprising an elongated rigid plate having correspondingly elongated flat sides and provided at its respective ends with keyhole shaped keeper slots, said slots being longitudinally centralized relative to adjacent marginal edge portions of the plate when having their larger end portions disposed inwardly toward a median portion of said plate, a single strap made of flexible resilient self-shape-sustaining plastic material, said strap having a median portion thereof superimposed upon and fixed to a cooperating side of the median portion of said plate and located substantially midway between the respective keyhole shaped keeper slots, said straps having longitudinally bowed self-shape-sustaining but flexible free end portions terminating in finger grippable finger tabs, each tab being provided with an integral stud terminating in a head and said stud and head providing a fastener capable of alignable attachable and detachable cooperation with the adjacent coordinating keeper slot, the inherent properties of each tab functioning to locate and retain its companion headed fastener in a normal position disengaged from the coordinating slot but in constant readiness and alignment for coacting retentive engagement with a predetermined portion of its slot, whereby said headed fastener can and does assume a normal ready-for-use position relative to the adjacent face of the plate as well as the predetermined oriented locale of said keeper slot, and said plate being provided with at least one integral outstanding plate attaching and suspending hook capable of attachment to support means, for example, a clothesline.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,633 2/ 1878 Walker 24-245 449,817 4/1891 Kibbe 24245 473,629 4/1892 Kelly 24--81 721,264 2/ 1903 Wernig 24246 1,237,232 8/1917 Wing. 1,593,973 7/ 1926 Holdsworth.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A CLOTHESPIN COMPRISING AN ELONGATED PLATE HAVING HOOK MEANS AT AT LEAST ONE END CAPABLE OF BEING DETACHABLY CONNECTED WHENEVER NECESSARY OR DESIRED TO SUPPORT MEANS SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, A SUSPENDED CLOTHESLINE, SAID PLATE HAVING A LENGTHWISE KEYHOLE SLOT AT SAID ONE END, A BUTTON-TYPE GARMENT CLASP EMBODYING A STUD ADAPTED TO BE COOPERATIVELY LINED UP WITH AND FITTED INTO THE RESTRICTED END PORTION OF SAID SLOT, SAID STUDPROVIDED AT A FREE OUTER END WITH AN ENLARGED STUDPOSITIONING AND RETAINING HEAD WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE PASSED FREELY THROUGH THE USUAL ENLARGED END PORTION OF SAID KEYHOLE SLOT AND RETAINED RELEASABLY IN PLACE BY SAID RESTRICTED END PORTION, AND A FLEXIBLE ADAPTER STRAP HAVING A PORTION ENCHORED ON A MEDIAN PART AND A READILY ATTACHABLE AND DETACHABLE FREE ENDED TAB PORTION MANUALLY MOVABLE TOWARD AND FROM SAID SLOT, SAID STUD BEING FIXEDLY JOINED TO AND CARRIED BY SAID TAP PORTION, SAID HOOK MEANS BEING POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT THE RESTRICTED END PORTION OF AN ASSOCIATED SLOT SO THAT AN ASSOCIATED STUD WHEN IN GARMENT ENGAGING POSITION IS OPPOSITE THE FREE END PORTION OF SAID HOOK MEANS AND NORMALLY RESTRICTS THE OPENING OF THE HOOK MEANS TO PREVENT INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE HOOK MEANS FROM AN ASSOCIATED SUPPORT MEANS.