US581152A - Francis j - Google Patents

Description

P. J. FRENCH. CLOTHES CLAMP.

(No Model.)

No. 581,152. PQten-tedApLZO, 1897.

lg egiov,

UNITED STATES FFlCE.

ATENT FRANCIS J. FRENCH, OF MILES GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB STADLER, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH ES-CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,152, dated April 20, 1897.

Application filed December 31, 1895. Serial No. 573,943. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miles Grove, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in clothes-clamps; and the object is to provide in connection with a flexible clothes line or rope a simple, inexpensive, and efficient clothes-fastener which is shaped in such manner as to automatically grip the clothes-line for preventing the longitudinal movement of the fastening device and which maybe readily moved by hand to any desired point on the line, the said device being also constructed in such manner as to materially increase its utility and adapt the same to support at one and the same time several articles of clothing.

With the above object in view the invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and finally embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved clothesfastening device. Fig. 2 illustrates the application and use of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the improved clothes-holding device, which is intended to take the place of the ordinary wooden clothes-pin in common use.

The improved device is composed, preferably, of a single section or blank of springwire which has been galvanized so as 'to adapt the same to all kinds of weather and to prevent the same from rusting and inj uring the clothes held thereby.

The device is-formed as follows: The blank is bent at its central portion or recurved upon itself to form a central spring-loop 2, which normally depends from the clothes-line. The terminals of the blank are now bent reversely over and extended in opposite directions downwardly and divergently, and after being extended, preferably below the plane of the lower end of the central loop 2, the terminals of the blank are again recurved upon themselves to form opposing springloops 3, which diverge downwardly. The

terminals of the blank are now made upwardly divergent, as indicated at 4, then bent as at 5, and extended in substantially horizontal relation inward toward each other ashortdistance, where they are reversely bent, as at 6, and continued upwardly and caused to diverge, the extremities of the terminals being formed with one or more coils '7, which have an approximately horizontal disposition, or which, in other words, are so deflected that they will bend or crimp the flexible clothesline where the latter passes through them. A spiral tension-spring 8 is introduced between the terminals of the fastening device above described and has its extremities looped around such terminals at the points Where the bends 6 occur, the said spring serving by its tension to insure the proper degree of pressure between the parallel portions of the diverging and intermediate loops 2 and 3. The bends 6 or offsets are also adapted to receive and form finger-holds for the thumb and forefinger of the attendant, whereby the latter is enabled to press the coiled terminals of the device together for the purpose of relieving their grip upon the clothes-line, (shown at 9,) after which the clothes-fastening device may be moved freely longitudinally of the line. Upon releasing the spring terminals of the device the looped or coiled extremities thereof will spring apart and automatically engage and grip the clothes-line.

10 designates a rope grip which is also formed, preferably, of galvanized spring-wire, the same being bent at approximately a central point and reourved upon itself to form a spring-loop 11 and provided at each extremity with a coil or eye 12. The clothes-line is threaded through one of said coils or eyes and tied therein, as shown, the end of the line being extended sufliciently beyond the said gripping device to enable the same to be passed through a ring or around a fence-post or other convenient point, and after the rope has been so engaged with the post or ring or.

other object the end of the rope is inserted and wedged into the spring-loop 11 and automatically retained therein.

At the opposite end of the line is what may be called a double rope-grip 13, which is similar to the one at the other end of the line, except that it is doubly recurved at its central portion to form two reversely-disposed springloops 1i. The end of the rope is passed through a ring attached to the post or around the post itself or other convenient object and drawn taut, after which the rope at one side of the post is engaged in one of the loops 14, and the end of the rope or that portion at the opposite side of the post is passed through the remaining loop, thus preventing any possibility of the slipping of the rope and its becoming loosened from its point of attachment.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and efficient clothesline is provided in which the elothes-retain ing devices are constantly engaged with the line and incapable of being accidentally disconnected therefrom and lost. The clothesholding device being galvanized prevents all liability to rust and by reason of the three spring-loops 2 and 3, formed therein, is adapted to take the place of three ordinary clothespins, the divergent outside loops being used for holding larger articles of clothing which have to be stretched, such as sheets, towels, &e., and the central loop being adapted for smallerarticles, such as hand kerehiefs, socks, napkins, (be. The farther down into the loops the articles or the corners thereof are jammed the tighter such articles are held, so that no ordinary wind can blow the same out of engagement with the fasteners, and the fasteners cannot work loose and become dislodged from the line. Vhile the fasteners cannot of themselves slip lengthwise of the line, by manipulating the same with the hand, as above described, they may be readily moved to any desired point on the line for properly stretching the clothes. Upon releasing a fastener it grips the rope where released and remains stationary. lVhen not required for use, the clothes-line can be easily taken down, folded up, and put away in a dry place, and the fasteners, being connected to and strung upon the rope, are always on hand when wanted.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A clothes-clamp comprising a pair of spring-arms forming a clasping-ioop for the clothing, said arms being provided with terminal eyes disposed obliquely to their respective arms, and a coiled spring interposed between said arms with its terminals embraein g said arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A combined clothes and line clamp comprising central and side diverging claspingloops to receive and hold the clothes, and a pair of spring-arms having their upper portions diverging, thence deflected inwardly, forming finger-holds, and again bent outwardlyon diverging lines and terminatingin eyes which receive and crimp the line, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS J. FRENCH.- lVitnesses:

CALVIN J. HINDS, F. X. LoiLuER.

Images