WO2013076449A9

WO2013076449A9 - Improvements in or relating to covers and bracket assemblies

Info

Publication number: WO2013076449A9
Application number: PCT/GB2012/000863
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Seaward HOLLAND
Original assignee: Holland Thomas Seaward
Priority date: 2011-11-24
Filing date: 2012-11-26
Publication date: 2013-07-18
Also published as: WO2013076449A3; GB201120266D0; WO2013076449A2

Abstract

Clothes hanging apparatus includes a cover (26), a tie (46) by way of which a portion of the cover (26) is connective to an arm (2) and of which the effective length is adjustable, thereby to set the position of that portion of the cover (26) relative to the arm (2). The tie is under tension between a stretch bar holder (40) and a channel 62) at the outside of an end cap (50) placed over the free end of the arm (2). The end cap (50) is held firmly on the arm (2) by means of straps passed over the arm and through holes (66) through a base wall (56) of the cap (50).

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO COVERS AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to covers and bracket assemblies, in particular for clothes hanging devices, especially rotary clothes dryers, and methods related thereto.

GB-A-2259002 discloses a rotary clothes dryer, the cover for which comprises a plurality of extension arms fitted to respective arms of the dryer, e.g. by clips, with a cover sheet spread among the extension arms. A single-size cover sheet can thereby be used for a wide range of different size dryers. It discloses that that concept is applicable to static clothes dryers to extend the limbs upwards so that a cover sheet can be fitted to the dryer for the purpose of shading and/or protection. In use, the extension arm is under compression longitudinally and is also under a bending moment.

EP-A-1 ,033,430 discloses a kit comprising a bracket for connecting a clothes line cover to a clothes line arm, and a plurality of channelled inserts of channel cross-sections differing from each other for fitting in the bracket for accommodating respective clothes line arms of differing cross-sections. Thus, the kit can be used to make a bracket assembly that can fit any cross-section of clothes line arm.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus comprising a cover, a tie by way of which a portion of said cover is connect/ble to a support and of which the effective length is adjustable, thereby to set the position of said portion of said cover relative to said support.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising adjusting the effective length of a tie connected between a support and a portion of a cover and thereby setting the position of said portion of said cover relative to said support.

Owing to those aspects of the invention, it is not necessary to extend the support and, moreover, the single-size cover sheet can be relatively smaller.

The item which is the tie is, of course, under tension longitudinally during use.

In one embodiment of that aspect of the invention, where the support is an arm, the arm carries adjacent its outer end a bracket which clips around the arm and which, at a radially outer end thereof with respect to the arm, is formed with a transverse channel receiving the base of a substantially U-shaped rod, the lateral limbs of which are screw-threaded to receive respective wingnuts whereby a yoke between the limbs may be urged by means of the wingnuts towards the base of the U. The yoke serves as a mounting for a transverse element attached to the edge of a cover sheet.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bracket assembly comprising a bracket for connecting a clothes line cover to a clothes line arm, and a set of inserts for fitting in said bracket to provide a device for embracing closely a clothes line arm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit comprising a bracket for connecting a clothes line cover to a clothes line arm, and sets of inserts for providing respective devices of cross-sections differing from each other for fitting selectively in said bracket for embracing respective clothes line arms of differing cross-sections.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover having, at respective peripheral regions thereof distributed therearound, a first set of hemmed edges for receiving respective dowels and, inwards of said first set, a second set of hemmed edges for receiving respective dowels, each of the hemmed edges being positioned tangentially of the centre of the cover.

Owing to that aspect of the invention, it is possible to employ a single cover for a variety of diameters of things, such as clothes hanging devices, to be covered.

Owing to those aspects of the invention, it is possible for a manufacturer of clothes hanging devices to incorporate a bracket which is universal insofar as the cross-section of a clothes line arm is concerned; or for a supplier of covers to be used with a range of models of clothes hanging devices with differing arm cross- sections, to supply a bracket assembly incorporating a universal bracket and an inserts set suited to a particular model, or where the model to be covered is unknown, to supply the kit.

In order that the invention may be clearly and completely disclosed, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, top perspective view of a rotary clothes dryer; Figure 2 is a fragmentary, underneath perspective view of an arrangement whereby a cover sheet is connected to one of a plurality of arms of the dryer which are of circular external cross-section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, top perspective view of a modified version of the dryer including an insert set for such circular-section arm;

Figures 4 and 5 are respective perspective views of insert sets for arms of rectangular and tear-drop-shaped external cross-sections, respectively;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, top perspective view of another modified version of the dryer including an end piece mounted on an arm of the dryer of circular cross-section;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but illustrating a modified manner of mounting the end piece on the arm;

Figure 8 is a top perspective view of a stretch bar seen in Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a top perspective view of a modified version of the end piece;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, but illustrating a manner of mounting the end piece thereof on an arm of the dryer of rectangular cross-section, and showing in dot-dash lines the possibility of having a side piece fixed to the end piece;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, but showing a modified version of the end piece;

Figure 12 shows an underneath perspective view of the end piece seen in Figure 11;

Figure 3 is an underneath plan view of a cover sheet usable with a three- armed dryer; and

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 of a cover sheet usable with a four- armed dryer.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the rotary clothes dryer 1 has a plurality of arms 2 which are supported at their outer end zones by reinforcing arms 3. The arms 3 extend outwardly and downwardly from the top of a central post 5, whilst the arms 2 support clothes lines 4 and extend upwardly and outwardly from the post 5. Mounted on the outer end of each arm 2 is a bracket 6 of a character similar to that disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 of WO-A-95/01476. The lower end of each bracket is formed as a clip 8 embracing the arm and clampable thereto by a wing-nut-and-bolt device as illustrated in Figure 1 of WO-A-95/01476. The upper end of each bracket is formed with a channel 10 which receives the base 12a of a U-shaped, externally threaded rod 12. Slidable to-and-fro along the lateral limbs 12b of the rod 12 is a yoke 14 formed with holes 16 through which the limbs 12b extend. Screwed onto the free ends of the limbs 12b are respective wingnuts 18 whereby the yoke 14 can be urged towards the base 12a. Extending transversely through the upper part of the yoke 14 is a hole 20 through which can be passed a dowel 22 inserted into a hemmed edge 24 of a cover sheet 26 formed with a central hole 27 and a radial slit 28 to enable the cover 26 to encircle the pole 5.

Adjustment of the position of the yoke 14 along the limbs 12b allows a single size of cover sheet 26 to be used with a variety of diameters of rotary clothes dryer. Moreover, the arrangement tends to be more stable than that disclosed in my GB-A-2259002.

The yoke 14, which is of a plain, rectangular cross-section, could be of an inverted L-shape cross-section, with the holes 16 being formed in the lower part and the hole 20 formed near the free end of the upper part of the inverted L, so that reversal of the direction of projection of the upper part along the limbs 12b gives a greater range of adjustability than for the yoke 4 shown.

Referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that the bracket 6 is replaced by a bracket assembly 30 which includes a bracket 32 which consists of an upper part 32A formed with the channel 10 and a lower part 32B in the form of a rectangular frame of inverted U-shape. Between the parts 32A and 32B is a dove-tail joint 34 which converges inwardly longitudinally of the arm 2. The frame 32B closely receives a pair of inserts 36 which are identical to each other and which closely receive the arm 2 between them. A nut-and-bolt connection 38 extending through aligned holes through the respective lower end zones of the lateral limbs of the frame 32B serves to clamp the pair of inserts 36 between those limbs and the arm 2. If the arm 2 were to be of a rectangular, external cross-section, then the pair of inserts 36 would be as shown in Figure 4 for example, whilst, if the arm 2 were to be of a tear-drop, external cross-section, then the pair of inserts 36 would be as shown in Figure 5 for example.

Compared with the inserts 30 and 3 shown in Figures 5 and 6 of my EP-A- 033430, the sets of inserts 36 have the advantage that they can be more easily placed in position around the clothes line arm 2 especially, if, when they are placed in position, the arm 2 already has an outer end cap (not shown) fitted thereto.

Referring to Figure 6, there is seen a cover sheet (also known as a canopy) 26 with a stretch bar in the form of a dowel 22 inserted into hemmed edges 24 of the sheet 26, as well as an arm 2 of circular external cross-section. The dowel 22 extends through a stretch bar holder 40 which is received in a cut-away 41 in the edge of the sheet 26 and, as seen more clearly in Figure 8, is in the form of two releasably interlockable blocks 40a and 40b with respective holed lugs 42 through the holes 44 of which extends a flexible elongate member in the form of a tie cord 46 having an adjuster 48 to enable adjustment of the effective length of the cord 46 and thus of the spacing between the sheet 26 and the outer end of the arm 2, as well as the tension in the sheet 26. As can be seen from Figure 8, the bores 47 in the respective blocks 40a and 40b are slightly inwardly inclined towards each other. This has the advantage of tending to cause the outer end zones of the dowel 22 to be urged slightly outwardly, so tending to keep the cover sheet 26 more tensioned at those end zones. Placed over the outer end of the arm 2 is an end piece in the form of a cap 50 which has two side walls 52, top and bottom walls 54 and 56 and an end wall 58 which abuts against the outer end of the arm 2. The lower parts of the side walls 52 are formed with respective slots 60 therethrough extending parallelly to the arm, closed at their outer ends and open at their inner ends. As seen in Figure 7, the slots 60 allow the cap 50 to be received over any lines 4 which extend near to the outer extremities of the arm 2. Formed on the cap 50 immediately above the end wall 58 is an outwardly opening channel 62 which receives a tube 64 through which the cord 46 extends. There are formed perpendicularly through the wall 56 two pairs of apertures 66, whilst there are formed through the top wall 54 two slots 68 which are aligned above the respective pairs of apertures 66. As again seen in Figure 7, from which the items 22, 24, 40, 46 and 64 have been omitted for the sake of clarity, and which shows the cap 50 finally attached to the arm 2, the slots 68 have allowed respective straps 70 to be passed down through and their ends passed through the respective pairs of apertures 66 and buckled together below the bottom wall 56. The introduction of the straps 70 is performed as the final stage in mounting of the cap 50 on the arm 2, particularly after tightening of the cord 46.

Referring to Figure 9, in this version the end piece is more in the form of a plate, in the sense that the wall 56 has been retained and the walls 52 and 54 wall 54 have been dispensed with, whilst the outermost extremity of the arm 2 comes to abut against a peg 72 rather than against the end wall 58. The channel 62 is still retained for receiving the tube 64. Spaced along the wall 56 are a plurality of cradles 74 which may be shaped to have resting therein any desired arm from the commercially available rotary clothesline arms, irrespective of its cross-sectional shape and dimensions. The wall 56 may have a honeycomb structure in order to minimise the weight of the end piece. Figure 10 shows the end piece 50 with a square-section tubular arm 2 received in the cradles 74, with its lines 4 extending through the gaps 78 among the cradles 74 and with the straps 70 about to be tightened and buckled under the wall 56. At each side of the wall 56 there may be attached to the ends of the cradles 74 by means of self-tapping screws 80 a side strip 82 shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 10, the purpose of the side strip 82 being to hold the lines 4 in position relative to the end piece 50.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, the end piece 50 differs from that shown in Figures 9 and 10 in that the cradles 74 and apertures 66 are omitted and that the straps 70 are not employed. Instead, the end piece 50 is held on the arm 2 by a plurality of (in this case four) resilient, hollow pegs 84 inserted upwardly through holes 86 through the wall 56. There is a row of pegs 84 at one side of the arm 2 and another row of pegs 84 at the opposite side of the arm. There are holes 86 at a variety of spacings from each side of the arm, so allowing for coarse adjustment to the width of the arm. Wedges 85 at each side of the arm can be driven to between the arm and the pegs 84 at that side to allow fine adjustment to the width of the arm in fixing the end piece 50 to the arm. The straps 70 (not shown) are passed through holes 86 not used to receive the pegs 84. Formed through the base wall 56 near longitudinal edges thereof are slots 87 accessible at those edges through mouths 88, for receiving the lines 4. To save material, instead of the wall 58, there are provided two brackets 58 A. Each peg 84 consists of a hollow cylinder with an external flange 89 at its lower end. It will be seen from Figure 12 that the wall 56 is hollowed out at its underneath to save material. A cover 90 providing the walls 52 and 54 is releasably connected to the base wall 56 by way of clips 91. The pegs 84 and the wedges 85 may be omitted if so desired.

Referring to Figure 15, the cover sheet shown therein is of triangular outline with a centra⁾ hole 92 for receiving the pole of the three-armed rotary clothes dryers. There is seen on the underneath of the cover 22 near respective corners thereof respective hemmed edges 24 for receiving respective dowels 22, as well as respective cut-ways 41 for receiving respective holders 40. Those triangular corner portions 94 outwardly beyond the hemmed edges 24 may lie over the end pieces 50 for aesthetic purposes. Because the range of sizes of three-armed rotary clothes dryers is relatively narrow, only one group of hemmed edges 24 is required, because the narrow size differences can be coped with through the assemblies including the adjustable cords 46. However, there is a significantly greater range of sizes of four-armed rotary clothes dryers, which is why, as shown in Figure 6, there is provided at each of the four corners an inner hemmed edge 24A and an outer hemmed edge 24B. They are clearly illustrated for one corner, with their positions at the other corners being indicated by dot-dash lines. Again, minor size differences are coped with by means of the assemblies including the adjustable cords 46. If the inner hemmed edges 24A are employed, then the outer hemmed edges 24B may be trimmed off.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a cover, a tie by way of which a portion of said cover is connectible to a support and of which the effective length is adjustable, thereby to set the position of said portion of said cover relative to said support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said tie is in the form of a flexible elongate member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, and further comprising a stretch bar holder for receiving a stretch bar for said portion of said cover and for receiving also a portion of said tie.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said holder is formed with boring for receiving said stretch bar.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said boring receives said stretch bar in such a manner as to urge outer end zones of said stretch bar slightly outwardly from said portion of said cover.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said holder comprises first and second releasably interlockable blocks formed with respective bores of said boring.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said blocks have respective holed lugs thrqugh which said portion of said tie extends.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, and further comprising an end piece which is connected to said portion of said cover by way of said tie and which is able to receive and bear endwise onto a free end of said support and whereby said portion of said cover is connected to said support.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said end piece comprises a base wall which serves to extend along said support, and an end wall facing said free end of said support.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, and further comprising holes formed through said base wall.

1 1. Apparatus according to claim 10, and further comprising a strap which is to be passed over said support and through two of said holes to assist in holding said end piece firmly on said support.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 and further comprising pegs to be inserted through at (east a plurality of said holes to beside said support to assist in retaining said end piece relative to said support.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, and further comprising recesses formed in respective opposite lateral edges of said base wall for receiving clothes lines which are carried by said support.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein said end piece encloses said free end of said support.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 as appended to claim 9, wherein said end piece comprises a releasable cover which extends along and over said base wall for receiving said free end of said support between it and said base wall.

16. Apparatus comprising a cover, and an end piece which is connected to a portion of said cover and which is able to receive and bear endwise onto a free end of a support and whereby said portion of said cover is connected to said support.

7. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said end piece comprises a base wall which serves to extend along said support, and an end wall facing said free end of said support.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, and further comprising holes formed through said base wall.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, and further comprising a strap which is to be passed over said support and through two of said holes to assist in holding said end piece firmly on said support.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19 and further comprising pegs to be inserted through at least a plurality of said holes to beside said support to assist in retaining said end piece relative to said support.

21. Apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 20, and further comprising recesses formed in respective opposite lateral edges of said base wall for receiving clothes lines which are carried by said support.

22. Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 21 wherein said end piece encloses said free end of said support.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22 as appended to claim 17, wherein said end piece comprises a releasable cover which extends along and over said base wall for receiving said free end of said support between it and said base wall.

24. A method comprising adjusting the effective length of tie connected between a support and a portion of a cover and thereby setting the position of said portion of said cover relative to said support.

25. A method according to claim 24 and further comprising, prior to said adjusting, placing over a free end of said support an end piece comprising a base wall and an end wall so that said end wall of said end piece faces said free end, said adjusting tensioning said tie between said portion of said cover and said end piece.

26. A method according to claim 25, and further comprising applying releasably to said base wall a cover so that said cover extends along and over said base wall and over said free end of said support.

27. A method according to claim 25 or 26 and further comprising passing a strap over said support and through said base wall to assist in holding said end piece firmly on said support.

28. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 27 and further comprising positioning pegs in said base wall at respective opposite sides of said support to assist in retaining said end piece relative to said support.

29. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 28 and further comprising receiving, in recesses formed in respective opposite lateral edges of said base wail, clothes lines which are carried by said support.

30. A bracket assembly comprising a bracket for connecting a clothes line cover to a clothes line arm, and a set of inserts for fitting in said bracket to provide a device for embracing closely a clothes line arm.

31 . A kit comprising a bracket for connecting a clothes line cover to a clothes line arm, and sets of inserts for providing respective devices of cross- sections differing from each other for fitting selectively in said bracket for embracing respective clothes line arms of differing cross-sections.

32. A cover having, at respective peripheral regions thereof distributed therearound, a first set of hemmed edges for receiving respective dowels and, inwards of said first set, a second set of hemmed edges for receiving respective dowels, each of the hemmed edges being positioned tangentially of the centre of the cover