GB1596746A - Clothes peg - Google Patents

Description

(54) CLOTHES PEG (71) I, KEITH RAYMOND WHITE, a British Subject, of 21 Beech Drive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, formerly of 47 Gretna Road, Off Green Lane, Coventry, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a clothes peg for retaining clothes on a clothes line.

According to the invention a clothes peg comprises a body having two resilient arms extending from and integral with an enlarged end portion and movable apart from a closed position to admit a clothes line and clothes between the arms, the free ends of the arms remote from the enlarged end being divergent in the closed position relative to one another over their inner and outer faces3 and a slide member mounted for limited sliding movement between a first position adjacent said enlarged end portion and towards a second position adjacent said free ends, whereby in the first position the arms can be released from the clothes and in the second position the arms inhibit release of the clothes.

Conveniently the arms adjacent said free ends are each formed with recessed portions facing one another to together form an opening for receiving the article and the support.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the drawing which is a perspective view of a clip according to the invention intended for use as a clothes peg.

The clothes peg is wholly of plastics material and comprises a body 10 formed of two arms 11 interconnected at one end by an integral portion 12 which has opposite and outwardly-extending projections 13.

The arms 11 are shown in their non-gripping position in which they lie parallel to one another and are spaced apart to form a space 14 for most of their length. At the ends of the arms remote from the portion 12 the arms are outwardly divergent as at 15 to define an entry 16 for a clothes support, hereinafter referred to as a line, and outwardly divergent outer surfaces. Inwardly of the divergent portions 15 the arms are formed with part circular transverse recesses which face one another and together form a generally circular opening 18 for the line.

The arms 11 are movable apart from the position shown so that the line may be admitted into the opening and gripped by the arms. In such gripping position the arms diverge from the portion 12 so that the space 14 is of outwardly divergent form.

A slider 20 is in the form of a sleeve with a central rectangular opening through which the arms extend except when the slider is in an inoperative position in which case it lies over the portion 12 against the projections 13.

The rear end of the slider is shaped to fit around the projections and the front end of the slider is shaped to provide outwardly divergent portions at 21. Opposite outer faces of the slider are formed with transverse ridges 22 to improve grip on the slider during use. A dimple 23 is formed on the portion 12 adjacent one of the projections 13 and in the inoperative position the slider engages frictionally over the dimple to hold the slider in such position.

In operation, with the slider initially in the inoperative position, the peg is used to hold clothes on the line by inserting the line between the arms into the opening 16. The slider is then pushed along the arms, after releasing it from the dimple 23, until it engages frictionally with the divergent outer faces of the arms and is thereby fixed in position inhibiting release of the clothes from the line.

Release of the peg is readily achieved by moving the slider along the arms in the reverse direction towards the portions 12. Both engagement and release of the peg may be a one hand operation by the user.

As an alternative to the illustrated embodiment the outer faces of the arms to be engaged by the slider when in a gripping position may be transversely ribbed or ridged, the slider engaging the ribs or ridges to assist in retaining the slider in the gripping position.

The body and the slider are of resilient material so that when, in use, the arms are displaced outwardly from the position shown in which they are parallel, the resiliency of the arms urges them back to the parallel position thereby providing a gripping action even without the slider in position.

It will be appreciated that the outward divergence of the free ends of the arms prevents the slider from inadvertently being released from the body over that end of the arms. However the resilience of the arms may enable the slider to be located in position over the arms by deforming the divergent portions inwardly.

The opening in the sleeve is of sufficient size to move the slider along the arms while still readily holding the arms in a gripping position during use of the peg. It may be of assistance in achieving a holding action to make the opening in the sleeve of slightly divergent section in the direction away from the end of the body formed with the projections.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A clothes peg comprising a body having two resilient arms extending from and integral with an enlarged end portion and movable apart from a closed position to admit a clothes line and clothes between the arms, the free ends of the arms remote from the enlarged end being divergent in the closed position relative to one another over their inner and outer faces, and a slide member mounted for limited sliding movement between a first position adjacent said enlarged end portion and towards a second position adjacent said free ends, whereby in the first position the arms can be released from the clothes and in the second position the arms inhibit release of the clothes.

2. A clothes peg according to claim 1 wherein the arms adjacent said free ends are each formed with recessed portions facing one another to together form an opening for receiving the article and the support.

3. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the slide member is in the form of a sleeve having a central rectangular opening through which the arms extend.

4. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arms and slide member are of plastics material, and the arms lie parallel to one another in the nongripping position.

5. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein outer faces of the arms are ridged so that the slide member engages with the ridges to maintain its position when the arms are in gripping engagement and inhibit release of the clothes and clothes line.

6. A clothes peg substantially as described with reference to the drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. material so that when, in use, the arms are displaced outwardly from the position shown in which they are parallel, the resiliency of the arms urges them back to the parallel position thereby providing a gripping action even without the slider in position. It will be appreciated that the outward divergence of the free ends of the arms prevents the slider from inadvertently being released from the body over that end of the arms. However the resilience of the arms may enable the slider to be located in position over the arms by deforming the divergent portions inwardly. The opening in the sleeve is of sufficient size to move the slider along the arms while still readily holding the arms in a gripping position during use of the peg. It may be of assistance in achieving a holding action to make the opening in the sleeve of slightly divergent section in the direction away from the end of the body formed with the projections. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A clothes peg comprising a body having two resilient arms extending from and integral with an enlarged end portion and movable apart from a closed position to admit a clothes line and clothes between the arms, the free ends of the arms remote from the enlarged end being divergent in the closed position relative to one another over their inner and outer faces, and a slide member mounted for limited sliding movement between a first position adjacent said enlarged end portion and towards a second position adjacent said free ends, whereby in the first position the arms can be released from the clothes and in the second position the arms inhibit release of the clothes.

2. A clothes peg according to claim 1 wherein the arms adjacent said free ends are each formed with recessed portions facing one another to together form an opening for receiving the article and the support.

3. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the slide member is in the form of a sleeve having a central rectangular opening through which the arms extend.

4. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arms and slide member are of plastics material, and the arms lie parallel to one another in the nongripping position.

5. A clothes peg according to any one of the preceding claims wherein outer faces of the arms are ridged so that the slide member engages with the ridges to maintain its position when the arms are in gripping engagement and inhibit release of the clothes and clothes line.

6. A clothes peg substantially as described with reference to the drawing.