GB2384699A

GB2384699A - Rain cover for a rotary dryer

Info

Publication number: GB2384699A
Application number: GB0202344A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sarah Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-31
Filing date: 2002-01-31
Publication date: 2003-08-06
Also published as: GB0202344D0

Abstract

The rain cover will provide protection for the washing. Its side panels 2 will protect the laundry from driving wind and rain and because they roll up, access to the line is not compromised thus meaning that, it could be left on as a permanent feature. Corner restraints 7 and 14 are built in to hold the cover firmly in place on the rotary dryer. It also has its own drainage system 8 to stop water pooling on the top section 1 and finally a rigid baton 15 fixed to the bottom of each side panel 2 allows them to be rolled up very easily.

Description

RAIN COVER FOR A ROTARY DRYER IN USE The idea for my invention came to me about 3 years ago, it came from the frustration of trying to dry washing in our unpredictable British climate. I descided that there needed to be some sort of cover for the washing line and tried to find out if anyone manufactured anything at all like this, but I could find nothing. I then descided that I would have a go at designing some thing myself and after much thought, this is what I came up with.

The invention will be made to work inconjunction with existing rotary washing line manufactures products for economical reasons. There will be two shapes, a three sided cover for a three arm rotary dryer and a four sided cover for a four arm rotary dryer.

The object of this invention is to allow washing to dry and stay dry regardless of the weather, so essentially this idea will protect your washing from getting wetter and still allow it to get dryer.

DETAILS OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS These are the details to drawings 1 and 2, they show a plan view of both shapes of cover.

1. This indicates the top section of the cover, for a three sided cover it will be triangular (drawing 1) and for a four sided cover it will be square (drawing 2).

2. This shows the side panels, (drawing 1) has three sides for use with a three arm rotary dryer and (drawing 2) has four sides for use with a four arm rotary dryer.

3. This refers to a male/female fastener of some type.

4. This is an allowance of material to let the comers overlap properly with ease, it will probably be reinforced for a longer life and durability, it will also give added protection against driving wind and rain.

5. These are the restraints to secure the side panels 2 when they are rolled up (see fig. 1).

6. This indicates the comers in the top section 1 of the cover, these will probably be reinforced for durability and a longer life for the cover.

7. This shows a separate triangle of material in comers 6 underneath the top section 1 of the cover. Only one side of this separate triangle will be permanently fixed to one of the seams that joins top section 1 to the side panel 2 and the other two sides will be free to allow them to pass under the end of the arm 10 of the rotary dryer to secure cover to dryer and then this will be held in place with some sort of male/female fastener 3 (see also fig. 2). The two free sides of this separate triangle 7 will also probably be reinforced for longer life and durability.

8. This is the drainage system for the cover, it is to stop water building up on the top section 1, i. e, when it rains heavily, naturally because there is no pitch, water will gather there, so to prevent this from happening a hole 13 will be made in top section 1 and from this (on the underside) a tube 12 will be connected and this will run down to ground level and the excess water will be dispersed (see fig. 3).

14. This detail shows an extra, much smaller pocket right into the point of comers 6 between top section 1 and the separate triangle of material 7 and it is there to secure the very end of the rotary arm 10 precisely into the comer.

15. This shows where a baton will be fixed by some means to the bottom of side panel 2.

These are the details to drawings 3 and 4.

Fig. 1. This shows in detail a rolled side panel 9 and how the restraints 5 will secure it in place.

Fig. 2. This shows more clearly how one of the separate pieces of triangular material 7, at comer 6, secures the cover to one of the rotary arms 10 and to put this in context, detail 11 indicates the main central pole of the rotary dryer.

Fig. 3. This shows how the drainage system 8 works, detail 13 indicates the hole in top section 1 and detail 12 is the tube that will carry the excess of water down to ground level from inside the cover.

Fig. 4. This shows in more detail where baton 15 is fixed or inserted to the bottom of side panel 2.

These are the details of drawings 5 and 6.

Both of these drawings are just to give a very simple artists impression of how these two shapes of cover will look, (drawing 5) is the three sided cover, for use with the three arm rotary dryer and (drawing 6) is the four sided cover, for use with the four arm rotary dryer.

Claims

1. A rain cover which can protect washing from getting wetter by the onset of rain and which will still allow the washing to dry (when side panels 2 are down) regardless of the weather.

2. A rain cover as claimed in Claim 1 that has roll up sides with restraints and fasteners to hold them in place, thus allowing easy access to the line, which means that it can be left on as a permanent feature.

3. A rain cover as claimed in Claims I and 2 that has had the length of its side panels 2 calculated to accomandate even the largest items of laundry.

4. A rain cover as claimed in Claims 1 2 and 3 which could be made of polythene, metal, plastics, wood, or a combination of these materials.

5. A rain cover as claimed in Claims 1 2 3 and 4 that has its own built in drainage system.

6. A rain cover as claimed in Claims I 2 3 4 and 5 that has a rigid baton at the bottom of each side panels 2 (see also fig4) which will allow the sides to be rolled up with ease and neatness because without them (even with the smallest size cover) it is very difficult for one person to do.

7. A rain cover as claimed in Claims I 2 3 4 5 and 6 that has a double comer fixing 7 and 14 to hold the cover firmly in place.

8. A rain cover substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.