US1663297A - Clothes-drying rack - Google Patents

Description

Mmhzo,192s. 1,663,297

O. A. FRUEHAUF CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Feb.11. 1927 2 sheets-sheen @www March 20, 192s.

C. A. FRUEHAUF CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Feb.11. i927 2 sheets-snee: 2

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED sTATEs OSCAR A. FRUEHAUF, OIFy DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CLOTHES-DRYING- RACK.

Application led February 11, 1927. Serial No. 167,416.

This invention relates to clothes drying racks and particularly relates'to clothes drying racks for household use. j

It is one object of the invention to provide a rack carrying a number of clothes lines and adapted to support said lines from the ceiling of a basement or other room, said rack being adjustable to raise or lower said lines.

Another object is to provide a simple and convenient mechanism for adjusting the rack and for holding it in its raised position.-

A further object isto provide a rack comprising a pair of spaced metal frames and lines extended between said frames and kto form said frames with struck-out projections Ifor engagement by the lines.

Theseand various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a clothes drying rack embodying the improved construction.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the frame bars to which the clothes lines are attached showing the formation of struck-out hooks upon said bar for engagement by the lines.

`Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a drum forming an element of the mechanism for raising and lowering-the rack.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the joint between a hanger and a cross bar of one of the swinging'frames carrying the lines.

Figure 6 is a view in elevation of the rack adjusting means partly in section on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

In these views the reference character 1 designates a suitable number of spaced clothes lines extending between a pair of swinging supporting frames each comprising a cross bar 2 and a pair of hangers 3 to the lower ends of which the bar 2 is secured. Preferably the bar 2 and hangers 3 are formed of angle iron, and are connected rigidly by bolts 3a or the like. v

The upper ends of the hangers 3 are pivoted by bolts l upon angle iron supports 5 which span adjacent ceiling joists of the basement or other room in which the rack is mounted.

When clothes are being placed upon or removed from the lines 1, the frames 2, 3,

preferably hang vertically as shown in full lines in Figure 2. While the clothes are .drying and also when the rack is not in use it is preferable vto pivotally adjust the rack to the raised position indicated in dash lines in Figure 2. As a preferred means for adjusting the rack between the two described positions, a rope 7 or the like, has its extremities attached to the respective bars 2 preferably by suitable yokes 8. From one of said yokes said rope extends to a pulley 9 mounted upon one of the joists 6, extending down from said pulley to wind upon a drum 10. Said drum preferably consists of a rectangular block having oppositely projecting trunnions 11 journaled in a suitable bracket 12 attached to a post 13 or to a wall of the basement (or other room). A suitable crank 14 is mounted fast upon one of said trunnions for manually actuating the drum. After making one or two turns around the drum 10, the rope 7 is carried up and over another pulley 15 on one of the joists whence it is extended lengthwise of the rack to pass over another pulley 16 and downwardly into engagement with the other yoke 8.

Thus it is apparent that by actuation of the drum 10 a pull may selectively be exerted upon either end of the cord 7 whereby the rack may be raised or lowered as desired.

Any suitable means may be employed to maintain the raised position of the rack against its gravitational tendency to swing down. In the disclosed embodiment of the device a pin 17 is mounted in one of the bearings of the bracket 12 for alternative engagement with a pair of transver-se diametral openings 17a formed in the corresponding trunnion 11.

To simplify the attachment of the lines to the bars 2 vit is preferable to strike out from each of said bars a row of tongues 18 which are hooked, as best seen in Figure 3, for engagement by the said lines.

The described rack permits a maximum length of clothes line to be extended in a minimum space in a basement or other room and permits said line to be raised completely out of the way when not in use. Also when the lines are in use, the described provision for raising the same permits the clothes upon said lines to offer a minimum interference with persons passing beneath the rack.

What I claim is:

1. In a clothes drying rack, the combination with a pair of swinging frames, each comprising a pair of normally vertically disposed hangers pivoted at their upper ends and a cross bar carried by the lower ends of said paired hangers of a plurality of clothes lines extending between said cross bars, an elongated flexible member connecting said cross bars having its end portions respectively extending oppositely from said cross bars in a substantially transverse relation to said bars, means engaging the intermediate portion of said flexible member adapted to exert a pull upon either of said end portions whereby said frames may be swung upwardly toward either of said end portions, and means associated with the last named means for holding said frames and clothes lines in an upwardly swung position.

2. 1n a Clothes drying rack, the combination with a pair oit' parallel substantially horizontal bars, of a plurality of clothes lines extending between said'bars, a pair ol' `members supporting each of said bars i'or swinging movement about an axis parallel 'to said bars, an elongated flexible member connecting said bars having its end portions respectively extending oppositely from said bars in a substantially transverse relation to said barsyand having an intermediate portion extending transversely to and above said bars, and guide members engaging said flexible member at the junctures of its invtermediate portion and said end portions7 said flexible member having a portion downwardly extending 'from one of said junetures, means engaging said downwardly extending portion adapted to exert'a pull upon either of said end portions o'l` the flexible member whereby said frames may be swung upwardly toward either of said end portions, and means associated with the last. named frames for holding the 'frames and clothes lines in an upwardly swung position.

ln testimony whereof l sign thisrspecilication.

OSCAR A. FRUEHAUF.

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