US2705567A - Clothesline rack - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1955 H. M. LOWE 2,705,567

CLOTHESLINE RACK Filed Sept. 19, 1950 9 INVENTOR.

fi/cz ro /o M. Lowe 5% 95% nited States Patent CLOTHESLINE RACK Harold M. Lowe, Warren, Pa.

Application September 19, 1950, Serial No. 185,641

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-11915) This invention relates generally to clothesline racks and more particularly to the structure and the manner of mak' ing and assembling a clothesline rack.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a clothesline rack that is simple in structure and economical to manufacture and assemble. rack provides improvements making it convenient and very easy to be set up and taken down. It provides a very large capacity for receiving clothes in a very small space and it may be taken down and stored in a much smaller space than any clothes drying rack of equivalent capacity.

The popular demountable clothes drying racks in present use have a central support and are provided with hinged members that unfold and extend the line. Such structures are cumbersome to set up and are very tall when collapsed. The structure comprising this invention leaves the whole of the clothes hanging area clear and free of posts or supports, making it easy to hang the clothes without interference and without fear of them flapping against a post or support that is apt to collect and carry dirt.

Another advantage of the structure comprising. this invention is in the simplicity in setting up and making the multiple lines taut by adjusting the transverse members. It is a material advantage not to have a fixed gauge in stretching the multiple lines as they stretch and sag.

The structure providing these objects and advantages is constructed with parallel rails spaced apart and having closely and uniformly spaced line supporting means which may be in the form of eyescrews, links, pins, holes or slots through or around which a single piece of clothesline may pass when woven from one rail to another. When the clothesline supporting means on both rails have the same spacing the multiple passes back and forth of the clothesline are parallel to each other. The parallel rails are held apart by rigid spacers which function by adjustment to spread the rails against the stretch of the multiple strands of clothesline extending therebetween. Every time the rack is set up the spreaders may be adjusted to streach the lines taut.

The rack thus comprises four principal frame members, the two rails and the two spacers and when assembled to stretch the clothesline the racks may be hung as a unit by suspension from a ceiling or from posts or trees, or it may be supported on spaced posts which have upwardly open sockets to receive the rails. Hoisting lines may be used for suspending the rack from the ceiling and when not in use it may be left together but pulled up out of the way. This is particularly advantageous for people who live in small apartments or dwellings where space is limited.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show, for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practical embodiments of the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the clothes rack comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a rail taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and showing supporting posts for the rail.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

This clothesline Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view showing one character of clothesline supporting means.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a spreader and the manner of adjusting the same.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a different type of support for the clothes drying rack comprising this invention.

Referring principally to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the clothes rack comprises the rail members 1 and 2 and the spreader cross members 3 and 4. The rail members 1 and 2 are made up of channel-shaped metal members 5, as shown in Fig. 3, which comprise a closed channel with a longitudinal slot, as indicated at 6. These channel members may be constructed of any suitable metal such as aluminum and are preferably formed to position the longitudinal slot 6 in the center of the channel member. However it may be positioned above or below the center.

Each of the rail channel members 5 is provided with a suitable filler or spacer block 7 which consists of a strip of wood of equal length to the channel member and having a series of uniformly spaced transverse slots 8 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The filler strip 7 may be molded of plastic material or it may be constructed from a wide board in which a series of uniformly spaced transverse slots 8 are cut. After the board has been cut to provide the transverse slots it may be ripped into sections to provide the strip 7 of proper width. The strip 7 is not quite as wide as the depth of the channel 5. However the back 9 of the channel member may be constructed of different shape than that shown, so long as there is ample space for the reception of the clothesline 10 after it passes through the slot 8 and across the back of the spacer member 7 to the next succeeding slot.

A gauge is erected to support two of the spacer members 7 in proper spaced relation that will represent the clothesline rack in its final form. The spacer members are thus held rigidly in this position while a clothesline 10 which is knotted in one end is woven across the space and in the several slots to provide a multiple series of parallel lines such as illustrated in Fig. 1. When the line has been woven back and forth until it completely fills the spacer members the channel member 5 is slid over the end of the spacer members 7 so as to close the top of the slots of the spacer members and thus maintain the clothesline in position as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

A clip 11 is inserted over the open end of each of the channel members and a nail or other fastening means 12 is inserted through the clip and the channel member into the spacer member for the purpose of holding the clip 11 in place and to maintain the end of the rail closed. A similar clip 13 is provided intermediate of the ends of each rail for the purpose of holding the channel member in its proper shape, thus permitting the channel member 5 to be constructed of light gauge metal. The clips 13 are secured to the rails 5 in the same manner as the clips 11. This construction not only strengthens the filler member together with the channel member but also provides a neat appearing device which will maintain the multiple parallel clotheslines in parallel relation with each other and always maintain the length of each section of the clothesline equivalent to the other sections. After the clothesline has been woven through the slots of the spacer members and the channel has been inserted thereover it is substantially impossible to move the one pass of the clothesline relative to the other owing to the friction that the clothesline is subjected to when engaging the corners 14 of the slots 8 as illustrated in Fig. 5.. Thus once the clothesline rack has been assembled it will maintain a uniform spacing throughout its useful life.

The spreader members 3 and 4 are shown in detail in Fig. 6 which provides for a transverse member 15 of substantially the same length as that of the rack. The spreaders 15 may be constructed of wood or of the metal channel members as shown at 1 and 2. One end of the spreader member 15 has an angle bracket 16 secured thereto by the through bolt 17. This angle bracket provides two sockets 18 and 19 which are arranged to hook over the rail 2 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bolt 17 is nearer to socket 19 than to socket 18 and by turning the bracket 16 either socket may be employed. Socket 19 being closer to the bolt will provide greater distance between the rails than socket 18 thus permitting a take-up adjustment of the lines. The opposite end of the spreader member is provided with a bracket 20 which is secured by the screw 21 and is disposed downwardly over the end of the spreader member 15 as indicated at 22. The downwardly projecting portion 22 of the bracket 20 is provided with an opening 23 through which the adjusting screw 24 extends. The adjusting screw 24 has a handle 25 and a washer thrust bearing member 26 which maintains the position of the screw 24 fixed relative to the bracket 20. The other end of the screw 24 is threaded as indicated at 27 and extends through a bored opening 28 and 29 of the channel member 5 and the spacer member 7, respectively. After passing through the channel member 5 the outer end of the threaded section 27 is engaged in the threaded bore 30 of the clip 31 which is movable relative to the spreader 15 but is clipped onto the channel member 5 in a manner very similar to the clip 13. For short clothesline sections it may be preferable to eliminate the clips 13 as the clips 31 provide the same function. When the rail 1 is inserted in the slot 18 formed by the bracket 16 and the rail 2 is inserted in the clip 31 with the adjustable screws 24 extending therethrough, the latter may be rotated to pull the clip 31 longitudinally of the spreader and thus stretch the multiple strands of the clothesline 10. In this way the rails 1 and 2 are spread apart and the clothesline is drawn taut. If additional takeup is required the adjacent screws 24 are released and the bracket 16 is rotated to utilize the socket 19.

In view of the fact that the rails must be drilled to receive the threaded adjusting screws 24 the spreaders 15 are unable to move longitudinally of the rails 1 and 2 and they thus provide a rigid rectangular frame.

A pair of spaced upright posts such as illustrated at 33 may be flattened at their upper ends as indicated at 34 and provided with an upwardly open trough-shaped channel section 35 having a rear flange 36 forming an angle 37 in which the rail member 5 can be pivoted for swinging the same into position with the diagonally opposite corner as indicated at 38 scribing the are of the lip 40. Thus the rail members may be inserted into the bracket members 35 but when the spreader members are adjusted to spread the rails 1 and 2 apart to form a rigid rectangular frame the rail members cannot pivot about the corner 37 and are thus held by the bracket 35.

The spaced upright posts 33 carrying the brackets 35 may be sufliciently flexible to be slightly spread by the spreader members without exerting force on the bracket 35. If on the other hand the upright posts 33 are fairly rigid and are properly spaced the rail members 1 and 2 may be supported thereby and the spreader members 15 may be dispensed with.

Each of the rail members 1 and 2 may be provided with the opening 29 spaced from one end thereof for receiving the threaded adjusting screw 24. Thus the rails may be duplicates of each other. However the adjusting head of the spreaders will be on one side at one end of the rail and on the other side at the other end of the rail. In this way only one opening 29 need be drilled through the rail and the corresponding filler member as shown in Fig. 1. Thus each rail 1 and 2 is a duplicate of one another and each of the spreaders are duplicates of one another, which simplifies the manufacturing of this clothes rack.

Referring to the modification of Fig. 7 the supporting brackets 41 are secured as by welding to the flattened tubes 42. The tubes 42 may be detachably set over posts or pipes to enable the user to remove the clothesline rack from the yard for the purpose of suspending it in the cellar. These brackets 41 are U-shaped and have outwardly extending flanges 43 and 44. A slot 45 is placed in the upper bracket to receive the bolt 46 which has a ball head 47 that enables the bolt to swing upwardly and permit the rails 1 and 2 of the clothes rack to be inserted. The bolts 47 are then lowered in the slots 48 and are tightened by the wing nuts 50 to rigidly hold the rack in position.

While for clarity of explanation certain embodiments of this invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that this invention is capable of many modifications, and changes in the construction and arrangement may be made therein and certain parts may be employed with the conjoint use of other parts and withon; dleparting from the spirit and scope of this invention.

c am:

1. A clothesline rack comprising a pair of spaced adjustable rail members each made up of a light channel having their flanged edges turned toward each other and disposed in spaced relation to form a continuous slot with the ends of said members being open, a clothesline spacer slidable into the end of each channel and engaging the inner faces of both sides and the inturned flanges but spaced from the bottom of said channel between the inner faces of both sides, means defining a series of spaced transverse openings forming blocks in said spacers with said openings being in line with the continuous slot of said channel, and a clothesline woven between corresponding openings and in back of alternate blocks of said spacers in a progressive series and knotted at the end openings with the clothesline extending through the continuous slots of each channel and having the knots together with the portion of the line passing in back of said blocks enclosed within the channels between the back of said blocks and the bottom of each channel and means for securing each spacer in engagement with the inner faces of both sides and the inturned flanges of each channel.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes a rigid C-shaped bracket for each channel, the back of each bracket extending across the continuous slot of the channel with its ends engaging the outer opposite sides of the channel to prevent said flanged edges from spreading to open said continuous slot.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said last mentioned means also includes pin means extending through said bracket and the channel side to engage said spacer block to retain it in the channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,503 Parker Sept. 27, 1898 911,651 Erickson Feb. 9, 1909 950,859 Michaud Mar. 1, 1910 951,628 Buckingham Mar. 8, 1910 1,050,395 Schleicher Jan. 14, 1913 1,252,240 Clawson Jan. 1,1918 1,509,407 MacQuarrie Sept. 23, 1924 1,873,762 Hauf Aug. 23, 1932 1,896,996 Beglinger Feb. 7, 1933 2,040,746 Kniedler May 12, 1936 2,306,682 Zumwalt Dec. 29, 1942 2,309,212 Reeves Ian. 26, 1943 2,345,232 Boushelle Mar. 28, 1944 2,479,137 Schudy Aug. 16, 1949 2,519,830 Fink Aug. 22, 1950

Images