US1500549A - Tightener for clotheslines - Google Patents

Description

\ July 8 E924.

' v c, s. CUDMORE TIGHTENER FOR CLOTHESLINES Filed June29. 1923 l Inventor 7V/07%? fzedm@ Attorney Patented July 8, 1924.

CLIFFORD s. CUDMORE, or sAufT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, CANADA.

TIGHTENER non c'IioTH-EsLI-Nns.

Appucatiii inea June 2'9, 1925.. serial No. 648,612.

TovaZZ whom-t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, CLIFFORD S. CUDMORE, a subject of the' King of Great Britain, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, Province of Ontario,; Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tighteners for Glotl'ieslines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full,c'lear,` and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins to make and use the same.

The present invention pertains to novel improvements in tighteners for clotheslines.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a' ,device of this cha-racter by means' of whichpthe tension of a line may be varied to suit conditions arising in its use, and also to jtake` up slack that occurs as aresult ofthe stretching of the line.

, To thisr end the ydevice comprises a Vframe in which is slidably mounted a shaft carrying device, a shaft, and a pulley. The clothes line passes .around this pulley, among others, and suitable meansv are -provided for turning the shaft carryingthe pulley.` TheA shaft carrying member is in the form of a yoke slidably mounted within the frame. To the yoke is fixed one end of a screw which is threaded through an end of the frame and provided at its opposite end with an operating handle. By means of this handle the screw is turned, as the result of which the position of the shaft and pulley within the frame is determined.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

igure 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Figure 2 is a front view thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view of the frame in detail;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a modification.

Reference will now be had to these views by means of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout. In Figures 1 and 2 the numeral 1 indicates a supporting element such as a post or a window frame to which the device is secured. The numeral 2 indicates a A similar member at the opposite end ofthe line. l This member has fixed thereto a bracket 3 to which is pivotally attached a sheave' frame 4 by means of a pivotpin 5. The frame 4 carries a sheave 6.

The supporting member 1 has fixed thereto brackets 7 an-d 8, the lower bracket 8 being somewhat longer than the member 7. These brackets have pivotally attached thereto frames 9 and 10 carrying sheaves 11 and 12 respectively. y

Beneath the bracket 8 is supported the guide frame 13 of the tightener comprising the essential feature of the invention. In the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the frame 13 is supported in parallel Vrelation with the element 1 by means of legs 14 havingtheir outer ends secured to the frame and their inner ends formed with feet 15 fixed' to the supporting member 1. Thefeet may be formed in accordancewith the configuration of the member 1; for example, if this member be a round post, vthe feet will bel curved for firm engagement therewith.

he frame 13 is of substantially rectangular formation and is formed with elongated slots 16 in'its sides. Tithin the frame is mounted a yoke 17 the sides of which are in contact with the inner sides of the frame and are formed with anges 18 which aid in maintaining the yoke within the frame. In the upper ends of the yoke is rotatably supported an axle or shaft 19 which passes through the slots 16. A feed pulley 20 having a hub 21 is slipped upon the axle and secured thereto by means of the set screw 22. One end of the axle is formed with a head 23 for preventing the axle from slipping inwardly through the slot at that side, while the remaining end is squared as at 24. Upon the lsquared end ispassed a hub 26 of a crank 25,awasher 27 being inserted between the hub and the frame side. The hub is held against slipping off the shaft by means of a cotter pin 28. A tightening screw 29 is passed through the base of the yoke and the bottom 'of the frame, and is secured to the yoke by means of the head 30. The lower end of the frame 13 may be provided with a plate 31 which may also be internally threaded for accommodating the screw. The latter is provided at its free or remaining end with an operatinghandle 32. It will be obvious that the screw may ass through the top of the frame as wel as through the bottom.

and the frame 13 is disposed in parallel re- Y lation with the clothes line. This construction is used when the supporting element 1"'A is horizontal rather than vertical as in the other figures. The frame contains a feed pulley 20 supported in the same manner as the member 20 of the other modification. This pulley is adjusted with reference to its position in the frame by means of a screw 29 in the manner already described. Y

l In the use of the form shown in Figures 1 to 6, the line 33 is passed around the sheave 6, over the sheaves 11 and 12, around the feed pulley 20 and then is tightened by hand and spliced. The iinal tightening is obtained by manipulation of the screw 29 by means of its handle 32. In order that the approximately vertical portions of the cord beneath the sheaves 11 and 12 will not interfere with each other, the brackets 7 and 8 are offset somewhat laterally from one another, as shown inFigure 2. The sheaves 11 and 12 take their proper position with reference to the pulley 20 because of their pivotal attachment to the brackets. The working surface A of the pulley 20 is formed with ridges 34 which have a gripping eifect on the cord. It will be obvious that this arrangement permits of the cable being slackened or tightened during the application of clothes thereto or the removal of clothes therefrom. Similarly the cord may be tightened as it becomes stretched in use. The foregoing mode of operation applies also to the form shown in Figure 7, with the sole exception tha the sheaves 11 and 12 are not considere While a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new andV desire `to protect by Letters Patent is n 1. A tightener for clothes lines comprising a frame having slotted-sides, a yoke slidably mounted within said frame, a shaft rotatably supported in said yoke and extending through said slotted sides, a pulley mounted on said shaft, a screw rotatably secured to the yoke and threaded through the frame, and means for turning said screw.

v2. A tightener for clothes lines 1comprising a frame having slotted sides, a yoke slidably mounted within said frame, iianges formed ,on said yoke and engaging the sides of said frame, a shaft rotatably supported in said yoke and extending through said slotted sides, a pulley mounted on said shaft, a screw rotatably secured to the yoke and threaded through the frame, and means for. turning said screw. Y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. V

CLIFFORD sfoUDMoRE.

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