US2670855A - Collapsible clothes hanger - Google Patents

Description

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES HANGER Filed July 16, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR CHARLES G.PIERIE $4 BY HIS ATTORNEYS hwdar/ March 2, 1954 C. G. PIERIE COLLAP SIBLE CLOTHES HANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16. 1952 INVE'NTOR CHARLES G.P|ERIE BY HIS ATTORNEYS WWW March 2, 1954 c. G. PIERIE 2,670,855

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES HANGER Filed Jul 16. 1952 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CHARLES G. P ER E BY HIS ATTORNEYS War/75W March 2, 1954 Filed Jul y 16, 1952 c. G. PIERIE 2,670,855

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES HANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CHARLES c. PIERIE BY ms ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1954 PATENT OFFICE 2,670,855 'o'oLLAPsIBLE CLOTHES HANGER rieri Huntington Valley, Pa. Application Jul-y .16, 1952, Serial No. 299,171

'6 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in clothes timers of the ,collapsible type, and more particularl to dr ers of .the stated class wherein parallel clothes lines are stretched horizontally between spaced parallel hangers as distinguished from thcumbrlla-iiype wherein the clothes lines are carried directly ,on arms projecting radially from .a central supporting pole.

Prior art outdoor clothes dryers have been characterized by several undesirable features which the present invention overcomes. For example, one form of dryer having -piu a'llel clothes lines stretched between hangers util zes folding sections f o r each hanger. eliminates the necessity tor a fielding Joint in any of the hangers .dfr .Sllfil otting am; .it :does not require any latching 'io'ckiiie device; and its construction is entirely symmetrical. Nevertheless it is possible .toretain the desirable tea-- tures inherent in using clothes lines that are all parallel to each other iyit which can be readily collapsed and stored. I

Aiprimary object of'tlie present-invention to provide a dryer of the stated crass whereinth hangers for the clothes lines sem aryaintained in extended horizontal position without separate latching mechanism.

A further object is to provide a clothes dryer of the stated class wherein' the hangers are :su-pported by a plurality of arms'prqiecting, when in extended position, radially from a common point vonthe central supporting-pole.

A still further object is to provide readi-1 y releasable means for attaching the clothes lines to the hangers of the dryer;

Still another object is to prov-idea clothes dryer susceptible of economical manufacture and possessed of relatively reat strength and rigidity.

These and other objects .of the invention and the various details of thecons'tructionland-9peration thereof are hereinafter .fiillyls'et forth and described with reference to the accompa yin drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in perspective of .a Collapsible clothes dryer made 'ina c' dande'with .the present invention showing "the same fully extended and set-up for us Fig. 2 is aside elejiiationlsliqwing the relative posi 'ons of the parts o thelclctlies'fdry ir in pa tially collapsed position;

I Fig. 3 is aview similar tdl 'igjz j'showing the structure in fully collapsed position;

Fig. 5.4 isia ira; iiiexitait est-Scorer new taken on the line r rer FIE; I;

The .iiresent' invent on Fig. :5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 taken on {the line I5?5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the supporting member fo'r the clothes line as seen from the left in Fig. .5, iillus tratin the connection between said nremberiafnd its supporting arm;

Fig. .8 is an enlarged elevationalvfiew i lustrating a detail of the dryer'constrllction;

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan taken onthe line'9!..-,9 of Fig. .8';

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line l0.l0.o'f Fig.3;

Fig. 11 is a detached perspective view .of the elements for connecting the supporting arms .to the central pole, with the latter shown in broken lines;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modified form of supporting element -for the clothes line; and,

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on .the line l3l.3 wofffii'g. 12.

Fig. 14 is a "fragmentary perspective view of the clothes line dryer of the present invention illustrating .a modified ,form of the elements for connecting the supporting arms .to the central pole;

15 is a plan view of the constructionshown in Fig. 14 illustrating lthe'means for securing .the supporting links tothe top-of the central pole; Fig. 16 is a sectional plan view of the appara.- tus shown in Fig. 14 illustrating the-construction of the fixed and sliding collars.

Fig. 1'? is .a detached perspective :view illustrating the construction {of the various elements of the present modification;

Big. 18 is a fragmentaryperspective view illuise trating a modified :form of support element {for the clothes line;

Fig. '19 isa tra sverse sectional view of the supporting element taken on line 19-49, gEig. 18; and,

Eig. 2 O is :a'zfragrnentary plan view; of thesupporting elements shown in Fig. 1'8 illustrating the means for securing the elothes line to the sun-t porting aarm.

The present invention comprises essehtiallya pair of paral el hang rs b tween which :a plurality-ofclothes-lines are stretched. [Ilhehangers are loosely held in position by four arms which extend ;radi@lly ;rom.a center postonpole. A swivel connection is :nmvidedbtween theen'ds of the arms and the hangers so that when the arms are pivoted against the center pole, the hangers also swivel into a compact position in line with and adjacent the arms and the pole. In order to accomplish this result, the opposite arms have similar turning action so that the tip of the arm supporting one end of a hanger is raised whereas the tip of the adjacent arm supporting the opposite end of the hanger is lowered. Compact collapsed alignment of the various elements is further enhanced because adjacent arms supporting opposite. hangers pivot in the opposite directions so that diagonal extremities of the hangers are raised and lowered respectively. The connecting linkage for th arms is such that the two opposite arms whose tips pivot downwardly are secured to a fixed elevated bracket or collar near the top of the center pole. The other two opposite arms whose tips pivot upwardly are pivoted to a collar or bracket which slides downwardly on the pole when the arms are to be collapsed. Additional support for the arms is provided through a plurality of links suspended from a point above the fixed collar near the top of the pole. In addition the two arms connected I to the upper fixed bracket are actuated from the slidable bracket through individual struts which coincide with the position of their associated arms when the assembly is extended to an operative clothes supporting position.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred I form of clothes dryer made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated comprising a central vertical pole I, a pair of hangers 2 and 3 respectively, and a framework 4 for supporting the'hangers both in the extended and the collapsed positions. When the dryer is set up for "use (see Fig. 1), the members 2 and 3 assume the spaced apart relationship shown so as to stretch between them a plurality of parallel strands of clothes line 5. In the present embodiment the hangers 2 and 3 are tubular in form and are provided with a series of spaced apertures 6 for the reception of the clothes line, it being noted that the apertures pass through both walls of the tubular member so that the linemay be threaded through the complete series of apertures in a continuous strand as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the present invention, the dryer is constructed so that any weight on the clothe line 5 maintains the dryer in the extended position illustrated in Fig. 1. To this end the supporting framework 4 comprises a plurality of, in the present instance, four, radially extending arms H], II, l2 and i3. The arms I and I2 operate similarly and are pivotally connected at their inner extremities to a fixed collar I4 spaced downwardly from the upper extremity of the pole and are connected at their outer extremities to the hangers 2 and 3 by swivel joints 30. The arms I and IS, on the other hand, are con nected at their outer extremities -to the hangers 2 and 3 by swivel joints 35 and are pivotally secured at their inner extremities to a movable collar |5 which is slidably mounted on the pole for vertical movement.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 9, the arms In and |2 are pivoted to the fixed collar I4 for pivotal movement between the horizontal position of Fig. l and the vertical position of Fig. 1 and the vertical position of Fig. 3. The arm |ll, for example,

is pivoted by a bolt Hi, to a radial ear I! of the fixed collar l4 (see Fig. 9). The arm I0 is tubular in form and is flattened at its inner extremity to provide a face to face contact with the ear I! for said pivotal movement.

The arm I0 is supported in its extended position by a toggle linkage which is operable upon downward displacement of the slidable collar |5 to allow the arm ID to pivot downwardly about the bolt IS. Th toggle comprises an upper link l8 and a lower strut l9 which are pivotally connected at their outer extremities to a collar 20 which is slidably mounted on the arm Ill. The inner extremity of the upper link is pivotally connected to an eye bolt 2| rigidly mounted on a fixed ring 22 at the upper extremity of the pole The inner extremity of the lower strut is pivoted to an inturned radial projection 23 on the vertically slidable collar l5 as by a rivet 24. The projection 23 is formed on the collar, as more fully set forth below, so as to be on a level with the ear when the collar l5 is in its uppermost limit position. Thus, when the arm is in extended horizontal position the strut |9 will assume the spaced parallel relation illustrated in Fig. 4.

The outer extremity of the arm ||l supports the member 2 by means of the swivel joint 30. This joint, in the present instance, comprises an eye bolt 3| which is free to turn in the outer end of the arm l0, and a second eye bolt 32 which is free to turn in the hanger 2. The eyes of the bolts 3| and 32 are interengaged to afiord substantial freedom of movement. Other swivel joints may be employed without departure from the invention.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, it is ap parent that when the collar I5 is displaced downwardly, the strut l0 and the link i8 will pivot about their inner ends at 24 and 2| respectively so as to cause the collar 20 to move downwardly and inwardly on the arm lb. The movement of the collar will displace the arm |0 downwardly about the bolt It. When the collar l5 reaches its lower limit position the arm I0 will be substantially parallel to the center pole l as illustrated in Fig. 3. If necessary a collar 29 may be fixed on the arm I to limit the inward movement of the collar 20 on the arm. The collar will insure against undesired over-center locking of the toggle linkage when in the collapsed position illustrated in Fig. 3.

To raise the arm l8 back to the extended position the collar i5 is displaced upwardly along the pole into engagement with the collar H (the position shown in Fig; 4). The upward movement of the collar l5 will effect the reverse of the operations described above. When the collar I5 is engaged against the collar M the strut I9 is slightly over-center, i. e., the bolt 24 is above the collar 20, so that weight of the structural members bearing down on the collar 29, compressing the strut |9 will tend to maintain the collar |5 in its-upper limit position against the collar l4. Similarly, the weight of the clothes on the outer extremity of the arm I!) will tend to pivot the arm counterclockwise about the bolt [6, further compressing the strut l9 and urging the collar |5 more securely against the collar I4. To collapse the structure, it is necessary to move the collar |5 itself so as to overcome the over-center looking. The present construction, therefore, locks the dryer in extended position without the necessity of separate latching mechanism.

In accordance with the present invention, the structure associated with the arms H and I3 likewise locks the structure in the extended position illustrated in Fig. 1. The arm I for example, is pivotally secured to a radial ear 33 on the movable collar IS'by-a bolt 84. The arm is tubular in orm and is flattened at its inner extremity prov de a face to face con actzat :thenivotal conelec on e outer ex zemi rnrthe .armis pro.- vided with a swivel joint 35 winch constructed and arranged in the present instance similarl to the joint 30 on the arm l0 seealso Fig. 7). .edl-y secured to the arm Ii intermediate its ends, is a collar 36 which pivotall-y mount at 39 the outer extremity of a linkAO which is connected to the upper extremity of the pole I .by an eye bolt 4| set in the fixed ring 22. v

When the arm is in the extended position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, weight exerted on the outer extremity of the arm l.l will tend to pivot the arm counterclockwise about the pivot 39. a

This pivotal motion will cause the inner extremity of the arm H to move .upwardlyaia the pivotalconnectioniis with'the collar 15. The weight on the outer extremity or tip of the arm Ill will therefore urge the collar 15 into secure engagement with the collar M, supplementing 'the'locking action described above in connection with the arm I0. 7 v i To release the arm H from the extended Dosition, the collar I is displaced downwardly pivoting the arm I l clockwise about the pivot points 34, 34. Further downward movement'of the collar l5, pivots the link 40 about an eye bolt 4'! so as to cause the outer extrem tyof 'the'arm II to be elevated. When th collar reaches its lower limit position, the'arm 11 will be approximately parallel to the pole I. .The hanger 2 which spans the outer extremities of the arms I 6 and ii will also be approximately parallel to the pole. To raise the arms .again,.simple upward displacement of the collar l'5'into the over-center engagement with the collar M may be effected to lock the arms in extended position.

As stated above, the arms 12 and f3 function like the arms H) and H respectively, and corresponding structural elements have been designated by identical reference numerals.

Substantial economy in manufacture is afforded by the preferred formation of the collars i4 and i5, as illustrated in Fi s. '9-11 inclusive. The collar I4, for example, comprises opposed elements 5t, 50, each formed with an arcuate body portion 5 I, conforming to the contour of the pole I, and a pair of oppositely diverging radial projections 52 which inconjunction'with the projections of the other element .50. form .the ears l7, I! for pivotally supporting the arms. l0. and I2 as described above. The body portions 5| 'may be provided with suitable apertures 53 for reception of a pin for immobilizing the collar [4 on the pole.

The slidable collar I35, on the other hand, is of a segmental construction consistingof arcuate body portions 55, 55 each of which terminates at opposite ends in the radial ears .33 and 3.312. Arcuate bands '56, 56 are formedv integral with the ears 33a and interconnect the outerextremities of the ears 53a with theaforedescribed. projections 28. With reference to Fig. .11 it is seen that each segment of 'the'collar. I 5 consists of the portions 33, 55, 3342,56, and. 2B all formed as shown. In this manner the collar may be formed to afford accurate sliding engagement with the pole for easy assembly thereon. The construction also affords inherent rigidity and xhibits substantial resistance to functional deterioration, The body portions 5i of the collar Mare reduced in the axial dimension relative to the ears 52 so that the lower portions of thelatter elements dependn wnw lv q loiv il ea t eeatinsrsuri ne of the body'- portionsfiflpfifl' ofithe col lar i131. forming the;ea1-sdnthisananner, it is possible to locate the Divot-points :lifi gin itransverse alignment with the apivots .24 .a'ndz341as clearly illustrated in Figs. 18 and :11. The construction presents an improved .sturdihess and symmetry "in that the arms. project :radially :a common point thelpole. I

, Figs. :14 to :17 inclusive illustrateia dnrther'mod- 'i-fication of the present invention :which considerably decreases the cost of manufacture and permits easier assembling ofthe clothesline dryer. in this embodiment,v the sliding. collar 1'5 which-pivotaliy :mounts the arms EM and 1:3 :comprisesea :pair of similarly .configurated iopposed elements 58, .58, each formed with an arcuate body-portion '59 conforming to the contour of the hole 'I and a :pair of ofi'set ears '50 and a. "The earzfiila has .a body portion 6| formed integrally therewith and extending. at. right angles thereto which terminates in an 'a'ngularly disposed inwardlyextending end. portion 62. The elements 58 are positioned at opposite sides .of the .pole i in the manner illustrated in Fig. 15, with the in ner ends of the arms ,II and I3 idisposed'betw'een adjacent ears (ill and 60a. Bolts 63, :53 are inserted through registering openings in the arms and ear portions to pivotallyrmount-the arms H and 3 to the sliding collar I5. The struts -19, 119 are pivotally secured "to the inwardly extending end portions 62, .62 :of the elements 38, forexam ple, by means of rivets asshown iniFig. I6.

The stationary collar if, inn-manner similar 'to the sliding collar, also comprises apair 0f similarly configurated elements .64, 1-614, which. are secured to the 'pole l and pivot'allymount thearmis -i 0 and I2. Each element flicomprises :an' arcuate body portion 64 and .a .pair :of oifset'ears '65, 65. An opening is provided through the arcuatelbody portion of each of the elements .64 to p'ermitthe elements 64 to be secured to the pole I in opposed relation and the arms, i1) and 1.2 are secured between the ears of the opposite elementstBihGll in the manner illustrated in Figs. .14 and 16'for pivotal movement with respect to the pole l'. The arcuate body portion of each of the'elements 58 and 64 is foreshortenedxin the axial direction as previously described in connectionwith the em bodiment illustrated in Fig. 1'1 .to permit the elements .58 and 6'4 to :nest within each other when the clothes dryer is in its extended position.

The bracket for. supporting theupper'end's of the links [8 .and 40 is illustrated in Figs. l i'and '15 of the drawings and comprises a'lpair' of elements 68, 68 which have a configuration. corresponding to the configuration of the elements '53. The elements 88, t8-are's'ecured to the upper end of the. pole 'i and pivotally'mount the upper ends of the links I 8 and 40 in the-manner shown in Fig. 15. By this constructiomitwill be observed that the cross sectional shapes of the. elements 58, 54 and 68 are similar with the exception that the elements 64. do not have the angula-r'extensions provided on the elements and :68. Thissimilarity between parts makes it possible to-produce all of the, elements 5.8, 64 and fill-from the same-sheet of stock material and many'of thedies may "be used for all three of theseelements thereby iconsiderably decreasing the. cost ofimanufacture.

Considerable deviation from the above-described structural details may beefiectedwithout departure from thepresent invention. ;For exam.-

ple, the clothes line may be secured-to :lo gitui an rs. 3!. ll i i hi te mn ,in'-. ne-. iia the ,h nserslzi nd ascizliustratedin 7 Figs. 12 and 13, the clothesline 'll'ls releasably connected to the hangers 12 so that it may be simply hooked in engagement with the hangers without the necessity of having a free end.

Each hanger 12 comprises a thin sheet metal member bent in the form illustrated. The diverging flanges 13 of the hanger are adapted to receive the clothes line in releasable engagement as set forth below, and thecircular portion 14 is adapted to receive an eye bolt 15 for connection to members (not shown) corresponding to the arms 10 to [3 inclusive. To provide reinforcement for the circular portion at the point of attachment to the bolt I5, a suitable collar 18 is provided, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.

The flanges 1'3 are provided with spaced pairs of apertures 16, the outer edge of which are provided with tangs Tl which project inwardly to engage the line H. The line may be readily secured to the member 12 by simply looping the line over each tang I! in the apertures 16, as shown in Fig. 12. It is noted that the lines are tensioned between pairs of apertures alternatin between the upper and lower flanges of the member 12 so that the member is held under balanced torsional forces. This illustrated structure affords substantial economy in manufacture and simplicity in assembly of the line H to the members 12.

A further modification of the hangers or crossarms which support the clothesline is illustrated in Figs 18, 19 and 20 of the drawings. In this embodiment the hanger, designated generally as 19, comprises a sheet-metal member having a circular body portion 88 and outwardly extending adjacent flanges 8!. The flanges are provided with spaced pairs of circular apertures 82 interconnected by means of a V-shaped slot 83. The width of the slot 83 is slightly less than the diameter of the clothesline adapted to be inserted in the openings 82, as shown in Fig. 18, and in order to insert the clothesline into the apertures 82 the portion of the flange 8| bounded by the vshaped slot 83 must be displaced upwardly with respect to the flange 8|. The hangers 19 are manufactured from a resilient material so that the upwardly displaced portion of the flanges 8| will return to its original position after the clothesline is insertedin the apertures 82 and will thereby securely lock the clothesline in the apertures 82. -Other structural modifications which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to lie within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an outdoor collapsible clothes dryer having a central pole adapted to be mounted in a vertical position, and a pair of elongated rigid unitary clothesline hangers adapted in the setup position of the dryer to be horizontally disposed in spaced apart relation at opposite sides of the central pole and in the collapsed position of the dryer to be vertically disposed closely adjacent and parallel to said post; a supporting structure for said hangers for moving the same between said set-up and collapsed positions of the dryer comprising a first pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to opposite end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to a first fixed point on the pole, a link associated with each of said arms having its inner end pivotally connected to asecond fixed point onthe pole above said first fixed point and its cuter end-pivotally andslidably connected to the arm, a collar slidable vertically on said pole between a lower position and an upper position adjacent said first fixed point on the pole, a strut associated with each arm of said first pair of arms and pivotally and slidably connected at its outer end to the arm and pivotally connected at its irmer end to said vertically slidable collar, said struts being arranged in the upper position of said collar to lie substantially parallel to said arms, a second pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to the other end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collar, and a supporting link for each arm of said second pair having its inner end pivotally connected to said second fixed point on the pole and its outer end pivotally connected to said arm at a fixed point intermediate the ends thereof.

2. In an outdoor collapsible clothes dryer having a central pole adapted to be mounted in a vertical position, and a pair of elongated rigid unitary clothesline hangers adapted in the set-up position of the dryer to be horizontally disposed in spaced apart relation at opposite sides of the central pole and in the collapsed position of the dryer to be vertically disposed closely adjacent and parallel to said post; a supporting structure for said hangers for moving the same between said set-up and collapsed positions of the dryer comprising a first pairof arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to opposite end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to a first fixed point on the pole, a member slidable longitudinally on each arm of said first pair of arms, a link associated with each of said arms having its inner end pivotally connected to a second fixed point on the po;e above said first fixed point and its outer end pivotally connected to said member slidable on the arm, a collar slidable vertically on said pole between a lower position and an upper position adjacent said first fixed point on the pole, a strut associated with each arm of said first pair of arms and pivotally connected at its outer end to said member slidable on the arm and pivotally connected at its inner end to said collar, said struts being arranged in the upper position of said collar to lie substantially parallel to said arms, a second pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to the other end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collar, and a supporting link for each arm of said second pair having its inner end pivotally connected to said second fixed point on the pole and its outer end pivotally connected to said arm at a fixed point intermediate the ends thereof.

3. In an outdoor collapsible clothes dryer having a central pole adapted to be mounted in a vertical position, and a pair of elongated rigid unitary clothesline hangers adapted in the setup position of the dryer to be horizontally disposed in spaced apart relation at opposite sides of the central pole and in the collapsed position of the dryer to be vertically disposed closely adjacent and parallel to said post; a supporting structure for said hangers for moving the same between said set-up and collapsed positions of the dryer comprising a first pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to opposite end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to a first fixed point on the pole, said point being above the horizontal level-deflnedby said hangers in theset-u'pposition of the dryer, so that in said position the arms are each inclined outwardly and downwardly from said fixed point, a member slidable longitudinally on each arm of said first pair of arms, a supporting link associated with each of said arms having its inner end pivotally connected to a second fixed point on the pole above said first fixed point and its outer end pivotally connected to said slidable member, a collar slidable Vertically on said pole between a lower position and an upper position adjacent said first fixed point on the pole, a strut associated with each arm of said first pair of arms and pivotally connected at its outer end to said member slidable on the arm and pivotally connected at its inner end to said collar, said struts being arranged in the upper position of said collar to lie substantially parallel to said arms, a second pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to the other end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collar, and a supporting link for each arm of said second pair having its inner end pivotally connected to said second fixed point on the pole and its outer end pivotally connected to said arm at a fixed point intermediate the ends thereof, the said pivotal connections to said collar when the latter is in its upper positions, being on a level with said first fixed point, so as to position each of said second pair of arms at an inclination corresponding to the inclination of said first pair of arms.

4. A dryer according to claim 3 wherein a second collar is fixed on said pole and is formed at opposite sides with downwardly projecting radial ears which constitute the said first fixed point, and wherein further said aforementioned slidable collar is provided with upwardly projecting ears for said pivotal connections, and is adapted to engage against said second collar so as to put the ears of said second collar and said slidable collar on a common level above the level defined by the hangers in the set-up position of the dryer.

5. A dryer according to claim 3 wherein a second collar is fixed in said pole and formed at its opposite sides with outwardly projecting spaced parallel ears which constitute the said first fixed point, and wherein further said slidable collar is provided with outwardly projecting spaced parallel ears for said pivotal connections corresponding to the configuration of the ears on said second collar, and adapted to nest in said second 10 collar to put said ears on a common level above the level defined by the hangers in the set-up position of the dryer.

6. In an outdoor collapsible clothes dryer having a central pole adapted to be mounted in a vertical position, and a pair of elongated rigid unitary clothesline hangers adapted in the setup position of the dryer to be horizontally disposed in spaced apart relation at opposite sides of the central pole and in the collapsed position of the dryer to be vertically disposed closely adjacent and parallel to said post; a supporting structure for said hangers for moving the same between said set-up and collapsed positions of the dryer comprising a first pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to opposite end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to a first fixed point on the pole, a member slidable longitudinally on each arm of said first pair of arms, stop means to limit the inward sliding movement of each said member, a link associated with each of said arms having its inner end pivotally connected to a second fixed point adjacent the upper extremity of the pole above said first fixed point and its outer end pivotally connected to said member slidable on the arm, a collar slidable vertically on said pole between a lower position and an upper position adjacent said first fixed point on the pole, a strut associated with each arm of said first pair of arms and pivotally connected at its outer end to said member slidable on the arm and pivotally connected at its inner end to said collar, said struts being arranged in the upper position of said collar to lie substantially parallel to said arms, a second pair of arms having a swivel connection at their outer ends to the other end portions of said hangers and pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collar, and a supporting link for each arm of said second pair having its inner end pivotally connected to said second fixed point on the pole and its outer end pivotally connected to said arm at a fixed point intermediate the ends thereof.

CHARLES G. PIERIE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 215,283 Jury May 13, 1879 1,576,629 Culp Mar. 16, 1926 2,459,110 Midouhas Jan. 11, 1949

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