US2678795A - Clothesline prop - Google Patents

Description

May 18, 1954 G. n. HOLMES CLOTHESLINE PROP Filed Sept. 7, 1951 BY 4 7%4 W v 9%EYS the blows of the hammering tool, thus to prevent damage to the upper end of the post, and thereby assure long life to the clothes line prop.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the front plate I2 is of T-shape and will be disposed on the post or prop E9 in an upstanding position. The flange 24 projects laterally from the top edge of the head of the T-shaped front plate while the stem of the plate [2 carries the side members or legs it which extend perpendicularly therefrom along each of the side edges of the stem and in the same direction as the flange 24, the outwardly extending leg 18 carried by the free end of each of the side members or legs l6 constituting securing plates.

Rigidly secured to the widened upper portion of the front plate 12 is a series of line-engaging pins, that project outwardly and forwardly from the front plate, and are spaced transversely of said plate. The series of pins includes a pair of outer pins 25, that are inclined upwardly from the front plate, and medially disposed between the outer pins 26 is an inner pin 28, that is inclined downwardly from the front plate, and is disposed, at its inner end, at a plane lower than the plane of the inner ends of the outer pins (see Figures 4 and For the purpose of fixedly connecting the front plate I 2 to the post It), I form the lower portion of the front plate with a plurality of instruck lugs 30, these preferably being triangularly spaced to make the connection of the front plate to the post as rigid as possible.

A back plate 32 is formed to a width somewhat greater than that of the post it, and comprises a single flat piece of metal material coextensive in length with the front plate l2. In this connection, it may be noted that the top edge of the back plate 32 is flush with the top surface of the post it. Therefore, since the top flange 24 of the front plate overlies said top surface of the post, the top flange aifords protection to the back plate 32, so that said back plate is not struck upon its top edge when the post I0 is hammered into the ground surface.

Formed in the back plate 32, intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, and spaced inwardly from the side edges of said back plate are openings 34, that register with the openings 20. Bolts 35 are extended through the registering openings, and receive wing nuts 36, whereby the front and back plates are securely clamped in position against the post. The back plate 32, in this connection, serves the purpose of rigidifying the connection of the front plate l2 to the post, and it is important to note in this regard that the back plate and front plate are readily connected to one another and to the post without the need of special tools or skills.

It should be noted that the back plate 32 is arranged in spaced face-to-face relation with the securing plates 1 3 and the outer edge of the flange 24 when the prop head is assembled on the post it, and the bolts 35 extending through apertures 20 in the securing plates 18 and through the openings 34 in the back plate 32 will draw the front plate l2 and the back plate 32 towards each other as the wing nuts 36 are threaded upon the end of the bolts 35 so as to clampingly engage the prop or post in with the flange 24 overlying one end of the prop, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

In use, the clothes line prop is engaged with a clothes line 38 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. In interengaging the line with the prop, the

line is cast over the outer pins 25 and under the inner pin 28. Since the inner pin is offset from the plane of the outer pins, the line is deformed longitudinally, so as to be tensionably gripped by the pins, in a manner to prevent relative slippage between the line and the prop. Further, since the outer pins are inclined upwardly, while the inner pin is inclined downwardly, any tendency toward disengagement of the clothes line prop from the line is effectively precluded.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A head for a clothes line prop comprising an upstanding front plate of T-shape having a flange projecting laterally from the top edge of the head of said plate, the stem of said plate having a side member extending perpendicularly along each of its side edges and in the same direction as said flange, a securing plate carried by the free end of each of said side members and extending outwardly therefrom, a back plate arranged in spaced face-to-face relation with said securing plates and with the outer edge of said flange, means extending through each of said securing plates and said back plate to draw said front plate and said back plate towards each other to clampingly engage the prop with said flange overlying one end of said prop, and a series of line engaging pins carried by the head of said front plate.

2. A head for a clothes line prop comprising an upstanding front plate of T-shape having a flange projecting laterally from the top edge of the head of said plate, the stem of said plate having a side member extending perpendicularly along each of its side edges and in the same direction as said flange, a securing plate carried by the free end of each of said side members and extending outwardly therefrom, a back plate arranged in spaced face-to-face relation with said securing plates and with the outer edge of said flange, means extending through each of said securing plates and said back plate to draw said front plate and said back plate towards each other to clampingly engage the prop with said flange overlying one end of said prop, and a series of line engaging pins carried by the head of said front plate, said series including a pair of outer pins inclined in one direction and a center pin disposed between said outer pins and inclined in an opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 432,429 McClaughry July 15, 1890 704,073 Mole July 8, 1902 1,875,813 Kaplan et a1 Sept. 6, 1932 1,896,898 Hildebrand Feb. 7, 1933 2,054,551 Verone Sept. 15, 1936

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