Clothesline tightener

Aug. 12, 1947.

F. L. LADE ET AL

2,425,476

CLOTHESLINE TIGHTENER

Filed April 30, 1945

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Patented Aug. 12, 1947

2,425,476

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,425,476

CLOTHESLINE TIGHTENER

Frederick Leonard Lade and William T. Irwin, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Application April 30,1945, Serial No. 591,214

Claims. (Cl. 211—119.15)

Our invention relates to improvements in clothes line tighteners, the objects of the invention are to provide means combined with a clothes line sheave for tightening the line by spreading its upper and lower runs, thereby decreasing the tendency of clothes hung on the lower run of the line from being blown over the upper run, a condition which makes it difficult for the line to be operated and the clothes brought to the end of the run for easy removal.

The invention contemplates the use of a clothes line sheave and frame having a pair of arms each provided with idler sheaves capable of being spread apart to engage the upper and lower run of the clothes line sheave to spread said line apart, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention shown expanded to tighten the clothes line.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a modification.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral I indicates generally a main sheave which is journalled in a fork or frame 2 on a pin 3, the base of the fork 2 is fitted with a hook or eye 4 for the purpose of attaching the device to a suitable support. The parts thus far described are common to the usual clothes line sheave assembly.

Swingingly mounted upon the pin 3 are pairs of links 6 which extend on opposite sides of the sheave ί and are each connected together at their outer ends with a pin 7 which serves as a pivot for a sheave 8. Pivotally mounted between each pair of links 6 is a nut 10 and both nuts are engaged by a single bolt i I threaded as at 12 with a right hand thread at one end and a left hand thread at the other. The centre portion of the bolt is apertured as at i 4 or is otherwise shaped to facilitate the gripping of the bolt to turn it to spread the sheaves 8 apart.

When the device is fitted to a line, the sheaves 8 will be arranged close together as shown in dotted line in Figure 1, but when slack develops in the clothes line 15 and it is desired to tighten it, it suffices to turn the bolt 11 in appropriate direction to spread the links 6 and the sheaves 8 apart. The sheaves 8 engage the upper and lower run of the clothes line, thus taking up the slack which had developed.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, the sheave I is provided with an encircling band 18 which carries the pivot pin 19 of the sheave and a suspension hook or eye 20 at one end and a threaded rod 21 at the opposite end. Pairs of links 23 are swingingly mounted upon the pivot pin 19 and tightener sheaves 24 are journalled between their outer ends which are adapted to engage the upper and lower runs of the line 1'5. 5 A thumb nut 26 is fitted upon the rod 21 and also a crosshead 27, which latter is slidable thereon. The crosshead is provided with two arms 29 each of which is pivotally connected to the crosshead and one pair of links 23 to spread said links and 10 their idler sheaves 24 apart and tighten the line

15.

When first fitting the tighteners to a clothes line, it will be desirable that the idler sheaves should be so spaced as to allow said idler sheaves 15 to engage the upper and lower runs of the clothes line but without pressure of sufficient magnitude to spread said runs.