Airing and drying frame

An airing and drying frame comprises a vertical mast (1), a plurality of arms (4) for holding a clothesline (22), the arms (4) being pivotally mounted to the mast (1), and a retraction device for retracting the clothesline (22) into the arms (4) when the frame is being closed. During a closing action the clothesline (22) is pulled inward within the arms (4) by means of weights (9) sliding in a sliding channel (20) into a storing compartment (21) within the arms (4).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an airing and drying frame having a vertical mast 
on which a multiple-arm frame is mounted, which are generally known as 
clothes umbrellas. 
These so-called clothes umbrellas, are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,574,961 and Swiss Patent No. 390,863 and are very popular as airing 
and drying devices for clothing and laundry. They allow hanging of a large 
number of pieces of clothing and laundry in a small area. Even large 
articles, such as bed linens and tablecloths present no problems. These 
known clothes umbrellas have the advantage that they can be collapsed or 
folded and can be stored in a very small space when not in use, and that 
the clothesline is fully retracted into the arms of the device, protecting 
the clothesline from getting dirty. The disadvantages of the known designs 
are that the mechanism for retracting the clothesline is very complex, and 
that considerable force is necessary to open and close the arms. 
The object of the present invention is to create an airing and drying frame 
with a device for retracting the clothesline, wherein the device for 
retracting the clothesline only requires insignificant additional 
technical expenditure compared with, for example, a clothes umbrella 
according to Swiss Patent No. 390,863, and wherein it can be opened and 
closed with very little force. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention, a frame for airing and drying articles 
comprises support means; a plurality of arms extending from said support 
means and being pivotable relative to said support means between a folded 
position where said arms are adjacent said support means and an open 
position where said arms extend from said support means; a clothesline 
extending between adjacent arms and on which articles are to be hung; and 
wherein said arms each including retracting means for retracting the 
clothesline into the arms when the frame is folded to said folded position 
where said arms are adjacent said support means. The retracting means 
comprises a plurality of slider members slidable on said arms and which 
are movable relative to each other, end portions of said clothesline being 
attached to respective slider members; and an operating weight member at 
the outermost slider member on each of said arms, said operating weight 
member being slidable along the respective arm solely by the force of 
gravity, responsive to a raising movement of said arm from said open 
position to said folded position, and for acting on the outermost slider 
member to cause said outermost slider member to slide downwardly of said 
arm when said arm is raised toward said folded position, to thereby draw 
the clothesline into the respective arms. 
According to the present invention, a very simple construction, combining 
an arm and a slideable weight, is achieved. The use of lead as a weight 
material for the operating element is particularly advantageous since it 
offers excellent sliding and, therefore, moving properties in its 
interaction with a sliding channel of the arm, and can additionally be 
coated with friction reducing material. Very easy handling and operation 
is the result.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
A mounting member (star) 2 is slideably mounted to a mast 1 in a manner as 
to be slidable along mast 1 in relation to a fixed member 3. The member 2 
is lockable relative to the mast (locking means not shown) when in its 
upper position adjacent the fixed member 3. Swing-out arms 4 are pivotally 
mounted to the mounting member 2 with rope members (segments) 5 suspended 
between them. Swing-out arms 4 are supported relative to the fixed upper 
member 3 by means of pivotable expansion arms 6. The individual ends of 
the rope members 5, in the vicinity of the respective rope corners or 
bends 51, are each connected to a respective slider 7 which is mounted 
inside a sliding channel 20 of the arm 4. A weight 9 is situated in front 
of each outermost slider 8 in each arm 4, or the outermost slider 8 is 
designed as a weight. Preferably, the weight 9 or outermost slide 8 
(weight) is made of lead and is slideably guided in the sliding channel 20 
formed in each arm 4. 
To open the expansion frame 10, which comprises the swing-out arms 4 and 
the expansion arms 6, a pull rope 11 is attached to the fixed member 3 
near the top of the mast 1. As seen in FIG. 1, the pull rope 11 runs from 
the fixed member 3, is mounted around a pulley-type device 12 on the 
mounting member 2, is then run around another pulley-type member 13 on 
fixed member 3 and is again returned to another pulley-type device on the 
mounting member 2, and rope part 14 extends to the user for operating the 
device. 
Each of the swing-out arms 4 comprises an elongated member having a 
generally box-type profile, open on one side, as seen in FIG. 4. 
Longitudinal fins or projections 19 (FIG. 4) extend from the inner side 
walls and divide the inner space of the arms 4 into a sliding channel 20, 
serving as guide for sliders 7 and 8 and slideable weight 9, a clothesline 
compartment 21 for receiving the clothesline 22, and a compartment 23 for 
the segment covers 24. The segment covers 24 are preferably of the same 
length as the rope corner distance 25 (see FIG. 2) between two neighboring 
rope corners 51 and are provided with respective openings 26 (FIG. 4) for 
the clothesline 22 to pass therethrough. 
The clothesline 22 is designed in the shape of individual rope segments 5. 
The rope segments 5, when projected to the ground, form a substantially 
square shape and are provided with clips or clamps 27 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) 
at their end portions 28. With these clips 27, the end portions 28 of the 
individual rope segments 5 are clipped or fixed in the individual receiver 
areas 29 of the sliders 7 and 8. As seen clearly in FIG. 4, the clips or 
clamps 27 cannot pass through the openings 34 in the sliders 7 and 8, 
thereby fixing the end portions 28 of the rope segments 5 to the sliders 
7, 8. 
The sliders 7 and 8 are preferably provided with two glide risers 33, as 
can be seen clearly in FIG. 4 to enhance slideablility in sliding channel 
20. An oblong hole 34 (see FIG. 2) with a broadened inlet opening 35 
facilitates the mounting of the clips 27. 
Referring to FIG. 1, the sequence of movements in operating the airing 
frame is explained. Beginning with the closed position, when pulling on 
the operating part 14 of the pull rope 11, the mounting member 2 will move 
upwardly in the direction of the arrow 15, and the swing-out arms 4 will 
undergo an expansion or swinging out movement as shown by the arrow 16 in 
FIG. 1. Sliders 7 and 8 are pulled into their respective final positions 
17 (see FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 and 3), and the rope segments 5 are pulled taut 
due to the rope 5 passing through the openings 26 of the segment covers 
24. 
When closing the airing frame, the mounting member or star 2, being secured 
or locked in the upper position to the mast 1 with a latch, not shown, is 
unlatched. The closing sequence is initiated by tilting the pivotable arms 
4 upwardly in the direction of the arrow 40 (FIG. 1). In the initial phase 
of the closing process, the path of the mounting member or star 2 on the 
mast 1 is longer than the retraction of the clothesline. Beginning at a 
certain expansion angle 38 (FIG. 1), the inertia of the outermost slider 
8, or the weight 9 respectively, is overcome. It begins sliding inwardly 
toward the mast 1 in the direction of arrow 18. Through the sliding action 
of the weight 9 (or 8), the retraction of the rope segments 5, beginning 
with the outermost rope segment S.sub.1, starts. The outermost slider 8 
begins to move toward the inside (i.e., toward the mast 1) and takes the 
next slider 7 along with it. Retraction of the next rope segment S.sub.2 
starts and cause retraction of the next rope segment S.sub.3, after slider 
7 strikes the next slider. Tilting of the arms 4 is aided by the pull of 
the weights 9 through the clothesline. In the closed position of the 
expansion frame 10, (as shown at the right side of FIG. 1), the sliders 7, 
8 are close to each other; the clothesline 22 and the rope parts 41 of the 
rope segments 5 close to the mast 1, respectively, are taut. 
To achieve substantially equal tension of the rope parts 41 close to the 
mast 1, the sliders 7 and 8 each must have a length 39 (see FIG. 3) equal 
to half the difference in length between two neighboring rope segment 
sections, for example 1/2(S.sub.2 -S.sub.3). 
The distance between the innermost connection point 42 (see FIG. 2) of the 
innermost rope segment S.sub.3 from the mast 1 is equal to half the length 
of the rope segment S.sub.3 plus the length 39 of slider 7. The sliders 7, 
8 are all of the same length when the distances 25 (FIG. 2) between the 
end portions of the individual adjacent rope segments 5 are equal. 
In order to improve sliding of the sliders 7, 8 within the sliding channel 
20, the sliders 7, 8 can be coated with a friction reducing material such 
as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or other appropriate friction reducing 
coatings. Alternatively, or in addition to coating sliders 7, 8, the inner 
sliding surfaces 31 of the sliding channel 20, along which the sliders 7, 
8 slide, may be coated with a friction reducing material such as 
polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or other suitable material. 
While two glide risers 33 are shown in FIG. 4, other surface configurations 
having reduced surface-to-surface contact areas, could be used to enhance 
slideability. 
If desired, all or some of the sliders 7, 8 can be made of a heavy 
material, such as lead, to serve as weights. At least the outermost slider 
or sliders should preferably serve as weights. 
While having described above the principles of the invention in connection 
with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this 
description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the 
scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.