Line retractor

A retractor for storage of a long, flexible line includes a thin, flat, elongated strip spring member of tough, resilient, inelastic resin, preferably an oriented polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, the spring having an arcuate configuration exceeding 180.degree. up to a full 360.degree.. A plurality of small pulleys mounted on the spring member project inwardly thereof at spaced locations with half of the pulleys located on each side of a centerline. The line is anchored to the spring member near one end of the centerline and extends back and forth across the centerline around each pulley to store a substantial length of the line within the spring member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There are numerous applications for a line retractor capable of storing a 
long, flexible line. One example is in a small, portable appliance that 
requires connection to a power source through an external electrical line. 
Another example is a sash cord or other cord of like nature. Other 
examples are a vertically movable light fixture or a telephone receiver 
cord. 
A variety of different devices have been employed for storage and 
retraction of lines of various kinds. For the most part, these devices 
have been undesirably large in size, overly heavy in weight, or unduly 
expensive and complex. Indeed, many prior art devices have exhibited a 
combination of these disadvantages. Another difficulty with many prior art 
devices is excessive frictional drag experienced when the line is pulled 
out of storage in the retractor or is released for retraction back to the 
storage condition. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a principal object of the invention, therefore, to provide a new and 
improved line retractor for storage of a long, flexible line, a retractor 
that is sufficiently compact to store a substantial length of line in a 
small space, that is light in weight, and that has minimum frictional drag 
for extension or retraction of the line. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved line 
retractor for storage and retraction of a long, flexible line that is 
simple and inexpensive, light in weight, and affords an extended 
operational life. 
Accordingly, the invention relates to a line retractor for storage and 
retraction of a long, flexible line, comprising a thin, flat, elongated 
strip spring member of tough, resilient, inelastic resin material having 
an arcuate configuration exceeding 180.degree.. A plurality of pulleys are 
mounted on the spring member and project inwardly thereof at spaced 
locations, with all pulleys aligned in a common plane transverse to the 
spring member and with approximately equal numbers of the pulleys located 
on opposite sides of a centerline through the spring member. Line anchor 
means are provided to anchor a line to the spring member adjacent one end 
of the centerline, the line being extended from the anchor means back and 
forth across the centerline and around each pulley to store a substantial 
length of the line within the arc of the spring member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The line retractor 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 comprises an annular spring 
member 11 formed of a thin, elongated strip of tough, highly resilient but 
inelastic resin; the strip has its ends sealed to each other as indicated 
at 12 to form the complete ring 11. Typically, the resin strip utilized to 
form the resilient spring member 11 may comprise an oriented polyester 
resin such as polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness T in a range 
of about 0.010" to 0.060" and a width W of about one-half inch to one 
inch. Both the thickness T and the width W can be varied to a substantial 
extent, depending upon the retraction force desired for device 10. 
A plurality of small pulleys 14 are mounted on the resilient ring 11 with 
the roller portion of each pulley 14 projecting into the interior of the 
ring. Six pulleys 14 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 but the number of pulleys 
can be increased or decreased depending upon the length of a line or cord 
15 that is to be stored in the retractor 10. With the construction shown 
in FIG. 1, a retractor 10 having a diameter of six inches stores a length 
of line 15 of about thirty inches. Of course, the diameter of the annular 
spring member 11 can be changed for the same purpose. Half of the pulleys 
14 are mounted on one side of a centerline 20 through the annular spring 
member 11 and the remaining half are on the opposite side of the 
centerline. If an odd number of pulleys were used, there would be one more 
pulley on one side of centerline 20 than on the other. All of the pulleys 
are aligned in a common plane 29 transverse to spring member 11, as shown 
in FIG. 3. 
One end of line 15 extends through an inlet aperture in spring member 11 
encompassed by an eyelet 16. In FIG. 1 this end of line 15 is shown 
connected to an appliance 17. Two stop members 18 and 19 are affixed to 
line 15 on the outer and inner sides of eyelet 16 so that line 15 is 
effectively anchored to ring 11 at eyelet 16. 
Line 15 extends from eyelet 16 around each of the pulleys 14, back and 
forth across centerline 20, and out of the spring member 11 through a line 
exit aperture encompassed by a second eyelet 21. An additional stop member 
22 may be affixed to line 15 adjacent the line exit eyelet 21 but outside 
of the annular member 11 to limit the amount of line that may be retracted 
into the interior of the spring. That is, line 15 is free to be pulled 
outwardly of exit eyelet 21 but cannot move further into spring member 11 
than the limit imposed by stop member 22. If line 15 is an electrical 
line, a connection plug 23 on the end of the line may serve double duty as 
a stop, replacing stop member 22. 
When line 15 is pulled outwardly of retractor 10 in the direction indicated 
by arrow A in FIG. 1, the result is as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Most of the 
length of line 15 that has previously been stored within spring member 11 
now extends outwardly beyond the retractor. Thus, in the case of an 
electrical line for an appliance 17, if plug 23 is inserted into an 
electrical power receptacle, retractor 10 automatically retracts any slack 
in the electrical line. If and when plug 23 is removed from the 
receptacle, the resilience of spring member 11 pulls line 15 back into the 
interior of retractor 10, with spring member 11 being restored to the 
circular configuration shown in FIG. 1. 
In the construction illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, each pulley 14 includes a 
roller 24 journalled on a shaft 25, the shaft 25 being mounted between the 
arms of a bracket 26. The arms of the bracket 26 extend outwardly through 
spring member 11 and are secured by an appropriate fastener such as a pin 
27. This mounting arrangement for pulleys 14 should be considered to be 
merely exemplary; any other effective mounting for the pulleys can be 
utilized as desired. 
For members 16 and 21, eyelets formed of a metal, such as brass, are 
preferred. Stop members 18, 19 and 22 may be of any desired type. If line 
15 is a simple, non-electrical cord, knots in the cord itself may serve as 
the stop members. 
Retractor 10 affords a simple and effective storage arrangement for a 
substantial length of line 15 in a minimum space. As previously noted, the 
width W of ring 11, which constitutes one maximum dimension of retractor 
10, may be one-half inch or even somewhat smaller. The diameter of the 
retractor is dependent upon the length of cord to be stored; it is 
preferably made as small as possible to afford maximum storage in a 
minimum space. Using a tough, high quality material of high resilience for 
ring 11 assures a virtually indefinite operational life for the retractor. 
The manufacture of retractor 10 is simple and inexpensive, and weight of 
the retractor is minimal so that it can be added to a portable appliance 
17 or other portable device without incurring a weight handicap. 
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a line retractor device 30 constructed in 
accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. Retractor 30 is 
shown in its full storage condition in FIG. 4 whereas FIG. 5 shows the 
device with most of the stored line pulled out for use. 
Retractor 30 includes a first annular spring member 31 formed from an 
elongated strip of thin, tough, resilient but inelastic resin. A strip of 
an oriented polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate is 
preferred. As before, spring member 31 may have a thickness in a range of 
about 0.010" to 0.060" and a width, in a direction perpendicular to the 
plane of the drawing, of about one-half to one inch. Spring 31 is not 
completely circular, like the spring member 11 in the embodment of FIGS. 
1-3. Instead, it has an arcuate configuration of approximately 
300.degree.. 
A plurality of small pulleys 34 are anchored to the arcuate spring member 
31 with the roller portion of each pulley projecting toward the interior 
of the spring. Half of the pulleys are mounted on each side of a 
centerline 40 for spring member 31. As before, if an odd number of pulleys 
were used, there would be one more pulley on one side of centerline 40 
than on the other. All pulleys 34 are aligned in a common plane, as in the 
previously described embodiment. A line or cord 35 extends into the 
interior of the spring 31 through an eyelet 36. Stop members 38 and 39 
affixed to line 35 on opposite sides of eyelet 36 effectively anchor cord 
35 to spring member 31 at the eyelet. A mounting member 41 is provided to 
mount spring 31 in fixed position on an appropriate base (not shown). 
Line 35 extends around each of the pulleys 34, back and forth across 
centerline 40, and outwardly of the spring member 31 through an exit 
opening encompassed by an eyelet 42. There are no stop members on this 
portion of the line. That is, the cord or line 35 passes unimpeded through 
eyelet 42. 
Retractor 30 further includes a second arcuate spring member 51 that has 
the same construction as member 31. Spring 51 is anchored to the same base 
as spring 31 by an appropriate mounting member 52. A plurality of small 
pulleys 54 are mounted on spring 51 with each pulley having its roller 
extending into the interior of the extended arc formed by the spring. 
Line 35 extends from eyelet 42 on spring 31 through an eyelet 56 mounted in 
spring 51 and into the interior of the second spring member. As in the 
case of eyelet 42, movement of line 35 through eyelet 56 is unimpeded by 
any stop members on the line. Line 35 is then trained around each of the 
pulleys 54, back and forth across centerline 40, and extends outwardly of 
spring 51 through an exit opening encompassed by an eyelet 62. A stop 
member 63 may be affixed to line 35 to limit retraction of the line into 
device 30. 
When line 35 is pulled outwardly of retractor 30 in the direction indicated 
by the arrow A in FIG. 4, spring 51 is first pulled into the stressed 
configuration shown in FIG. 5. As the line is pulled further from 
retractor 30, additional increments of length of the cord are pulled out 
of spring 31, flattening that spring to the configuration shown in FIG. 5. 
Subsequently, if line 35 is released, the resilience of the two spring 
members 31 and 51 pull the line back into storage within the two springs 
in the condition illustrated in FIG. 4. 
Like retractor 10, retractor 30 is simple, light in weight, and inexpensive 
in construction; it stores a substantial length of line 35 in a compact 
space. Operating life is of indefinite duration, and the retraction 
operation is highly reliable. Both retractors minimize internal friction 
drag on the stored line, during either pull out or retraction, due to the 
alignment of the pulleys in each retractor, in a common plane transverse 
to the retractor spring member.