Patent Abstract:
A clothesline system comprises at least two separate cables that are independently tensionable through separate cable tensioning devices. The tension devices are attached together to provide for common, parallel movement of the separate cables though the cables are separately passed around separate pulleys at the both ends of the system. The two separate cables add strength to the system. The separate cables are preferably wound in left and right windings to prevent unraveling of the braid of the cable. By providing separate cables, assembly of the system is less complex as the two loops of cable are separate.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional application of Applicants&#39; provisional application Ser. No. 60/963,327 filed on 3 Aug. 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a clothesline. Clotheslines are a popular means for drying clothes. In addition to the clothes attaining a fresh outdoors scent, the savings in electricity by not using an electric dryer, can be substantial. Typical clothesline systems provide a support onto which wet clothes are placed to dry. A common clothesline system includes an endless loop cable extending between two pulleys. The cable provides a suitable support on which to hang wet clothes. In order to set clothes onto the cable, clothes are first hung on the clothesline cable and then clothes pins are manually placed onto the clothes. When it is desired to remove the dried clothes from the clothesline cable, the clothes pins must be manually detached and stored. 
     2. Prior Art Statement 
     In order to overcome the cumbersome operation of manually applying and removing clothes pins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,509 issued May 28, 1985 to Rexford Doyle, suggests a means for automatically applying clothes pins onto clothes when the clothes are displaced away from the user and a means for automatically removing the clothes pins from the dry clothes when the clothes are displaced towards the user. The clothesline system includes an endless first cable extending between two pulleys. A pin lay wheel located between the two pulleys features a V-shaped recess acting to receiving a series of clothes pins in a normally closed position located on a second cable. The ends of the second cable are advantageously attached to the first cable such that when the first cable is displaced away from the user, the second cable is advantageously moved in a cooperative manner with the first cable bringing clothes pins secured on the second cable into engagement with the pin lay wheel. The pins are automatically brought into an opened configuration, releasing from the first cable and allowing them to travel over a substantially arcuate path as defined by the periphery of the lay wheel. Continued rotation of the pin lay wheel causes the pins to re-engage upon a section of the first cable on which wet articles of clothing are placed. As a result, the articles of clothing receive the closing clothes pins become detachably secured onto the first cable. Although the above-mentioned system facilitated the securement of clothes onto the clothesline system, it failed to provide means for preventing the first cable from sagging beyond an acceptable range. More specifically, upon placing clothes onto the first cable, the first cable tended to accordingly pull away from the second cable. In some instances, clothes will pull the first cable sufficiently downwards thus displacing the first cable from the second cable beyond a distance where a clothespin can engage the first cable. 
     To overcome the problem associated with U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,509, Doyle, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109, issued Sep. 24, 2002, provides a clothesline lay-down arm with a first cable support configuration maintaining a preferred distance between a first and second cable at the point of engagement of the wet clothes with the second cable such that the clothespins attach the clothes to the second cable. The closeable clothespins are of unitary construction and provide multiple clothes holding positions as a means of successfully engaging articles of clothing placed over the first cable. Even with the preferred distance provided by the lay-down arm cable support, the weight of wet clothes on the first cable can stretch the first cable to the point that some clothespins will become disengaged from the clothes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Though the above patents provide for a workable clothesline, neither device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,509 nor U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109 address the following issues:
         a. Considerable difficulty of installation by a normal person in understanding the cable routing configuration.   b. Unacceptable sag of the cable system when loaded with wet clothes.   c. Uneven stretching of the first and second cables relative to one another other causing the clothes pins to cant unacceptably.   d. Tension in the first cable can cause the first cable to partially unravel and twist. The twisting first cable causes the clothes pins and cable assembly to corkscrew in a spiral manner rendering the clothesline system either unusable or more difficult to use.       

     Thus, there is thus a need in the industry to provide a clothesline system that resolves the aforementioned issues and therefore, one object of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the cables are independently tensionable. 
     A primary goal of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the cables have separate cable tensioning devices wherein the tension devices are attached together to provide for common, parallel movement of the separate cables. 
     A significant feature of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the cables are separately passed around separate pulleys at the remote end of the system. 
     A main purpose of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the separate cables are wound in left and right windings to prevent unraveling of the braid of the cable. 
     A principal aim of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the two cables add strength to the system. 
     A primary aspect of this invention is to provide a clothes line system comprising at least two separate cables wherein the assembly of the system is less complex as the two loops of cable are separate. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a tensioning system that eliminates a Y connector which tended to strip off the vinyl covering from the cable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the clothesline system of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the cable tensioning mechanism of the preferred embodiment showing separate cable tensioning devices joined together for simultaneous translation. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged side plan view of the remote end of the preferred embodiment showing separate pulleys for the separate cables mounted to a common bracket. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the loading end of an alternate embodiment showing a straight section between a primary cable pulley and a pin lay pulley. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as a common clothesline system comprising at least two endless loop cables extending between separate pairs of pulleys wherein the cables have separate tensioning mechanisms, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be used singly or in various combinations thereof to provide a clothesline system operable in an endless loop as can hereinafter be appreciated from a reading of the following description. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the clothesline system of the instant invention is generally depicted with the numeral  10  and comprises a remote end  12 , a loading end  11 , a pair of cables  43 ,  44  separately disposed around remote end  12  and loading end  11 , a tensioning mechanism  45  and a plurality of clothespins  46 . Loading end  11  is substantially identical to the loading end as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109, the entire disclosure thereof incorporated into this invention by this reference thereto though an alternate, reduced height loading end yoke  13  for loading end  11  is shown in  FIG. 4 , to be hereinafter described more fully. Referring to both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , loading end yoke  13  carries a primary cable pulley  14  and a pin lay pulley  15 , primary cable pulley  14  rotatable on an axle  16  disposed through side walls  17 ,  18  of yoke  13  and pin lay pulley  15  disposed on an axle  19  disposed through side walls  17 ,  18  of yoke  13  at a free end  20  of yoke  13  remote from a hanging end  21  of yoke  13 . Hanging end  21  is provided with an arm  22  extending from yoke  13 , arm  22  provided with an aperture  25  disposed vertically therethrough between side walls  17 ,  18  for receiving a mounting hook  23  therein. Mounting hook  23  may be affixed to a stand alone pole  24  or to a side of a building such as a window frame of an apartment building (not shown) as is well known. Referring also to  FIG. 3 , remote end  12  also comprises a yoke  26  carrying a primary cable pulley  27  and a pin cable pulley  28 , primary pulley cable pulley  27  of larger diameter than pin cable pulley  28 . Yoke  26  has side walls  29 ,  30 , an arm  31  on one end  33  of yoke  26  and an arm  32  on an end  35  opposite end  33 , arm  31  provided with an aperture  36  therethrough between side walls  29 ,  30  for receiving a remote mounting hook  34  therethrough, remote mounting hook  34  affixed to another stand alone pole or to a side of a building  24 ′. Primary cable pulley  27  of remote end  12  is rotatable on an axle  37  and pin cable return pulley  28  is separately rotatable on an axle  38  in arm  32 , axles  37 ,  38  journaled in side walls  29 ,  30 . Yoke  26  has at least one slot  39  disposed between side walls  29 , for receiving primary cable pulley  27  and pin cable return pulley  28  therein. Preferably, a separate slot  40  is provided for pin cable return pulley  28  to provide further strength to yoke  26 . Similarly, a slot  41  is provided in yoke  13  for primary cable pulley  14  and a separate slot  42  is provided in free end  20  of yoke  13 , separate slots  41 ,  42  also provided to enhance strength of yoke  13 . 
     While continuing to refer to  FIG. 1 , clothesline system  10  has tensioning mechanism  45 , best shown in  FIG. 2 , to greatly reduce sag in cable  43  when loaded with wetted clothes, to provide for support to cable  43  through tensioning mechanism  45  and to provide for separate tensioning of cables  43 ,  44 . Tension may be added to either, or both, cables  43 ,  44  as desired by the user. Tensioning mechanism  45  comprises a pair of identical tensioning devices  47 ,  48  for separately providing tension to pin carrying cable  43  and primary cable  44 , tensioning devices  47 ,  48  joined together with a fastener  49 , fastener  49  disposed through a connection hole  63  in touching side walls  60  of an oval band  52  of tensioning devices  47 ,  48 . Fastener  49  transfers some load of pin carrying cable  43  to primary cable  44 , though primary cable  44  also carries a primary portion of the load of clothes  50  pinned to clothespins  46  as clothes  50  are directly pinned to primary cable  44  by pinching clothes  50  against primary cable  44  in closeable apertures  51  disposed in clothespins  46  as is described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109. In the instant invention, tensioning devices  47 ,  48  are substantially identical, but disposed in an inverted, mirror image relationship for mating together with fastener  49 , tensioning devices  47 ,  48  each comprising an oval band  52 , a spindle  53 , a ratchet  54 , a turnkey  57  and a cap nut  56 . Turnkey  57  is an unitary unit comprising an axle (not shown), a lock gear  58  and a key  55 , the axle extending from lock gear  58  through a journal bore  61  disposed through a first side wall  59  of oval band  52 , through a bore of spindle  53 , through a journal bore  62  disposed through a second side wall  60  of oval band  52  and is retained in oval band  52  by cap nut  56 . Turnkey  57  is rotatable within journal bores  61 ,  62  and is affixed to spindle  53  with splines, keys, mating polygonal surfaces or any other means known to provide for rotational joinder of a spindle and an axle. Spindle  53  may further be provided with at least one anchor hole  69  therethrough for receiving one end  64 - 67  of cables  43 ,  44  therein to affix cable ends  64 - 67  to spindle  53 . Preferably, spindle  53  has two anchor holes  69 ,  68  disposed therethrough, spindle  53  of tensioning device  47  receiving ends  64 ,  65  of primary cable  44  therein and spindle  53  of tensioning device  48  receiving ends  66 ,  67  of pin carrying cable  43  therein. Oval band  52  also is provided with cable holes  70 ,  71  bored through the bights  72 ,  73  of oval band  52 , cable holes  70 ,  71  adapted to receive ends  64 - 67  of cables  43 ,  44  therethrough for insertion into anchor holes  68 ,  69  in spindle  53 . In order to allow for tensioning of cable  44 , for instance, ends  64 ,  65  of cable  44  are first passed through cable holes  70 ,  71  respectively, of tensioning unit  47 , ends  64 ,  65  are then passed through anchor holes  68 ,  69  respectively, in spindle  53  and key  55  is rotated to wind cable  44  about spindle  53 . Key  55  is rotated sufficiently to overlap ends  64 ,  65  of cable  44  over spindle  53  to retain cable  44  thereupon, key  55  rotated until a required tension is applied to cable  44 . Ratchet  54 , biased into constant engagement with lock gear  58  thus retains the wound tension in cable  44 . In a like manner, ends  66 ,  67  of cable  43  are passed through cable holes  70 ,  71  of tensioning device  48 , positioned in anchor holes  68 ,  69  in spindle  53  and key  55  turned until cable  43  is properly tensioned. Relief of tension from cables  43  or  44  is accomplished by depressing thumb latch  74  though it is advisable to hold and turn key  55  in a tensioning direction while simultaneously depressing thumb latch  74 . It is readily apparent here that cables  43 ,  44  may be tensioned separately thus overcoming a primary deficiency in the prior art devices. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , tensioning devices  47 ,  48  are joined together in at least one place, preferably at hole  63  with fastener  49 . Separate tensioning devices  47 ,  48  thus become unitary tensioning mechanism  45  when joined thus ensuring that cable  43  is translated at the same speed as cable  44 . Therefore, either cable  43  or  44  may be rotated while laying clothes upon cable  43  or upon taking clothes from cable  43 . As cables  43 ,  44  are caused to translate at the same rate because cables  43  and  44  are joined by tensioning mechanism  45 , canting of clothespins  46  is eliminated, frictional markings are eliminated from clothes  50 , tearing of clothing is eliminated and clothespins  46  remain attached to cable  43 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , cables  43 ,  44  preferably travel in parallel paths such that as clothespins  46  are presented to pin lay pulley  15  from either clothesline end  75  or storage end  76 , clothespins  46  enter pin lay pulley  15  in a vertical manner and straight away such that canting or cocking of clothespins  46  is prevented. In order to accomplish the parallel paths of cables  43 ,  44 , cable  44  travels over one pair of pulleys  14 ,  27  while cable  43  traverses a path over separate, smaller pulleys  15 ,  28 . The pitch line diameter of pulleys  14 ,  27  is greater than the pitch line diameter of pulleys  15 ,  28  by twice the distance from a centerline  77  of a line clip  78  of clothespin  46  to a centerline  79  of cloth grip aperture  51  provided in clothespin  46 . Pin lay pulley  15  may also be provided with slots at the interior periphery thereof to accommodate line clip  78  though the difference in effective pitch diameter of pin lay pulley  15  is negligible without the slots at the interior periphery. It is unnecessary to provide slots in the interior periphery of pulley  28  if so provided in pin lay pulley  15 , as clothespins  46  do not rotate through pulley  28  though it is cost efficient to produce pulleys  15  and  28  as identical entities, both for interchangeability at assembly and stocking inventory. Likewise, pulleys  14 ,  27  are manufactured as identical items substantially for the same reasons. 
     Yoke  13  comprises two distinct arms, a lower support arm  80  and an upper support arm  81 . Lower support arm  80  includes three continuous segments substantially as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109, namely a first oblique segment  82  which extends downward from axle  16  carrying pulley  14  connecting with a horizontal intermediate segment  83  extending parallel to and below cable  44  and a final oblique segment  84  that extends upward toward pin lay pulley  15  but terminates below and short of pin lay pulley  15 . As in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,109 a guide  85  is provided at an extreme end  87  of final segment  84  to receive cable  44  and support cable  44  adjacent, and preferably, tangent to pulley  14 . Guide  85  includes mating components fastened together through which cable  44  can slide freely. In effect, lower support arm  80  provides support along a span  86  of cable  44  on which clothes  50  may be freely placed. Upper support arm  81  also includes three continuous segments; a first oblique segment  88  extending upwardly from axle  16  beyond pulley  14  but terminating below cable  44 , a horizontal segment  89  and a final oblique segment  90  extending downwardly from horizontal segment  89  terminating in an axle housing  91  beyond guide  85 . Final segment  90  of upper support arm  81  is a fork  92  that supports pin lay pulley  15 . Fork  92  carries axle housing  91  in its spaced apart members, each with an axle bore disposed therethrough which receive axle  16  to rotatably support pin lay wheel  15 . Thus, upper support arm  81  of this instant invention differs from prior art support arms as upper support arm  81  no longer carries cable  44  in guides to present cable  44  to pin lay wheel  15  as cable  44  is separate from, yet parallel to, cable  43 . Thus, cable  44  is payed off primary cable pulley  14  directly in line with apertures  51  in clothespins  46 . Accordingly a simpler manufacturing process for loading end yoke  13  is provided as well as a simpler assembly of clothesline system  10 . 
     One method of assembly of said clothesline system  10  comprises the steps of inserting primary cable pulley  27  in position between opposed sides  29 ,  30  of remote end yoke  26  at a location of axle  37  and inserting axle  37  through either side  29  or  30 , through primary cable pulley  27  and finally through the opposed side  30  or  29 . Either side  29  or  30  may be adapted to receive axle  37  in a press fit relationship, however, preferably axle  37  receives cap nuts on both opposed ends thereof. Likewise, pin cable pulley  28  is inserted between opposed sides  29 ,  30  with axle  38  disposed through sides  29 ,  30  and pin cable pulley  28  to secure pin cable pulley  28  to remote end yoke  26 . Axle  38  may also be press fit into either of sides  29 ,  30  or receive cap nuts on either or both ends thereof. Loading end yoke  13  is also assembled in a similar manner with primary cable pulley  14  inserted into yoke  13  adjacent hanging end  21  with axle  16  rotatably affixing primary cable pulley  14  to yoke  13  by disposing axle  16  through side wall  17 , primary cable pulley  14  and side wall  18 . As with axles  37 ,  38  in remote end yoke  26 , axle  16  is preferably secured to loading end yoke  13  with cap nuts on the ends thereof, however, axle  16  may also be press fit into at least one side wall  17 ,  18 . Pin opening pulley  15  is assembled to loading end yoke  13  at free end  20  in a similar manner and rotatably secured therein with axle  19  disposed through side walls  17 ,  18 . Pin carrying cable  44  is then preferably trained around pulley  15  of loading end yoke  13  by passing one end  66  or  67  through pin slot  42  and training the selected end  66 ,  67  through slot  40  and around pin cable pulley  28  in remote end yoke  26 . Tensioning device  48  then receives ends  66 ,  67  through cable holes  70 ,  71  in oval band  52 , through anchor holes  68 ,  69  in spindle  53  whereupon key  55  of tensioning device  48  is rotated sufficiently to overlap at least ends  66 ,  67  with a layer of cable  44 . In a similar manner, one end  64 ,  65  of primary cable  43  is trained around primary cable pulley  14  in loading end yoke  13 , carefully inserted into guide  85  in extreme end  87  of oblique segment  84  and trained around primary cable pulley  27  in remote end yoke  26  whereupon ends  64 ,  65  are disposed through cable holes  70 ,  71  in oval band  52  and through anchor holes  68 ,  69  in spindle  53  of tensioning device  47 , key  55  of tensioning device  47  also rotated sufficiently to secure ends  64 ,  65  to tensioning device  47 . Upon assembly of cables  43 ,  44  to loading end yoke  13  and remote end yoke  26 , loading end yoke  13  has aperture  25  preferably secured to a mounting hook  23  on a stand alone pole  24  or the side  24 ′ of a building and remote end yoke  26  likewise has aperture  36  disposed on remote mounting hook  34  on another stand alone pole  24  or a side  24 ′ of an opposed building at a distance from loading end yoke  13 . Once yokes  13 ,  26  are secured to hooks  23 ,  34 , cables  43 ,  44  may be loosened from spindles  53  of tensioning devices  47 ,  48  and pulled through anchor holes  68 ,  69  to provide an initial length to system  10 . Key  55  in each of tensioning devices  47 ,  48  is then rotated to provide an initial tension to cables  43 ,  44  whereupon at least one end  64 - 67  of cables  43 ,  44  is cut and key  55  in tensioning devices  47 ,  48  is rotated until a proper tension is achieved in cables  43 ,  44 . Clothespins  46  may then be spaced along pin cable  43  at spaced distances by clipping line clip  78  to pin cable  43 . 
     Loading end yoke  13  and remote end yoke  26  are preferably molded from thermoplastic materials which may include reinforced thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers or combinations thereof, however, yokes  13 ,  26  may also be manufactured from wood or metals without departing from the scope of this invention. Preferably, yokes  13 ,  26  are of I-beam cross section with reinforcing braces  93  supporting the flanges  94 ,  95  of yokes  26 ,  13  respectively. By providing reinforcing braces  93 , yokes  13 ,  26  are made as strong as possible while reducing the mass thereof. It is, though, fully within the scope of this invention to manufacture yokes  13 ,  26  of solid construction, with smooth side surfaces  96  of side walls  17 ,  18  and smooth side surfaces  97  of side walls  29 ,  30  in order to provide for ease of wiping off surfaces  96 ,  97  prior to loading clothes  50  thereupon. Thus, yokes  13 ,  26  may be tubular, solid with mass reducing holes disposed longitudinally therethrough or of expanded thermoplastic material having internally generated closed cells. 
     Preferably, cables  43 ,  44  are elastomeric coated stranded steel cables, however, it is within the scope of this invention to provide cables  43 ,  44  of hemp, textiles, elastomeric materials, uncoated steel cable or combinations of the above in braided, woven, twisted or straight strands or combinations thereof. Preferably, cables  43 ,  44  are comprised of a plurality of small diameter wound steel cable strands, each cable strand wound in a first hand, such as counterclockwise, and the plurality of strands wound in an opposite hand, ie., clockwise prior to coating cable  43 ,  44  with an elastomeric substance. By winding the strands of cables  43 ,  44  in opposite hand to the final cable structure, stability is provided to cable  43 ,  44  to essentially eliminate twisting of cable  43 , or  44  during operation of clothesline system  10  further allowing straight and vertical entrance of clothespins  46  to pin lay pulley  15 . 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the above described preferred embodiments and alternate embodiments, it should be noted that various other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the drawings appended hereto are merely illustrative of the features of the invention and should not be construed to be the only variants thereof nor limited thereto.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3