Improvements in Clothes-line Prop Heads.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clothes-line Prop Heads.
I, WALTER HENRY BAXTER MILLER, of 159, Queen Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an attachment of metal, which, when
affixed to any suitable wooden pole or rod, converts the same into a clothes-line
prop, not simply with the advantages incidental to the ordinary forked prop, but
with additional ones incidental to this particular invention.
Referring now to the drawings herewith, Figure 1 shows in perspective part of
a prop A with (affixed thereto) one form of metal head as per my invention, and
Figure 2 shows in perspective a modified form of my prop head. That various
other modified forms fall within the scope of my invention will be obvious from
what follows, and therefore I do not delineate them. The metal shown in the
drawings is sheet metal (preferably tinned steel), but, for cheapness, stout
galvanised wire could be used bent into shape. Figure 3 shows in side elevation
part of my attachment, dotted lines showing the position the part called the
mouth assumes, when a clothes-line B is being engaged with the prop, and
Figure 4 shows in side elevation another part of the attachment, dotted lines show-
ing the position assumed when a clothes-line is gripped therein at the part herein
called the "throat."
"
The
The attachment has several distinct features in addition to a part by which
it is to be connected to any pole A. This part is marked 5 in the drawings, and
may either consist of an arm running over the top and down the side, or of any
other obvious arrangement of lugs or connecting means. The first special feature
is a narrow opening or mouth, marked 6, so narrow and so situated that the
clothes-line once in cannot get out accidentally, as by the prop slipping downward
or sideways, the line not escaping when it rises within the attachment.
narrowness prefer is that which requires one or both of the lips to yield slightly
to enable the line to enter or leave mouth 6. The second special feature is that
the top of the space within the attachment (that is to say the highest point to
which the line can rise) shown by the recess 7 (in which the line cannot wedge)
in the drawings, is at a point higher than the mouth 6. Consequently when the
prop is brought low the line will rest in the recess at a higher point than the
mouth, and will not tend to pass out of the latter. The third feature is that my
attachment is provided (below the mouth thereof) with a V shaped portion, or
throat 8 with converging sides adapted to allow the line to become wedged therein,
when by upward movement of the prop the line is raised. This wedging or
gripping of the line is of use by preventing side slip of the prop.
It must be borne in mind that nothing is gained by an extremely tight grip
of the line in the throat 8: in fact too much grip would interfere with the line
being released. Therefore in some cases, when I use an attachment as in Figure 2,
in which there is considerable spring, I employ a loose rivet 10 (or an equivalent,
such as a movable rectangular wire or other collar, 10"), which prevents the line

page_text: being forced low enough to be gripped with extreme force, and also prevents undue
expansion of the throat. The corrugation marked 11 in Figure 2 is merely an
optional detail.
It will be seen that in Figure 2 there is also a projection 12, which, on the line
working upward, will guide the same towards recess 7, and away from the mouth 6;
at the same time the flaring or outward extension of the edge of the lip 9, making
the entrance wide at the beginning, enables the mouth to be easily entered by the
line, whilst when the prop is in the hands of a person moving it intelligently, the
line may be easily disengaged.
When using this invention, as shown in the drawings, the strain of the line,
when in its elevated position, is transmitted to the prop, so that there is no
likelihood of the attachment being fractured, the side next to the pole A (when
not ordinarily contacting with the pole) having sufficient spring in it to contact
with said pole under the pressure of the line in the direction shown by arrow C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A clothes-line prop head, having in combination the mouth, the converging
throat having sufficient spring to grip the line, and an elevated recess substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a clothes-line prop head, the combination of the parts 8, 12, and 7 sub-
stantially as set forth, so that upon the line rising from part 8 it will be guided
(on striking part 12) towards the recess 7 for the purposes indicated.
3. A clothes-line prop head having, in combination, the respective parts herein-
before set forth with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of December 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.