US2626439A - Clothespin - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 27, 1953 J. L. MACK, SR 2,626,439

CLOTHESPIN Filed June 9, 1949 HIN INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN John L. Mack, Sr., Chicago, III.

Application June 9, 1949, Serial N0. 97,993

4 Claims.

'which laundry or other articles may be inserted and held in a clamped position.

A still further object of the presentlnvention is the provision of a clothes pin er like fastener which may be formed into oval, circular or like closed shape and provided with a stationary jaw and a coacting movable jaw, between which laundry or other articles may be inserted and held in a clamped position.

A still further object of the present invention is ehe provision cf a clothes pin made out of a single, continuous and resilient piece of material having a stationary jaw at one end, and a movable jaw ab the opposite end thereof, the latter normally contacting the former along its inner face, between which jaws laundry or other articles may be inserted and held in a clamped position, said movable jaw being capable of being manually depressed away from said stationary jaw preparatory to the insertion of the articles between the I:wo jaws.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable method of forming a clotheg pin of the character hereinabove indicated by molding the same out of plastic or like material.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a method of molding a cloohes p1n cf the character hereinabove indicated Which methocl may broadly include molding a clothes pin into such a shape as 120 cause ehe movable jaw to remain outwardly of the stationary jaw and before the mold has completely seo, to bring said movable jaw to the opposite side of the stationary jaw. to thereby increase the resiliency of said movable jaw.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construcoion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustratecl in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of th1s appl1cation and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a s1de elevation of the clothes pin embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clothes pin in its form immediately after the same has left a mold, When the pin is made of plastic or similar material; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the pin, illustratlng a step in the method of moving the movable jaw past the stationary jaw in order that I;he

.former may bear against the latter from the epposite or inner face thereof.

Referring to the present drawing in detail there is shown'a pin which includes a stem II) having a lower bifurcated end to provide a pair of spacecl bars II. The free end of each of said bars II terminates in an arcuate stationary jaw I2 which is directed outwardly from and upward- 1y toward the median line coincidental with said stem I0. As is seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer free, lower end of each jaw I4 has at its outer Wards its respective bar II, and there,on its inner face is provided with a pair of spaced, substantially parallel extensions I3, which are in a transverse relation with the plane of Izhe pm.

Projecting frorn the upper end of stem I0 is a. pair of curved movable jaws I4 extending laterally and downwardly in opposite directions from the median line coincidental with stem II). The

free. 10Wer end cf each jaw I4 has at its outer face an integrally formed ridge I5, which, in the operative position of the two jaws, enters into the depression defined by extensions I3, as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

When laundry or any other object is inserted between stationary jaw I2 anal movable jaw I4, the extensions I3 ancl the ridge I5 provicle means for preventing the object held by I:he jaws from slipping therefrom.

The movable jaw I4 is manually depressed and moved toward bar II, as indicated by the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, in a spaced relation with respect Ishe stationary jaw I2 to facilitate Ishe insertion of the objects to be held. between the two jaws. pressure upon jaw I4 will cause the same to spring back into its normal operative position in contact with stationary jaw I2, as shown by the full lines in Fig. l.

AI; a point opposite stem III, each jaw I4 may be provided With an inwardly directed elbow I6, which tends to limit the fiexing of the jaw, that is will permit flexing thereof from elbow I6 downwardly, as is indicated by the dotted lines Discontinuation of the manual in Fig. l, thereby preventing cracking of the jaw above elbow I 6.

Stern II], bar II, jaw I2 and the base of jaw I4, all on their inner faces are provided with reduced, strengthening rib I1. The outer face of jaw I 2 is providecl With a similar rib I 8. Thus, ribs I'I and I8 impart a sufficient degree of rigidity to prevent any flexing movement of the jaw I2. The outer face of each movable jaw I4 has a similar, reduced, strengthening rib I9 which, however, terminates adjacent ehe free end of the shiftable jaw I4 to provide clearance for insertion of the objects between jaws I2 and I4.

Said last named rib I9 fills the crotch defined by stem I and the branching bases of the movable jaws I 4, and a portion thereof adjacent said crotch is formed into an eye 20 to form means for suspending the clothes pin from a hook, nail o1 the like.

The spaced bars I I define a slot 2I into which clothes line 01 the like may be inserted and frictionally engagecl therebetween, and constitutes an additional alternate means for suspending 01 supporting the present clothes pin.

It Will be observed that the inherent, flexing nature cf the material out of which the pin has been formed, such as plastic, Will tend 170 cause the movable jaw I4 to flex normally away from stem II! and bar II toward the free end cf stationary jaw I2. It has been found however that when plastic material is used for making the pin, such material in time loses its fiexibility and resiliency, perhaps due to frequent manual depressing of jaw I4 and its constant movement toward to 01' away from said stationary'jaw I2, With the result that in time said movable jaw I4 will assume a permanent position spaced away from stationary jaw I2, thereby rendering the pin inefficient due to the inability of the two jaws to clamp firmly the object placed therebetween.

T0 obviate the above undesirable result, the present method has been devised and includes molding the clothes pin in the shape illustrated in Fig. 2 and not in the shape in which the parts thereof assume their ultimate position, illustrated in Fig. l. The method contemplates molding the clothes pin so that the movable jaws I4 are disposed outwardly of stationary jaws I2 and to some extent in a spaced relation with the latter,

as is seen in Fig. 2. Just how much space there should be between jaws I2 and I4 depends upon the type of plastic employed, the degree of ultimate flexibility desired to be imparted to the movable jaws I4, and the degree of the contactual clamping action of the latter upon stationary jaws I2.

When the clothes pin has been formed into the shape shown in Fig. 2, and before the plastic material employed. has completely set, the next step in the method is 130 shift each of said movable jaws I4 in a lateral direction from the plane of the pin, position shown in Fig. 3, 130 bring the lower ends of jaws I4 out of the path of the upper ends of stationary jaws I2. Next, said jaws I4 are pressed in the direction toward stem I0 and bars I I, until the lower ends of said jaws I4 are past the upper encls of jaws I 2. Thereupon said jaws I4 are moved laterally into the opposite direction until they are within the plane of the pin. 'Ihis will automatically bring the 1ower ends of jaws I4 in contact with the inner faces of stationary jaws I2, with the ridges I5 interposed between the extensions I3, as seen in Fig. 1. The pin is then permitted to completely 4 set, and thereafter, the jaws I4 Will permanently retain fiexibility and resiliency, obviating the objection hereinabove mentioned.

From the hereinabove description it will be readily seen that each side of the clothes pin in effect constitutes a single continuous strip of curvilinear substantially C-shaped formation, having separated overlapping ends, which coact to define a stationary jaw and a movable jaw. Optionally the pin may be made just in that shape or clouble, as is shown in the drawing.

While there is described herein preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

l. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end, each arm of said end having an arcuately shaped terminal section resicling in a common plane and extencling away from each other, and an elongated resilient; member extending laterally from each sicle 0f said stem adjacent the other end thereof and disposed in said plane, said members extending from said stem in a direction towarcl said arcuately shapecl sections, and the free ends of said members being movable toward and away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminal sections to cooperate therewith form two jaws of a clamp.

2. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcatecl end, each arm of said end having an arcuately shaped terminal section resicling in a common plane and extending away fr0m each other, an elongated resilient member extending laterally from each side of such stem adjacent the other end thereof, said members being disposed in said plane, said members extending from said stem in a direction toward said arcuately shaped sections, the free ends of said members being movable toward and away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminal sections cooperate therewith 130 form two jaws of a clamp, a laterally extending elongated strengthening rib integrally formed on opposite sides of said stem, on one side of each arm, and a portion of each of said arcuately shaped terminal sections on one side thereof, and a laterally extending elongated strengthening rib integrally formed With each of said resilient members, said last-named ribs projecting away from said firstnamed ribs, and all of said ribs beim; disposed in said plane.

3. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end, each arm 0f said end having an arcuately shaped terminal section residing in a common plane and extending away from each other, an elongaterl resilient member extending laterally from each side of said stem adjacent the other end thereof and disposed in said plane, said members extending from said stem in a direction toward said arcuately shapecl sections, the free ends of said members being movable towetrd and away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminal s6ctions 110 cooperate therewith to form two jaws of a clamp, and said othr end of said stem having an enlarged portion projecting away from said arms, said enlarged portion having an aperture extending transversely thereof 130 receive a clothes line therethrough.

4. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end, each arm of said bifurcated end being spaced apart to form an elengated s1ot therebetween adapted to receive a. clothes line therein, each arm of said end having an arcuately shaped terminal section residing in a common plane and extending away from each other, an elongated resilient member extending laterally from each side of said stem adjacent the other end thereof and. disposed in said plane, said members extending from said stem in a direction toward said arcuately shaped sections, and the free ends of said members being movable toward and away fr0m their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminal sections to cooperate therewith to form two jaws 01 a clamp.

JOHN L. MACK SR.

REFERENCES CITED '1he followlng references are cf record in the fi1e 01 this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Burke Dec. 2'7, 1910 Stajanovitz Dec. 9, 1919 White Dec. 19, 1922 Robb June 15, 1926 Reeves June 22, 1926 Russell Dec. 16, 1930 Wel1s Jan. 19 1932 Marinsky et a1 May 30, 1939 Davis Max. 11, 1941 van der Clute Feb. 2 1943 Read Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Nov. 20, 1900 Great Britain of 1902 Switzerland of 1911

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