Horizontally oriented clothesline

Abstract

A clothesline comprises first and second spaced-apart end pulleys mounted to respective brackets for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. An endless cord stretched out and trained on the first and second pulleys forms side by side first and second runs. The brackets provide enough clearance about the pulleys for allowing clothes hanging from the endless cord to pass from one side of the pulleys to the other side thereof, thereby allowing to use the first and second runs for hanging some pieces of garment and, thus, double the overall hanging capacity of the clothesline.

1 . An outdoor clothesline comprising a pair of generally horizontally oriented pulleys, an endless cord extending about said pulleys so as to provide a pair of laterally spaced-apart cord segments on which clothes can be hung, and a pair of brackets attachable to available support structures for supporting said pulleys while defining a clearance about each said pulleys to permit the passage of suspended clothes from one side of the pulleys to the other side thereof, thereby allowing to simultaneously use the laterally spaced-apart cord segments for hanging clothes.  
     
     
         2 . A clothesline as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said pulleys are freely mounted for lateral and downward pivotal movements in response to deflections induced in said cord.  
     
     
         3 . A clothesline as defined in  claim 2 , wherein each of said brackets includes an axle portion to which a corresponding one of said pulleys is mounted, and a hook engaging portion extending in a plane perpendicular to said axle portion.  
     
     
         4 . A clothesline as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said hook engaging portion is spaced from said axle portion by an intermediate portion extending in a plane of said hook engaging portion above said pulleys.  
     
     
         5 . A clothesline as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of said bracket is provided in the form of a rod having a first end bent in a loop adapted to be fitted on a hook, the rod having a second end bent at right angles from a plane of said loop to form an axle for the pulleys.  
     
     
         6 . A clothespin in combination with a clothesline as defined in  claim 1 , said clothespin comprising first and second gripping fingers normally biased towards one another to a closed position for holding a piece of garment onto the cord, one of said fingers having a curved outer surface adapted to slide along a corresponding arc of circle defined at a rim of said pulleys in order to maintain the cord in a generally central position on the pulleys.  
     
     
         7 . A clothespin as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said first and second gripping fingers converge to an open end, and wherein a handle portion extends laterally outwardly from a first one of said gripping fingers at said open end.  
     
     
         8 . A clothespin as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said handle cooperate with said first one of said gripping fingers to define a hook for suspending various articles from the cord.  
     
     
         9 . A clothesline system comprising first and second spaced-apart end pulleys mounted to respective brackets for rotation about an upstanding axis, an endless cord stretched out and trained on said first and second pulleys to form side by side left and right runs, wherein said brackets define a clearance about said pulleys for allowing clothes hanging from the endless cord to pass from one side of the pulleys to the other side thereof, whereby said left and right runs can be simultaneously used for hanging some pieces of garment.  
     
     
         10 . A clothesline system as defined in  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of clothespins releasably attachable to said endless cord, each of said clothespins having a pulley engaging surface having a profile which is complementary to a rim surface of the pulleys.  
     
     
         11 . A clothesline system as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said pulley engaging surface is curved for allowing said clothespins to pivot on said rim surface as said clothespins travel thereon about said pulleys, thereby automatically changing the angular orientation of the clothespins in order to maintain said cord substantially at a central portion of said rim surface.  
     
     
         12 . A clothesline system as defined in  claim 10 , wherein each of said clothespins comprises first and second gripping fingers normally biased towards one another to a gripping position, one of said fingers having a curved outer surface adapted to slide along a corresponding arc of circle defined at a rim of said pulleys.  
     
     
         13 . A clothesline system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said first and second gripping fingers converge to an open end, and wherein a handle portion extends laterally outwardly from a first one of said gripping fingers at said open end.  
     
     
         14 . A clothesline system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said handle cooperate with said first one of said gripping fingers to define a hook for suspending various articles from the cord.