US 4,131,205 AGranted

Clothes-drying rack

AssigneeGeneral Home Products Corporation

InventorAlexander J. Malecki

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Abstract

The novel rack has a first pair of generally inverted U-shaped rigid members so arranged that one member has its legs disposed within and pivotally joined to the corresponding legs of the other near the mid-points thereof. A second pair of generally inverted U-shaped rigid members substantially identical to the first pair and disposed and pivotally joined to one another in a manner substantially identical to the first pair is positioned atop the first pair. The free ends of the legs of the second pair are pivotally connected to the legs of the first pair where the legs of the first pair join the bights. Rigid bracing means are provided which releasably interconnect the two members of said first pair and releasably lock it into non-collapsed condition. Plastic cord means are threaded into the bracing means and the rigid members to allow articles such as drying clothes, to be supported therefrom when the rack is in its non-collapsed condition. In another form, the rack has a single upper, generally inverted-U-shaped rigid member whose legs are connected at or near their respective mid-points to a pair of rigid member and also has a bracing means comprising a single generally horizontal U-shaped member coupled to said single upper rigid member and to said pair of rigid members.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A collapsible rack comprising:

a. a first pair of integral generally inverted U-shaped rigid members made of metal, one of which has its legs disposed inwardly of and pivotally joined to the corresponding legs of the other near the midpoints thereof,
b. a second pair of integral generally inverted-U-shaped rigid members made of metal and being substantially identical to said first pair and disposed and pivotally joined to one another in a manner substantially identical to said first pair, said second pair also having at the free ends of its rigid members pivotal connections to said first pair at points on the legs of said first pair in the regions where they join the bights thereof,
c. means associated with said second pair and releasably connectable therebetween for bracing said rack in non-collapsed condition and also for maintaining said rack in said condition, and
d. elongated flexible cord means associated with selected ones of said first and second pairs and said bracing means for enabling articles to be supported therefrom, each of said cord means associated with one of said pairs comprising a continuous length of cord strung parallel to the bight of the inverted U-shaped member of said pair, and wherein one of said members of each of said first and second pairs has its legs separated from one another by a distance which is smaller than the distance separating the legs of the other member of its pair so as to provide a space between corresponding adjacent ones of said legs which is at least about as large as the diameter of said cord thereby to allow said parts of the lengths of cord to pass in said space between said legs without being appreciably pinched during collapsing or erection of said rack.

1 more element

A collapsible rack comprising

a. a first generally inverted-U-shaped integral rigid member made of metal,
b. a pair of generally straight rigid members made of metal, each being pivotally coupled to a corresponding leg of said first rigid member,
c. a second integral and generally inverted-U-shaped rigid member made of metal pivotally coupled to said straight rigid members and including a portion for releasably connecting it to said first U-shaped member for bracing said rack in its non-collapsed condition,
d. third and fourth integral and generally inverted-U-shaped rigid members made of metal each of whose legs are pivotally coupled to the corresponding legs of the other near the mid-points thereof, said third rigid member being substantially identical to said first rigid member, said third rigid member also being pivotally coupled to said two straight rigid members and said fourth rigid member being pivotally coupled to said first rigid member, and
e. flexible cord means strung parallel to the bights of selected ones of said first, second and third rigid members for enabling articles to be supported therefrom, said cord means comprising a first continuous length of cord strung in apertures in the legs of said first rigid member, a second continuous length of cord strung in apertures in the legs of said second rigid member and a third continuous length of cord strung in apertures in the legs of said third rigid member, said first and second rigid members having their respective adjacent legs separated from one another at their connecting points by spacer means maintaining a space sufficient to permit a part of said first cord strung in said first member to pass between said adjacent legs thereby to permit said rack to be collapsed or erected without appreciable disturbance from said first cord.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.