US3796343A

US3796343A - Laundry separator

Info

Publication number: US3796343A
Application number: US00260918A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Polakoff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-08
Filing date: 1972-06-08
Publication date: 1974-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-03-12

Abstract

A multi-compartment laundry storage device is of drum-like configuration and has rotatable elements which close the sides of the device and which define the compartments. The rotatable elements may be rotated to selectively expose the compartments individually through a door in the top of a stationary peripheral drum. The multiple compartments are defined by divider panels which may be manipulated to adjust the size of each compartment.

Description

United States Patent [191 Polakoff Mar. 12, 1974 LAUNDRY SEPARATOR [76] Inventor: Louis Polakoff, 1850 NE. 186 St.,

North Miami Beach, Fla. 33162 221 Filed: June 8,1972

21 Appl. No.: 260,918

[52] US. Cl. 220/22.3, 312/252 [51] Int. Cl B65d 25/06 [58] Field of Search 220/1 T, 20, 22, 22.1, 220/22.2, 22.3; 211/131; 3l2/97.l, 202, 252, 305

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,602 8/1948 Shelley 312/252 2.214993 9/1940 Dewitt 220/20 2,371,917 3/1945 Rosenberg 211/131 3/l969 Tenpas ..220/22 3/1973 Cypher ..220/22.3

Primary 'ExaminerGeorge E. Lowrance Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks [S 7] ABSTRACT A multi-compartment laundry storage device is of drum-like configuration and has rotatable elements which close the sides of the device and which define the compartments. The rotatable elements may be rotated to selectively expose the compartments individually through a door in the top of a stationary peripheral drum. The multiple compartments are defined by divider panels which may be manipulated to adjust the size of each compartment,

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LAUNDRY SEPARATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The storage device is of drum-like configuration having a circular peripheral drum which is fixed firmly to a stand. The sides of the drum are enclosed by a pair of spaced circular side discs which receive the side edges of the drum within circular grooves formed in the discs. The side discs may also be supported for rotation along the central axis of the device. A plurality of radially extending divider panels are supported between the spaced side discs to define the interior compartments. Means are provided to releasably secure the divider panels to the side discs. This enables the divider panels to be adjusted in their angular relation to the side discs and to each other, and also provides the means for securing the side discs anddivider panels together. A door is provided at the top of the circular drum to provide access to the interior of each of the compartments as they are rotated past the door.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved device for storing laundry and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a storage device of the type described which is adapted to maintain a plurality of articles in separate stored relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the dimensions of the storage compartments may be varied to accommodate different quantities of different goods.

DESCRIPTIONYOF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following detailed description thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the device partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of the device as seen along the line 3-3; and I FIG. 4 is a view of the edge of a divider panel as seen along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, the device includes a supporting frame, indicated generally by the reference character 10. The frame 10, which may be made out of an appropriate material such as metal, includes a lower rectangular base 12 and may also include a pair of upwardly extending supports 14. The device includes a circular drum 16, which is secured firmly to the lower base portion 12 of the frame 10, as by posts 18 or bolts which are fastened to a cross bar 20 in the base 12 and which extend upwardly therefrom. The upper ends of the posts 18 are secured to the lower region of the drum 16. The upper region of the drum I6 is formed to define an access door 22 which may be opened or closed about the hinge 24. Alternatively, a sliding door may be provided at the top of the drum if preferred. The separator also includes a pair of circular side discs 26 which enclose the sides of the drum. The side discs 26 each have a circular slot 28 formed in their inwardly facing surface adjacent the periphery of each of the discs. The slots are arranged to receive slideably the side edges of the drum 16 to enable the discs to rotate in relation to the fixed drum. By way of example, the drum 16 may be formed from sheet material 3/16 of an inch thick and the slots 28 may be one-fourth of an inch deep by one-fourth of an inch wide.

The side discs 26 are secured to each other by means of a plurality of divider panels 30, described below, which are releasably secured to the side discs. When the side discs and the divider panels are secured together they form a unitary rigid structure which is supported and guided by and is rotatable in relation to the fixed drum 16. If desired, the entire structure may be braced further by means of a supporting rod 29 which is secured to the upper ends of the supports 14 and which passes through a central hole formed in each of the side discs 26.

The interior of the drum is divided into a plurality of compartments by a number of the divider panels 30 which are disposed radially within the drum. Each of the panels 30 spans the distance between the side discs 26 and is connected to the side discs 26 so that the discs 26 and panels 30 can rotate in unison as a unitary structure, thus enabling each of the compartments to be rotated in succession past the door 22 for selective access to the compartments. Rotation of the compartments is facilitated by providing one or more holes 32 in at least one of the end walls 26 through which the user may conveniently grasp one of the end walls.

Among the features of the invention is the manner in which the divider panels 30 are mounted to enable the dimensions of each of the compartments to be varied as desired. To this end, one or more of the panels 30 is movably mounted to the side discs 26 by means of lugs 34 secured to the side edges of each movable panel 30. Each of the lugs 34 has a member, such as wing screw 35, which extends through an arcuate slot 36 formed in each of the end walls 26. In the embodiment shown, each movable panel 30 has four such lugs 34 and associated slots 36. The inner ends of the panels 30 are secured and guided by inner lugs 34 received in inner arcuate slots 36 .and outer lugs 34 and corresponding slots 36 which cooperate in proximity to the periphery of the side discs 26. A washer 38 preferably is interposed between each lug 34 and the inner surface of its associated side disc 26. With this arrangement, each movable panel may be positioned angularly within the drum and in relation to its adjacent panels to vary the dimensions of adjacent compartments. They may be secured in the desired position by tightening the screws 35. As discussed above, when the wing screws 35 are tightened, the side discs 26 and divider panels are secured in a rigid unitary manner so that they may be rotated in unison in relation to the fixed drum.

It should be understood that the foregoing description of the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and that other embodiments and modifica- Having thus described the invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A storage device comprising:

a frame;

a cylindrical drum secured to said frame, said drum having open sides;

a pair of circular side discs enclosing said open side of said drum, said discs having circular grooves formed therein at their inwardly facing surfaces, said grooves being dimensioned to rotatably receive the edges of said drum defining said sides thereof, thereby to enable said side discs to be rotated in relation to said drum;

a plurality of divider panels within said drum and connected only to said side discs to rigidify said side discs and divider panels and to enable said rigidified side discs and divider panels to be rotated in unison in relation to said drum, said divider panels separating the interior of said frum into a plural ity of compartments, said divider panels comprising the sole connection between said discs;

means mounting each of said divider panels for limited rotationalmovement individually and about the central axis of said drum to enable the dimensions of said compartments to be varied; 1

means forming an access opening in said dru whereby the compartments disposed interiorally of said device may be rotated successively past said access opening.

2. A storage device comprising:

a frame;

a cylindrical drum secured to said frame, said drum having open sides;

a plurality of divider panels within said drum and connected to said side discs to rigidify said side discs and divider panels and to enable said rigidified side discs and divider panels to be rotated in unison in relation to said drum, said divider panels separating the interior of said drum into a plurality of compartments; I

said divider panels being mounted for limited rotational movement about the central axis of said drum and in relation to said side discs by means comprising:

means for supporting the innermost end of each of said movable divider panels for pivotal movement about the central axis of the said drum;

means forming an arcuate slot in at least one of said end walls radially outwardly of the location where said innermost end of said divider panels are supported for pivotal movement; and

screw means extending through said arcuate slot and being connected to said movable divider panels,

said screw means being adapted to guide the radially outward end of said divider panels in an arcuate path about the central acis of said drum; and

means for tightening said screw means to secure said panels to said side discs.

3. A'device as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

4. A'device as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

means forming at least one finger hole in at least one of said end walls. 5. A device as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

each of said separators: being movably mounted within said device.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising: a frame; a cylindrical drum secured to said frame, said drum having open sides; a pair of circular side discs enclosing said open side of said drum, said discs having circular grooves formed therein at their inwardly facing surfaces, saId grooves being dimensioned to rotatably receive the edges of said drum defining said sides thereof, thereby to enable said side discs to be rotated in relation to said drum; a plurality of divider panels within said drum and connected only to said side discs to rigidify said side discs and divider panels and to enable said rigidified side discs and divider panels to be rotated in unison in relation to said drum, said divider panels separating the interior of said frum into a plurality of compartments, said divider panels comprising the sole connection between said discs; means mounting each of said divider panels for limited rotational movement individually and about the central axis of said drum to enable the dimensions of said compartments to be varied; means forming an access opening in said drum whereby the compartments disposed interiorally of said device may be rotated successively past said access opening.

2. A storage device comprising: a frame; a cylindrical drum secured to said frame, said drum having open sides; a pair of circular side discs enclosing said open side of said drum, said discs having circular grooves formed therein at their inwardly facing surfaces, said grooves being dimensioned to rotatably receive the edges of said drum defining said sides thereof, thereby to enable said side discs to be rotated in relation to said drum; a plurality of divider panels within said drum and connected to said side discs to rigidify said side discs and divider panels and to enable said rigidified side discs and divider panels to be rotated in unison in relation to said drum, said divider panels separating the interior of said drum into a plurality of compartments; said divider panels being mounted for limited rotational movement about the central axis of said drum and in relation to said side discs by means comprising: means for supporting the innermost end of each of said movable divider panels for pivotal movement about the central axis of the said drum; means forming an arcuate slot in at least one of said end walls radially outwardly of the location where said innermost end of said divider panels are supported for pivotal movement; and screw means extending through said arcuate slot and being connected to said movable divider panels, said screw means being adapted to guide the radially outward end of said divider panels in an arcuate path about the central acis of said drum; and means for tightening said screw means to secure said panels to said side discs.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 further comprising: each of said movable divider panels having a pair of radially spaced screw means engageable with each side edge of each of said divider panels; and means forming an arcuate slot in each of said side discs in radially spaced relation on said side discs to receive said screw means and to guide said screw means and movable divider panels in limited annular movement about the central axis of said drum.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 further comprising: means forming at least one finger hole in at least one of said end walls.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 further comprising: each of said separators being movably mounted within said device.