AU777928B2 - A hanger for garments - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications: FERRY ROAD PTY LIMITED Judith Ann Cotterell HODGKINSON OLD McINNES Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 3, 20 Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 A Hanger For Garments PQ8126 filed 13 June 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: IP Australia Documents receiver (C 1 3 JUN 2001 Batch No: The present invention relates to hangers for garments and, in particular, to coat hangers which are suitable for hanging ladies blouses, evening dresses with thin shoulder straps, garments with large neck openings, and other, difficult to hang, garments.

Hitherto, coat hangers have been fabricated either from wood, wire or plastics. Wire coat hangers suffer from a disadvantage that the gauge of the wire is relatively narrow and a delicate garment hung on such a coat hanger quickly adopts a creased appearance along the line of the shoulder. This effectively means that the garment has to be re-ironed or re-pressed after only a short time. Also many ladies blouses include shoulder pads. The material of the pads is easily creased by such narrow coat hangers and the crease quickly becomes a permanent set in the pad and results in an unsightly appearance. Furthermore, wire coat hangers are inherently smooth and slippery. Thus, garments having silk or satin shoulder straps are liable to slip off the wire hangers. This problem also applies to garments with wide neck openings. Many plastic coat hangers suffer from the same problems. In addition, plastic coat hangers even if both wide and rounded in the shoulder supporting portions, are very slippery.

It is common for the shoulder straps of dresses to slide off such hangers. This is a particular problem with travel hangers packs since the hanger is not always vertical.

Wooden coat hangers which take the form of a generally arcuate support made of wood are also not entirely satisfactory. It is known for such wooden coat hangers to be upholstered with padding material covered by a layer of fabric in order that a softer support be obtained. Although such supports are not as slippery as plastic hangers, the fabric still has an insufficient adhesion to most garments to prevent slipping. This is particularly the case for garments made from silk, satin, or similar smooth fabrics, garments with large neck openings, such as boat neck and cowl neck pullovers, evening dresses with "shoestring" shoulder straps, etc. Thus these garments can still fall from such hangers.

oo The object of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger for garments which provides some of the advantages of an upholstered wooden coat hanger but which utilises the adhesive qualities and resilience of wool and, in particular, lambskin.

2 2619A FPO/GD 13/6/2000 In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a hanger for garments comprising a support member having a substantially centrally located hook, wherein the support member is substantially covered with sheepskin with the wool side of the hide outermost.

A method of covering a hanger for garments is also disclosed in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention.

Two embodiments of the present invention will now be described with referencc to the drawing in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the garment hanger of the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is an end view of the garment hanger of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side view of the side view of the garment hanger of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the garment hanger of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the garment hanger of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the garment hanger prior to being covered, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the garment hanger of the second embodiment, Fig. 8 is an end view of the garment hanger of Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a side view of the side view of the garment hanger of Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a plan view of the garment hanger of Fig. 7, Fig. 11 is an inverted plan view of the garment hanger of Fig. 7, i Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the garment hanger prior to be covered.

As seen in Figs. 1-5, the garment hanger 1 or coat hanger of the first embodiment has a hook 2 and a sheepskin covering 3. As indicated in Fig. 6, the sheepskin covering 3 is formed from a generally rectangular strip 4 of hide having the wool 5 facing outwardly. The strip 4 is provided with a plurality of holes 7 which extend along each side edge of the strip 4. There is also a central aperture 8 located in the strip 4.

In order to assemble the coat hanger 1, the hook 2 is passed through the central aperture 8 so as to locate the strip 4 centrally over the upper surface of the arcuate wooden support member 9. Then the ends of the strip 4 are tucked in and the side 3 2619A FPO/GD 13/6/2000 edges of the strip 4 drawn together by means of a cord or thong (not illustrated) which is passed through the holes 7, tightened and tied off. This results in the neat appearance indicated in Figs. 1-5 in which the structural details of the arrangement are hidden from view. Alternatively, press-studs can be positioned at approximately the same locations as the holes 7, instead of the holes 7.

The second embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7 12 is similar to that of the first embodiment (with the same numerical designations being used), save that the strip 4 is provided with opposed, outwardly directed tongues 14 located one at each end of the strip. Prior to engagement of the strip 4 with the slport member 9, 'the side edges 1r -1 11 U U eiges of the strip 4 are sewn together to form a tube which is open at each end.

Then the tube is slid over the support member 9 until the support member 9 is centrally located within the tube. Then the hook 2 is passed through the central aperture 8 and screwed into the support member. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig.

12 the hook 2 can be of any shape and, in particular, can have a longer shank.

After the hook 2 has been installed, the tongues 14 are tucked into the open ends of the tube to close same. This provides a neat appearance as indicated in Figs. 7 11.

Also the effective length of the tube can be adjusted to same extent by the degree to which the tongues 14 are inserted into the open tube ends.

It will be apparent from Figs. 7 11 that because of the depth of pile of the wool 5 on the hide, the stitches used to sew the side edges of the strip 4 together are not visible in the finished article (unless it is inspected at very close quarters).

As a finishing touch, the shank of the hook 2 can be provided with a bow (not illustrated) tied from ribbon formed from fabric.

i In the above described arrangements the wool 5 is outermost and is in contact with the garment (not illustrated) when it is hung on the hanger 1. The pile of the wool provides padding for the garment and thus is vastly improved over a hanger formed from only the hook 2 and support member 9 or a wire or plastic hanger. Further the 4 2619A FPO/GD 13/6/2000 wool 5 grips the fabric of most garments and prevents the garment slipping off the hanger 1.

In addition, the inventor's experiments have indicated that the best results are achieved with lambskin, rather than skin from older sheep and that, in particular, the wool from Merino/Dorset crossbreeds is ideally suited to the function. In the event that it proves necessary to rejuvenate the pile of the wool, this can be accomplished by brushing of the outer surfaces of the strip 4.

The foregoing describes only two embodiments of the prese t invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, if desired adhesive can be placed on the upper surface of the arcuate wooden support member 9 so as to adhere the strip 4 to the support member 9. Also the extension of the present invention to the covering of wire and plastic hangers will be clear to those skilled in the covering the upholstery arts.

Finally, the term "comprises" as used herein in the inclusive sense to mean "having" oooe or "including" and not in the excusive sense of "consisting only of".

.:oo° 2619A FPO/GD 13/6/2000

Claims (7)

1. A hanger for garments comprising a support member having a substantially centrally located hook, wherein the support member is substantially covered with sheep skins with the wool side of the hide outermost.

2. The hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheep skin is from a lamb.

3. The hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the sheep skin is from a Merino/Dorset cross.

4. The hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein the sheep skin comprises a generally rectangular strip with its ends folded inwardly and its side edges drawn together.

The hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein the support member is fabricated from wood and is arcuate in shape.

6. A hanger for garments, said hanger being substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1-6 or Figs.

7-12 of the drawings. Dated this 13th day of June 2001. FERRY ROAD PTY LIMITED BY: HODGKINSON OLD McINNES. Patent Attorney for the Applicant 2619A FPO/GD 13/6/2000