GB1585677A - Garment carrier for hanging garments - Google Patents

Description

(54) A GARMENT CARRIER FOR HANGING GARMENTS (71) We, PATMAR (SHIPPING AND FORWARDING) LIMITED, a British Company, of The Bus Garage, Church Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 1 QS, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a garment carrier for use in transporting hanging garments.

It is an object of the invention to provide a garment carrier which facilitates the handling of a group of garments as a single unit in cargo handling operations.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a garment carrier for use in transporting hanging garments, which carrier comprises a frame supporting at least one rail for receiving hanging garments in a hanging space within the flame, the frame having an upper frame portion defining apertures for receiving the tines of a forklift mechanism such as a forklift truck.

Preferably, the frame of the carrier is provided with wheels to facilitate further the handling of the carrier.

Advantageously, the frame of the carrier is collapsible so that it occupies minimum cargo space during an empty return journey.

In an embodiment of the invention, the upper frame portion comprises a substantially rectangular head subframe which extends perpendicularly with respect to, and is detachably connected to, two substantially rectangular end subframes. Conveniently, the head subframe comprises apertured corner pieces each for receiving an end portion of a respective longitudinal frame member of an end subframe, locking means being provided for detachably securing the corner piece and the inserted end portion of the frame member togetter.

Desirably, the carrier has a plurality of rails at different levels in the frame for receiving garments of different lengths.

At least one rail is preferably detachably mounted on the frame and each rail may have extending therealong a helical abutment, such as a helical wire received on the rail, to locate garment hangers hung on the rail.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a garment carrier embodying,the invention Figure 2 is an end elevation of the garment carrier of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the garment carrier of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front elevation of a rail supporting bracket of the Figure 1 garment carrier; Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, showing an end portion of a garment rail supported by the bracket of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side elevation of another embodiment of garment carrier according to the invention Figure 7 is a partly sectioned end elevation of the garment carrier of Figure 6, showing a head subframe of the carrier disconnected from two end subframes;; Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7; Figure 9 shows the details of a locking arrangement for locking the head and end subframes together; and Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view, showing an end portion of a detachable garment rail of the garment carrier of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a garment carrier for use in the transportation of hanging garments has a welded tubular metal frame comprising a horizontal, rectangular head subframe 1 detachably connected to each of two vertical rectangular end subframes 2 and 3.

The head subframe 1 comprises two horizontally spaced, parallel longitudinal side structures 4 and 5, each comprising a pair of vertically spaced, parallel tubes 6 and 7 of rectangular cross-section. The tubes 6 and 7 are interconnected at their ends by vertical corner tubes 8 of rectangular cross-section and between their ends by a plurality of equally spaced apart cylindrical spacers 9 so as to define apertures 10 adapted to receive the tines of a forklift mechanism such as a forklift truck. The longitudinal side structures 4 and 5 are interconnected at their ends by horizontal transverse tubes 11 and 12 of rectangular cross-section. A central horizontal longitudinal tube 13 of rectangular cross-section extends between the transverse tubes 11 and 12, to which it is attached via cylindrical spacers 14.A central transverse tube 13A of rectangular cross-section interconnects tubes 7.

Each end sub frame 2 or 3 of the flame comprises a pair of horizontally spaced vertical longitudinal tubes 15 and 16 of rectangular cross-section. Each vertical tube 15 or 16 carries at its bottom end a wheel 17 which may be in the form of a castor. The vertical tubes 15 and 16 are interconnected near their top and bottom ends by horizontal transverse cylindrical tubes 18 and 19 respectively, and near their mid-points by a central horizontal transverse cylindrical tube 20. The subframe 2 or 3 may have one or more diagonal struts, such as 21.

The corner tubes 8 of the head subframe 1 are of larger internal cross-section than the vertical tubes 15 and 16 of the end subframes 2 and 3, so that an upper free end portion 22 of each tube 15 or 16 is receivable in a respective corner tube 8 to assemble the subframes together. The subframes are secured together in the assembled condition by locking pins (not shown) each of which passes through aligned holes in a corner tube 8 and the inserted upper end portion 22 of tube 15 or 16. To avoid losses, each pin may be carried on a chain secured to one of the subframes.

The frame of the carrier is provided with detachably mounted garment rails 23 at different levels in the frame for receiving garments of different lengths. Thus, the transverse tubes 11 and 12 of the head subframe 1 each carry two brackets 24 for supporting respective ends of two upper garment rails 23 for long garments, and the tubes 20 of the end subframes 2 and 3 each carry two brackets 24 for supporting respective ends of two lower garment rails 23 for short garments.

Figures 4 and 5 show the construction of the brackets 24 and garment rails 23. Each bracket 24 is constructed of a length of metal rod bent to form a vertical U-shaped holder portion 25 from which extend parallel-horizontal arms 26 which are fixed at their free ends to the respective tube 11, 12 or 20.

Each rail 23 is a cylindrical tube which rests in the U-shaped holder portion 25 of the bracket 24 and has a square end plate 27 attached thereto to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the rail from the bracket. A helical spring 28 is captively received on the rail between the end plates 27 and serves to locate the hooks of garment hangers hung on the rail.

Figures 6 to 10 of the drawings illustrate another embodiment of garment carrier according to the invention, which carrier has a welded tubular metal frame comprising a horizontal, rectangular head subframe 31 whose plan view (not shown) corresponds substantially to Figure 3. This head subframe 31 is detachably connected to each of two vertical rectangular end subframes 32 and 33.

The head subframe 31 comprises two horizontally spaced, parallel longitudinal side structures 34 and 35, each comprising a pair of vertically spaced parallel tubes 36 and 37 of rectangular cross-section. The tubes 36 and 37 are interconnected at their ends by vertical corner tubes 38 of rectangular crosssection and between their ends by a plurality of unequally spaced apart cylindrical spacers 39 so as to define apertures 40 adopted to receive the tines of a forklift mechanism such as a forklift truck. The longitudinal side structures 34 and 35 are interconnected at their ends by horizontal transverse tubes 41 and 42 of rectangular cross-section. A central horizontal longitudinal tube 43 of rectangular cross-section extends between the transverse tubes 41 and 42, to which it is attached via cylindrical spacers 44.

Each end subframe 42 or 43 comprises a pair of horizontally spaced vertical tubes 45 and 46 of rectangular cross-section. Each vertical tube 45 or 46 carries at its bottom end a wheel 47 which may be in the form of a castor. The vertical tubes 45 and 46 are interconnected by three vertically spaced horizontal tubes 48, 49 and 50 of rectangular cross-section. The cross-sectional part of Figure 7 shows the way in which the ends of the horizontal tubes are located on the vertical tubes 45 and 46 by cutting away an end portion of the lower horizontal wall 51 of the horizontal tube, engaging the end of the tube over a rectangular cross-section boss 52 projecting from the vertical tube and then securing the horizontal tube and boss 52 together by, for example, welding.A series of spaced apart bosses 52 are provided on the vertical tubes 46 and 47 to enable various numbers and spacings of horizontal tubes to be employed in different applications of the carrier.

The corner tubes 38 of the head subframe 1 are of larger internal cross-section than the vertical tubes 45 and 46 of the end subframes 42 and 43 so that an upper free end portion 53 of each tube 45 or 46 is receivable in a respective corner tube 38 to assemble the sub frames together. The subframes are secured together in the assembled condition by locking arrangements 54. Referring to Figure 9, each locking arrangement comprises a circular cross-section sleeve 55 attached to the bottom wall of transverse tube 41 or 42 of the head subframe adjacent to a respective corner tube 38, the sleeve extending parallel to the tube 41 or 42. The sleeve 55 has a longitudinal slot 56 extending from one end thereof and accommodates a circular cross-section bolt 57 having a tail por