GB2033741A

GB2033741A - Garment hanger rail assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2033741A
Application number: GB7834138A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Aeroquip Ltd
Current assignee: Aeroquip Ltd
Priority date: 1978-08-22
Filing date: 1978-08-22
Publication date: 1980-05-29
Also published as: GB2033741B

Abstract

A garment hanger rail assembly has an elongate tubular bar to which is fixedly attached a locking rail by a plurality of studs, the bar being rotatably supported at each end by an end socket. The bar and rail can be rotated from a first position in which hangers can be placed on the bar, through 180 DEG to a second position, in which hangers are prevented, by the rail, from disengagement caused by jolting. The end sockets may have a pin and a retainer to secure the bar and rail in one position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Garment hanger rail assembly The present invention relates to a rail assembly on which garment hangers can be hooked, and in particular to rail assemblies which are used in ships, road and rail vehicles or aircraft to hold a number of garment hangers while being transported.

According to the present invention, we provide a garment hanger rail assembly comprising an elongate bar on which hangers for holding garments can be hooked, the bar being supported by respective support members at or towards each end thereof, and a locking rail being fixedly spaced from the bar by a plurality of studs, the arrangement being such that the rail and bar are rotatable together relative to the support members between a first position in which hangers can be placed on the bar and a second position in which the rail, in use, secures hangers hooked on the bar against disengagement therefrom.

Preferably the bar is supported by at least one end socket which has an arcuate surface to slidably accommodate the respective end of the bar, in order to permit rotation of the bar.

Moreover, an end socket may have means to secure the rail and bar in the first position and/or in the second position, such securing means being, for example, a pin which extends through aligned apertures in side plates of the end socket and an aperture in the bar to thereby secure the bar in that position.

A garment hanger rail assembly embodying the present invention may be easily manufactured and may be simply operated, while being able to prevent any hangers hooked on the bar from becoming disengaged by jolting or displacing which may be caused, for example, when the assembly is being transported by a vehicle.In order that the invention may more readily be understood, a description is now given, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a rail assembly embodying the present invention in its "load" position; Figure 2 is a side view of the assembly of Fig. 1 in its "transport" position; Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of an end support of the assembly of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a plan view partly in section of an end of bar locked in position in an end support; and Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views of a modification to the rail assembly.

The illustrated rail assembly is a structure with a bar on which garment hangers can be hooked when a locking rail is in one position, the hangers being secured on the bar when the locking rail is a second position, thereby preventing the hangers from being disengaged.

Thus Fig. 1 shows a rail assembly embodying the present invention in which a hollow bar 1 of circular cross-section is supported at each end by end sockets 2 and 3 which are secured to a main support, e.g. the body of a vehicle or aircraft, and a locking rail 4 which lies parallel to bar 1 and is fixably connected thereto by a plurality of studs 5. The rail 4 can be solid or tubular and is preferably square or rectangular in cross-section. Hangers for garments can readily be hooked onto bar 1 while the assembly is in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which rail 4 is situated above bar 1.Once bar 1 and rail 4 are rotated through 180 about a longitudinal axis of bar 1 to a position as shown in Fig. 2, then rail 4 contacts any hangers hooked on bar 1 and prevents them from being unhooked by any jolts or by any sudden movement of the assembly which may occur, for example while the assembly is being transported.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate in greater detail an end socket of the illustrated assembly, which socket has two side plates 6 and 7 of which one plate 6 has on its outer surface a pin retainer 8 to secure a quick release pin 9 which is passed through apertures 10 and 11 of plates 7 and 6, respectively, and a corresponding elongate slot 1 2 in bar 1 to fasten the bar in either the "load" or "transport" position. A recess on the free end of pin 9 engages with plates on retainer 8; pin 9 is released by rotating it about its longitudinal axis which disengages it from the retainer plates, and then withdrawing it from the apertures.A shoe 1 3 in socket 2 and located between plates 6 and 7 has a semi-circular cross-section, and forms a semi-cylindrical surface on which bar 1 can be supported for rotation about its longitudinal axis.

The rail 4 further strengthens the rail assembly as a whole. Thus a rail assembly embodying the present invention can be simply and economically manufactured while being of very sturdy construction; moreover it can be easily and quickly moved from the "load" position to the "transport" position merely by rotating the bar 1 and rail 4 through an angle of 180 in order to contact the rail with the hangers, to lock them on to the bar.

In a modification of the assembly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the garment hangers are retained in a vertical position when the assembly is in the "transport" mode by ensuring that the locking rail is horizontally offset from a central vertical position centrally below the bar. This can be achieved by any suitable means, of which some are shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified bar 1' and rail 4' in a plane which passes through the quick release pin 9, and showing the relative positioning of the rail 4' and a hanger 1 5 located on the bar 1'. Bar 1 has apertures 14' to accommodate pin 9, the width of each aperture 14t being greater than that of pin 9 by amount such that the rail is held by pin 9 inclined at a non-zero angle to the vertical in the "transport" mode. Typicaly a is between 10 and 20 , and preferably between 13 and 1 5". In another form, the width of each aperture 14' is equivalent to that of pin 9, and rail 4' is positioned at an angle of (90" - a) to a central axis passing through the apertures 14'.

In Fig. 7, rail 4" extends perpendicular to a central axis of apertures 14" but off-set from a radial line of bar 1", hanger 1 5 again being kept substantially vertical in the "transport" mode.

Claims

1. A garment hanger rail assembly comprising an elongate bar on which hangers for holding garments can be hooked, the bar being supported by respective support members at or towards each end thereof, and a locking rail being fixedly spaced from the bar by a plurality of studs, the arrangement being such that the rail and bar are rotatable together relative to the support members between a first position in which hangers can be placed on the bar and a second position in which the rail, in use, secures hangers hooked on the bar against disengagement therefrom.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the support members comprises an end socket having an arcuate surface on which an end of the bar can sit.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the support members has means to secure the rail and bar in the first position and/or in the second position.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the securing means comprises a pin for passing through an aligned aperture in an end of the bar and through apertures in side plates of the support members.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein a side plate of the support members includes means to retain the free end of the pin when in the securing position.

6. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arrangement is such that the rail, in the second position, is off-set from a position centrally vertically below the bar such that, in use, the hangers are retained in a vertical position.

7. An assembly according to claim 6, when the rail is inclined at an angle of between 10 and 20 from the vertical in the second position.

8. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the rail is inclined at an angle of between 1 3" and 15 from the vertical in the second position.

9. A garment hanger rail assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

1 0. A garment hanger rail assembly according to claim 9, modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

6 or 7 of the accompanying drawings.