GB2177902A

GB2177902A - Set hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2177902A
Application number: GB08515909A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Evans; Ian Wayper
Original assignee: Tibbett and Britten Group Ltd
Current assignee: Tibbett and Britten Group Ltd
Priority date: 1985-06-24
Filing date: 1985-06-24
Publication date: 1987-02-04
Also published as: GB2177902B; GB8515909D0

Abstract

A set hanger for use in transporting hanging garments, comprising a hanger hook support member 1 over which garment bearing hangers may be hooked in use, a security member 4 having a security position in which it overlies the hook support member so as to prevent removal therefrom of any hanger present in use and a locking device 6, 7, 8 comprising mutually engageable portions of the security member 7 and the hook support member 6 and a frangible or scissible seal (9, Fig. 4) for preventing disengagement of said engageable portions, wherein the security device may be opened only upon breaking or cutting of the seal but may be reclosed and resealed with a replacement seal in future use. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Set hanger The present invention relates to a set hanger for use in transporting hanging garments. When transporting garments on hangers by vehicle, it is current practice to hang groups of hangers on carriers known as "set hangers". Currently, these comprise a rail on which to hang the hooks of the garment hangers and a pair of carrying handles attached to the rail. A pair of hook members are provided for hanging the set hanger itself on supports in a carrying vehicle. The rail of the set hanger is of a standard length so that the number of set hangers employed provides a ready measure of the amount of vehicle space taken up for use as a basis for charging a customer. The set hanger also provides a convenient handleable unit for loading and unloading garments to and from a vehicle.

Set hangers have been employed in which the garment hangers are trapped on the rail of the set hanger by a security closure which is provided with a security seal. Opening the closure involves breaking the seal which, due to the design of the set hanger cannot be reclosed. Such set hangers can therefore only be used for a single trip and are disposable.

Set hangers of this type may be used for international transport of garments but would not be cost effective in inland transportation where it is necessary that the set hangers be used several times before they are discarded if excessive expense is to be avoided.

It is however highly desirable that a set hanger and the garments thereon can be sealed in such a way that the consignee can be sure that all of the garments dispatched on the set hanger have been received without actually counting all of the garments.

The present invention provides a set hanger for use in transporting hanging garments, comprising a hanger hook support member over wich garment bearing hangers may be hooked in use, a security member having a security position in which it overlies the hook support member so as to prevent removal therefrom of any hanger present in use and a locking device comprising mutually engageable portions of the security member and the hook support member and a frangible or scissible seal for preventing diseng agement of said engageable portions, wherein the security device may be opened only upon breaking or cutting of the seal but may be reclosed and resealed with a replacement seal in future use.

Preferably, the hook support member comprises a generally hemi-cylindrical support surface portion by which the set hanger may be hooked over a support rail in a carrying vehicle in use and the security member comprises a generally hemicylindrical surface which in the secured position overlies the support surface portion of the hook support member.

Preferably the security member and the hook support member are each generally U-section elongate members, the hook support member interfitting with the security member.

Preferably there is a longitudinally running hinge connecting the security member and the hook support member along edges thereof. Preferably, these two members are integral and are for instance moulded integrally from plastics material. The "hinge" may then be a relatively thin or corrugated part of the moulding which is flexible enabling the two portions to move relative to one another sufficient to enable hooks of hangers to be placed on the hook support member and the security member to be brought down into the security position to trap the hooks.

Preferably, the seal comprises a head portion having a projection provided with a formation such as an arrow-head formation for passing through an aperture formed in one or both of the security member and the hook support member to locate the seal but such as to resist removal of the seal.

In order to remove such a seal, the projection may be cut or snapped.

Suitably, the security member comprises an aperture, the hook support member comprises an aperture which is aligned with the aperture of the security member when the latter is in the security position and the seal, as described above, comprises a head and a projection carried by the head adapted to pass through both apertures and not to be removable therefrom without destruction of the seal.

More preferably, the security member comprises an aperture and the hook support member comprises a projection adapted to pass through the aperture when the security member is in the security position, which projection is adapted to be engaged by such a seal, the seal being such as to prevent removal of the projection from the aperture of the security member when the seal is in place. For instance, the projection of such a seal may be passed to locate the seal in such a way that it cannot be removed without being destroyed.

Preferably the set hanger is provided with at least one handle member, suitably a pair of handle members.

Preferably, the set hanger is itself adapted to be hung on a rail. Suitably, this ability is conferred by the shaping of the hook support member as a Usection elongate member with the opening of the U opening downwards in the normal use position.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa top plan view of a set hanger according to the invention in the open position; Figure 2 is a section on the line SB on Figure 1 in an open position; Figure 3 is a section on the line A-A of the hanger in Figure 1 in the closed or security position; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a seal for the hanger of Figures 1-3.

As shown in Figure 1, a set hanger according to the invention comprises a garment hanger hook support member 1 which as seen in Figure 2 is an elongate member of generally U-shape cross section which in its use orientation is positioned with the opening of the U facing downwardly.

Strengthening ribs 2 are provided running circumferentially of the support member at axially spaced locations. Hinged to the support member 1 along a longitudinally running hinge 3 is a security member 4. As seen in Figure 2, security member 4 is also of generally U-section and is of an equal length to the hanger support member 1. In the position shown in Figure 2, the two members form a generally S-section unit. They are integrally joined along the hinge 3 by respective edges and the hinge 3 is formed simply of a thinner portion of the material from which the support member 1 and the security member 4 are both integrally formed. The body of the set hanger may be integrally moulded from a suitable plastics material such as high density polyethelene.

At either end, the hook support member 1 carries a carrying handle 5. As seen in Figure 3, the support member 1 comprises an upwardly directed projection 6. The security member 4 has a correspondingly shaped and sized aperture 7. Upon folding of the security member 4 by the hinge 3 to lie over the top of the hook support member 1,the aperture 7 is brought over the projection 6. A small aperture 8 is provided in the top of the projection 6.

Both the projection 6 and the small aperture 8 are of rectangular shape viewed as in Figure 1 with the longer side of the rectangle running circumferentially of the support member 1 and the shorter side running axially.

A seal 9 illustrated in Figure 4 comprises a head 10 in the form of a flat plate larger than the aperture 7 bearing a shaft 11 projecting from the centre of a longer edge of the head 10 and carrying an arrow head formation 12. The seal is formed of flexible plastics material such as high impact polystyrene.

The shaft 11 and the head 12 are so sized as to be able to pass through the aperture 8 so that rearwardly projecting fingers 13 of the arrow head formation spring out inside the interior of the projection 6 and prevent removal of the seal back through the apertureS.

When the seal is in position, the head 10 prevents withdrawal of projection 6 through aperture 7.

The hooks of a number of garment hangers may be located over the support member 1 so that the shanks of the hooks hang down between the handles 5 of the set hanger. If desired, a bag may be placed around all of the garments on the hangers and the mouth of the bag may be brought up to lie with the hooks over the support member 1. The security member 4 may then be folded over from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 trapping the hooks of the hangers between itself and the support member 1. The seal 9 may then be placed in position in the aperture 8. No hanger may then be removed from the set hanger without removal of the seal 9. Seal 9 cannot be removed intact but only by breaking or cutting the shaft 11 so that any tampering with the contents of the set hanger will be obvious. However, when the set hanger is returned for re-use, it may be used again simply by the provision of a fresh seal 9.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to particular characteristics of the illustrated embodiment, many variations and modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A set hanger for use in transporting hanging garments, comprising a hanger hook support member over which garment bearing hangers may be hooked in use, a security member having a security member having a security position in which it overlies the hook support member so as to prevent removal therefrom of any hanger present in use and a locking device comprising mutually engageable portions of the security member and the hook support member and a frangible or scissible seal for preventing disengagement of said engageable portions, wherein the security device may be opened only upon breaking or cutting of the seal but may be reclosed and resealed with a repiacement seal in future use.

2. A set hanger as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the hook support member comprises a generally hemicylindrical support surface portion by which the set hanger may be hooked over a support rail in a carrying vehicle in use and the security member comprises a generally hemi-cylindrical surface which in the secured position overlies the support surface portion of the hook support member.

3. A set hanger as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the security member and the hook support member are each generally U-section elongate members, the hook support member interfitting with the security member.

4. A set hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there is a longitudinally runnng hinge connecting the security member and the hook support member along edges thereof.

5. A set hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security member and the hook support member are moulded integrally from plastics material.

6. A set hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the seal comprises a head portion having a projection provided with a formation for passing through an aperture formed in one or both of the security member and the hook support member to locate the seal but such as to resist removal of the seal.

7. A set hanger as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the security member comprises an aperture, the hook support member comprises an aperture which is aligned with the aperture of the security member when the latter is in the security position and the seal comprises a head and a projection carried by the head adapted to pass through both apertures and notto be removable therefrom without destruction of the seal.

8. A set hanger as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the security member comprises an aperture and the hook support member comprises a projection adapted to pass through the aperture when the security member is in the security position, which projection is adapted to be engaged by the seal, the seal being adapted to engage the projection of the hook support member and not to be removable therefrom without destruction of the seal and being such as to prevent removal of the projection from the aperture of the security member when the seal is in place.

9. A set hanger as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the projection comprises one or more apertures through which the projection of the seal may be passed to locate the seal in such a way that it cannot be removed without being destroyed.

10. A set hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, and provided with at least one handle member.

11. A set hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, which is itself adapted to be hung on a rail by virtueof the shaping of the hook support member as a U-section elongate member with the opening of the U opening downwards in the normal use position.

12. A set hanger, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.