US2209468A - Apparel apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1940.

J. D. NATHAN v 2,209,468

APPAREL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1939 INVENTOR Joseph D. Nathan J ATTORNEY Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED srArEs PATENT orricr.

Joseph D. Nathan, Hartford, Conn.

Application September 26, 1939, Serial No. 296,633

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparel apparatus and more especially to garment hangers.

It is customary for dealers in mens and womens ready-made garments, to suspend the garments on hangers which, in turn, are hung on poles or other supports in cases or on racks for storage and exhibition purposes, from which they are removed when being displayed to the customer. Two-piece dresses require a type of hanger which will support both the coat, waist, jacket orblouse, and the skirt, and whereas the usual bowed hanger equipped with a hook is sufiicient for the one-piece dresses, it is not adapted for the support and display of two-piece garments.

Every dealer has a large stock of hangers, not only of the kind that comprise simply a bow of wood or metal equipped centrally of its convex edge with a vertically extending hook to take over a horizontal, supporting pole, for instance,

but also one-piece combination hangers, consisting of curved supporting members, on which coats may be draped, and provided with jaws between which to clamp the waist bands of skirts or the lower ends of trouser legs.

Due to changes in the styles of womens apparel, the dealer must keep on hand a stock of both kinds of hangers, as in one season, one-piece dresses will be more popular and in greater demand than two-piece garments, whereas the next season, the styles may change, and two piece dresses will be more favored than the onepiece garments.

One object of my invention is to reduce the cost of hangers to the garment dealer, as well as to reduce the number of hangers necessary to be kept on hand, by providing an attachment removably applicable to the usual bowed hanger to enable it to properly support two-piece garments.

Thus, in seasons when single-piece dresses are the vogue, the dealer can utilize his stock of the common form of bowed hanger, without'my attachment, whereas in seasons when two-piece garments are popular, he can utilize his same 5 stock of the common form of hanger, by. applying my attachment thereto, instead of having to acquire an additional supply of hangers especially adapted for supporting two-piece garments, and storing the hangers appropriate to single-piece garments only.

Another object is to provide an attachment for single-piece hangers on which two-piece garments may be displayed and presented for inspection by the sales person to prospective customers in such manner as to have eye appeal.

Thus, customers are influenced, often unconsciously, by the first sight of a dress.

If the dress is-supported properly on the hanger in such manner that no unsightly parts of the hanger are exposed and the garments do not look- 5 1 bunchy, the openings of the dress being closed, either by being buttoned up, or zippered up, and the skirt carefully folded and held in such condition by its waistband at the same length below the lower edge of the waist or blouse that it would 10 occupy when being worn by an individual, its presentation to the eye of the customer in such relation effects a much better and more favorable impression than if the garments are not in proper relation. The sales person removes the garment'l5" with its hanger from the show or storage case and holds the combination up by the hanger, for the customers inspection and approval, turning the hanger to present both front and back of the garments. 20;

If, by reason of an improperly designed hanger, the skirt is supported too far up within the waist or blouse, so as to appear too short, the effect is unpleasant.

My attachment for hangers is particularly de- 25; signed to enable two-piece garments to be supported on hangers in such manner that the proper length relationship between the upper and lower garment is maintained, and the lower garment or skirt is held against unfolding acciden- 30 tally, while on the hanger.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an attachment for hangers which'is re movably applied to the hangers to adapt a single garment hanger for the support of upper and low- 35 or garments without necessitating any change whatever in the hanger itself.

A further object is the provision of an attachment for hangers which is readily applied to and removed from the hanger. 40

A still further object is the provision of a durable, unitary attachment for a hanger, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and salable at low cost.

To these and other ends, my invention in- ,5. cludes certain novel features and combinations of parts, all of which will be more fully set forth hereinafter andpartioularly pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing, 50

Figure 1 is a View of one style of the invention applied to a hanger of well-known form, the up per and lower garments supported thereon, being indicated by dotanddash lines;

' Figure 2 is a perspective view of the invention; 55,;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of attachment; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified means for connecting the attachment to its hanger.

The hanger 5 may be of the well-known varity comprising an arcuate or bowed body member, generally of wood, and either oval, round, or flatsided in cross-section.

The usual form of hook 6 is fastened to and projects upwardly from the approximate center of the convex edge of the body member 5.

In use, as is well understood, the opposite ends of the bowed body member are thrust through the armscyes of an upper garment and into the upper ends of the sleeves thereof, so that when the hanger is hung on a pole or hook, for instance, the shoulders and upper ends of the sleeves of the garment will rest upon the convex portion of the hanger and be supported thereby.

The embodiments of my new attachment selected for illustration, are designed to be removably applied to hangers of this type.

Of the several features of this invention, one is the provision of an attachment which will be concealed by the upper garment.

This is an important object of the invention, to enable the presentation of a suit, or a two-piece garment in such a manner as shall be attractive to the eye of the prospective customer and favorably impress the customer from a display angle so that he or she will be predisposed to purchase the goods.

To this end, the upper end of the rigid or stiff body portion 1 of my attachment for the hanger is formed approximately V-shapecl, the diverging limbs 8, 8 of which may terminate at their respective upper ends in eyes or loops 9, 9. Conveniently, though not necessarily, the eyes may ;be shaped to fit the cross-sectional area of the arcuate portion 5 of the hanger.

Attention is directed to the fact that the free ends of the material forming the eyes 9, 9 is not fastened to the limbs 8, 8. In other words, the eyes are not completely closed, which enables the formation of these eyes a trifle smaller than the cross-sectional area of the hanger to which they are applied, so that the eyes may be threaded on the ends of the hanger arms and forced along the arms until the attachment depends centrally from the hanger, the eyes having some frictional engagement with the hanger arms, which tends to retain the attachment in its adjusted position on the hanger.

Furthermore, by omitting to completely close the eyes 9, 9, they can be expanded or contracted to a slight extent, to enable them to fit hangers of differently shaped and sized cross sections.

The attachment can be constructed of metal, plastic material, whalebone, or equivalent material, but it is preferred that the limbs 8, 8 have a sufficient amount of springiness or resilience to enable them to be slightly spread apart, so as to remain concealed irrespective of the size or width of the neck opening in the upper garment supported on the hanger.

The limbs 8, 8 of the hanger are divergent to prevent any part of the attachment from being exposed to view after the upper garment is placed on the hanger and buttoned up, for example.

The divergent limbs will lie concealed within the upper garment, and thus avoid one source of unpleasing appearance.

That form of attachment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is constructed of a pair of slender, fiat strips of resilient material, each of which is permanently bent edgewise about midway of its length to form the divergent limbs 8, 8. The strips are rigidly secured together at the juncture of the limbs 8, 8, as at It], in any convenient manner, as by riveting, spotwelding, or the like.

The lower ends or legs of these resilient strips are given a permanent set or spread in a direction at substantial right angles to the plane occupied by the limbs 8, 8, the free ends of the legs being secured to wide clamping jaws II, II extending transversely of the strips and substantially parallel with, but beneath the hanger 5.

A constricting ring or slide I2 embraces the parallel legs or lower limbs of the attachment. By sliding this ring along the legs in a. direction away from the clamping jaws, the resilient legs are permitted to spread apart with the clamping jaws II, II to accommodate the thickness of the folded waist band of a skirt, for instance, or the free ends of trouser legs, or other nether garment.

After the waist band has been introduced between the clamping jaws H, H, the constricting ring i2 is slid towards the jaws, squeezing the spreading lower limbs together, and firmly clamping the jaws upon the waist band to support the lower garment in suspended position in the show case, or when presented for inspection by the prospective customer.

Preferably, the abutting surfaces of the jaws are faced with a suitable material l3, as felt, to avoid marking or injuring the garment, andto increase the clamping action of the jaws, as well as facilitating the frictional engagement of the jaws with the garment.

By sliding the constricting ring l2 away from the jaws II, II, the inherent resilience of the material of which the attachment is made, causes the lower limbs to spread apart with the jaws, and release the garment.

The distance between the eyes 9, 9 at one end of each strip, and the clamping jaws at the opposite end of each strip is determined by the average distance from the shoulders of an upper garment to the waist band of a lower garment of a suit or ensemble as it is adapted to be worn on the person.

Obviously, when the hanger equipped with my removable attachment is used for displaying mens suits, the coat and vest are draped in the usual manner on the hanger 5. The waist band of the trousers need not necessarily be folded before being clamped between the jaws ll, after which the coat and vest are buttoned to conceal the attachment.

In Figure 3, there is shown a slight modification, wherein the body portion of the attachment is formed of a pair of resilient wires twisted together intermediate their ends, as at 7', thus eliminating the necessity for spot welding or riveting connections at this point.

The upper limbs 8', B of the wire body portion diverge in the same manner as do the limbs 8, 8 in Figures 1 and 2, and for the same purpose, the limbs 8, 8 having eyes 9, 9 formed in their upper ends to fit over the arms of any common form of hanger 5.

The lower limbs or legs of the wire body portion normally spring apart, as in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, and have jaws H, II affixed in any convenient manner to their free ends to clamp upon and hold the waist bands of skirts.

Figure 4 illustrates a second modification, wherein the upper ends of the limbs 8, 8 of my attachment are positively connected to the hanger 5.

To this end, the hanger may have a pair of holes M, [4 formed therein to accommodate the upper free ends of the limbs 8, 8, which ends are then bent to form eyes, and serve to attach the suspension attachment more positively to the hanger against accidental disconnection therefrom.

Provision of a plurality of holes M in the respective arms of the hanger enables the location of the upper ends of the elastic limbs 8, 8 at properly spaced points to hold them spread at the desired V-shaped angle. The partly closed eyes at the upper ends of the limbs 8', 8, may be entered in any of the holes I4, 14, to vary theangular relation of the limbsfl, 8, according to the width of opening of the neck of the upper garments.

The attachment occupies but little space so as to permit packing a large number thereof in comparatively small compass for shipment or storage.

The garments are readily draped upon and removed from the combination hanger of this invention, and the stiffness or rigidity of the material of which the attachment is constructed enables the combination hanger to be handled and the garments applied thereto and removed therefrom more easily than if the attachment embodied lax, loosely hanging suspension members.

Changes may be made in the form, arrangement and materials of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a hanger having oppositely extending arms: of an attachment applicable to the hanger, including a substantially Y-shaped frame, comprising a pair, of limbs relatively divergent in one plane; and a pair of limbs adapted for relative divergence in a different plane; clamping jaws carried by the lastnamed limbs; and a device slidable along the last-named limbs to constrict or release such limbs.

2. The combination with a hanger having oppositely extending arms: of an attachment removably applicable to the hanger to adapt it to support nether garments, including a pair of body members secured together at their median portions; the upper limbs of the body members diverging in one plane, the upper ends of which are attached to the opposite arms of the hanger, respectively, the lower limbs of the body members diverging in another plane; and clam-ping means carried by the lower limbs.

3. The combination with a hanger having oppositely extending arms on which an upper garment may be supported; of an attachment for the hanger including a Y-shaped body, the divergent upper limbs of which are connected to the respective arms of the hanger at points as to maintain such divergence whereby the limbs are concealed by the upper garment; the stem of the Y-shaped body portion including resilient legs; and clamping means carried by the legs.

4. The combination with a hanger having oppositely extending arms on which an upper garment may be draped; of an attachment for the hanger, comprising a pair of somewhat resilient members twisted together at a point substantially intermediate their ends, the straight ends adapted to form a pair of upper limbs and a pair of legs, the upper limbs being spread apart in the plane of the hanger; and removably attached at their upper ends to the respective opposite arms of the hanger; the legs normally tending to spread apart in a plane at substantial right angles to the plane of the upper limbs; and clamping means carried by the lower limbs.

5. The combination with a hanger having oppositely extending arms to support an upper garment: of an attachment removably applicable thereto to support a nether garment, and including a body portion having upper and lower limbs; the upper limbs diverging in one plane from a point substantially midway of the length of the attachment; means to attach the upper limbs to the opposite arms: of the hanger; the lower limbs being inherently resilient to normally spread apart in a plane at substantial right angles to the first-named plane; clamping jaws secured to the free ends of the lower limbs; and means to control the clamping jaws, the attachment being of sufficient length to support a nether garment in the same relation to an upper garment that it would occupy if the garment were worn on the person.

6. A supporting device for two-piece garments, including an arcuate hanger having oppositely extending arms, each of which is provided with one or more perforations; an attachment for the hanger comprising a substantially Y-shaped body portion, the upper divergent limbs of which are concealed within the upper garment draped on the hanger; the free ends of the divergent limbs removably entered in selected perforations in the respective opposite arms of the hanger; the lower limbs forming the stem of the Y-shaped body portion, and adapted to spread apart in a plane at substantial right angles to the plane of the upper divergent limbs; clamping jaws carried by the lower limbs; and means to effect a clamping and a release of the jaws.

7. A supporting device for two-piece garments, including in combination, an arcuate hanger having oppositely extending arms, each of which is provided with a plurality of perforations; and an attachment for the hanger including a substantially Y-shaped frame, the upper arms of which diverge to form a V; eyes on the free ends of the frame arms to enter any of the perforations on the respective arms of the hanger whereby to afford an adjustment of the angular relation of the arms of the frame according to the width of the neck-opening of the upper garment, the legs forming the stem of the Y- shaped frame adapted for spreading apart in a plane at substantial right angles to the plane of divergence of the V-shaped arms of the frame; and clamping means carried by the legs.

JOSEPH D. NATHAN.

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