US2301284A - Collapsible clothes rack - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1942. s. F. JORDAN 2,301,284

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES RACK Filed April 25. 1940 I NV ENTOR.

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- entertainment in the home.

pairs sta ers 'i orgies COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES RACK Sadie Finley Jordan, Birmingham, Mich. Application April 25, 1940, Serial No. 331,517

2 Claims.

' The present invention pertains to a novel collapsible clothes rack. The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which can easily be folded into a compact body and stored away when not in use, and readily set up when the occasion requires.

The device is intended to be used in homes on occasions when a large number of guests are present. It is a well known fact that most homes, and particularly apartments, have no closet space in excess of the normal daily needs, and in fact many homes have insufficient closet space even under normal conditions. Consequently, when company is expected, the host or hostess is faced with the inconvenience of emptying a closet and thereby overcrowding the others,

or the guests are required to lay their wraps on the furniture, usually the beds, in one of the rooms of the house. This practice is objection able in several respects. The disposition of clothing in this manner imparts an unsightly appearance to the room set aside as the cloak room and may also be injurious to the furnishings such as delicate bed coverings and highly polished furniture. Also, the guests resent having their clothing laid in heaps. Ladies hats are liable to become damaged, evening wraps crushed, and even heavier clothing becomes wrinkled when slightly damp.

My invention overcomes these practical difficulties which are a frequent occurrence in the average American home which does not ordinarily have ample closet space to accommodate the number of guests attending a gathering such as a dinner party or other familiar form of group The clothes rack which I have invented is of such design and construction that it can easily be set up, and requires very little space in the room that serves as the cloak room. With an attendant at the rack, the

guests dispose of their wraps quickly and conveniently and may have them returned in like manner when about to depart. When not in use, the rack is collapsed into a compact form and is put away in the same manner as an ironing board or the boards of a dining room table.

The device consists substantially of a top piece or shelf standing on legs hinged to the ends thereof. A rack bar is pivotally attached to the top structure and swings down to its operative position between the legs where it serves also as agbrace for the legs. Coat hangers are hung from the bar, and hats may be laid on the top piece or shelf.

member I.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the device, showing certain parts in elevation;

Figure 2 is a transverse section;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the device in collapsed condition.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown in Figure 1, the device includes a top board, or shelf l with blocks 2 and 3 secured to the lower surface thereof and near the ends. The block 3 is approximately twice as thick as the block 2 for a purpose which will presently appear. To the blocks are attached legs i and 5 respectively by means of hinges 6 swinging on axes transverse of the board I so that the le s may be laid one over the other. The leg 4 is longer than the leg 5 to the extent that the block 3 exceeds the block 2 in thickness, so that the top member I will be horizontal when the device is erected as in Figure 1.

From the top piece or shelf i is also suspended a longitudinal rack bar 1 formed with enlargements or heads 8 at the ends. This member is supported from the shelf by means of hinges 9 that swing on an axis longitudinal of the shelf I. The heads also engage the legs 5 and 5, and in this manner the rack bar 1 serves as a brace between the legs.

In order to further secure the structure in the erected position, the lower end of each head is drilled with a hole I ll from the outer edge and parallel to the bar I. In the hole is inserted a tapped ferrule ll. Adjacent to the open end of the hole and in line therewith, the adjacent leg has a hole l2 drilled therethrough. A screw [3 is passed through the hole 12 and threaded into the ferrule II and is provided at its outer end with a head in the form of a knob Hi.

When the device is not in use, it is collapsed by first removing the screws l3 and swinging the heads 8 on their hinges against the lower surface of the top member I. In this connection, it is to be noted that the thickness of the heads does not exceed that of the thinner block 2. Consequently, the longer leg 4 when swung inward on its hinge may lie perfectly fiat or parallel to the top The shorter leg 5 is then swung inward and against the leg 4 on which it lies flat because of the greater thickness of the block 3. The longer leg 4 carries a swivelled finger piece or latch l5 near its upper end to fasten in a slot I in the lower end of the leg 5, whereby the several parts are locked together in the collapsed position. In this condition the device may be carried with safety, since there is no danger that the legs or other parts will swing out and strike against walls or furniture.

The legs 4 and 5 are preferably widened at their upper ends transversely at the top, as indicated by the numeral I6, to enable a more secure hinge construction in the form of two or more alined hinges 6 or a long single hinge. The lower ends of the legs are likewise formed with widened feet I! to provide adequate support. The top member I is preferably formed with a depending marginal wall or trim I8 to provide a more finished appearance to conceal the, understructure and to form a box-like member in which the hinged parts are received when the device is collapsed, as is shown in Figure 3. Blocks l9 are secured at suitable points on the lower surface of the top I to receive the screw knobs I3, I 4 as shown in Figure 3.

In use, the device is erected as illustrated in Figure 1 and as already described. It occupies a comparatively small floor area, since the top member I is of shelf width and may be of any desired practical length. The wraps are placed on coat hangers and hung on the bar I in the usual manner. The hats are laid on the shelf, and in this respect the device is a complete unit for the purpose contemplated. The appearance of the room and the condition of the furnishings are enhanced by the absence of clothing strewn about the room, and the guests are placed at ease by the feeling that their clothing is properly cared for and need not be pulled out of a heap when wanted.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a relatively high collapsible clotnes rack comprising a top member, relatively high onepiece legs hinged to the ends thereof and adapted to fold towards the same, a rigid and continuous rack bar spaced only slightly beneath said top member and having transverse end pieces hinged directly to said member on an axis lengthwise of the member, said pieces being adapted to be swung from a parallel to a perpendicular position relatively to said member, said end pieces in the perpendicular position spacing said bar from said member to form a clear space between said bar and said member and bearing against said legs over a substantial area when the legs are in operative position, whereby said bar serves as a brace for said legs, said bar being at such a distance from the lower ends of said legs in the operative position as to permit garments to be suspended therefrom, and means for preventing said legs from swinging outwardly when in operative position.

2. A relatively high collapsible clothes rack comprising a top member, a block secured across each end thereof at the lower surface, one-block being thicker than the other, relatively high onepiece legs hinged respectively to said blocks on transverse axes, the lengths of said legs being such that said member will be supported in a horizontal position, a rigid and continuous rack bar spaced only slightly beneath said top member and having end pieces hinged directly to said member on an axis lengthwise of said member, said pieces being adapted to be swung from a parallel to a perpendicular position relatively to said member and above the lower edge of the thinner block in the parallel position, said pieces in the perpendicular position bearing against said legs over a substantial area when the latter are in operative position, whereby said bar serves as a brace for said legs, the thickness of the thick er block being substantially equal to the combined thicknesses of one of said end pieces and the longer leg, whereby both legs lie substantially parallel to said top member in the folded position, said bar being at such a distance from the lower ends of said legs in the operative position as to permit garments to be suspended therefrom, and means for preventing said legs from swinging outwardly when in operativeposition.

SADIE FINLEY JORDAN.

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