US2415642A - Man's valet - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 11, 1M7. M, o, LAPE'YRE ET AL 2,415,642

MANS VALET Filed March 26, 1945 v 3 m e8 (/[rM Q-Zwpeyre Patented Feb. 11,1947

MANS VALET ration of Louisiana Application March 26, 1945, Serial No. 584,766

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in mans valet, and has for an object to provide an improved device for the hanging of trousers, coats, vests, shirts, underwear, neckties and all other articles of a mans clothing in a complete and efficient manner and in such relative arrangement that all the articles of clothing are exposed freely of one another for selection and removal from the improved costumer without interfering with one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mans valet or costumer constructed and arranged to receive and support a plurality of garments, in which the construction of the device is compact and simple and arranged for economical manufacture.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improved mans valet in which the device is constructed for alternative use upon a wall or support or upon a rack bar in a closet and wherein the articles are supported seriatim in successive vertical rows which are offset from one another to render the garments individually selectively accessible without reference to other supported garments.

W th the f re oing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved mans valet constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-6 of Figure 1, and

Figure l is a perspective view of the pallet, its supporting bar and the coupling means in separated condition.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing, is designates a base or backstop which, like the other parts of the device, may be made of wood, metal, cardboard or other appropriate material. Near its upper central portion the backstop It hole ii substantially horizontally therethrough to receive a bolt l2. by which the backstop be aflixed to a wall or support, or which bolt i 2, aifixed to the backstop by the nut 13,- may swingingly engage the hook l ladapted to hook over a bar in a closet or another hook or the like, by which the entire device is supported in a hanging position.

The backstop iii, which may be produced in any ornamental or plain form, carries at the sides thereof a pair of side frames, each of which comprises substantially vertical standards 05 and it spaced apart and substantially parallel, which standards are open at their lower portions and connected only at their upper or top portions by a substantially horizontal cross bars i'i.

Screws or other fastenings i8 pass through appropriate openings in the inner standards 15 by which the side frames are affixed to the side edges of the backstop it in positions where the outer standards it outstand from the front face of the backstop iii. In other words the two side frames are substantially parallel and spaced apart by the width of the backstop it. Upstanding pegs or horns is form upward pro- ,iections of the outer standards it above the horizontal. cross bars l! and form with the crossbars and with the outer standards it? angle iron constructions both above and below the cross bars for the reinforcements of the two side frame constructions. This reinforcement is particularly desirable at the outer portions of the side frames because the side frames are open from the cross bars ll all the way down and there is no connection between the lower ends thereof. The inner vertical standards it receive support from the fastenings l8 and from engagement with the side edges of the back stop it but reinforcement of the outer vertical standards it of more importance.

The lower end portions. of both vertical standards are provided with bearing openings 2E3 and 2!, which, in the case of cardboard, may be reinforced (as shown by metal eyelets). A coat and vest hanger 22 has trunnions 2t swingingly mounted in the bearing openings 26 of the two side frames.

A jamming or binding member 24 is pivotally carried by a bar 25 having trunnions 2t and lugs 2? turned angularly with respect to the trunnions 26. As shown more particularly in Figure 4, the bar 25 has rounded edges 28 and the jamming member and bar have registering perforations 29 and 3D to receive the pivot bolt 35 which is affixed in place by a nut 32 in such wise as to permit the jamming member 2A to rotate freely about the axis of the bolt 3|, which axis is in the direction at right angles to the direction of the swinging axis of the trunnions 25.

The jamming member 24 preferably has its outer corner portions rounded, asindicated at 33, in order to escape interference with the adjacent portions of the outer vertical standards H5 in the pivoting action of the jamming member 24 on the bolt 3|.

Extension thumb pieces 34 project laterally from the jamming member 24 and its inner edge portions. Such thumb pieces 34 cooperate with substantially horizontal shoulders 35 on the inner vertical standards lb. The parts 34. and 35 cooperate in two aspects:

One, to form stops for limiting the downward swinging movement of the jamming member 24; and two, to form two-point support for the trousers or other garment.

In the use of the device, trousers are received in the open portions of the side frames between the vertical standards It and i5 and in front of the panel H3, such trousers being introduced upwardly in a motion which will automatically lift the jamming member E l about its trunnions 25 in a manner generally indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. Thus the introduction of the trousers 1120 the device is in such direction as to automatically open the jamming member 24. However, as soon as the garment is released to the action of gravity it will tend to draw the jamming member it down into a jamming position both with the back stop in and with the shoulders 35. Thus the trousers will be held in place automatically by the weight thereof.

A coat and vest may be independently placed on the hanger 22. Shirts and underwear may be hung over the horns or pegs i9 and neckties may be draped about the horizontal cross bars 5?.

The device constitutes a clothes hanger that accomodates all the garments Worn by a man. The pants hanger is so constructed and arranged as to support the trousers from the upper portion around the waist line instead of from the cuffs in the usual inverted manner. The upright support of the trousers excludes the possibility of dropping the contents from the pockets. This feature also affords an easy and quick way of hanging pants. The hooks or horns 99 for hanging shirts also support the same in an upright position and exclude the possibility of dropping the contents from the shirt pockets.

' The improved device is flexible as to its type. It can be used as a convenient hook hanger, valet or stand type, or even a fixture type for walls, closets, furniture, etc.

The jamming member is lifted from its horizontal position by the pants themselves as they are raised into place and can be pushed down against the pants with the thumbs pushing upon the lateral extension pieces 3%. In this way the jamming member is jammed against the pants effectively holding them in place between the backstop of the frame and the jamming member. By merely lifting the jamming member with the thumbs engaging the extension pieces 34, the pants are free to remove from the hanger.

It will be noted that the pivoting action of the jamming member 24 about the vertical axis 3: achieves a self-adjustment feature, accommodating different thicknesses of cloth in each end of the jamming member, particularly when pants are hung from the waist instead of from the cuffs or the knees.

It is also to be noted that the improved device involves a swinging feature of the coat hanger'22 which facilitates the hanging and removing of a coat and vest. V

The relative location and arrangement of the coat .from the pants hangers, support and carry the coat behind the pants and in a different vertical plane and this construction eliminates hanging of the pants within the coat. The result is independent accessibility to both coat and pants. The swinging coat hanger 22 greatly facilitates the hanging and removal of the coat.

The jamming member allows of the hanging of the pants from the waist, cuffs or folded knees and is simply constructed and operated and is efi'icient in operation.

The self-adjusting feature of the jamming member allows for the difference in the thickness in the four folds of the pants in the front as compared to the two folds in the back when the pants are hung from the waist.

If desired the coat hanger 22 may be eliminated as a permanent part of the device and an eye substituted at the bottom of the backstop l 0 for attachment to an ordinary wire coat hanger.

A prime feature of the device is the two-point contact achieved in the pants holding jamming member B l. This feature results from the shoulders 35 which project forwardly from the side frames i5 position to react with the lateral thumb pieces 34. A similar two-point contact could achieved a. concave design on the engaging edge of the jamming member or by projections at both ends of the engaging edge of the jamming member.

In addition to the two point contact feature or independently thereof, the inner edge of the jamming member 24 may form continuous contact with the garment all along this line. The jamming member might be substituted by two or more trigger fingers or spring fingers or other devices.

The disposition of the lugs 2i prevent the bar 25 rom being disengaged with the bearing eyelets 25 the assembled position of the side frames upon the backstop l5. Before these side frames are put in position the same are adjusted with the axis of the eyelet 2E disposed to receive the lug 2'1 and the frame is thereupon rotated so that the eyelet moves over the lug 2'5 andthen turns and moves over the trunnion 25, In this position :le vertical bar i5 can be aligned with the side edge of the backstop iii in position to be aifixed by the fastenings ill. The fastenings Hi therefore perform the double function of securing the side frames in position upon the backstop i 9 and of holding these side frames relatively to the lugs as to prevent the trunnions 25 from escaping axially from the bearing openings 2i.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop having means to support the same, stationary side frames carried by and extending outwardly from said backstop, a carrier member swlngingly mounted in outer parts of the stationary side frames, and clothes-jamming means pivoted on the carrier member to turn freely about an axis substantially normal to the direction of the swinging axis o. the carrier member.

2. A mans valet as claimed in claim 1 further comprising shoulders on the stationary side frames, and extension pieces on the clothes-jammin'g means adapted to engage said shoulders.

3. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop, stationary side frames supported by the backstop having substantially upright spaced members connected at their upper portions and open at their lower portions to receive garments therein, and means movably supported by the outer of the spaced members for cooperating with said backstop to bind the garments in supported position.

4. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop, stationary side frames carried by said backstop and each comprising spaced inner and outer standards and a cross bar connecting the upper portions thereof, the lower portions of said standards being left open to receive garments, the inner standards afiixed to the sides of the stationary backstop, and a jamming member swingingly carried by the lower portions of the outer standards.

5. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop, stationary side frames carried fixedly by said backstop and each comprising spaced inner and outer standards and a cross bar connecting the upper portions of said standards, the lower portions of said standards being freely open to receive garments upwardly between the same and between said stationary side frames, said inner standards being affixed to the sides of said stationary backstop, the lower portions of the outer standards having bearing openings, a jamming member having outturned trunnions engaging said bearing openings to swingingly support the jamming member with its free edge adapted to jam garments against said backstop, said trunnions having angularly turned lugs normally extending on the outside faces of said side frames whereby the side frames must be detached from the backstop and rotated relatively to the trunnions to clear the lugs.

6. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop, stationary side frames carried by said backstop and each comprising spaced inner and outer standards and a cross bar connecting the upper portions of said standards, the lower portions of said standards being left open to receive garments, the inner standards affixed to the sides of the stationary backstop, the inner standards having bearing openings at their lower portions, a coat hanger having trunnions swingingly received in said bearings, and a jamming member swingingly carried by the lower portions of the outer standards and having a free edge portion adapted to jam garments against said backstop.

7. A mans valet comprising a stationary backstop, stationary side frames carried by said backstop and each comprising spaced inner and outer standards and a cross bar connecting the upper portions of said standards, horns upstanding from the outer standards above the cross bars to form angle reinforcements both above and below said cross bars, the lower portions of said standards being left open to receive garments, the inner standards affixed to the side portions of said stationary backstop and a jamming member swingingly carried by the lower portions of the outer standards.

8. A mans valet comprising a backstop, means to carry said backstop immovably from a support, immovable side frames directly affixed to said backstop at opposite side portions thereof, said side frames comprising inner and outer substantially vertical standards unconnected at their lower ends, and cross bars connecting the upper portions of said standards, the lower ends of both inner and outer standards of said side frames having bearing openings therein, a jamming member having trunnions fitted in the bearing openings of the outer standards and having a free edge adapted to bind trousers against the stationary backstop, and a hanger for a vest and coat having outturned trunnions supported in the bearing openings of theinner standards whereby to support the coat and vest independently of the trousers and along side the same.

9. A mans valet comprising a fixed backstop, side frames secured thereto comprising inner and outer spaced standards open at their lower portions, and cross bars connecting said standards at their upper portions, the inner standards having shoulders adjacent their lower portions, the outer standards having bearing openings in their lower portions, said side frames being stationarily aiiixed to said fixed backstop, and a jamming device having trunnions fitted to rotate in the bearing openings of the outer standards and having lateral projections on the free edge portion thereof adapted to seat upon the shoulders of the inner standards.

10. A mans valet as claimed in claim 9 in which said jamming member comprises a bar directly carrying said trunnions and having free rounded corner portions, and a plate which carries at its free edge said extension pieces, said plate adapted to be overlapped with said bar and pivoted thereto on an axis substantially at right angles to the pivot axis of said trunnions, the corner portions at the edge of the plate opposite said extensions being rounded.

MARTIAL O. LAPEYRE. FERNAND S. LAPEYRE.

REFERENSES CELEB The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,220,991 Bye Nov. 12, 1940 498,054 Harper May 23, 1893

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