US2431976A

US2431976A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: US2431976A
Application number: US646783A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eric J Ajax
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-02-11
Filing date: 1946-02-11
Publication date: 1947-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1964-12-02

Description

Dec. 2, 1947. E. J. AJAX GARMENT HANGER Filed Feb. '11, 194e //VVENTOI? ERIC .7. AJA x 96 M g@lliilll I] Illlllll ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to an improved hanger'that may be used for suspending trousers, skirts or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved garment hanger of the suspension or bracket type and to provide a single or multiple wall mountable garment hanger. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved garment hanger construction which is capable of holding garments of widely varying thicknesses and to provide a hanger construction which is capable of being used in a suspension type hanger or bracket type hanger. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved article of manufacture capable of being fabricated into hangers of the suspending or bracket type.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of an improved, all metal, hanger construction of especially stable type capable of being manufactur'ed at low cost from readily available materials.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent in the apparatus herein illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a multiple hanger of the wall mounting type;

Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention showing the hanger of the hook type; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fi ure 'Ihroughout the drawings corresponding nu- Inerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to the drawings the hanger which may be of either the wall mounting single or multiple type r of the hook type utilizes the same basic hanger unit, Referring to Figure 1, each hanger element is composedof a main hanger strip generally designated H3 which is preferably of metal bent into the form of a pivot eye, as shown at H, and is provided with two extending legs l2 and it, Leg I2 is the longest and forms one of the garment gripping surfaces. It is provided with an ofiset portion at M and has a bent end at it so as to permit easy entrance of the garment in o the hanger as hereinafter escribed. The leg 13 extends from the eye H and in a direction away from leg I2 along portion l6 and is then bent at I! in a direction so that it gradually approaches the leg l2 where its end 18 is terminated at approximately the middle of the offset I4 of the leg l2. The resiliency of the member IEI causes the leg [3 normally to move towards the leg I2. The entire member l0 may be formed cold or may be formed and then heat treated to obtain the desired strength and resiliency properties. The end of the leg l3 is provided with a rectangular aperture 2!) as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and through the aperture there is attached a clip 2| which is riveted at 22 to the center of a gripper bar generally designated 25. The gripper bar forms the second garment gripping surface and is preferably made of channel shaped strip having a cross section, indicated at 25 in Figure 4. The width of the channel 25 is such that the end l8 of the short leg I3 is received within the channel flanges 25A and 25B, and thus the gripper bar 25 is provided with reinforcement against misalignment at the pivotal attachment 28-2l. At the same time the gripper bar is able to oscillate freely in the direction of

arrows

26 and 21, and thus the

ends

28 and 29 of the gripper bar 25 are permitted to move into contact with the long leg l2 of the hanger or against any thickness of garment that is placed in the hanger. The gripper bar is provided with an offset bend at 30 which corresponds to the ofiset hi so as to provide a space for the seams of trousers and the like which usually occur at approximately the center of a trouser leg.

The basic hanger element just described is used in either the hook type hanger shown in Figures 5 and 6 or in a single or multiple wall mounting type hanger of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2. Where used in the single or multiple wall mounting there are provided a pair of angularly disposed

bracket plates

32 and 33 which are provided with one or more apertures to receive screws 34 by which the brackets are attached to a vertical surface such as a wall or door. The

bracket plates

32 and 33 extend horizontally at 36 and 31 and are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive the width of the strip 19 of the hanger and provide slight clearance. A pivot is provided at 33, and is preferably of tubular form having an outer diameter 39 which fits snugly into the pivot loop or eye I l of the hanger. As illustrated in Figure 4 the pivot is a tube which is turned down at each end 40 so as to provide shoulders which are received in apertures of the same size in the horizontal portions 36 and 3'! of the bracket. The rivet is then spun down, as illustrated, and is firmly locked to the bracket plates, and thus holds them in spaced relationship. The distance between the shoulders 4| and 42 is such that the

plates

36 and 3! are maintained apart a distance just slightly greater than the width dimension D of the hanger member Ill. Hence, the hanger moves freely about the stationary pivot 38 and the pivot forms a spacing element for the

plates

36 and 3?, and hence holds them immovable.

Where a single hanger element ID is utilized the bracket plate is shaped so as to provide room for only one pivot 38. However, the preferred construction includes two or more hangers l0, four being illustrated in Figure 1. When thus mounted the

surfaces

36 and 31 of the hangers are cut diagonally along the line 45 and the pivots 38 are inset from this edge by a suitable distance along the line 46-41. The spacing between the pivots illustrated at dimension S is made sufiicient so that the hangers II] when loaded will lie parallel to each other, as illustrated for the hangers l0, 10A and IUB in Figure 1 and for the dotted line position of hanger 10C. Enough spacing is allowed so that the hangers will lie parallel to each other when loaded with a garment of maximum thickness capable of being handled by the hanger.

When it is desired to load or unload the hanger, it may be swung to th position shown in full lines for hanger IOC and the garment may thus be readily inserted through the outwardly divergent tips l5 and 3 l. The hanger is moved apart at tips I5 and 3| and this causes the bar 25 to pivot on its rear tip 29, forcing the long and short legs l2 and it apart. As the garment is drawn fully into the space between the long leg l2 and the gripper bar 25, the gripper bar levels out and stabilizes against the garment, regardless of usual variations in thickness from side to side of the garment. Any of the hangers IDA, B and [DC may be pivoted outwardly for loading and unloading, and when loaded or in the idle position they may be swung back to the position shown in Figure 1 so that the garments or idle hangers are thus brought parallel to the surface on which the hanger 3233 is mounted.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 the basic hanger element 10 is provided with a hook made of strip material 59 having a hook portion 5! of a size such that it may be hung upon the usual closet rod or pole. The depending portion 52 of th hook has a widened lower portion 53 at the bottom through which there are inserted spaced rivets 54 by which the hook is fastened to the offset M of the hanger element. In this way the hanger element is immovably attached to the hook.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein except as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of a pivot eye and'having integral horizontally spaced generally parallel long and short portions extending from said eye, the short portion being terminated at about the middle of the long portion, and a gripper bar pivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the short portion of the resilient, member, said bar being positioned so as to be in resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilient member.

2. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal, said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and short ends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout the major portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loop so as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent the loop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, a stiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to the width of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the long extending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attached adjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positioned between said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long end by the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripper bar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar is maintained aligned with the short end and the long end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that the long end and the gripper bar are offset away from each other at their middle portions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that the gripper bar is of C-shaped channel cross section with its open side away from the long end of the frame bar and of a width such that the short end of the frame bar nests in the channel.

5. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of a pivot ey and having integral horizontal spaced generally parallel long and short portions extending from said eye, the short portion being terminated at about the middle of the long portion, a gripper bar pivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the short portion of the resilient member, said bar being positioned so as to be in resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilient member, and means attached to said resilient member for supporting the garment hanger.

6. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of a pivot eye and having integral horizontally spaced generally parallel long and short portions extending from said eye, the short portion being terminated at about the middle of the long portion, a gripper bar pivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the short portion of the resilient member, said bar being positioned so as to be in resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilient member, and a bracket having a vertically positioned pivot extending through the pivot eye in said resilient member.

'7. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal, said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and short ends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout the major portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loop so as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent the loop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, a stiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to the width of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the long extending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attached adjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positioned between said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long end by the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripper bar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar is maintained aligned with the short end and the IOng end, and means attached to the resilient strip for supporting it substantially horizontal and with the axis of the pivot-loop portion substantially vertical.

8. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal, said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and short ends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout the major portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loop so as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent the loop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, a stiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to the width of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the long extending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attached adjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positioned between said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long end by the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripper bar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar is maintained aligned with the short end and the long end, a bracket having parallel horizontal plates above and below the frame bar and a pivot extending through said plates and through the pivot-loop of the frame bar.

9. A multiple garment hanger comprising a bracket having means thereon for attachment to a vertical surface, said bracket including a horizontal plate having a plurality of vertical axis pivots mounted thereon, a plurality of garment hangers one pivotally mounted on each of said pivots, each garment hanger including a frame bar of resilient strip metal, said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and short 6 ends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout the major portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loop so as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent the loop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, a stiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to the Width of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the long extending end thereof, said gripper bar being loosely attached adjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positioned between said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long end by the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripper bar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar is maintained aligned with the short end and the long end, each of said hangers being mounted upon one of the pivots of the bracket with the pivot through the pivot loop of the hanger, said pivots being horizontally spaced apart a distance to allow the hangers to'be swung on their pivots to positions substantially parallel to each other and substantiall parallel to the vertical surface.

ERIC J. AJAX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 789,180 Spruce May 9, 1905 917,314 Knuth Apr. 6, 1909 1,713,704 Lobel May 21, 1929 1,889,942 Claflin, Jr Mar. 7, 1933 1,936,813 West et al Nov. 28, 1933 1,992,356 Dary Feb. 25, 1935 2,127,333 Hall Aug. 16, 1938 2,210,184 Sitter Aug. 6, 1940