US2551686A

US2551686A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: US2551686A
Application number: US135885A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chauncey F Mcdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-12-30
Filing date: 1949-12-30
Publication date: 1951-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-08

Description

y 9 1951 j I c. F. MCDONALD 2,551,686

GARMENT HANGER Filed Dec. 50, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. @hAuNce v F. M D NA ATTORNEY Filed Dec. 30, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5).

y 11951 c. F. MCDONALD 2,551,686

GARMENT HANGER Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFWE GARMENT HANGER Chauncey F. McDonald, Oswego, N. Y.

Application December 30, 1949, Serial No. 135,885

4 Claims. (01. 223-93) This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers and is concerned more especially with a skirt hanger or combined skirt and coat hanger.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a hanger of extremely simple design and construction which is arranged in such a manner that a, garment may be readily supported thereon and removed therefrom by convenient manipulation with a single band lore specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a hanger including the usual curved hanger bar and a novel resilient spring steel member associated therewith. The resilient spring steel member is formed with a central portion or segment which is bowed outwardly from the concave lower edge of the hanger bar and with a pair of integral outer garment-- supporting portions whose disposition with respect to the hanger bar may be readily controlled by manipulation of the central bowed segment. The outer garment-supporting portions are each provided with an inner segment extending from the central segment to a point adjacent the end of the hanger bar and with an angularly inclined outer arm portion extending downwardly beyond the ends of the hanger bar. The inner segments of the garment-supporting portions normally abut the lower edge of the hanger bar and maintain the angularly inclined outer arms in their operative position of maximum separation in order to support the garment, such as a skirt. When the central segment is manually pressed toward the hanger bar, the garmentsupporting portions are retracted inwardly from their normal position of maximum separation thereby moving the inner segments thereof out of abutment against the hanger bar whereupon the garment may be easily adjusted in position. Upon releasing the central segment the garment-supporting portions automatically assume their normal position of maximum separation to retain the garment thereupon. The removal of the garment from the hanger is efiected merely by manually pressing inwardly the central segment of the spring member toward the hanger bar. The arrangement of the invention requires the use of only one hand for simultaneously supporting the hanger and manipulating the central segment of the spring member. It will be understood that the spring member is fastened to the hanger bar at the point of intersection of each inner segment of the garment supporting portion with the central bowed segment.

The foregoing objects as well as additional objects and advantages will be readily apparent in the course of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational View of a garment hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrates the normal operative position of the resilient spring member;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the retraction of the outer garment-supporting portions of the spring member incident to pressing inwardly the central bowed segment preparatory to supporting a garment on said outer portions;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View clearly showing the various segmental portions of the resilient spring member;

Fig. 4 is a view showing a. garment applied to the hanger with the normally bowed central segment of the spring member pressed inwardly toward the hanger bar with a single hand, and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a skirt in solid line applied to the hanger and a jacket shown in broken lines.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the hanger includes a curved hanger bar it of wood, plastic, metal or any other suitable material provided with a central suspension hook i i. The resilient spring member I2 may be con veniently formed from a sheet metal strip bent to provide a central segment l3, which is normally bowed outwardly from the concave undersurface of hanger bar it, and a pair of outer garment supporting portions l4 integral with said central segment. Each outer portion M is further provided with an inner segment I5 extending from central segment It to a point its adjacent the end of hanger bar H3 and an angularly inclined outer arm portion ll extending downwardly beyond the ends of the hanger bar It. The free ends of arms I! are preferably provided with protective tips 18 of rubber or similar material in order to prevent snagging or damaging of the garment to be suspended on the hanger.

Spring member [2 is loosely secured to the undersurface of hanger bar ID by means of suitable fastening elements such as screws Hl positioned at the angular intersections of each inner segment I5 of outer portion I l with the central segment I3. Inner segments I5 normally lie in abutment against the undersurface of hanger bar [0 and maintain the angularly inclined outer arms I! in their operative position of maximum separation, as shown in Fig. 1, in order to support a garment such as a skirt or dress between outer portions l4 and hanger bar I0. When the normally outwardly bowed central segment I3 is pressed inwardl toward hanger bar In, outer portions M are retracted inwardly toward each other from their normal position of maximum separation thereby moving inner segments [5 out of abutment against hanger bar l9 into the position of Figs. 2 and 4, whereupon the garment may be easily adjusted into position. The arrangement of the present invention thus allows the hanger to be supported in one hand while pressing the central segment l3 inwardly toward the hanger bar ll] thereby causing the outer garment-supporting portions l4 to be swung downwardly and inwardly about the screws i9 which serve as pivots. When the garment-supporting portions M are in the inwardly retracted position of Figs. 2 and 4, a garment may be easily adjusted into or removed from suspended position. The broken outline in Fig. 2 illustrates a position of the outer garment-supporting portions 14 intermediate the fully retracted position of Fig. 2 and the normal position of Fig. 1.

In order to insure automatic restoration of the outer portions [4 to the normal separated position of Fig. 1 upon manually releasing central segment [3, said central segment is preferably formed with a substantially horizontal portion 20 and a pair of upwardly divergent, angularly inclined portions or arms 2| forming obtuse angles with said horizontal portion, as shown at 22. In pressing the central segment [3 inwardly toward the hanger bar [0, the hand applies a flexing stress suflicient to overcome the natural tendency of the central segment to maintain the outwardly bowed, normal configuration of Fig. 1, thereby retracting the garment-supporting portions l4. Upon releasing the manually applied stress the central segment l3, comprising the horizontal portion 20 and the angularly inclined arms 2|, immediately returns to the normal outwardly bowed position thereby simultaneously restoring the outer portions [4 to their normal separated position. By reason of the described arrangement, the outer garment-supporting portions (4 of the spring member l2 may be manually retracted and automatically separated following retracting by a kind of toggle action.

The preferred formation of the central segment l3 to define a substantially horizontal portion 20 and a pair of angularly inclined flanking arms 2| also assures substantially equal application of the manually applied flexing stress to the garment-supporting portions M in the retraction thereof.

Since certain modifications may be made in the device of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment hanger comprising a curved hanger bar having a concave undersurface and a flat resilient spring member, said spring mer. ber having a central segment normally bowed outwardly from said hanger bar and a pair of outer garment-supporting portions integral with said central segment, each of said outer portions comprising an inner segment normally abutting the undersurface of said hanger bar and an angularly inclined terminal segment extending beyond a respective end of said hanger bar, and fastening elements loosely securing said spring member to the hanger bar at the angular intersections between said inner segments and central segment, to provide a pivot point whereby to inwardly retract said outer garment-supporting portions for suspension of a garment thereupon upon pressing said central segment against said hanger bar and to automatically extend said outer portions to normally separated position upon releasing said central segment.

2. A garment hanger comprising a curved hanger bar having a concave undersurface and a fiat resilient spring member, said spring member having a central segment normally bowed outwardly from said hanger bar and a pair of outer garment-supporting portions integral with said central segment, each of said outer portions comprising an inner segment normally abutting the undersurface of said hanger bar and an angularly inclined terminal segment extending downwardly beyond a respective end of said hanger bar, said inner segment extending from said central segment to a point adjacent the end of said hanger bar, and fastening elements loosely securing said spring member to the hanger bar at the angular intersections between said inner segments and said central segment, to provide a pivot point whereby to inwardly retract said outer garment-supporting portions for suspension of a garment thereupon upon pressing said central segment against said hanger bar and to automatically extend said outer portions to normally separated position upon releasing said central segment.

3. A garment hanger comprising a curved hanger bar having a concave undersurface and a fiat resilient spring member, said spring member having a central segment normally bowed outwardly from said hanger bar and a pair of outer garment-supporting portions integral with said central segment, said central segment defining an intermediate substantially horizontal portion and a pair of upwardly divergent side portions forming obtuse angles therewith, each of said outer garment-supporting portions comprising an inner segment normally abutting 'the undersurface of said hanger bar and forming an angular intersection with a respective side portion of the central segment and a terminal segment angularly inclined with respect to said inner segment and extending downwardly beyond a respective end of said hanger bar, and fastening elements loosely securing said spring member to the hanger bar at the angular intersections between said inner segments and the side portions of said central segments, to provide a pivot point whereby to inwardly retract said outer garment-supporting portions for suspension of a garment thereupon upon pressing the horizontal portion of said central segment against said hanger bar and to automatically extend said outer portions to normally separated position upon releasing said horizontal portion.

4. A garment hanger comprising a curved hanger bar having a concave undersurface and a fiat resilient spring member, said spring member having a central segment normally bowed outwardly from said hanger bar and a pair of outer garment-supporting portions integral with said central segment, said central segment defining an intermediate substantially horizontal portion and a pair of upwardly divergent side portions forming obtuse angles therewith, each of said outer garment-supporting portions comprising an inner segment normally abutting the undersurface of said hanger bar and forming an angular intersection with a respective side portion of the central segment and a terminal segment angularly inclined with respect to said inner segment and extending downwardly beyond a respective end of said hanger bar, said inner segment extending from its angular intersection with the side portion of said central segment to a point adjacent the end of said hanger bar, and fastening elements loosely securing said spring member to the hanger bar at the angular intersections between said inner segments and the side portions of said central segments, to provide a pivot point whereby to inwardly retract said 15 69 outer garment-supporting portions for suspension of a garment thereupon upon pressing the horizontal portion of said central segment against said hanger bar and to automatically extend said outer portions to normally separated position upon releasing said horizontal portion.

CHAUNCEY F. McDONALD.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Shannon Sept. 24, 1940 Number