US2740531A - Clothes hanger rack for closets - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1956 w. F. SlMPKlNS 2,740,531

CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLOSE-TS Filed July 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2 L,

34 30 l0 I2 263 f I 24 22 I I l I I/////// Walter E .Slmplrlhs IN VEN TOR.

BY WW EM April 3, 1956 w. F. SIMPKINS CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLOSETS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed July 8, 1953 a/fer E S/mp/r/hs INVENTOR.

BY (Wavy 19% CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLQSETS Walter F. Simpkins, Jonesboro, Ark., assignor of onethird to Anna J. Ragsdale and one-third to Pat Simpkins, Jonesboro, Ark.

Application July s, 1953, Serial. No. 366,800

1 Claim. e1. 211-94 This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in racks for clothes hangers, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a rack of the character herein described, which is particularly well adapted for installation in a closet, which is readily adjustable to conform to closets of different widths, and which may be quickly and easily swung from an inoperative, storage position to an operative service position to facilitate installation or removal of clothes hangers.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efiicient operation and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention installed in a closet, the later being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional detail illustrating a modified form of one of the rack sections;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view, illustrating a further modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 8-8 in Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figure 7.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the clothes hanger rack assembly is designated generally by the reference charactor 19 and embodies in its construction a horizontally elongated unit consisting of an outer section 12 and an inner section 14 which is slidably telescoped in the outer section. The inner section 14 is preferably of a T-shaped cross section as is best shown in Figure 3 so that it may slide on inwardly projecting, supporting ledges 12a of the outer section 12. The outer section 12 is also provided with a pair of spaced, depending webs 16 formed with sets of apertures 18 to receive the customary hooks 20 of clothes hangers, as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 3.

The inner section 14 is provided in the upper surface thereof with a row of screw-threaded bores 22 to selec tively receive the lower end portion of a shank 24, the

ited States Patent 0 "Tree vided at the free end of the inner section 14.

When the invention is installed in the closet 38 and is in its storage position as shown by the full lines in Figure 1, the sections 12, 14 are extended transversely between the side walls 44 of the closet while the upper end of the member 42 abuts the underside of the top wall 36, thereby securely sustaining the rack in its horizontal position. In this connection it will be noted that by virtue of the selected positioning of the shank 24 in the bores 22 and by virtue of the slidable telescoping of the sections 12, 14, the distance between the members 40, 42 may be increased or decreased so as to conform to the spacing of the closet side walls.

When clothes hangers are to be applied to or removed from the rack, the member 44 of the section 12 is utilized as a handle and the entire rack is rotated in a horizontal plane to a position indicated by the dotted line 46 in Figure 1, wherein the rack is substantially parallel to the side walls 44.

Thereupon, while the upper end of the member 42 abuts the underside of the top wall 36 so as to sustain the rack in its horizontal position, the rack section 12 may be slid forwardly and outwardly of the closet on the rack section 14, to facilitate installation or removal of clothes hangers from the apertures 18.

In the event that additional supporting contact between the sections 12, 14 is desired, the inner section 14 may assume a mushroom-shaped cross sectional configuration as indicated at 14a in Figure 4. This configuration conforms substantially to the inside configuration of the outer section 12, as will be clearly apparent.

Referring now to a modified embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outer rack section 50 has slidably telcscoped therein the inner section 52 which, in this instance, is provided with a plurality of vertical apertures 54 to receive the suspension shank 56. The apertures 54 are counterbored as shown at 58 to accommodate a washer and a nut 60 at the lower end of the shank 56. The upper end of the shank 56 carries a similar washer and nut 62 which is rotatably housed in a socket 66 fixed to the top wall 36.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, this embodiment being designated generally by the reference numeral 70 and consisting of a pair of slidably telescoped tubular sections 72, 74, which are provided at the outer ends thereof with downturned and upturned supporting members 76, 78, respectively.

The section '74 is formed at the top thereof with a row of screw-threaded apertures to selectively receive a suspension unit 82, while the underside of the section 74 is provided with a longitudinal slot 84. A pair of straps 86 are secured to and depend from the section 72, one of these straps being slidable in the slot 84, as shown. A horizontal bar 38 is secured to the lower end portions of the straps 36 and is intended to receive clothes hangers thereon.

As is shown in Figure 9, a stop 90 is provided in the slot 84 to abut the inner of the straps 36, so as to limit the extent to which the section 72 may be slid outwardly from the section 74.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A clothes hanger comprising inner and outer elongated sections telescoping for sliding adjustment to vary the length of said hanger to fit between side walls of a closet, a suspending shank for the hanger upstanding from one ofthe sections and having an enlarged upper end, a 10 socket attachable to the top wall of a closet and in which said enlarged upper end of the shank is swivelled so that said hanger is rotatable horizontally on said socket and adapted to be tilted vertically in a closet, an upstanding end member on one of the sections engageable with a top wall of a closet to limit tilting of said hanger in one direction, and a downturned end member on the other section forming a handle for rotating and tilting said hanger, said outer section having longitudinal depending webs spaced apart laterally and provided with longitudinally spaced apertures for receiving clothes hanger hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 762,989 Drucker June 21, 1904 896,445 Fredericks Aug. 18, 1908 960,549 Hoffman June 7, 1910 1,227,705 Ulrich May 29, 1917 1,277,442 McCann Sept. 3, 1918 1,370,275 Brager Mar. 1, 1921 1,390,144 Launder Sept. 6, 1921 1,396,692 Row et a1. Nov. 8, 1921 1,548,739 Pinto Aug. 4, 1925 1,993,624 Reussenzehn Mar. 5, 1935

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