US2753143A

US2753143A - Garment hanger linkage

Info

Publication number: US2753143A
Application number: US368275A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinz R Berlt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-07-16
Filing date: 1953-07-16
Publication date: 1956-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1973-07-03

Description

July 1956 H. R. BERLT 2,753,143

GARMENT HANGER LINKAGE Filed July 16, 1953 WVENTOR.

flag/31 i. Ber BY I Unite This invention relates to a device for interconnecting a plurality of garment hangers and more particularly relates to a linkage for interconnecting a plurality of garment supports of the conventional coat hanger form.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for combining by interlinkage a plurality of garment hangers in such a manner as will enable them to each be of complete utility in their roll as clothes hangers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for interconnecting two or more garment hangers which means is inexpensive and easily fabricated.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a means for linking two or more garment hangers in a rigid but detachable relationship.

These and other objects are achieved by my invention wherein a sheet material is formed having the shape of a bib in such a manner that the collar portion overhangs the shoulders of one garment hanger to surround the hook shank thereof. From this collar portion depends a planar apron portion having one or more pair of horizontally aligned raised bands adapted to receive and retain both sides of the hook portion of another garment hanger.

Further understanding of the invention can be had from an explanation made by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the bib-shaped linkage which is shown mounted on one garment hanger and depending therefrom to support a second garment hanger.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the device mounted to link top and bottom garment hangers as in Figure 1 which portrays the collar portion surrounding the hanger hook shank to overhang the shoulder portions of the hook at points adjacent to the shank.

Figure 3 is a front view of the device specially emphasizing the position of the dependent hanger supported by the lower apron portion.

Figure 4 is a top view in cross-section along line 4-4 in Figure 3 which shows the raised bands or loops as extruded portions of the apron portion.

Figure 5 is a side view corresponding to Figure 3 which shows in part the top supporting hanger, the linkage with shoulder portion overhanging the supporting garment hanger, and the lower dependent hanger supported by raised bands in the apron of the linkage.

Figure 6 represents a suitable derivation of the linkage which has separate flanged means or tabs constituting the collar portion of the linkage.

With regard to Figure 1, the bib-shaped linkage 10 is shown supported by wire garment hanger 12 along the length of the shoulder portions adjacent to the hook shank 14 of the hook 16. From the apron portion 18 is supported a second hanger 2th by means of raised bands engaging the side portions of hook 24.

As pictured more clearly in Figure 2 showing a rear view of

garment hangers

12 and 20 as they are interconnected by linkage 10, the collar portion 26 overhangs the shoulder portion of garment hanger 12 to completely surround the hook shank 14 of hook 16.

tates l atent F 2,753,143 Patented July 3, 1956 ice Although wide variation is possible in the selection of suitable materials it will be recognized that for fabrication feasibility the most suitable substances will be those materials which can be readily bent without loss of strength to provide the overhanging collar necessary for support of the linkage. In this respect, sheet metals of a flexible nature and of such thickness as to permit bending without fracture will be very suitable. In the same way, the linkage can be made from fibrous materials, including paper, having suflicient strength to support common coat hangers carrying articles of apparel. If the selection of materials includes less flexible materials such as pla tics or more rigid metals, the linkage would be molded with the necessary bend in the collar portion.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, by stamping certain portions of the body of the apron a pair of raised bands 22 is formed through which the hook 20 of a garment hanger can be inserted to support said hook and hanger in spaced alignment with the supporting hanger 12. Such a stamping or equivalent extrusion of the body of the apron to form raised bands permits the linkage to be fabricated from a single planar piece of metal, plastic, or fibrous material. Alternatively, it can be readily appreciated that the raised bands 22 need not be an originally integral part of the body of the apron 18 but can be separate bands subsequently attached by suitable means and methods to an imperforate apron so as to provide with the body of the apron raised bands through which a hanger hook can pass.

The manner in which two hangers are supported in spatial relationship is best demonstrated by reference to Figure 5 which shows from a side view the hook shank 14 and adjacent shoulder portion 28 supporting the collar portion 26 of linkage 10. On the lower portion of apron 18 are raised bands 22 through which book 20 is passed and there supported. From this side view it can be seen that an offset arrangement which is an advantageous eifect in that it allows each hanger to carry its apparel with minimum interference with apparel on another hanger.

Although only one pair of substantially horizontal raised bands or loops has been pictured in the accompanying drawings it can be seen that if the loops are of such length as to permit some movement of a hanger within the loops it will be possible to have more than one pair of loops either side by side or along the vertical dimension of the linkage. This adaptation to enable the linkage to support more than one dependent garment hanger can be further facilitated by increasing the overall size of the linkage so as to permit greater spacing between pairs of loops and attendant lessened interference between garment hangers supported in those loops.

Figure 6 represents a modification of collar design in which the overhanging portion of the collar is a flanged means consisting of two tabs 30 integrally related to apron 18 but independent of each other. Because such tabs are a natural modification of the invention it can be appreciated that the foregoing description is equally applicable to the concept pictured here. Accordingly, for purposes of definition all references to a collar are not to be construed as meaning a continuous yoke only but also as referring to all similar flanged means as being equally represented by the arrangement in Figure 6, for example.

In the same way, it can be readily appreciated that relative dimensions are not restricted to those portrayed in the drawings but are readily varied to adapt the linkage for use with various wire hangers of modified design. Moreover, it is within the purview of this invention that the linkage be adaptable for use with wooden garment hangers or with combination wood and wire hangers and the like. Such modifications as they would particularly apply to forming of the overhanging collar are readily recognizable and accordingly no such limitations or restrictions are to be placed on the invention except as described in the appended claims,

I claim: 7

l. A link for detachably connecting a pair of garment hangers consisting of a sheet of material of generally bibshape, said sheet comprising a collar portion for overhanging the shoulders of a first garment hanger, said collar portion including spaced generally parallel parts of said sheet and a top wall joining said parts, said top wall having an elongate opening therealong extending into said parts, said opening accommodating passage therethrough of the hook and shank of the first hanger, said parts accommodating passage therebetween of the shouljders of the hanger and said top wall resting on said shoulders detachably to mount said sheet on the first hanger, one of said parts including a depending planar apron portion, said apron portion including a pair of horizontally spaced bands having ends continuous with said apron portion and mid-portions raised out of the plane of said apron portion, the mid-portions of said bands projecting to the side of said apron portion opposite the other of said parts, said bands extending parallel to said top wall on opposite sides of the vertical centerline of said sheet and defining a pair of spaced parallel vertical openings between said bands and said apron portion to the outboard side of said apron portion, said vertical openings accommodating insertion of the hook of a second hanger first through one band from the bottom thereof and then through the other band from the top thereof detachably to mount the second hanger on said sheet in downwardly spaced relation to the first hanger.

2. A link for detachably connecting a plurality of garment hangers consisting of a sheet of material to assume a generally bib-shape when associated with a first hanger, said sheet comprising a collar portion and an apron portion, said collar portion including a pair of parts to be disposed in spaced generally parallel relation to one another on the first hanger and a top wall joining said parts, said top wall having an opening therein accommodating passage of the hook and shank of the first hanger, said parts receiving therebetween the shoulders of the hanger and said top wall resting on said shoulders detachably to mount said sheet on the first hanger, said apron portion comprising a generally planar portion of said sheet depending from one of said parts, said apron portion having a pair of bands on one side thereof, said bands having ends joined to said apron portion and mid-portions spaced from the plane of said apron portion, said bands extending generally parallel to said top wall in horizontally spaced relation to one another and defining generally parallel Vertical openings between said bands and said apron portion to said one side of said apron portion, said vertical openings accommodating insertion of the hook of a second hanger first through one band from the bottom thereof and then through the other band from the top thereof detachably to mount the second hanger on said sheet and the first hanger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,685 Wall Mar. 20, 1917 1,804,919 Dockett May 12, 1931 1,873,039 Robinson Aug. 23, 1932 2,498,400 Dulude Feb. 21, 1950 2,557,537 Ellison June 19, 1951 2,579,240 Masoner Dec. 18, 1951