US2757836A

US2757836A - Garment hangers

Info

Publication number: US2757836A
Application number: US357226A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Niedermeyer; William P Niedermeyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-05-25
Filing date: 1953-05-25
Publication date: 1956-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1973-08-07

Description

Aug. 7, 1956 J. W. NIEDERMEYER ET AL.

GARMENT HANGERS Filed May 25, 1953 United States Patent O a'lsmsss GARMENT HANGERS John W. Niedermeyer and William P. Niedermeyer, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 25, '1953, Serial No. 350,226

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-94) This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers; and it relates particularly to adjustable garment hangers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improved garment hangers which are adjustable to accommodate various sizes of garments.

Another object is to provide garment hangers which are automatically adjustable to support garments in such manner that the shape of `the latter will be properly maintained.

A more specic object is to provide garment hangers which are adjustable to the size of a garment hung thereupon.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that other embodiments are possible, and that the embodiments illustrated are susceptible of various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a partly cross sectional, elevational view of a garment hanger embodying the invention;

Pig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmented, partly cross sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partly cross sectional, elevational View of an alernative form of garment hanger embodying the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmented, isometric View of a cam member.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there i-s shown a garment hanger including a body portion generally designated having

arm portions

12 and 14 extending in opposite directions from the central portion thereof. The body portion 10 is provided with a central recess 16 which opens at the lower edge of the body portion land is adapted to accommodate a cam member 18. An opening 20, formed in the upper edge of body 10, communicates with recess 16 and is adapted to accommodate the shank 222l of a suspension mem'ber or hanger hook 22.

The generally rectangular cam member 18 (see Fig. 4) has triangular portions cut away therefrom to form oppositely extending,

diagonal cam surfaces

24 and 26 on the opposite faces of said cam member 18. The latter is slidably disposed in recess 16 and the shank 22a of suspension member 22 is slidably disposed in opening 20. The lower end of shank 22a is secured by any appropriate means to cam member 18, such as by being screwed or embedded therein. Recess 16 and opening 2t) are shaped so that cam member 18 and sus-pension member 22 may be moved readily relatively to the body portion 10 in the direction of the axis of shank 22a, but so that relative motion therebetween in other directions is substantially prevented.

The latter feature is provided in part by the generally ICC rectangular shape of cam member 18 and such shape is now preferred. However, if desired, the cam member and the recess in the body portion in which the cam member is disposed, may be made generally triangular in shape or otherwise moditied.

The

arm portions

12 and 14 of the body 1t) are provided with

elongated openings

28 and 30, respectively, which extend from the ends of said arms to the recess 16.

Openings

28 and 30 are oitset laterally from the central vertical plane of the body 1i) in such manner that they are alined with

cam surfaces

24 and 26, respectively. The operating bar 32 of an end extension member 34 is slidably disposed in opening 28, and the operating bar 36 of another, like end extension member 38 is slidably disposed in opening 30. The outer ends 322L and 36an of

bars

32 and 36, acting as cam followers, are engageable with

cam surfaces

24 and 26, respectively. The ends 32a and 36a are of reduced width to provide clearance for movement of said ends on either side of the central section 40 of cam member 18.

The end extension members 34 and 38 (shown partly extended) are constrained by their

respective operating bars

32 and 36 and respectively associated openings 28 and 3i), to relative movement with respect to the body 10 along the axes of

openings

28 and 38. When the cam member 18 is drawn within recess 16 in the direction toward opening 20, the

cam surfaces

24 and 26 bear against end 32a of end extension member 34 and end 36a o-f end extension member 38, respectively, and cause said end extension members to be moved outwardly a like amount from the body 10. When a garment having sleeve portions, such for example as a coat, is placed upon the hanger and the latter is suspended by suspension member 22, the weight of the garment, and incidently the weights of the body 10 and

end extension members

34 and 38, causes the body 10 to move with respect to the cam member 18 in such manner that

end extension members

34 and 38 are extended in opposite directions into the ends of the shoulder portions of the garment until said sleeve portions, acting as stops, prevent further extension. Thus the degree in which said

end extension members

34 and 38 are extended depends upon the width of the shoulders of the garment and the latter will be properly supported against sagging. If the garment is not provided with sleeve portions, the end extension members will be fully extended. In either case proper support is provided.

The

end extension members

34 and 38 and their respectively associated

arm portions

12 and 14 are provided with complementally formed stepped portions 34a, 38a, 12a, and 14a, which atiofd a continuous supporting surface for the garment for any degree of extension of the end extension members.

The outer ends 32a and 36a of the

operating bars

32 and 36 are provided with laterally extending retaining pins 42 and 44, respectively. These pins 42, 44 cooperate with

slots

46 and 48, respectively, which are formed in the inner surfaces of body 1() at recess 16, to retain the end extension members in assembled relation with the body 10. The pins 42, 44 and

slots

46, 48 are intended to be representative only, other structures being possible. For example, it will be appa-rent that oppositely extending, diagonal grooves m-ay be formed in the opposite faces of central section 40 in addition to, or instead of,

cam surfaces

24 and 26 for cooperation with pins or the like formed on operating rod ends 32a and 36aand slidably disposed in said grooves. Such structure permits operation of the hanger as hereinbefore described and also prevents movement of the end extension members independently of the cam member 18. Or, the cam member may be provided with oppositely extending diagonal channels for cooperation with grooves formed in the operating bars.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the cam surfaces which act to translate relative movement between the suspension member and the body portion into movement of the end extension members, are formed in the body portion of the hanger.

The garment hanger shown in Fig. 3 comprises a body portion 60, like end extension members 62 and 64 (shown partially extended), a suspension member 66, linkage members or

cam followers

68 and 70 and a return spring 72. The body portion 60 is hollow.

Openings

74 and 76, which communicate with the hollow 78 and with the respective ends of the body portion 60, slidably accommodate the

operating rods

80 and 82 of

end extension members

62 and 64. Another opening 84 formed in the upper surface of the body 60, communicates with hollow 78 and slidably accommodates the shank 66 of suspension member 66. The extreme lower end of shank 66 is pivotally connected with the upper end of each of the

linkage members

68 and 70. The lower ends of said linkage members are pivotally connected with the end portions 80a and 82B, respectively, of

operating bars

80 and 82 which are arranged in overlapping relationship within cavity 78.

The return spring 72 is attached at its respective ends to linkage

members

68 and 70 and acts to bias the

end extension members

62 and 64 toward a retracted position. The

linkage members

68 and 70 are held in engagement with the walls 86 and 88, respectively, of hollow 78. Said walls 86 and 88 form cam surfaces. It will be apparent that the linkage members or

cam followers

68 and 70 and spring 72 may be replaced by a single V-shaped spring pivotally connected at its point with the end of shank 66 and at its outer ends to operating

bars

80 and 82.

When a garment is placed upon the hanger and the hanger is suspended by its suspension member 66, the weight of the garment forces the hanger body 60 downward with respect to suspension member 66. The pivotal connection between said suspension member and

linkage members

68, 70 is thus moved upwardly with respect to body 60 and said linkage members are scissored together against the bias of return spring 72 by the cam surfaces 86 and 88. Extension of the

end extension member

62 and 64 is thus effected. The degree of such extension is determined by the width of the shoulder portion of the garment supported if the latter has sleeve portions or, in the case of a garment not having sleeve portions, is maximum.

The

end extension members

62 and 64 and the ends of the body 60 are provided with complementally formed stepped portions, like those of

end extension members

34 and 38 and body portion 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and hereinbefore described, to provide continuous support for the shoulder portions of a garment for every degree of extension of

members

62 and 64.

It is now considered preferable to employ a return spring 72 having suicient resilience to cause the end extension members to be retracted upon removal of the garment. When this feature is not desired, the return spring 72 may be omitted.

We claim:

1. In an adjustable garment hanger, a suspension member, a cam member connected to said suspension member and provided with a pair of oppositely extending cam surfaces, a pair of extension members each having an end portion for adjustable disposition within a shoulder of a garment and further having an operating bar engageable with an associated one of said cam surfaces, and a hanger body having a central portion and arm portions extending in substantially opposite directions from said central portion, said arm portions each being provided with an opening to slidably accommodate the operating bar of an associated one of said extension members, said central portion having formed therein an opening communicating with the openings in said arm portions and the opening in said central portion slidably receiving said cam member, and means for retaining said cam member in said opening in the central portion of said hanger body.

2. In a garment hanger, in combination with a hanger body having a continuous upper surface for supporting the neck and shoulders of a garment, a pair of extension members each comprising an operating bar housed within and slidable in said hanger body and an end portion for engagement with the end of a shoulder of a garment, a suspension member movable relatively toward and away from said hanger body, and cam acting motion translating mechanism connected to said suspension member for movement therewith and co-operating with said extension members to cam apart said end portions of said extension members as an incident to relative motion between said suspension member and said hanger body, said translating mechanism comprising a substantially rectangular cam member slidably disposed in the hanger body and means to retain said cam member in said hanger body, said cam member having portions cut away therefrom to form a pair of cam surfaces engageable with said operating bars.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 959,687 Altermatt May 3l, l9l0 2,452,346 Appleman oet. 26, 1948 2,528,788 Rowan Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN vPATENTS 67,074 Norway Nov. l5, 1943