US2762103A

US2762103A - Hook for garment hangers

Info

Publication number: US2762103A
Application number: US351613A
Authority: US
Inventors: Snoe O Hulett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-04-28
Filing date: 1953-04-28
Publication date: 1956-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-11

Description

Sept. 11, 1956 s. o. HULETT 2,762,103

HOOK FGR GARMENT HANGERS Filed April 28, 1953 INVENTOR. 6/706 0. f/u/e United States Patent HOOK FOR GARlVIENT HANGERS Snoe 0. Hulett, Spring Creek, Pa. Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,613 2 Claims. (Cl. 24237) This invention relates to garment hanger construction, and more particularly has reference to a hook of a garment hanger, that increases the versatility of said hanger so far as the suspension of the hanger from supporting structures is concerned.

One important object of the present invention is to provide a garment hanger hook which will be adapted not only for extension over a conventional clothes pole, but also for engagement with a supporting string, wire, rope, nail, or the like.

A further object of importance is to achieve said versatility of the hook part of a garment hanger without adding materially to the cost of the hanger.

Yet another object is to provide a garment hanger as stated wherein the novelly designed hook part can be associated with garment support members of conventional design.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a garment hanger equipped with a hook formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hook per se.

The reference numeral has been applied generally in the drawing to designate a garment hanger, said hanger including a conventional garment support member 12.

The garment hanger hook has been designated by the reference numeral 14, "and includes an elongated shank the lower end portion of which is extended through an opening 16 formed in the member 12 medially between opposite ends of said member.

The shank of the garment hanger hook is provided, at its lower end, with a head 18, against which is engaged a washer 20 that forms an abutment limiting movement of the shank upwardly within opening 16.

At its upper end, the shank of the hook is integral with one end of an arcuate main hook 22, said main hook being integral, at its other end, with an auxiliary hook. The main and auxiliary hooks are joined by a connecting bight 24, the connecting bight 24 merging into one end of the auxiliary hook. The auxiliary hook has been designated by the reference numeral 26, and as will be noted from Figures 2 and 3, extends for a substantial part of its length in longitudinal contact with the main book. The portion of the auxiliary hook that is in longitudinal contact with the main hook constitutes a main portion designated by the reference numeral 27, and lies in a plane paralleling that of the main hook.

Adjacent its free end, the auxiliary hook is provided with an offset, said ofiset including a portion 28 extending outwardly from the general plane of the auxiliary hook, the portion 28 merging at its outer end into a return portion 30. The return portion 30 in turn merges into a terminal part 32.

Portions

28, 30 lie in a plane normal to the planes of the main and auxiliary hooks.

It will be noted that the portion 30 extends into longitudinal contact, for a short distance, with the shank of the hook, the contacting parts being designated at 34 and cooperating to define relatively spreadable jaw portions.

Further, it will be seen that the terminal part 32 and the shank of the hook diverge in a direction away from said relatively spreadable jaw portions, thus to define therebetween a taperedthroat that facilitates entry of a line L or other object on which the garment hanger is to be supported. Terminal part 32 lies in a plane angular to that of

portions

28, 30 but also normal to the planes of the main and auxiliary hooks.

Between the ofiset of the auxiliary hook and the main hook, there is defined an open area 36, the line L entering said open area after passing the jaw portions (see Figure 2).

The garment hanger can, of course, be used in the regular manner, that is, it can be suspended from a clothes bar of substantial diameter. If, however, the hanger is to be suspended from a string, rope, clothesline, or nail, the article or structure from which the hanger is to be suspended is entered into the tapered throat, spreading the jaw portions momentarily until the said article or support means enters the area 36.

It will thus be seen that the versatility of the hanger is measurably increased, at little or no increase in cost above a conventional hanger.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hook for suspending a garment hanger from an overhead support element, comprising a single length of wire material including an elongated, substantially straight, hook shank, an arcuate hook integral at one end with said shank and lying with the shank in a first plane, and an auxiliary hook having a main portion integral at one end with the other end of the main hook, said auxiliary hook main portion extending alongside the main hook in longitudinal contact therewith in a second plane paralleling the first plane, to a location adjacent the free end of the auxiliary hook, said auxiliary hook having at said location a laterally bowed portion projecting out of the second plane in a direction away from the shank and cooperating with the shank to define, between the main and auxiliary hooks, an open area for receiving an overhead support element, the auxiliary hook having a free end portion into which the bowed portion merges at one end, said free end portion being tensioned into engagement with said hook shank at the lower end of said area to define relatively spreadable jaw portions of the shank and auxiliary hook respectively providing access to said area for the hook-support means, said jaw portions when spread apart forming an open space below and aligned vertically with the overhead-support-element-confining portion of said area, through which space the overhead support element is movable in a vertical direction into and out of said area, the auxiliary hook having its free end diverging relative to the hook shank in a direction away from the point of engagement between said jaw portions, said free end of the auxiliary hook cooperating with the hook shank to define therebetween a tapered throat below and in vertical alignment with said space, into which said overhead support element may be inserted.

2. A hook for suspending a garment hanger from an overheadsupport element, comprising a single length of wire material including an elongated, straight, hook shank, an arcuate hook integral at one end with said shank and lying with the shank in a first plane, and an auxiliary hook having a main portion integral at one end with the other end of the main hook, said auxiliary hook main portion extending alongside the main hook in longitudinal contact therewith in a second .plane paralleling the first plane, to a location adjacent the free end of the auxiliary hook, said auxiliary hook having at said location a laterally bowed. portion projectingout of the second plane in a direction away from the shank and cooperating with the shank to define, between the main and auxiliary hooks, an open area for receiving an overhead support element, the auxiliary hook having a free end portion into which the bowed portion merges at one end, said free end portion being tensioned into engagement with said hook shank at the lower end of said area to define relatively spreadable jaw portions of the shankjand auxiliary hook respectively providing access to substantially said area for the hook-support means, said jaw portions when spread apart forming an open space below and aligned vertically with the overhead-support-elernentconfining portion of said area, through which space the overhead support element is movable in a vertical direction into and out of said area, the auxiliary hook having its free end diverging relative to the hook shank in a direction away from the pointof engagement between said jaw portions, said :freeend of theiauxiliary hook cooperating with the hook shank to define therebetweena tapered throat below and in 'vertical'alignrnent with said space, into. -which said. overhead isupport element may be inserted, said laterally bowed portion and said freeend portion lying in planes normal to said first and second planes, for extension of said overhead support element through said throat into said space in a position in which the length of said overhead support element parallels said first and second planes.

References Cited in thefile'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,466 Buster June 7, 1921 1,803,003 Carlewitz Apr. 28,1931 2,046,781 Head July 7, 1936 2,210,490 Leonardson Aug. 6, 1940