US2868387A

US2868387A - Portable clothes drying rack

Info

Publication number: US2868387A
Application number: US597423A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rucker Herbert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-07-12
Filing date: 1956-07-12
Publication date: 1959-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 1976-01-13

Description

Jan. 13, 1959 H. RUCKER PORTABLE CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed July l2, 1956 m r W e m 7m C u i of, 6 f 5 s 9. He s? m Q a 3 .W x

e 7 3 z a a .w 3 .5 n 5 M/w U o M @M a s ff z 5 lz- 2 ATTORNEYS shown partially broken away and in section.

United States Patent Of PURTABLE CLOTHES DRYING RACK Herbert Rucker, New York, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1956, Serial No. 597,423

` 1 Claim. (ci. 21u-.96)

The present inventionrelates to a portable clothes drying rack, and more particularly is a continuation-inpart of my copending application Serial No. 475,342, filed December 15, l1954, entitled Portable Clothes Drying Rack, now abandoned.

Theprimary object of the invention is to provide a clothes `drying raclr` which can be readily disassembled i sembled mounted position and has a substantial clothes I supporting capacity. i i

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable clothes drying rack of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and effective in -drying of clothes.

The present invention is directed in overcoming the known disadvantages and objectionable features of prior clothes drying racks by providing a compact, easily portable device for drying wet4 articles of clothing. The rack embodying the present invention can be mounted or dismounted in a few seconds on or from any flat surface or furniture, or kitchen or bathroom fixtures, such as a door, chair, table, cabinet, and the like, without damaging the surface of the support, no matter how tine or delicate a fnishit may have. The present rack has particular utility for travelers staying in hotels, clubs, rooming houses,`- and similar places of public accommodation where the traveler must wash and dry a few pieces ICC.

The rack 10 includes a generally rectangular upright base plate 11, a generally rectangular horizontal top plate 12, and a generally rectangular sloping brace plate 13. The top plate 12 is positioned in engagement with the top of the base plate 11 so as to extend beyond the base plate 11 in both directions. t

A hinge 14 is positioned at the juncture of the base plate 11 and the top plate 12` and has one portion thereof secured to the base plate 11 and the other portion thereof secured to the top plate 12. A removable pintle 15 secures the portions of the hinge 14 together binding the top plate 12 to the base plate 11. The pintle 15 is provided with a loop 16 at one end thereof to provide a hand grip for the easy removal of the pintle 15 from the hinge 14.

The brace plate 13 `has the bottom end thereof chamfered as at 17 i and the top end thereof chamfered as at.

18 so that the brace plate 13 may engage the base plate 11 and the topplate 12 at the opposite ends thereof with a neat fit. A hinge 19 has one portion thereof secured to the base plate 11 andthe other` portion thereof secured to the brace plate 13 by any suitable means. The portions of the hinge. 19 are -detachably secured together by a removable pintle, generally indicated at 20.

A hinge 21 has one portion thereof secured to the top plate 12 and the other portion thereof secured to the brace plate 13 and the portions of the hinge 21 are se cured together by means `of a detachable pintle, generally indicated at 22.

The top plate 12 has secured thereto adjacent'the free end portion 23 thereof a suction cup 24 detachably secured to the under surface of the top plate 12 and depending therefrom. A second suction cup 25 is detachably secured to the lower free end portion 26 of the base plate 11 on the side of the base plate 11 opposite the brace plate 13. The `

suction cups

24 and 25 are arof wearing apparel in an emergency. The rack supports and holds the wet clothing at a safe distance from the support, and the clothing air dries rapidly without marring the support or leaving water marks thereon.` The rack can be economically manufactured and sold. The rack is attractive in appearance yet wholly functional structurally. y

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention shown attached to a flat top article of furniture.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 1,`looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the invention Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a clothes drying rack constructed in accordance with the invention.

ranged with their axes perpendicular toeach other.

A support bar` 27 is secured to the base plate 11 on the side opposite the `brace plate 13 by means of a bolt and wing nut combination 28. The support plate 27 is detachably secured to the base plate 11 and can be pivoted thereon to any desired position.

A plurality of horizontally extending

elongated hanger bars

29, 30,31 and 32 are detachably and pivotally secured to the upper surface ofthe top plate 12 by means of combination bolt and wing nuts 33. Each of the elongated hanger bars are provided with a plurality of transversely extending hook receiving grooves 34 in spaced parallel relation in the upper surfaces thereof. The

hanger bars

29, 30, 31 and 32 are adapted to be pivoted to any desired position with relation to the top plate 12 or removed therefrom to render the rack 10 more portable.

The brace plate 13 has extending from the surface 35 thereof opposite the base plate 11 a plurality of pairs of hanger rods 36. The hanger rods 36 extend horizontally in parallel relation t0 the top plate 12. The pairs of hanger rods 36 are arranged in vertically spaced relation to afford a maximum of hanger space thereon. Transverse grooves 37 are arranged in the upper face of each of the hanger rods 36 to assist in securing hooks and garments on the rods 36.

The brace plate 13 is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally arranged parallel transverse bores 38. The bores 38 extend perpendicularly to the hanger rods 36 edgewise through the brace plate 13, as best illustrated in Figure 2. An adjustable rod 39 is slidably positioned in each of the bores 321` and are each adapted to be adjusted longitudinally with respect to the brace plate 13, as best illustrated in Figure l. Each of the adjustable rods 39 are provided with transversely extending spaced apart horizontal grooves 40 in the Patented Jan. 13, 1959 i is adapted to be secured to a cabinet or desk generally ,j

indicated at 45 and having a llat upper surface 46 which overhangs at 47 a side wall 48. In attaching the rack 10 to the desk 45 the suction cup 24 is fastened to the llat surface 46 of the desk 45 and the suction cup 25 is fastened to the vertical wall 48 thereof with the support bar 27 in engagement with the overhang 47 of the top 46. The

suction cups

24 and 25 have a suflcient strength to support the rack 10 with a substantial quantity of clothes thereon.

When it is desired to utilize the rack 10 to support clothes thereon of a weight beyond the capacity of the

suction cups

24 and 25, the attachment hook 43 is secured to some'point on the desk 45 and coupled to the eye 41 by means of the coupling 42 and flexible cable 44- so as to lock the rack 10 against sliding movement on the desk 45.

The rack 10 may be secured to a panel or door by positioning the suction cup 25 and the support bar 27 against the face of the door with the top plate 12 extending across the top edge of the door.

The suction cup 24 is removed leaving

suction cups

24, 25 and 24a and 24h as the attaching means. A small suction cup 50 is mounted on the shank of the attachment hook 43 to prevent damage to the surface on which the cable 44 rests.

The rack 10 can be collapsed by removing the

pintles

15, 20 and 22 thus separating the base plate 11, top plate 12, and brace plate 13 into three separate members.

The

bars

29, 30, 31 and 32 are removed by removing the bolts and wing nuts 33, while the adjustable rods 39 can be removed by merely sliding them from the bores 38. If further collapsing of the parts are necessary to permit them to be packed in ordinary luggage, the

suction cups

24 and 25 can be detached as Wellas the support bar 27 so that the disassembled parts of the rack 10 may be arranged in a compact bundle.

In hanging clothes on the'rack 10, the

bars

29, 30, 31 and 32 are adapted to receive ordinary coat hangers to support objects such as shirts, sweaters, and the like, while the rods 36 and the rods 39 can be used to support socks and other articles of clothing as well as coat hangers when conditions require.

. plate intermediate the opposite ends of said horizontal' Small suction cups 24a and v24b are secured near the respective ends of the bar 27. These tremendously increase the stability of the rack when fastened to the mounting place of the rack simultaneously with the

other cups

24 and 25. When the rack is mounted on a door, the cups 24a and 24h on the bar 27 also act as a stabilizer and eliminate any part of the frame from coming in contact with the door or whatever the rack may be mounted on.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A clothes drying rack comprising an upright plate, a horizontal plate engaging the upper end of said upright plate in a T-shaped arrangement, a hinge element secured to each of said plates adjacent the juncture therebetween, a sliding pintle detachably securing said hinge elements together, a suction cup attached to one side of said upright plate near the lower end thereof, a second suction cup attached to the underside of said horizontal plate at the free end thereof on the same side of said upright plate as said iirst named suction cup, an angularly disposed hanger bar brace plate extending from the end of said horizontal plate opposite said second suction cup to said upright plate opposite said rst suction cup, a hinge elev ment secured to each of said upright plate and said brace plate adjacent the juncture therebetween, a hinge element secured to each of said brace plate and said horizontal plate adjacent the juncture therebetween, sliding pintles detachably securing said respective hinge elements t0- gether detachably securing said brace plate to said horizontal plate and to said upright plate, and a plurality of fixed and adjustable support means mounted on said brace plate and said horizontal plate.

References Cited in the lille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 83,195 Middleton Oct. 20, 1868 110,239 Hutchinson Dec. 20, 1870 729,608 Kuntz June 2, 1903 828,435 Stansbury Aug. 14, 1906 1,209,839 Hokenson Dec. 26, 1916 1,573,579 Ross Feb. 16, 1926 1,797,037 Wolif Mar. 17, 1931 2,169,183 Fish Aug. 8, 1939 2,249,142 Kagel July 15, 1941