US2884171A - Garment hanger - Google Patents

Description

E. \W., ,KNUTH GARMENT HANGER April 28,1959

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1957 ATTO April 28, 9 E. w. KNUTTH 2,884,171" GARMENT HANGER Filed Nay l0, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 2 1N VENTOR [age/2e /14 (2701/2.

United States Patent GARMENT HANGER Eugene W. Knuth, Land OLakes, Wis.

Application May 10, 1957, Serial No. 658,266

Claims. ('Cl. 223-98) This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers and more particularly for a form attachment adapted to be applied to a garment hanger and especially to such an attachment adapted to be applied to the usual wire coat hanger.

An object of this invention is the provision of an appliance of this character'adapted for attachment to an ordinary wire coat hanger to embrace the shoulder engaging portions and to improve the drape of a garment being supported by the hanger.

of a form attachment adapted to be frictionally applied to a wire coat hanger and to be retained thereon without turning or rotating in relationto the wire of the hanger in use. i

' A further object of this invention is the provision of a form attachment for a wire coat hanger which may be economically manufactured so as to be used as a give-away item.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a two part form attachment for a wire coat hanger which may be bulk packed and shipped unassembled and which may be readily set up and/or assembled by the userand applied to a hanger for the better shaping and support of garments.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a readily attachable form for use with a wire coat hanger to prevent creasing of the shoulder portions of a garment by the wire of the coat hanger when the garment is supported thereby.

The above and other objects will appear when considering the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a preferred form of my shoulder form attachment for wire coat hangers;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in inverted position] v Fig. 3 is an end view looking to the left in Fig. '1;

Fig. 4 ,is a side elevational view of a wire coat hanger having a pair of my shoulder form'attachments'thereon, 2

one of them being shown in an optional outermost extended position, in dashed lines;

' Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view' taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows -and'- showing-thefrictional engagement between the porparent from these figures.

tions of the shoulder pad attachment and wire of the coat hanger;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of my invention showing the wire engaging parts thereof also made of reenforced paperboard;

Fig. 7 is an end view looking to the left in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the modified form of shoulder piece of Fig. 6, in inverted position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wire coat hanger having my shoulder form attachment of Figs. 6-8 mounted thereon;

Fig. 10 is abottom view of a second modification of my shoulder form attachment having the parts thereof in assembled position for use and showing in dot and dashed lines that the base flanges of the wire engaging fins slidably engage beneath the plies of the reenforced paperboard;

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the shoulder form attachment of Fig. 10 in inverted position;

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the resilient sheet material insert strip of Figs. 10-1l and 12 as it would appear, disassembled from this modifiedshoulder form of reenforced paperboard or plastic or a combination of the two.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, the wire coat hanger shoulder form attachment 20 comprises an elongated body portion 22 of any material such as plastic or wood and a pair of integral distal fins 24, 26 separated by an axial slot 28. The slot 28 is of a Width slightly less than that of the wire of the coat hanger so as to grip, with inherent resilience, the inclined side wire arm 30 of the coat hanger 32. The slot 28 is preferably slightly tapered from end to end thereof as shown by the dotdash lines in Fig. 1. 1

The fins 24, 26 extend substantially normal to the base along the longitudinal axis of the body 22, wholly within the confines of the base, and terminate short of one end thereof. These fins 24, 26 are divided into two parts 24, 24" and 26' and 26" respectively connected by a smooth curve C, the portions 24' and 26' being adapted to function in a manner later to appear.

The dorsal surface 34 of the form attachment 20, note Figs. 3 and 5, is preferably convexly .curved for the purpose of improving the drape of a garment hung over it upon the hanger.. All corners and ends such as 22, 22", of the body portion 22 are also preferwood, plastic or metal or any other such relatively rigid material as desired. While the inherent resilience of the integral fins 24, 26 is sufficient to hold this shoulder pad or form attachment in place, I prefer to also provide a relatively short transverse horizontal slot 36 adjacent the central base portion of the body 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, whereby the inner end portions of the fins 24, 26 are separated not only from each other but from the base 22 for a short portion of their over all length. The smaller dimension of portions 24" and 26" increases the resilience of such portions as will be ap- The slots 28 and 36, as shown in Fig. 5, are also slightly less in width than the diameter of the Wire 30 of the coat hanger. The height of the fins 24, 26 is preferably suificient for them to embrace and be supported by a portion of a downwardly curved end 38 of the wire hanger 32, as shown in Fig. 4. In the operation of applying the form attachment 20 to a wire garment hanger, the fins snap on and off of the wire and the attachment is securely retained in position by virture of the resilience and spacing of the fins as explained above.

In Fig. 4 one form attachment 20 i shown in dashed line extended position 20'. In this extended position of the form attachment the coat hanger is adapted to conveniently support a large oversize garment and to hold same draped properly thereover.

In Figs. 6 to 9, I show a modified form 120 of the coat hanger form attachment. Here the attachment 120 comprises an elongated body 122 and an attached pair of distal fins 124, 126 having substantially perpendicular flanges 125 and 127 respectively. The fins 124 and 126 are placed adjacent each other along the longitudinal axis of the base 122 and the flanges 125 and 127 are cemented or otherwise attached to the base 122 as shown. The outer adjacent edges of the fins 124, 126 may be slightly bevelled to form a V-notch 129 to facilitate placing the attachment 120 over the wire bar 139 of a coat hanger 132. The fins 124, 126 are also of a height sufiicient to embrace and be supported by a portion of the end curve 138 of the wire hanger 132 to prevent turning or rotation of the attachment on the wire bar 130 in use. This form of my invention is shown as cut from a relatively stiff laminated corrugated paperboard and in production may be easily stamped out, bent and assembled very economically. In the stamping operation, the body 122 may also be formed with a convex dorsal surface 134. The paperboard is preferably of the type having two hard face laminae separated by a corrugated reenforcing lamina all firmly adhered together. Other materials obviously may be used for this purpose but the paperboard shown provides a very economical structure. In Fig. 9, the attachment 120 is shown in place on a wire hanger 132.

In Figs. 10 to 12 I show a second modification of my coat hanger form attachment. This attachment 220 is also shown as formed of laminated hard paperboard having two smooth hard face laminae and a core lamina of corrugated reenforcing paperboard 221. In forming this modification the body 222 is cut or stamped out of a suitable sheet of the above described reenforced paperboard and a mitered slot or groove 240 is provided in one surface lamina 219. This slot is formed by obliquely cutting said surface lamina and the attached intermediate reenforcing layer or core along spaced parallel lines 244, 246 leaving therebetween a narrow plane strip or tongue 242 which is wider at its attached base than at its top. This tongue 242 is then pressure rolled or otherwise compressed downwardly with the intermediate reenforcing layer or core firmly against the inner face of the lamina 221 which may be formed at the .same time wtih a convex dorsal outer surface 234 leaving the mitered slot or grooves having bevelled sides 248, 250 for a purpose now to be explained.

A separable attaching strip member 210 having spaced side fins 224, 225 and a base providing oppositely extending basal flanges 226, 227 is shown as formed from a single sheet of metal or other resilient sheet material. The attaching strip member 210 is thus generally U- shaped in cross section with the spring fins 224, 225 spaced to provide a wire receiving slot 228 therebetween. In use the body 222 and the fin carrying strip member 210 may be shipped separately to save space and to be assembled by the user. The user may then take this attaching strip member and insert the flanged end 252 thereof below the bevelled edges 248, 250 at the outer open end of the slot or groove 240, and push said member 210 into the slot toward and to the .closed .end thereof as shown in full lines in Fig. 10. The end 252 of the metal strip will thus thread its way into and push aside portions of the intermediate reenforcing lamina 221 so that when fully inserted the attaching strip member 210 is firmly secured .in the body .222. As above stated the space between the base of the spring fins 224, 225 is substantially equal to the diameter of a coat hanger wire and the resilience thereof enables them to firmly grip such coat hanger Wire. The fins also extend out normal to the base 222 a distance sufficient to embrace a curved position of the wire coat hanger to support same firmly against turning on the wire.

In all forms of the invention it is to be noted that the body 22, 122 and 222 tapers outwardly from a relatively narrow inner end portion as at 22" adapted to be adjacent the collar of a garment on the hanger to a wider end portion as 22 adapted to support the shoulder portions of a garment.

The form attachment of my invention as shown and described herein is easily and economically manufactured i.e., the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 may be molded or cast, or it may be turned on a lathe such as may be used for turning gun stocks or the like, or it may be milled in any suitable manner. If it is milled, the slots 28 and 36 may be milled at the same time. However, the slots 28 and 36 may be sawed or milled in a suitable previously formed blank.

The forms shown in Figs. 6 to 12 may be stamped or otherwise cut from any suitable material such as the reenforced paperboard shown andare thus so economical to make that they may be used as give-away items. Such items may bear advertising matter and be dispensed by dry cleaners along with the wire coat hangers usually supplied with the cleaned garments.

It should be evident from the above that I have produced a form attachment for a wire coat hanger which may be easily applied and which will remain attached to such hanger in desired position thereon and will improve the drape and prevent creasing of a garment hung thereover.

Various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A form attachment for the upper bar of a wire coat hanger comprising an elongated generally planar body portion having a pair of resilient distal fins projecting outwardly therefrom and substantially normal thereto and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof for a substantial portion of the length of said body portion, said fins being spaced apart less than the thickness of the wire of the wire coat hanger to which the attachment is to be applied to form a slot and being adapted to frictionally engage and embrace the upper wire bar and .a portion of the curved end of a wire coat hanger to retain the attachment thereon, said body portion being formed of laminated corrugated paper board, and said fins being laminated corrugated paper angle members with each angle member having one side attached to the body portion and the other side being in face to face relation with the sides of the opposing angle member to form the slot.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the mating outer edges of the projecting sides are bevelled to facilitate attachment over a wire bar of a wire coat hanger.

3. A form attachment for the upper bar of a wire coat hanger comprising, an elongated generally planar body portion formed of relatively stiff materal, said body portion having a pair of longitudinally extending relatively resilient distal fins along the longitudinal axis thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom and extending inwardly from the outer end thereof for a substantial portion of said body, said fins being spaced apart less than the thickness of the wire of the wire coat hanger towhich the attachment is to be applied to form a slot to resiliently grip the upper bar of a wire coat hanger, and said fins being of ,a depth to embrace the upper bar and a portion of the curved end of a wire Coat hanger to retain the attachment in position on such hanger and permit longitudinal adjustment thereon.

4- The structure a ording to claim 3 wh r in th tics comprise a pair of spaced angles formed of corrugated paper.

5. The structure according to claim 3 wherein the base portion is provided with a longitudinal groove and the fins comprise a U-shaped channel having a pair of flanges 5 on the base thereof engaged in the groove.

765,331 Batts July 19, 1904 10 6 McDonald Mar. 16, 1937 Guttridge Aug. 31, 1937 Kinney Nov. 30, 1943 Humphreys Oct. 10, 1950 Kivett Apr. 1, 1952 MacSpadden May 13, 1952 MacKenzie May 24, 1955 Mills Jan, 21, 1958

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