US2908430A - Skirt form hanger - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1959 J. E. DERANJA EIAL 2,908,430

SKIRT FORM HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. '31, 1955 m m m0 m5 W J MONROE JANG W W ATTORNEYS Oct. 13,- 1959 J. E. DERANJA E'AL 2,908,430

SKIRT FORM HANGER Filed Oct. 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN E. DERAMJA MONROE JANG A T TORNEYS United States Patent SKIRT FORM HANGER John E. Deranja, Santa'Clara, and Monroe Jang, Merced, Calif.

Application October 31, 1955, Serial No. 543,842

3 Claims. (Cl. 223--95) The present invention relates to skirt hangers, and pertains more particularly to a skirt hanger which is adaptable to accommodate different sizes of skirts, and which forms the skirt into a pleasing silhouette at the waist and hip portions thereof.

It is important when hanging womens skirts, either in a store or in a home closet, that the skirts be wrinkle free, since after hanging wrinkled for some time the wrinkles become set. Also, in the case of soft fabrics, a skirt hung by. one or two pointstends to pull out of shape. It is important that the skirt be hung flat, so that a large number of skirts may be hung in closely adjacent relation on a rod or rack, and without becoming entangled with one another, and, particularly in a store, it is desirable that the hanger present the skirt in a trim, natural appearing silhouette so as to enhance its appearance.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a skirt form hanger wherein the side portions of the device fit within folded portions of the skirt and are spring biased to simulate the form of the hips of a wearer in silhouette, other portions of the hanger being formed to engage the looped extremities of the waist band of the skirt and draw it snugly in about the formed side portions .to hold the skirt securely by means of hip support.

The invention also provides an improved skirt for-m hanger having inwardly biased fingers which fit into the looped ends of the waist band of a skirt and which draw the skirt snugly about outwardly biased hip-simulating side form portions provided on the device.

:It also provides a skirt form hanger which will fit a large range of skirt sizes, is suitable for window display use, and does not leave any mark on the skirt fabric or belt I of a skirt hung thereon.

Another object of the invention is to insert a pair of downwardly extending fingers into opposite looped ends of the waist band portion of a skirt, the hip portion of the-skirt being passed about a pair of hip'for-m side portions, the waist band engaging finger portion and the hip forming portion on each side of the hanger being biased relatively away from each other.

A further object is to make an improvedand simplified form-type skirt hanger.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: V I

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of one form of the invention, the device being shown in solid lines in its normal condition, and in broken lines in inwardly drawn condition for wrapping a skirt thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hanger shown in Fig. 1 with a skirt supported thereon.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken'along line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention, the device being shown in solid lines in'its normal condition, and in broken lines in resiliently deformed condition to facilitate the wrapping of a skirt thereon.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the hanger shown in Fig. 4 in the process of having a skirt hung thereon.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a further modified form of the invention, the solid lines showing the hanger in its normal condition and the broken lines showing it in inwardly drawn, skirt receiving condition.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

The following is a description of three illustrative embodiments of the invention. While these three hangers are illustrated and described as being made of wire, it is obvious, and contemplated, that the invention may be made of springy plastic material either molded or formed. Since such modifications will be apparent to one familiar with the making of plastic articles they are not illustrated or described herein.

Briefly describing the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a hanger A is made from a single length of spring wire. The hanger A comprises a supporting hook 10, with a straight depending, double wire center portion 11. A pair of laterally separated waist band engaging fingers 12 and 13 are formed one on each side of the center portion 11, and a pair of curved hip forming portions 14 and 15 are formed outwardly of the depending waist band engaging fingers 12 and 13.

A pair of finger grip hooks 17 and 18 are formed one on the free upper end of each hip forming portion 14 and 15, respectively.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the skirt form hanger A (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is made from a single length of stiff, springy wire which may be of the kind used in making wire coat hangers of a well known type in common use throughout the United States.

At their lower ends, the adjacent Wire portions 11a and 11b are bent in opposite directions to form straight, laterally extending portions 23 and 24.

Since the two sides of the lower portion of the hanger A are alike, the righthand portion only, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, will be described in detail.

The outer end of the laterally extending portion 23 is bent downwardly at 25 and then is doubled back upon itself at 27 to form the depending, waist band engaging finger 12. From the upper end of the finger 12, the wire 16 is curved outwardly at 28 and hence extends downwardly at 29 a desired distance for frictionally engaging a skirt hooked onto the finger 12, and also for supporting the hip forming portion 14. v

This hip forming portion 14 is made by bending the lower end of the downwardly extending portion 29 outwardly at 30 and thence curving it outwardly and upwardly at 14 to a point above the upper end of the waist band engaging finger 12. I

At the upper end or" the curved hip forming portion 14 an outward offset 32 is formed in the wire 16 to prevent a skirt B (Fig. 2) from riding up above the upper end of the curved side portion 14. A wire portion 33 thence extends straight inwardly, and its terminal inner end portion is curled upwardly to provide the finger engaging hook 17.

A retaining link 35 preferably connects'the lower ends of the depending wire portions 29 to prevent them from separating when pressing the finger grip hooks 17 and 18 toward each other for mounting a skirt on the hanger.

In operating the device A of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the finger grip hook portions 17 and 18 are gripped between the thumb and finger of one hand 37 and pressed together as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. A looped waist band depending finger 12 or 13, whichever is more convenient, shown in Fig. 2.

The skirt then is drawn laterally outwardly past the depending wire portion 29, and is wrapped around the curved hip-forming portion 14 or on the same side of the hanger as the depending finger 12 or 13 upon which the skirt is first hooked. The skirt then is carried entirely across the hanger at 41, is Wrapped around the other hip forming portion 14 or 15 as the case-may be, and the other end 42 of the waist band portion of the skirt is then drawn past the downwardly extending wire portion 29 and is hooked upwardly onto the other depending finger 12 or 13. The finger grip hooks 17 and 18 then are released, whereupon the springiness of the wire 16 biases the hip forming side portions 14 and 15 apart, thereby drawing the skirt taut neatly over the curved hip forming portions 14 and 15.

In the modified formC of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a straight central wire portion 44 has a suspension hook 45 formed in its upper end. Two identical wire side portions 47 and 48 are welded at 49 and 50 to the lower end of the central wire portion 44. Since the two side portions 47 and 48 are similar to each other only the right hand portion 47 will be described in detail.

The portion 47 comprises a laterally curved, upwardly extending spring wire arm 51 with a waist band engaging finger 52 bent to depend in inwardly offset relation from the upper end thereof. An outwardly curved hip forming portion 53 is formed continuously with the lower. end of the inner wire portion 51.

The hip forming portion 53 is curved outwardly and extends upwardly to fit neatly Within the hip portion of a skirt 54 wrapped thereon, and an outward bend 55 at the upper end of portion 53 provides an upward stop for the waist band 57 of the skirt 54. A finger gripping hook S8 is formed on the free inner end of a portion 59 extending laterally inwardly from the bend 55.

The use and method of operation of this modified form C of the invention will be apparent to one having an understanding of the form A shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and described previously herein.

An important distinction between hanger A and hanger C resides in the fact that the depending fingers 52 of hanger C may be drawn outwardly as shown at 52 in Fig. 4 against the resilient resistance of the spring arms 51 upon which they are mounted. No such displacement of the depending fingers 12 of Fig.1 is possible.

When the outer hip forming portions of the hanger D are urged apart, each being within a folded over portion of a skirt, while at the same time each waist band engaging finger is urged inwardly away from its associated hip forming portion, a pulley-like double extension effect is exerted on the skirt material which makes the form C of the invention capable of handling skirts having a wider range of waist band sizes than the form A of the invention.

The spring arms 63 and 64 are so formed as to bias their looped lower ends 67 and 68 apart, thereby to urge the straight wire portions 69 and 70 axially in opposite directions toward their solid line positions of Fig. 6. At the end of each of the straight wire portions 69 and 70 toward which these wires are biased by their respective spring arms 63 and 64, are formed downwardly bent portions, each consisting of an inwardly inclined waist band retaining portion 74 and an outwardly curved hip forming portion 75.

A pair of substantially identical depending, waist band engaging fingers 80 and 81 (Figs. 6 and 8) each having a wire loop 82 (Fig. 8) welded at 83 (Fig. 8) to the upper end thereof. Each loop 82 encircles both straight wire portions 69 and 70, and is welded to the straight wire portion which in turn is Welded to the spring loop 63 or '64 which is on the opposite side of the center of the hanger D therefrom. Thus each waist band engaging finger 80 or 81 is freely slidable with respect to the straight wire portion 69 or 70 which is welded to the spring arm 63 or 64, as the case may be, on the same side of the hanger as the finger, but is welded'to the other straight wire portion for movement therewith.

' Therefore, when the spring arms 63 and 64 are pressed together to the condition shown in broken lines in Fig. 6, the depending waist band engaging fingers 80 and 81 will be spread apart, while this same operation will move the hip forming portions 77 and 78 closer together.

When in this condition, the fingers 80 and 81 are moved close to their respective hip forming portions 77 and 78, to easily receive a skirt with a small waist band thereon, while when the spring arms 63 and 64 are released and allowed to spring apart toward their solid line positions of Fig. 6, the waist band engaging fingers 80 and 81 will be moved toward each other, drawing the skirt inwardly around the hip forming portions 77 and 78, while at the same time the hip forming portions are moved apart to take up still more of the skirt material.

In the further modified form D of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, a pair of stiff, springy wires and 61 are twisted together at 62, and a suspension hook 61b is formed in the upwardly extending portion 61a of one of these wires.

A pair of spring arms 63 and 64 are formed from the lower ends of the twisted wires 60 and 61, respectively. The arms 63 and 64 each have a loop 63a and 64a, respectively, formed therein. The lower ends of these spring arms 63 and 64 are formed into small loops 67 and 68, respectively (Figs. 7 and 9) which encircle a pair of straight wire portions 69 and arranged in side by side relation.

'One of these straight wire portions 69 is welded at 71 to the loop 67 on the lower end of the spring arm 63,

and the other straight wire portion 70 is welded at 7'2 t6o the loop 68 on the lower end of the other spring arm 4' v Therefore, due to the outward movement of which the depending waist band engaging fingers are capable, the forms C and D of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive, will, for a predetermined inward and outward movement of the hip forming portions thereof, accommodate skirts having a larger range of waist band sizes than will the form A shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and easy manipulated skirt hanger, which holds a skirt in a natural form with the hip portion thereof expanded to cause the skirt to drape properly and without wrinkles on the hanger. Furthermore it provides an attractive display form for hanging a skirt in a store.

An important advantage of the present invention is that it does not have any tendency to squeeze or deform any embellishments or decorations about the waist band portion of a skirt, such as artificial flowers or plastic decorations, since the hanger does not grasp or squeeze the waistband portion of the skirt.

The invention thus provides a simple and effective skirt form hanger which will accommodate a large range of waistband sizes of skirts, and will hang them in compact form and in attractive silhouettes of a smaller size than the fully extended size of the waistband or skirt.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be under stood however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

1. A skirt form hanger comprising a central upright support hook portion made of stiif, springy wire, a pair of lateral wire portions extending in lateral alignment in opposite directions from the lower end of the support hook portion, a pair of downwardly extending reversely bent waist band engaging fingers formed on the outer ends of the laterally extending wire portions, a pair of downwardly extending wire portions formed one out- 5 wardly of each waist band engaging finger, a pair of hip form wire portions extending upwardly and outwardly in a hip-silhouette like curve, one from the lower end of each of said downwardly extending wire portions to a height opposite the waist band engaging fingers, and a band stop formed at the upper end of each hip form portion to prevent the waist band of a skirt hung thereon from riding upwardly, whereby a skirt having its Waist hand drawn flat, and with an exterior side thereof wrapped around the two hip form portions, and with the two looped ends of the waist band hooked onto the waist band engaging fingers, is supported in slender, hip-formed silhouette on the hanger.

2. A skirt form hanger comprising a central upright support hook portion made of stiff, springy wire, a pair of lateral wire portions extending in lateral alignment in opposite directions from the lower end of the support hook portion, a pair of downwardly extending reversely bent waist band engaging fingers formed on the outer ends of the laterally extending wire portions, a pair of 2 downwardly extending wire portions formed one outwardly of each waist band engaging finger, a pair of hip form wire portions extending upwardly and outwardly in a hip-silhouette like curve from the lower end of each of said downwardly extending wire portions to a height opposite the waist band engaging fingers, a band stop formed at the upper end of each hip form portion to prevent the waist band of a skirt hung thereon from riding upwardly, and a hook formed on each hip form portion in inwardly spaced relation to the band stop thereon for manually grasping of the hooks to draw the two hip forrn portions together for mounting a skirt thereon whereby a skirt having its waist hand drawn flat, and with an exterior side thereof wrapped around the two hip form portions, and with the two looped ends of the waist band hooked onto the waist band engaging fingers, is supported in slender silhouette on the hanger.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein each side of the hanger is formed from a single continuous length of wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 766,250 Hermann Aug. 2, 1904 823,376 Twitchell June 12, 1906 834,800 Hawk Oct. 30, 1906 2,164,525 Keys July 4, 1939 2,545,637 Tibbitts Mar. 20. 1951

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