US3168197A

US3168197A - Tie rack

Info

Publication number: US3168197A
Application number: US269538A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley C Sconza
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-04-01
Filing date: 1963-04-01
Publication date: 1965-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-02

Description

United States Patent O Ce 3,168,197 TIE RACK Stanley C. Sconza, 2836 /2 N. Prieur St., New Orleans 17, La. Filed Apr. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 269,538 4 Claims. (Cl. 211--13) This invention .comprises a new and improved tie rack suitalble for use in the home as a convenient hanger for neckties and as a store display for efectively promoting the sale of neckwear.

One important object of this invention is to provide a tie rack which provides a positive support for neckties hung on it so that the ties cannot slip off the rack even when the rack is moved.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a :tie rack which displays neckties hung on it in their knotted form. Thus the rack most realistically displays the neckties hung On it so that when the rack is used in a store lrt effeotively promotes the sale of ties displayed on it and when used in the home it assists in the selection of a tie to be worn.

Another impotrant object of this invention is to provide a tie rack which supports four-in-hand ties in a knotted form and allows them to be removed while knotted and 'placed upon the person to give an accurate indication of how the tie looks when worn.

Another important object of this invention is to pro vide a relatively inexpensive tie rack which can be hung easily.

To accomplish these and other objects the tie rack of this invention includes a base having a plurality of sets of slots provided -therein and a like number of hangers upon which a four-in-hand ties can be knotted. The hangers have a plurality of protrusions equal in number to the number of slots in a set and which releasably fit into the slots so as to support on :the base the ties knotted on them. These and other objects and features of this invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an ex ploded perspective view of a tie rack constrncted in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the corresponding section line in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 -is a perspective view showing a .tie knotted on a hanger forming part of the rack;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the hanger Carrying a tie and mounted on the rack base; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the hanger.

In FIG. 1 the tie rack is shown co-mposed of a base and a plurality of hangers 12. The rack includes a plurality of sets of slots 14, each set composed of three slots, and one hanger is provided for each set of slots.

The body 10 may be stamped from a lightweight and inexpensive sheet metal such as alnminum or may be molded Or otherwise formed from plastic material. Be cause the base 10 in use is ordinarily secnred flush against a door, Wall Or other similar support and carries little weight, it need not .be made of expensive heavy gange stock.

In FIG. 2 wherein a stamped metal base is shown in cross section, i t will be noted that the base is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending raised

side ribs

16 and 18 and a longitudinally entending raised central portion 20 somewhat shorter than the ribs. The facing

walls

22 and 24 of the ribs are each provided with a longitudinal row of

Vertical slots

26 and 28, respectively, which are horizontally aligned in pairs as is clearly evident in FIG. 1. As the

slots

26 and 28 are provided Patented Feb. 2, 1965 in the facing sides of the

ribs

16 and 18, the slots of each pair actually open in the direction of one another.

The

ribs

16 and 18 formed in the base are appreciably higher than the central portion 20 of the base, and the

outer side edges

30 and 32 are in the plane of or slightly in front of the plane of the front surface 34 of the central portion 20 of the base. Thus, the

slots

26 and 28 are in slight of one another and a flat rather thin piece of stock may extend Over the .front face 34 of the central portion 20 With :its ends disposed in the

slots

26 and 28.

The -pairs of

slots

26 and 28 cooperate with additional' slot 36. Each set of slots is adap ted to support a hanger 12. Each hanger 12 is generally Y-shaped and has a pair of arms Or

wings

40 and 42 that diverge in an npwardly directon and a downwardly directed stein 44. The hangens made of fiat stock may be stamped from flexible sheet metal such as aluminnm or stamped or molded from plastic. While the hangers are made of flexible material they are of course rigid enough to retain their shape. The span between the tips 46 of the

arms

40 and 42 of each hanger exceeds the distance between the facing pairs of

slots

26 and 28 so that the arms may simultaneously extend into the

slots

26 and 28 Because the hangers are made of flexible material they may be squeezed together somewhat to reduce the span between the 'Dips 46 to enable the

arms

40 and 42 to -be inserted in :the

slots

26 and 28, respectively.

The stem 44 of the hanger are designed to fit within the horizontal slots 36 to lend additional support to the hangers on the base 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the stem 44 is somewhat longer than the length of the knot tied in the necktie. Thus, when a tie is knotted about the hanger, 12, the lower tip 48 of the stem 44 extends beneath the knot so that it may be inserted in the slot 36 to enable the hanger with the necktie knotted about it to be hung on the base.

In use, one hanger 12 is used for each necktie. To knot a necktie on the hanger 12 it is looped over the hanger between the

arms

40 and 42, and then the tie is Wound about the stem 44 and slipped through one loop to form the knot. Because the stem 44 is longer than the knot, the tip 48 of the stem 44 extends down- Wardly beiow the knot and is exposed. After the tie is made up on the hanger, the

arms

40 and 42 are pinched together and slipped into the

slots

26 and 28, respectively. The

arms

40 and 42 are then released and extend into the

slots

26 and 28, and thereafter the tip 48 of the stem is inserted into the horizontal slot 36. The tie is thereby securely hung in place.

It will be appreciated from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 4 that each hanger snpports a knotted tie in its set of slots, and therefore the ties are compactly hung and overlap one another. The ties are readily viewable and may be examined most effectively by merely lifting up or pushing aside the ties that lie above the one to be inspected On the rack. Because of the secure manner in which the hangers are carried by the base 10, when the base is hung on a door by a nail or hook in serted through the opening 50 provided at its top, rapid opening and closing of the door will not Shake any of the hangers off the base.

While in the foregoing description the base 10 has been described in combination with a plurality of hangers designed to fit the several sets of slots in the base, it will be appreciated that the base may be used to support ready made fo'ur-in-hand ties that have as a permanent part thereof spring-type wings which are oriented substantially identical to the

arms

40 and 42 of the hanger 12 and which fit under the collarof the wearer. Such ready made four-in-hand ties also include as part of the fitting a hook that fits behind the collar button, and they may be supported on the base it) by slipping the wings into oppos'ed

Vertical slots

26 and 28 and the hcok into slot 36. The spacing between the

slots

26 and 28 may be siZed to Conform with the span of the wings of the ready made neckwear. In FIG. hanger 12' having wings 46' and 42' and hook 44' is shown. That hanger is substantially identical to the fitting of ready made ties.

It will also be appreciated from the foregoing description that while the base shown in FIG. 2 is made of a stamped metal sheet material, specially bent to move the

openings

26, 28 and 35 away from the surface upon which the base normally lies, the same results may be achieved by molding the base 'of stock which is rectanguiar in cross section and forming the

slots

26, 28 and 36 with their center lines diverging rearwardly toward the plane of the back of the base,

.as opposed to being disposed normal to it. So arranged the slots will receive the ends of the hangers and provide space for the tips 45 and 48 without interference from Wall in which the base is hung.

Because numerous modifications may b'e made of this invention without departing from its spirit, it is not intended that the scope of this invention be limited to the single embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the breadth of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is: 1. A tie rack comprising a base having a pair of Vertical coeXtensive sp-aced CJI plane of the rear surface of the base adapted to bear against the Wall,

a pair of side ribs extending longitudinally of the base on opposite sides of the Central portion and also raised forward of the plane of the rear surface of base,

a row of Vertical slots provided in each of the ribs and facing toward one another and extending above the plane of the Central portion of the base, said slots on each rib forminghorizontal pairs,

and additional horizontal slots provided in the central portion with each disposed' between "adjacent parts,

and a Y-shaped hanger provided for each pair of slots and having a pair of arrns which fit within the pairs of slots and a stem which fits into the horizontal slots, said hanger being adapted to hang on the base a four-in-hand tie knotted about it and with the ties of adjacent han gers in overlapping relationship.

3. A tie rack as defined in claim 2 further characterized by said pairs of slots being spaced Closer together than the span of the arms of the hanger and said hanger being made of a flexible material so that it may be fieXed to insert the arms into the pairs of slots.

4. A tie rack comprising an elongated base adapted to be supported on a vertical wall and having a longitudinally extending central portion which extends forward out of the plane of the rear surface of the base adapted to bear against the Wall,

a pair of side ribs extending longitudinally of the base on opposite sides of the central portion and also raised forward 'of the plane of the rear surface of the base,

a row of Vertical slots provided in each of the ribs and facing toward one another and extending above the plane of the central portion of the base, said slots on each rib ferming horizontal pairs,

and additional horizontal slots provided in the cen- 7 tral portion with' each disposed between adjacent pairs.

References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/74 Orth.

FOREIGN PATENTS 7/44 Sweden.

CLUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

Claims

1. A TIE RACK COMPRISING A BASE HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICAL COEXTENSIVE SPACED SLOTS OPEN IN A DIRECTION FACING ONE ANOTHER, A HORIZONTAL SLOT DISPOSED BETWEEN THE VERTICAL SLOTS AND ALIGNED SUBSTANTIALLY WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID VERTICAL SLOTS,