US3234980A

US3234980A - Method of making shaped coat hangers

Info

Publication number: US3234980A
Application number: US204414A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Deknatel; John C Handzel
Original assignee: SETWELL CO
Current assignee: SETWELL CO
Priority date: 1962-06-22
Filing date: 1962-06-22
Publication date: 1966-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1983-02-15

Description

Feb. 15, 1966 w.F.DEKNA1-EL ETAL 3,234,980

METHOD OF MAKING SHAPED COAT HANGERS Filed June 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Flc-3.1@ ,0

ff# f 7" FEM f@ F1@ ff# f ff/ @L2/ F154 Feb. 15, 1966 w. F. DEKNATEL ETAL 3,234,980

METHOD OF MAKING SHAPED COAT HANGERS Filed June 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,234,980 METHOD GF MAKING SHAPED CGA'I RANGERS William F. Deirnatel, Chicago, and John C. Handzel, Des

Plaines, lil., assignors to The Setwell Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed .lune 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,414 9 Claims. (Cl. 1414-326) This invention relates to an improved method for making shaped Wooden coat hangers.

Wooden coat hangers are of two types. In one, referred to as the ordinary type, the thickness (front to back dimension) is substantially uniform. In the other, it is not uniform, and the shape is characerized by an enlarged portion at the end of each arm, which can be referred to as the shoulder pad. This is the shaped type of coat hanger and is considered to be more preferable since, with respect to mens coats, the shoulder pad of the hanger prevents a creasing or deformation of the shoulder of the coat. More particularly, mens garments sometimes have a built up shoulder and this will tend to `slide to one side or the other end of the ordinary type of coat hanger, whereas in the shaped type, the built up shoulder of the garment will more or less center itself on the shoulder pad of the hanger.

In the fabrication of hangers of both types, it is customary to take a block of Wood, the cross section of which is rectangular, and to cut it along its broad surfaces into two complementary parts referred to herein as block halves which can be rearranged in a certain manner so that certain end surfaces are abutting, thus to provide the characteristic coat hanger shape with a built up neck. For purposes of reference, the under surface of the coat hanger, which is usually in the form of two plane surfaces, can be referred to as the dihedral angle of the hanger.

In the prior art method above described the dihedral angle surfaces of the hanger represent the narrow surfaces of the original rectangular block.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when a shaped coat hanger is made according to the prior art reference, the thickness of the block must be at least as great as the thickness of the shoulder pads. This represents a considerable waste of material since the remainder of the coat hanger is much thinner which means that much more than 50% of the wood of the original block is carved away as waste.

According to our method, a shaped coat hanger can be made with much less waste. The characteristic of our invention is that the shaped coat hanger is cut from a block in such a manner that the dihedral angle of the hanger represents the broad surfaces of the block. The block is of considerably less height than in the prior art method, and this represents the saving in material which is provided by our invention. The cut is referred to herein as the block cut, and is made at an angle much less than 90 to the broad surfaces.

According to our invention, by making the line of the block cut not orthogonal to the broad surfaces as in the prior art, but at an angle thereto, then the cross section of each complementary block half is either tirangular or trapezoidal, whereas according to the prior art method, the corresponding cross section is rectangular. This angle is much less than 90, and preferably is from to 45.

By thus cutting the block on the bias, as it were, we have found that the characteristic configuration of a shaped type of coat hanger can be provided with very little waste of material.

Wit-h reference now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts:

FIGS. la, 1b and 1c show the original block in side, end and top views respectively;

ice

FIG. 2 shows the block of FIG. 1 in a different position;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sections taken along lines 3--3 and l-=^l of FIG. 2 respectively, after the block has been cut into two halves;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the two complementary halves in a rearranged position;

FIG. 6 is a left end view of one of the halves;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a further rearrangement of the halves;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing a further rearrangement of the parts;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8 showing the final shape in broken lines;

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are side elevation, plan and end views, respectively, of the finished hanger;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another example of my improved method;

FIG. 14 is a section taken along the line 14*14 0f FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the linished hanger made from the block of FIGS. 13 and 14; and

FIG. 16 is a section taken along line 16-15 of FIG. 15.

With reference now to FIGS. la, 1b and 1c, the block 1i) is an elongate parallelepiped of rectangular cross section having

obiique end surfaces

11 and 12. The side surfaces of the block, for purposes of further reference, will be referred to as the

broad surfaces

20 and 21, and the

narrow surfaces

22 and 23. If the block 1li is rotated through the angle theta of FIG. 1b, then the projection will be as shown in FIG. 2. The curved line 13 in FIG. 2 is the line of a block cut which is parallel to the line of sight and perpendicular to the plane of projection. After the block has been cut, the relationship of the block cut 13 to the two complementary block ihalves 14 and I5 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thus, the block cut 13 divides the block into two block halves each of which have curved surfaces 16 and 1'7 respectively. These surfaces are cylindrical surfaces, in the generic sense of the term, the elements of which are all disposed at the angle theta to the broad surfaces Z0, 21.

FIG. 5 is a projection in which the

parts

14 and 15 are in the same angular disposition as shown in FIG. 2,

and in which the axial alignment is maintained; however, the two

block halves

14 and 15 have been offset axially.

FIG. '7 shows the two block halves 1d and 15 in axial alignment, but the block half 15 has been rotated 180 about its longitudinal axis, and has been moved up toward block half i4 so that one corner of the oblique end surface 11 touches one corner of the oblique end surface 12. At this point, the two block halves 1dand 15 are each rotated about the point of contact so that the

oblique surfaces

11 and 12 will be in full surface contact. In this position, the parts appear as shown in FIG. 8, when viewed in side elevation, and in FIG. 9 when viewed in plan. The projections of FIGS. 8 and 9 are orthogonal with respect to the abutting end surfaces 1l and 12,.

In FIG. 2, the cut line 1S divides the broad surface 21 into two

parts

21 and 21, and the same applies to surface 20. These surface parts are identified in FIGS. 8 and 9; the parts 20" and 21 form the dihedral angle of th coat hanger.

Similarly, the inner

neck surface parts

22 and 23 of FIG. 9 are parts of the surfaces 22 and 2.3 of the original block.

If it be assumed that the two halves 1 4 and 15 are glued or others/vise secured to each other along the abutting

end surfaces

11 and 12, it will be seen that the assembly of FIGS. 8 and 9 approximates the distinctive configuration of a shaped coat hanger. In FIG. 9, the broken lines 24 indicate the manner in which the assembly can be carved away to produce the finished article.

In other words, the broken lines of FIG. 9 represent a shaped hanger in plan view, and the broken line outline conforms generally to the finished coat hanger shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.

In the fabrication of the coat hanger 25, the

separate block halves

14, 15 are individually shaped by several shaping7 cuts to more or less the final configuration; then glued or doweled together, then rough sanded, and then finally finish sanded to produce the final article of FIGS. 10 to 12.

When the usual hook 28, shown in broken lines in FIG. 12, is attached to the wooden body 25, the coat hanger will hang freely, as shown in FIG. 12 by the broken lines 26; in other words, the center of gravity is located forwardly of the inner surfaces of the neck portion 27 with the result that the hanger tips forwardly somewhat.

This arrangement is the result of providing

end surfaces

11, 12 which are oblique both with respect to the

broad surfaces

20, 21 and with respect to the

narrow surfaces

22, 23. In the two examples shown, the Obliquity with respect to one block axis is substantially equal to the Obliquity with respect to the other, and in both examples, the angle between the end surface and a side surface is about 65 to 70.

In other words, the Obliquity is about 20 to 25 with respect to each transverse axis making a total Obliquity of from 30 to 35. Thus, when the hanger is free hanging, the arms are disposed at about 110 to 120 to each other. When the hanger is thus permitted to hang so' that the arm axis angle is in a substantially vertical plane,l the shaped irnpression is considerably accentuated.

The invention is applicable to a wide variety of designs; FIGS. 13 and 14 are views corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, and show a block 30 of different proportions, and FIG. 15 is a plan view of a tinished coat hanger 31 made from the block 3) of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 shows that the vertical dimension of the neck portion 32 corresponds to the vertical dimension of the original block 30.

According to our invention the block cut 13 of FIG. 2, or 33 of FIG. 13, is made at an acute angle to the broad surface, whereas heretofore, it was made perpendicular to the broad surface. According to the present invention the block cut will intercept all four surfaces of the block. However, in FIG. 2, in which the block is made at an angle of approximately 15 to the broad surface, the block cut extends primarily from one narrow surface 22 to the other, 23. In FIG. 13, in which the proportions of the block are considerably different, and in which the angle theta of the block cut is substantially to the broad surface, the block cut 33 extends primarily from one broad surface to the other.

In other words, the orthogonal projection of the curved surface, which refers to a projection which is taken in the direction of its elements, will primarily fall on the narrow surface in the FIG. 2 modification, and will fall primarily on the broad surface of the FIG. 13 modification. Vith respect to the longitudinal axis of the block, the curve surface itself will be symmetrical so that the dimensions of the block halves are the same. However, the orthogonal projection of the curved surface upon either a broad or narrow side surface will be asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line of said surface.

The angle theta referred to is the angle between the elements of the

cylindrical surface

16 or 17 and the plane of one of the broad surfaces, and preferably ranges from about 10 up to 45 or 60.

Comparable results are obtained where the elements of the

cylindrical surface

16, 17 are somewhat skewed with respect to a right section of the original block 10.

Although only preferred embodiments of our invention are shown herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes in the method and construction shown may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of making a shaped coat hanger from a one-piece block of rectangular cross section having broad and narrow side surfaces and having oblique end surfaces, which comprises the steps of separating the block into two complementary block halves by cutting sai-d block at an angle substantially less thanV to the plane of a broad surface along an S-shaped line which is curved at the ends and which begins and ends short of said oblique end surfaces, to provide block halves each having a curved surface whereof the elements are disposed substantially less than 90 with respect to said broad surfaces, and arranging said block halves with the oblique end surface of each block half in abutting relationship with the oblique end surface of the other.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes the step of shaping said block halves.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 which includes the steps of shaping said block halves prior to said arranging step, then securing said block halves to each other when arranged, and sanding the arranged and secured block halves to provide a finished coat hanger body.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said angle is from 10 to 60.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said angle is from 15 to 45 6. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said curved surface is an S-shaped surface which is substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said block.

'7. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which the orthogonal projection of said curved surface upon one of said side surfaces is asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said surface.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which the orthogonal projection of said curved surface falls primarily on said broad surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which the orthogonal projection of said curved surface falls primarily on said narrow surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,382,931 6/1921 Prevost 144-326 1,477,973 12/1923 Marble 223-88 1,911,703 5/1933 Marble 223-88 2,153,905 4/ 1939 Yankovitch 223-88 2,185,253 1/1940 Klein 223-88 2,813,560 1l/l957 Batts 144-315 3,053,295 9/1962 Duncan 144-326 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,077,806 5/1954 France.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primmy Examiner.

DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, WILLIAM W. DYER,

JR., LESTER M. SWINGLE, Examiners.

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A SHAPED COAT HANGER FROM A ONE-PIECE BLOCK OF RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING BROAD AND NARROW SIDE SURFACES AND HAVING OBLIQUE END SURFACES, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SEPARATING THE BLOCK INTO TWO COMPLEMENTARY BLOCK HALVES BY CUTTING SAID BLOCK AT AN ANGLE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 90* TO THE PLANE OF A BOARD SURFACE ALONG AN S-SHAPED LINE WHICH IS CURVED AT THE ENDS AND WHICH BEGINS AND ENDS SHORT OF SAID OBLIQUE END SURFACES, TO PROVIDE BLOCK HALVES EACH HAVING A CURVED SURFACE WHEREOF THE ELEMENTS ARE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 90* WITH RESPECT TO SAID BROAD SURFACES, AND ARRANGING SAID BLOCK HALVES WITH THE OBLIQUE END SURFACE OF EACH BLOCK HALF IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OBLIQUE END SURFACE OF THE OTHER.