US3253813A

US3253813A - Clothes hanger attachment

Info

Publication number: US3253813A
Application number: US399252A
Authority: US
Inventors: Felix J Schwab
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-07-16
Filing date: 1964-09-25
Publication date: 1966-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-31

Description

y 1, 1966 F. J. SCHWAB 3,253,813

CLOTHES HANGER ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 25, 1964 max 770p FI-Z/X J 50/11/45 49 QQM/EW v to either air or dry the garment.

United States Patent Claims. 131. 248-339) This invention relates to an attachment for clothes hangers. In particular it rel-ates to an attachment for wire clothes hangers which is adapted to grip a clothesline so as to support and hold the hanger against sliding or turning movement thereon.

It is very common for a housewife to wish to hang a garment on a clothesline by means of a clothes hanger A clothes hanger will, of course, stay on a clothesline provided that there is no wind. However, any breeze will cause a clothes hanger to slide on the clothesline and a strong wind will cause the hanger to turn to such an extent that the hanger hook will come ofi the line. Attempts have been made in the past to overcome this difficulty by providing some type of auxiliary hook on a regular clothes hanger which is especially adapted to engage a clothesline. One type of such hook is that to be found in United States Patent No. 2,494,973 issued January 17, 1950, in which a hook has been provided which is integral with the hanger itself. This has the disadvantage of making the hanger more expensive than a regular hanger.

Various types of detachable devices have also been developed, such as those described in United States Patent No; 2,692,575 issued February 24, 1953 and United States Patent No. 2,915,274 issued December 1, 1959. However, the device of Patent No. 2,915,274 is very complex, while the device of Patent No. 2,629,575 has the require ments of simplicity but is difiicult to attach to or detach froma clothes hanger.

I have now developed a simple attachment for attaching to clothes hangers which is extremely easy to attachto and detach from clothes hangers while also being able to rigidly hold the hanger on the clothesline. My attachment is intended primarily for use with a wire clothes hanger of the type which has a pair of oppositely-extending arms supported at the centre of the hanger by upwardly-extending portions which converge so as to form a notch, and which are connected by a twisted joint or other means above said notch.

The attachment of my invention comprises a substantially N-shaped strip of fiat material formed such that a straight centre portion is joined at each end to an end of an outer straight portion so as to form small open angles between the centre .portion and each outer portion. A protrusion is provided between one outer por-.

tion and the centre portion which is adapted to engage the notch in the hanger. The angles and distances between the centre portion and the outer portions are arranged such that the side containing the protrusion will securely hold a common Wire hanger while the side which does not contain the protrusion will securely hold a clothesline. The protrusion can be joined to either the centre portion or the outer portion or to both and can be rec- Particularly when a pin is used as the protrusion,

plastic the protrusion and projections are generally formed integrally with the main part of the attachment.

My invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of my invention for supporting a hanger upona clothesline;

FIGURE 2 is a section of the device as shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of my invention for supporting a hanger upon a clothesline; and

FIGURE 4 is a sec-tion of the device as shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIGURES 1 and 3 show a wire clothes hanger W positioned in my attachment 10 with my attachment also gripping the clothesline L.

The wire clothes hanger W is of the type which has a pair of oppositely-extending arms 11 and 12 supported at the centre of the hanger by upwardly-extending

portions

13 and 14 which converge so as to form a notch 15 and which are connected by a twisted joint 16 above said notch. The upwardly-extending portion 13 is continued above the twisted joint 16 and curved laterally and down wardly to provide a large clothes hanger 17, while the upwardly-extending portion 13 terminates slightly above the twisted joint 16.

The attachment 10 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a strip of flat material arranged such that a straight centre portion 18 is joined at each end to an end of two

outer portions

19 and 20 so as to form

small angles

21 and 22 between the

outer portions

19 and 20 and the centre portion 18. A rectangular protrusion 23 is provided between the outer portion 19 and the centre portion 18 and is adapted to engage the notch 15 of the hanger W. When the hanger W is in position in the attachment 10, the protrusion 23 engages the

upwardlyextending portions

13 and 14 thus preventing the hanger fro-m pivoting in the attachment and the angle 21 as well as the distance between centre portion 18 and outer por-' tion 19 are arranged so as to resiliently engage the oppositely-extending arms 11 and 12. The angle 22 as well as the'distance between centre portion 1 8 and outer portion 20 are arranged so as to resiliently engage the clothesline L.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the attachment 10 has a pin 24 fastened between the outer portion 19 and the centre portion 18 which engages the notch 15 of the hanger W. This embodiment also shows two

projections

25 and 26 which extend out from the face of the centre portion 18. The

projections

25 and 26 are positioned to engage the twisted joint 16 of the hanger W in order to prevent the hanger W from pivoting about the pin 24.

It will also be understood that the

projections

25 and 26 can also be used with the rectangular protrusion 23 in order to more rigidly hold the hanger W in the attachment 10.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An attachment for a Wire clothes hanger of the type which, has a pair of oppositely-extending arms supported at the centre of the hanger by upwardly-extending portions which converge so as to form a notch, and which are connected by a twisted joint above said notch, comprising a substantially N-shaped strip of flat material formed such that a straight centre portion is, joined at each end to an end of an outer straight portion so as to form small open angles between the centre portion and each outer portion, and a protrusion between one outer 3 portion and the centre portion which is adapted to engage the notch in the hanger, said protrusion completely bridging the space between said outer portion and said centre portion at a point intermediate the said ends of the centre portion. Y

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional projections extend from the face of the centre portion adjacent the protrusion which engages the notch, said additional projections being adapted to engage the upwardly-extending portion of the hanger.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion for engaging the notch is integrally formed with the centre portion and outer portion.

4. An attachment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion for engaging the notch is integrally formed with both the centre portion and the outer portion.

5. An attachment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion for engaging the notch is in the formof a pin between the centre portion and the outer portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,623,919 4/1927 Hagen 248317 1,637,981 8/=1927 Baldwin 248-32 2,629,575 2/:195'3 Loyot et a1; 248317 2,915,274 112/ 1959 Gustitus 248-317 2,980,383 4/1961 Anderson et al 248-317 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. A

J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A WIRE CLOTHES HANGER OF THE TYPE WHICH HAS A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY-EXTENDING ARMS SUPPORTED AT THE CENTER OF THE HANGER BY UPWARDLY-EXTENDING PORTIONS WHICH CONVERGE SO AS TO FORM A NOTCH, AND WHICH ARE CONNECTED BY A TWISTED JOINT ABOVE SAID NOTCH, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY N-SHAPED STRIP OF FLAT MATERIAL FORMED SUCH THAT A STRAIGHT CENTRE PORTION IS JOINED AT EACH END TO AN END OF AN OUTER STRAIGHT PORTION SO AS TO FORM SMALL OPEN ANGLES BETWEEN THE CENTER PORTION AND EACH OUTER PORTION, AND A PROTRUSION BETWEEN ONE OUTER PORTION AND THE CENTER PORTION WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE NOTCH IN THE HANGER, SAID PROTRUSION COMPLETELY BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTER PORTION AND SAID CENTRE PORTION AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE SAID ENDS OF THE CENTRE PORTION.