US3359986A

US3359986A - Device for suspending plane articles such as envelopes, portfolios, and the like, from a rail

Info

Publication number: US3359986A
Application number: US559341A
Authority: US
Inventors: Koenders Elisabeth
Original assignee: Blikman and Sartorius NV
Current assignee: Blikman and Sartorius NV
Priority date: 1963-05-01
Filing date: 1966-06-21
Publication date: 1967-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-26
Also published as: GB1066273A; NL292174A; BE647412A; LU46002A1; DE1436111A1

Description

E. KOENDERS Dec. 26, 1967 3,359,986

DEVICE FOR SUSPENDING PLANE ARTICLES SUCH AS ENVELOPES PORTFOLIOS, AND THE LIKE. FROM A RAIL Original Filed-April 30, 1964 ZVENTOR United States Patent 3,359,986 DEVICE FOR SUSPENDING PLANE ARTICLES SUCH AS ENVELOPES, PORTFOLIOS, AND THE LIKE, FROM A RAIL Elisabeth Koenders, Utrecht, Netherlands, assignor to Blikman & Sartorius N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands Continuation of application Ser. No. 363,918, Apr. 30, 1964. This application June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,341 Claims priority,

92,174 4 Claims. (Cl. 12916.7)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A strip is fixedly connected to an article which is to be suspended from a suspension rail. Two hooks are provided on such strip having their noses pointing towards one another. Each of the hooks partly defines a passage opening for the suspension rail and one of the hooks is fixedly connected to the strip while the other hook is pivoted to the strip so as to be movable through an angle between two positions wherein the noses of the hooks are in one position spaced apart from the width of the suspension rail and in the second position less than the width of such rail. When in this latter position the hooks confine the cross section of the rail and in the suspended position of the article the pivot of the pivoted hook is located lower than the hook noses and spaced from a vertical line extending through the center of gravity of the pivoted hook.

A device for suspending plane articles, such as envelopes, portfolios, and the like, from a rail.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No, 363,918, filed Apr. 30, 1964, now abandoned. This invention relates to a device for suspending plane articles, such as portfolios, drawings, and the like which comprises at least one suspension rail and a plurality of carrying strips adapted to be hooked on to said rail and to each of which a plane article may be connected. Such suspension devices are used, for example, for filing cases in administrative systems, or in clinics and examining laboratories, where large numbers of X-ray photographs, separately in envelopes bearing data of the photographs and their serial numbers, are suspended from a rail in face-to-face relationship. For the cases, envelopes, and the like, to be used, they have to be taken from the rail, and re-suspended in their correct position afterwards. This frequently occurring manipulation proves to be cumbersome and a source of errors, especially when the articles hang closely together.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to render this suspension device more readily operable in attachment and detachment, so that as many plane articles as possible may be easily stored in a limited space while still maintaining ease of access.

The suspension device according to the present invention is characterized by one or more carrying strips, each provided with a hook system including two hooks having their hook-on openings pointing towards each other and to one strip end and each partly defining a passage opening for the rail, one hook being connected to the strip substantially fixedly and the other for swiveling movement about a pivot so as to permit relative movement between the hooks in the sense of closing or opening the passage opening in the hook system, the location of said pivot being correlated to the cross-sectional shape of the rail and to the shape of the hook system in such a manner that in about the final suspended position the suspension force reaction between the rail and the hook system tends to further close the hook system.

application Netherlands, May 1, 1963,

3,359,986 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 In order that both the attachment to and the detachmeat from the rail may be easily performed with a small movement, according to the invention, in the final suspended position of a carrying strip, the relative position of its hook system is such that without the contact be tween the rail and the hook system the pivoted hook swivels back automatically, in the sense of opening of the passage opening of the hook system, which may be accomplished by spring means, but preferably takes place through the weight of the book.

If, in the final suspended position, the points of contact of the hooks with the rail, together with the pivot of the swiveling hook, form a triangle, the suspension is stable in connection with the fact that a triangle retains its shape. Tight clasping of the rail may impart extra stability to the carrying strip against accidental pushes.

A favourable embodiment is created if, in its final suspended position, the pivoted hook is restrained from further movement in the sense of closing of the passage opening in the hook system by a stop member carried by the carrying strip.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawin gs, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view with parts in section of one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a modification of the inven tion, and

FIG. 3 is a similar view of a further modification of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a carrying strip 1, a hook 2 fixedly connected to it, and a hook 4 pivoting at 3, in an intermediate position as the strip is suspended from a rail 5. The pivoted hook 4 has just been hooked on to the edge 6 of the rail 5 from the right as viewed in the drawing. In this position, the suspension device with the envelope 9 attached to it by means of lips 7 in slits 8 may be released by the operator. As a result of the weight of the assembly, the resultant force of which acts on the point of gravity 10, the carrying strip will swivel to its horizontal position, during which movement it turns about the edge 6 and can at the same time move about the pivot 3. The rotation about the pivot 3 will, in the last phase, bring the hook nose 11 over the edge 12. The dimensions are so elected that the pivoted hook 4 abuts against the rail 5 so that it has a fixed position in time for the subsequent swiveling of the strip 1 to take place forcibly about the pivot 3 only, as a result of which the hook nose 11 of the hook 2 is sure to catch on the edge 12 of the rail 5.

FIG. 2 shows a slightly modified embodiment of a carrying strip 14 in its ultimate suspended position. The hook 13 is pivoted to the strip 14 in pivot 15, which, in the last phase of the suspending movement lies outside the plane of symmetry of the hook system and more vertically below the edge 16 of the rail, on which the hook nose 17 catches in the last phase of the suspension.

To ensure that the pivoted hook, 4 or 13, will project with its hook-on opening beyond the edge of the carrying strip 1 or 14, respectively, at all times, it is possible to use a stop member, or the pivoted hook may be doubled so as to embrace the strip. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the crosssectional shape of the rail is adapted to the construction of the carrying strip and the hooks, and the other way round. Naturally a great number of variations is possible in this respect.

FIG. 3 shows a carrying strip 18 comprising a plate folded upon itself, the plate halves being located on either side of a plane portion of an article 21, clamped or glued between them or fixed by means of staples at 19, 20'. Also located between the plate halves is a hook 22, mounted for swiveling movement at 23 by means of a staple drawn from the material of the strip 18. During its closing move merit, the hook 22 abuts against the inside of the fold 24 of the strip 18. In the final suspended position, the effective hook ends of the hook 22 and of the hook 25 consequently form, together with the pivot 23, a triangle which has a fixed position relative to the strip 18. Since the opening movement of the pivoted hook 22 is also soon restrained by the terminal edge 26 of the plane portion 21 of the article falling within the strip 18, the hook 22 can only perform slight movements, which highly promotes the device being easily hooked on and off the rail 27. T this eifect the cross-sectional profile of the strip-like rail is moreover slightly inclined.

I claim:

1 Means for suspending a plane article on a suspension rail, comprising a strip fixedly connected to said article, two hooks having their hook noses pointing towards each other on said strip, each of said hooks partly defining a passage opening for said rail, one of said hooks being fixedly connected to said strip and the other hook being pivoted to said strip to be movable through an angle between two positions comprising a first position wherein said hook noses are spaced apart more than the width of said rail and a second position less than the width of said rail, said hooks in said second position confining the crosssection of said rail, and in the suspended position of the article the pivot of said pivoted hook being located lower than the hook noses and spaced from a vertical line through the center of gravity of said pivoted hook, the dimensions are such that said pivoted hook abuts against said rail so that it has a fixed position in time for the subsequent swiveling of said strip to take place forcibly about the pivot of said pivoted hook only, as a result of which said hook nose of said fixed hook is sure to catch on an edge of said rail as it moves from said first position to said second position as a result of the weight of the assembly.

2. Means for suspending a plane article on a suspension rail, comprising a strip, fixedly connected to said article, two hooks having their hook noses pointing towards each other on said strip, each of said hooks partly defining a passage opening for said rail, one of said hooks being fixedly connected to said strip and the other hook being pivoted to said strip to be movable through a small angle between two positions comprising a first position wherein said hook noses are spaced apart slightly more than the width of said rail and a second position slightly less than the width of said rail, said pivoted hook being confined between said two positions by abutments, said hooks in said second position confining the cross-section of said rail, and in the suspended position of the article the pivot of said pivoted hook being located substantially vertically beneath the nose of said hook and spaced from a vertical line through the center of gravity of said pivoted hook,

the dimensions are such that said pivoted hook abuts against said rail so that it has a fixed position in time for the subsequent swiveling of said strip to take place forcibly about the pivot of said pivoted hook only, as a result of which said hook nose of said fixed hook is sure to catch on an edge of said rail as it moves from said first position to said second position as a result of the weight of the assembly.

3v Means for suspending a plane article from a suspension rail, comprising a fiat suspension fitting consisting of a strip doubled up through a fold to form two opposed fiat legs and to be adaptable over a marginal portion of the article to enclose it between said legs, said fitting being provided with a recess interrupting its fold, and with two opposed short noses, each narrowing said recess at the open side thereof, one of said noses being integral with said fitting and the other of said noses being integral with a flat hook element pivoted between said legs to at least one of said legs at a leg portion thereof bordering on said recess in front of its open side, said pivoted hook element being movable through a small angle only between two positions comprising a first position wherein said hook noses are spaced apart more than the width of said rail and a second position less than the width of said rail, said hooks in said second position confining the cross-section of said rails, and in the suspended position of the article the pivot of said pivoted hook being located lower than the hook noses and spaced from a vertical line through the center of gravity of said pivoted hook, the dimensions are such that said pivoted hook abuts against said rail so that it has a fixed position in time for the subsequent swiveling of said strip to take place forcibly about the pivot of said pivoted hook only, as a result of which said hook nose of said fixed hook is sure to catch on an edge of said rail as it moves from said first position to said second position as a result of the weight of said assembly.

4. Suspension means according to claim 3, in which the pivoting movability of said hook element in one direction is limited by abutment against the fold of the strip forming said suspension fitting.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,646,696 10/1927 Keays et a1 129l6.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,032,526 3/1953 France. 1,218,895 12/1959 France.

369,174 3/ 1932 Great Britain. 751,152 6/ 1956 Great Britain. 123,103 10/ 1948 Sweden.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. MEANS FOR SUSPENDING A PLANE ARTICLE ON A SUSPENSION RAIL, COMPRISING A STRIP FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARTICLE, TWO HOOKS HAVING THEIR HOOKS NOSES POINTING TOWARDS EACH OTHER ON SAID STRIP, EACH OF SAID HOOKS PARTLY DEFINING A PASSAGE OPENING FOR SAID RAIL, ONE OF SAID HOOKS BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID STRIP AND THE OTHER HOOK BEING PIVOTED TO SAID STRIP TO BE MOVABLE THROUGH AN ANGLE BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS COMPRISING A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID HOOK NOSES ARE SPACED APART MORE THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID RAIL AND A SECOND POSITION LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID RAIL, SAID HOOKS IN SAID SECOND POSITION CONFINING THE CROSSSECTION OF SAID RAIL, AND IN THE SUSPENDED POSITION OF THE ARTICLE THE PIVOT OF SAID PIVOTED HOOK BEING LOCATED LOWER THAN THE HOOK NOSES AND SPACED FROM A VERTICAL LINE THROUGH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID PIVOTED HOOK, THE DIMENSIONS ARE SUCH THAT SAID PIVOTED HOOK ABUTS AGAINST SAID RAILS SO THAT IT HAS A FIXED POSITION IN TIME FOR THE SUBSEQUENT SWIVELING OF SAID STRIP TO TAKE PLACE FORCIBLY ABOUT THE PIVOT OF SAID PIVOTED HOOK ONLY, AS A RESULT OF WHICH SAID HOOK NOSE OF SAID FIXED HOOK IS SURE TO CATCH ON AN EDGE OF SAID RAIL AS IT MOVES FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION AS A RESULT OF THE WEIGHT OF THE ASSEMBLY.