US3424422A

US3424422A - Adjustable support

Info

Publication number: US3424422A
Application number: US609412A
Authority: US
Inventors: George Klangos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-01-16
Filing date: 1967-01-16
Publication date: 1969-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 1986-01-28

Description

Jan. 28, 1969 s. KLANGOS 3,424,422

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed Jan. 16, 1967.

INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office 3,424,422 Patented Jan. 28, 1969 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable suspension support for a fountain syringe or similar device, which includes an upper and a lower.

hook, the upper hook being adapted for engagement with any fixture available at the site where the device is to be used and the lower hook being attached to the device, said hooks being attached in a direct adjustable manner by a threaded shank on the lower hook fitting in a threaded socket in the upper hook and being attached in an indirect vertically adjustable manner by a housing containing a spring retractable reel having a flexible element coiled thereon with the housing having a threaded stud fitting in the socket in the upper hook and the flexible element having a threaded socket on its outer end within which the threaded shank of the lower hook is secured.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a portable adjustable suspension support for a fountain syringe or similar device so that the device can be suspended from any suitable support available in a room or at the site where the device is required to be used.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact, inexpensive and extremely adjustable support for a fountain syringe or the like device, which support can position the device at any desired height with relation to the user.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a very lightweight and compact portable support for a fountain syringe or similar device, which support can be easily carried in a handbag or the like.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the adjustable support constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the same employed for suspending a fountain syringe or similar device from a bathroom shower curtain rod;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device, as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view, taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2, and illustrating in detail the spring retractable reel for the flexible element which carries the lower hook that is attached to the fountain syringe or similar device;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 4 and showing in section the means for locking the reel in various positions, against retraction by the spring, so that the fountain syringe is securely disposed at a set vertical position with relation to the suspension point or to the user;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the suspension support showing the manner in which the support is assembled for supporting the fountain syringe a shorter distance from a room fixture, such as a towel rack, and,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the adjustable support, identical in assembly to that shown in FIGURE 5,

and showing the support suspended from a faucet fixture.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, and initially to FIGURES 1-4, the portable adjustable suspension support, generally designated 'by the reference numeral 10 is particularly adapted for support ing a fountain syringe 12 from a fixture or support available in the room or at the site where the syringe or similar device is required to be used. In FIGURES 1 and 2, the support is shown as suspending the fountain syringe 12 from a conventional bathroom shower curtain rod 14.

The adjustable support 10 includes an upper suspension member or upper hook 16, which has a straight shank portion 18 having a lower end portion 20 and an upper end portion formed integral with a hook 22 adapted to engage over the shower curtain rod 14.

The portable support 10 further includes a lower suspension member or lower hook 24, having a straight shank portion 26 with an upper or outer free end portion 28 that is exteriorly threaded and a lower end portion that is formed integrally with a hook 30 adapted to be positioned through the conventional aperture 32 in the closed end flap 34 of the conventional fountain syringe 12.

The upper and lower hook-

like suspension members

16 and 24 are formed from a sturdy, lightweight and durable material, such as any well known commercial plastic materials.

The support 10 further includes a housing 36, which is formed in two

complemental sections

38 and 40, such sections being formed from plastic material and having mating

upper end portions

42 and 44, which define the upper end or head of the housing with the sections being joined together by a screw 46 having the inner plain portion 48 of its shank fitted in the plain transverse bore 50 in the half or section 42 of the housing with the head 52 of the bolt seated in a surface recess 54 formed in the section 36 and with the outer exteriorly threaded end portion 54 of the bolt threaded into a transverse, internally threaded bore 56 formed in the half or section 44 and disposed in alignment with the bore 50, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The sections or halves may be otherwise removably secured together in such a manner as to form the streamlined housing 36 with the head portion 42. An externally threaded stud 58 upstands from the head 42 and is adapted to be threaded into an internally threaded bore or socket 60 formed in the outer free end portion 20 of the shank 18 of the upper hook suspension member 16.

A cylindrical shaft 62 is rot-atably mounted in

suitable bearing openings

64 and 66 formed in the opposing sides of the sections so that the shaft extends transversely through the housing and supports a reel 68 which is fixed thereon. An elongated flexible element 70, which may be in the form of a narrow, ribbon-like flexible strip or strap, is attached at one end to the reel portion of the shaft and is coiled thereon and adapted to be wound onto and unwound from the reel means.

The flexible element 70 has an outer end portion 72 which is provided with an internally threaded socket 74, the socket having a head portion 76 provided with a slot within which the end portion 72 of the flexible element 70 is fitted and secured, as by mean-s of a rivet 78. The internal threaded diameter 80 of the socket member 74 is identical to the internal diameter of the socket 60 and is adapted to receive the exteriorly threaded free end portion 28 of the shank 26 of the lower hook suspension member 24 which is attached to the fountain syringe 12. A concentrically coiled ribbon-type spring 80 is fixed by a fastener 82 to the shaft and by a pin 84 to the side of the half or section 36 and constitutes a retraction spring for constantly urging the lower hook suspension member toward the housing and the underside thereof which is provided with an opening 86 through which the flexible element 70 extends.

Locking means 88 is provided for locking the shaft against rotation so as to positively locate the lower hook suspension member 24 and the attached fountain syringe 12 at any desired height and when the locking means is released, the spring means is operative to retract the lower hook suspension member 24 and to draw the same upwardly with the head portion 76 passing into the opening 86 so that the socket bears on the underside of the housing and a very small and compact unit is realized. The locking means 88 comprises a locking slide plate 90, which is formed with an axial slot 92 having an enlarged intermediate portion 94. The projecting end 96 of the shaft is coaxially reduced and formed non-circular and is of a dimension to be received in the slot 92 when the slide plate 90 is moved downwardly. The slide plate is slidably attached to the outer side of the section or half 40 by

headed pins

98 and 100 and is formed with a transverse slightly protruding rib or shoudler 102 which is adapted to be engaged by the thumb or finger of a user so as to slide the locking slide plate 90 downwardly and move the square or noncircular end 96 out of the enlargement 94, wherein it can rotate so as to permit rotation of the reel, into the upper portion of the slot 92, wherein it cannot rotate so that the shift and reel cannot rotate, as is obvious from a consideration of FIGURES 3 and 4.

It can be appreciated that the upper hook suspension member can be attached to any fixture in the room or site where the fountain syringe 12 or similar device is to be used and, as exemplarily shown, the same may be hooked over the convention-a1 shower curtain rod 14. The lower hook suspension member 24 is easily attached to the fountain syringe 12 and the fountain syringe 12 can be drawn downwardly until it is disposed at the desired vertical position with relation to the suspension point, that is, the shower curtain rod 14, and the user. When it reaches such point, by a simple application of finger pressure on the shoulder 102, the plate 90 may be moved so as to lock the shaft and reel against rotation and insure that the fountain syringe 12 will be maintained at the set height. After the fountain syringe has been used, it can be removed from the lower hook suspension member 24 and such member can be retracted by simply sliding the slide plate so as to position the reduced non-circular end 96 of the shaft 62 in the enlargement 94 of the slide locking plate, whereby the spring 80 is then operative to rotate automatically the shaft and reel and wind in the flexible element 70 until the head portion 72 enters the opening 86 and the lower hook suspension member is firmly engaged with the underside of the housing 36.

In some instances, the support means can be attached to a lower fixture, such as the towel rack 104 of FIG- URE and it is not necessary to employ the flexible element 70. In such instances, the housing 36 is not used and, instead, the free exteriorly threaded end portion 28 of the shank 26 of the adjustable support is threaded into the socket 60 formed in the lower free end portion 20 of the shank portion 18 of the upper suspension hook 16 which has its hook portion 22 in engagement with the towel bar 104. Thus, the adjustable support can be attached to a fixture, without utilizing the extensible flexible strip 70 and, in this regard, it is to be noted that the internal diameter of the socket 80 on the end of the flexible strip 70 is the same as the threaded internal diameter of the socket 60 and that the external diameter of the exteriorly threaded end portion 28 is the same as the external diameter of the exteriorly threaded stud 58 on the housing 36, whereby either the housing 36 or the lower hook suspension member 24 may be threadingly fitted in the socket 60.

It is also intended that the adjustable support can be attached to other fixtures, such as the faucet 106, which is shown in FIGURE 6, or a doorknob or the like. In

such instance, the lower hook suspensin member 24 is threaded directly into the upper hook suspension member 16, which is hooked over the stem of the faucet fixture. However, the lower hook suspension member is not threaded tightly but is disposed so that the hook 30 is at right angles to the hook 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An adjustable support for a fountain syringe or the like comprising an upper hook suspension member for engagement with a horizontally orientated support, a lower hook suspension member for attachment to a fountain syringe, said members having shank portions with free end portions and an internally threaded socket in the free end portion of the shank of the upper hook suspension member, extensible means interconnecting the shank portions and including a housing having a head portion provided with an upstanding exteriorly threaded stud threaded in the socket in the free end portion of the shank of the upper hook suspension member, a reel rotlatably mounted in the housing, automatically retractable spring means fixed to the reel and to the housing, a flexible element wound on said reel and said housing having an underside formed with an opening through which the flexible element extends, said flexible element having an outer end portion provided with an internally threaded socket, the free end portion of the shank portion of the lower hook suspension member being threaded in said socket and said socket being of an internal diameter equal to the internal diameter of the socket in the free end portion of the shank portion of the upper hook suspension member and means locking the lower hook suspension member at various heights relative to the upper hook suspension member and the associated housing, said locking means including a slide plate slidably mounted on the side of the housing, said shaft having a projecting noncircular end portion, said slide plate having an axial slot formed intermediate its ends with an enlargement, said slot being of a width to slidably receive the non-circular end portion and prevent rotation of the shaft and the enlargement permitting rotation of the shaft when the noncircular end portion is positioned therein.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said slide plate is a relatively thin plate and has an outer face provided with a slightly protruding transversely oriented finger-engaging shoulder for finger manipulation of the slide locking plate.

3. A convertible support for a fountain syringe or the like, comprising: a first hook assembly having a threaded socket on the shank end thereof, a housing with an extensible elongated member having one end mounted therein and a free end, said housing having a threaded portion thereon receivable in said socket and a second socket substantially the same as said first socket mounted on the free end of said member, and a second hook assembly with a threaded end on the shank thereof receivable in said first and second sockets.

the second hook assembly at various positions relative to said first hook.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said locking means includes a slide plate slidably mounted on the side of the housing, said shaft having a projecting noncircular end portion, said slide plate having an axial slot formed intermediate its ends with an enlargement, said slot being of a width to slidably receive the noncircular end portion and prevent rotation of the shaft and the enlargement permitting rotation of the shaft when the noncircular end portion is positioned therein.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein the support has said removable housing removed therefrom with the threaded end of said second hook assembly received in the threaded socket of said first hook assembly to support the second hook and the syringe thereon from said first book assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Shaw 248-304 XR Look 248-304 XR O'berdorf et a1. 242-107.4 Boal 24 8-330 XR King 248-304 XR Rogers et a1. 242107.4

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

O J. FRANKLIN FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. c1} X.R.