US3921814A

US3921814A - Garment rack

Info

Publication number: US3921814A
Application number: US454806A
Authority: US
Inventors: Archie Solomon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-03-26
Filing date: 1974-03-26
Publication date: 1975-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-25

Abstract

A garment rack is disclosed for movably supporting a set of hangers and garments or other articles hung thereon. The garment rack comprises a frame including a base having two substantially parallel members connected together at opposite ends thereof by a transverse member and two stanchions extending upwardly from the opposite ends of the parallel base members. The rack further includes a rail supported by the frame and a hanger rod movably suspended beneath the rail upon which hanger rod a set of hangers may be hung. A pair of hooks extend upwardly from the hanger rod with each hook carrying at least one roller for rotation upon the rail. A pair of arcuate guide rods extend upwardly from and then arc over to one side of the hanger rod. An elongated bar is slidably mounted upon the guide rods for movement onto and off of an upper surface of the hanger rod.

Description

United States Patent 1 [111 3,921,814

Solomon 5] Nov. 25, 1975 GARMENT RACK Primary Examiner-Ramon S. BrittS [76] Inventor: Archie Solomon, 950 Sun Valley Attorney n or Firm Newtn' Hopkms Drive, PO. Box 395, Roswell, Ga. Ormsby 22 Filed: Mar. 26, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 454,806

A garment rack is disclosed for movably supporting a set of hangers and garments or other articles hung thereon. The garment rack comprises a frame including a base having two substantially parallel members connected together at opposite ends thereof by a transverse member and two stanchions extending upwardly from the opposite ends of the parallel base members. The rack further includes a rail supported by the frame and a hanger rod movably suspended beneath the rail upon which hanger rod a set of hangers may be hung. A pair of hooks extend upwardly from the hanger rod with each hook carrying at least one roller for rotation upon the rail. A pair of arcuate guide rods extend upwardly from and then arc over to one side of the hanger rod, An elongated bar is slidably mounted upon the guide rods for movement onto and off of an upper surface of the hanger rod.

6C1aims, 6 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov, 25, 1975' Sheetl of 4 US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet2of4 3,921,814

U.S. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet30f4 3,921,814

FIG 3 .46

US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,921,814

GARMENT RACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to garment racks, and particularly to portable type garment racks upon which a set of garments may be readily hung and transported from one location to another.

Racks upon which garments may be hung have heretofore been devised for ready movement from one location to another. One such garment rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,938 which rack includes a substantially horizontal hanger rod supported by two frame ends which in turn are supported by a set of casters. The rack is thus adapted to be rolled from one location to another over level flooring with the hanger rod maintaining a substantially horizontal orientation during transit. In this manner, hangers and garments suspended therefrom may maintain their dispositions relative to each other and to the garment rack during transit.

Though portable garment racks of the type just described are quite useful in reshuffling or relocating sets of garments within a single business location and handling system, they are of but limited use in moving sets of garments between independent storage, distribution and display systems and locations. This is occasioned in part by the diversity of rack configurations dictated by the diversity of business functions. For example, garment suspension means employed by manufacturing concerns are typically quite lengthy and therefore not readily segmented into individual racks. Racks used in transporting garments over highways between locations, on the other hand, are typically built permanently into a moving van or truck in order to prevent the racks from sliding about as loose cargo during transit. At retail outlets segmented racks with limited mobility are frequently devised for display according to size, price and type of garment. To date, transfer of garments between systems has typically been done by hand which has proved quite inefficient, cumbersome and costly. If means could be provided for readily transferring garments between such independent systems an advance in the art would definitely be achieved.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved portable garment rack for supporting garments and other articles.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a garment rack by which a set of garments may be readily transferred from one location to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide garment support means for easily transferring garments between garment handling and distribution systems of diverse construction.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garment rack with improved means for re leasably holding garmentladen hangers firmly thereupon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form of the invention a portable garment rack is provided for movably supporting a set of hangers and garments hung thereon. The garment rack comprises a hanger rod upon which a set of hangers may be hung, and a pair of hooks extending upwardly from the hanger rod. Each hook carries at least one roller for rotation upon a rail supported above the hanger rod.

In another form of the invention a garment rack is provided comprising a hanger rod upon which hangers may be hung, and means for suspending the hanger rod from overhead support means in a substantially horizontal plane. A pair of arcuate guide rods extend upwardly from the hanger rod and are over to one side thereof. An elongated bar is slidably mounted to the pair of arcuate guide rods for movement onto and off an upper surface of the hanger rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a truck unloading garments at a loading dock into an adjoining building housing a garment conveying system.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of a portable garment rack embodying principles of the invention in one preferred form.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portable garment rack embodying principles of the invention in another preferred form.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portable garment rack embodying principles of the invention in yet another form.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are end-on views, partly in crosssection, of a portion of the garment rack shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring now in more detail to the drawing, there is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 portable garment racks of similar construction with each comprising a hanger rod or support 10 suspended beneath a cylindrical rail 12 by means of a pair of hooks 14. Each of the hooks includes a serpentine rod upon which is mounted a box 15 in each of which is rotatably housed two rollers 16. Each hook further includes an arcuate lip portion 18 which overlays an upper side portion of rail 12. The lower portion of each hook rod is rotatably journalled in a bearing formed integrally with each end of the hanger rod. The pivotable movement provided by this bearing and rod configuration enables the portable rack to easily round curves as a trolley suspended beneath rail 12.

From an upper surface of hanger rod 10 projects a stop 20 to limit sliding movement of a set of hangers 22 hung upon the hanger rod. The stop is dimensioned to be received in a channel 24 formed within an elongated rod 25 slidably mounted to two arcuate guide rods 26 which project upwardly and then arc to one side of the hanger rod. Two endcaps 28 threaded upon the ends of the arcuate guide rods serve to prevent the elongated bar from falling thereoff.

As previously mentioned, the garment rack is movably supported upon a rail 12. In FIG. 2 the rail is seen to be supported beneath an overhanging angle iron or ancillary support member 30 by means of two brackets 32. An upper end of each bracket is welded beneath the support member while a lower end is welded to a lower surface of rail 12. Two stop arms are pivotally mounted to brackets 32 by pivot pin 36. Each stop arm is seen to be resting upon the top of the rail thereby serving to limit movement of the portable rack which is dimensioned to be locatable between adjacent brackets and stop arms. When it becomes desirable to relocate the portable rail one of the stop arms is manually rotated off of the top surface of the rail whereby the trolley-like portable rack may be rolled down the rail.

As positioned in FIG. 2 the garment rack has been relocated past the left-hand bracket and stop arm and the stop arm itself then relocated back to a stop position straddled between the two hook members of the rack. In FIG. 3, on the other hand, the rack is seen to be movably supported upon a rail which is permanently mounted to a frame having a generally Z-shaped base comprising two substantially parallel members 39 connected together at opposite ends by a transverse member 40. Two upright support members or stanchions 42 extend upwardly from the opposite, interconnected base ends. A set of garment ladened hangers 22 is seen to be supported upon hanger rod traversing the midpoint of base transverse member 40. The elongated holding bar rests upon the tops of the hangers thereby firmly holding the hanger on the rack sandwiched between the horizontally oriented hanger rod and elongated bar. Two pivotal stops 44 are seen to inhibit sliding movement of the trolley rail off of rail 12. Movement of the rack is permitted to the left in FIG. 3 but the rack could not be moved in the opposite direction on rail 12 without manually depressing the stops 44. The offset of stanchions 42 with respect to hanger rod 10 enables the garment-ladened hangers to be easily placed on and removed from the rack.

The portable garment rack of FIG. 3 may be moved over a floor upon casters 46 as desired. Once it becomes desirable to transfer the set of clothes and hangers supported thereon to a permanently mounted transport system the rack may be moved adjacent a rail 50 permanently suspended by means of vertical supports 52 from beneath an overhanging structure as shown in FIG. 3. Once rails 50 and 12 are brought into approximate coaxial alignment a pivotal linking member 54 may be lowered from a vertical orientation as shown in dashed lines to a generally horizontal orientation shown in solid lines coupling the two rails together. The left hand stop 44 may then be pivoted and the garmentladened hanger rod and hook assembly rolled to the left as viewed in the Figure off of rail 12 and onto rail 50. It will be noted that during the transfer the set of garments remain supported at all times upon the hanger rod whereby there is no need to remove the garments individually in making the system transfer.

In FIG. 1 a transfer operation similar to the one just described is shown by which garments may be removed from a truck 55 into a distribution and display area 56. In this system a truck is seen parked in the loading area 58 with its rear doors 59 open and with a portable garment rack 60 of the type illustrated in F IG. 3 positioned adjacent the rear of the truck. A set of garments 62 suspended from a hanger rod 63 is seen being rolled off of a rail 65 permanently mounted within the truck and onto rack 60. The rack 60 may subsequently be rolled to a terminal 64 and then transferred on to a circuitous track rail 66 for subsequent distribution to spur tracks 67 and 68.

In FIG. 4 the previously mentioned garment locking "and holding feature is shown incorporated into a portable garment rack of the type described in the aforementioned patent rather than into a trolley-like rack. Here, the garment rack is seen to include a Z-shaped base 70 having four casters 72 rotatably mounted therebeneath and two upright supports 74 bridged at the top by a generally horizontally oriented hanger rod 75. A set of garment-ladened hangers 76 is seen to be hung upon hanger rod 75 with an elongated bar 77 disposed thereatop. The elongated bar is seen to be slidably mounted upon two arcuate rods 78 which extend upwardly from atop the hanger rod and then arc to one side thereof. Two stops 80 are seen to project upwardly from atop the hanger rod intermediate the two frame upright members 74 and out through a channel transversing the elongated bar. Two spherical endstops 82 i are threaded upon the ends of the arcuate rod to prevent the elongated rod from sliding completely off.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 an operative sequence of events is shown in detail for removing holder rod 77 off from atop hangers 76 and hanger rod 75. In FIG. 5 rod 77 is seen rested by the force of gravity over hanger rod with hanger 76 sandwiched between the elongated bar and hanger rod. When it becomes desirable to remove the hangers or have access thereto elongated rod 77 is simply pushed upwardly and thence to one side along the guide rods into a resting position on endstops 82.

Though the racks just described have been shown supporting garments such as coats, they may, of course, be used to support many other articles. As to the racks themselves, many modifications may be made in their construction without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable garment rack for movably supporting a set of hangers and articles hung thereon and comprising a hanger rod upon which a set of hangers may be hung; a pair of spaced arcuate rods extending upwardly from and then arcing over to one side of said hanger rod; an elongated bar slidably mounted on said pair of arcuate rods for movement onto and off of an upper surface of the hanger rod; said elongated bar being retained out of contact with the hanger rod when moved to the ends of the arcuate rods remote from said hanger rod; said elongated bar being parallel to and of substantially the same linear extent as said hanger rod: and a pair of hooks extending upwardly from said hanger rod with each hook member carrying at least one roller for rotation upon a rail supported above the hanger rod.

2. A portable garment rack in accordance with claim 1 including a stop extending upwardly from said hanger rod between said hook members for limiting sliding movement of hangers hung upon said hanger rod.

3. A portable garment rack in accordance with claim 2 wherein said pair of spaced arcuate rods extend upwardly from and then to one side of said hanger rod about opposite sides of said stop, and said elongated bar has an aperture located and dimensioned to receive stop.

4. A portable garment rack in accordance with claim 1 in combination with track means along which said garment rack may be moved, and with said track means including a rail upon which said rollers may roll, mounting means for suspending said rail from ancillary structure, and at least one stop pivotally secured to said mounting means for movement into and out of a position limiting movement of said rollers upon said rail.

5. A rack comprising a hanger rod upon which hangers may be hung; means for suspending said hanger rod in a substantially horizontal plane; a pair of arcuate guide rods extending upwardly from said hanger rod and arcing over to one side of said hanger rod; and an elongated bar slidably mounted on said pair of arcuate guide rods for movement into and out of engagement with an upper surface of said hanger rod, said elongated bar being retained out of contact with the hanger rod when moved to the ends of the arcuate rods remote from said hanger rod; said elongated bar being parallel to and of substantially the same linear extent as said hanger rod.

3,921,814 6 6. A rack in accordance with claim 5 comprising a pair of bar stops secured to said pair of arcuate guide rods to limit sliding movement of said elongated bar on said arcuate guide rods away from said hanger rod.

Claims

6. A rack in accordance with claim 5 comprising a pair of bar stops secured to said pair of arcuate guide rods to limit sliding movement of said elongated bar on said arcuate guide rods away from said hanger rod.