Article suspension device

• US 4,023,762 A
• Filed: 01/09/1976
• Issued: 05/17/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Batts Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: John Thomas Batts Incorporated
• Inventors: Batts, John H., Duester, Everett L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Foss, J. Franklin
• Application Number:
  US05/647,731
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 223/95, 223/88, 223/87, 223/85, 248/340, 248/339, 248/359, 248/360, 248/301, 211/113, 211/34, 211/38, 24/85 B, 24/16 PB, 24/84 H
• US Class Current: 248/340
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/005 Shoe hangers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/32 involving details of the hook A47G25/34, A47G25/38 take precedence

Abstract

A hanger for garments or other articles such as shoes having loops or web-like portions from which said articles may be suspended, included a body member equipped with a hook, the body member being generally of U-shaped configuration when folded for use and having a central web and a pair of wings. Each of the wings defines a slot opening through one end thereof and extending generally horizontally when the hanger is suspended from its hook for engaging the loops or a web-like portion of an article. The upstanding hook is formed integral with the body member to permit suspension of the hanger from a support rod or the like.

Claims

1. An article suspending device comprising:

a body member of U-shaped configuration having a central web and a pair of generally spaced parallel depending wings, one on each side of said central web and defining an article channel therebetween;

a support engaging member secured to said body member for supporting said body member;

each of said wings being bifurcated and defining a slot opening through one end and extending generally parallel to said central web for engaging the article positioned between said wings, said wings and central web being integral and joined by hinge elements, said support engaging member being a hook integral with said body member whereby said hanger can be molded of plastic material as a single flat part and subsequently folded into operating configuration.

2. An article suspending device as described in claim 1 wherein said bifurcated wings each include a lower suspension leg and an upper leg, each of said upper legs being integral with said hinge elements.

3. An article suspending device as described in claim 2 wherein each of said suspension legs of said wings includes an upstanding tooth-like portion adjacent the opening of said slot.

4. An article suspending device as described in claim 3 further including a reinforcing flange extending around a portion of the periphery of each of said wings.

5. An article suspending device as described in claim 4 wherein said hook has a generally I-beam cross section including a planar web and a reinforcing flange extending along each of the lateral edges of said planar web.

6. A hanger for garments having loops from which they can be suspended, said hanger comprising a body member having a central portion and a pair of wing members and a pair of hinge elements each joining one of said wing members to said central portion;

each of said wing members being bifurcated and defining a slot opening through one end thereof and extending generally parallel to said central portion;

a hook integral with one of said wing members;

said wing members extending downwardly from said central portion in spaced generally parallel relationship;

said hook projecting upwardly from said wing member and central portion in the plane of said wing member for suspending said wing members with their slots extending generally horizontally for seating through the loops of a garment positioned between said wings.

7. A hanger as defined by claim 6 further including a reinforcing flange extending along the edges of said hook and said wing members.

8. A hanger as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said bifurcated wing members includes an upstanding tooth portion positioned adjacent the opening of said slot.

9. A hanger as defined by claim 6 wherein each of said hinge elements comprises an area of reduced cross section formed integral with said central portion and one of said wing members.

10. A one-piece, integral hanger for garments having belt loops from which said garments are suspended, said hanger comprising:

a generally planar member having an upstanding support engaging portion and an integral loop receiving portion, said loop receiving portion being generally C-shaped and thereby defining a first loop receiving slot, said slot opening in a direction generally perpendicular to said support engaging portion;

a second member having a generally C-shape and thereby defining a second loop receiving slot, said second slot opening in the same direction as said first slot; and

a spacing member having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, said spacing member being connected to said loop receiving portion of said planar member along said first lateral edge and said spacing member also being connected to said second member along said second lateral edge.

11. A device for suspending a pair of shoes, said device comprising:

a central body member having a spacer section and a hook section hingedly connected to said spacer section, said hook section pivotable about the hinge connection to a plane extending at an angle laterally of said spacer section;

a pair of generally C-shaped wing members each having a pair of legs defining therebetween an elongated slot, said slot extending generally parallel to said spacer section of said central body; and

a pair of elongated hinge elements each integral with one edge of a leg of one of said wing members and with a lateral edge of said spacer section, said device being moldable of plastic as a single integral part.

12. A device as defined by claim 11 wherein said hook section is connected to one end of said spacer section and said slots open through said wing members adjacent said hook section, whereby said device may be molded as a single integral part with said central body and said wing members all in essentially a common plane and after molding said wings being foldable to form a pair of shoe engaging hooks and said hook being foldable to extend oppositely from said wings and in a plane normal to said wings.

13. A device for suspending a pair of shoes of the type having a thin wall-like or web-like portion, said device comprising:

a body member having a central portion and a pair of wing portions, one on each side of said central portion and hinge elements joining each of said wing portions to said central portion;

each of said wing portions being generally U-shaped and having a central elongated slot extending parallel to said central portion and opening through one end;

a support engaging member extending outwardly from the end of said central portion adjacent the open ends of said slots;

a hinge member joining said support engaging member to said central section, the axis of said hinge member being at a right angle to the axis of said hinge elements, said central portion, wing portions, hinge elements support engaging member and hinge member all being molded from plastic material as a single integral part lying in a common plane, said wing portions being foldable into a generally parallel depending relationship and said hook being foldable into an erected position in a plane normal to said wing portions.

14. A device for suspending a pair of shoes having a thin wall-like member, said device comprising:

a body member having a central portion and a pair of wing portions, one on each side of said central portion and integral therewith;

each of said wing portions being generally U-shaped and having a central elongated slot parallel to said central portion and opening through one end;

a hook integral with and extending upwardly from the end of said central portion adjacent the open ends of said slots, and being in a plane at a right angle to the planes of said wing portions, said wing portions being pivotable toward and away from each other sufficiently to permit each of them to be secured to one shoe of a pair;

said hook suspending said central portion and said slots generally horizontally.

15. A one-piece integral article suspending device comprising:

a body having a pair of wing elements each having an open ended slot when said article occupies a single plane, the slot in one of said wing members being a mirror image of the slot in the other wing element;

hinge means interconnecting said wing elements for folding said wing elements from a planar position to a position in which one face of each of said wing elements is directed generally toward a face of the other thereof and said slots and their open ends are parallel and superimposed for defining a continuous, straight channel therethrough;

a supporting hook integral with one of said wing elements adapted to suspend said wing elements with said slots substantially horizontal;

said body having a recess therein centered about said wing elements for forming an opening extending from the side of said body opposite from said hook toward said hook between said slots to a depth sufficient to create an open passage between said wing elements spaced from said side at least a distance greater than the spacing of the lower wall of said slots from said side when said wing elements are folded.

16. The one-piece integral article suspending device described in claim 15 wherein the open ends of said slots extend away from each other.

17. The one-piece integral article suspending device described in claim 15 wherein the open ends of said slots extend toward each other and communicate with said recess.

18. The one-piece integral article suspending device described in claim 15 wherein said hinge means has a spacer member for maintaining said wing elements in spaced relationship when said wing elements are folded.