US2235574A - Top shelf portable closet - Google Patents

Description

March l8, 1941 H. DERMAN TOP SHELF PORTABLE CLOSET Filed July l4,- 1939 INVENTOR HA RRYDERMAN I ATTORN Patented Mar. '18, 194i orrics 2,235,574 'ror SHELF PORTABLE CLOSET Harry Der-man, Laurelton, Long Island, N. Y. Application July 14, 1939, Serial No. 284,419

4 Claims.

This invention relates to knockdown closets which by virtue of the structure thereof will represent as near as possible a conventional closet structure as is commonly employed in the homes or dwellings for thesupport of garments, hats, and other articles of apparel, and the object of the invention is to provide a knockdown or collapsible closet structure with means at the upper end portion thereof for supporting a transverse shelf in spaced relation to the top of the closet to form in the top of the closet a chamber for supporting hats and other articles of apparel or of merchandise; a further object being to provide in conjunction with the shelf supporting means a garment hanger for transversely bracing the cabinet where the shelf is arranged therein in addition to providing means for hanging garments within the closet below said shelf, and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a closet of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, efiicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of-which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the several parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the closet made according to my invention showing a door thereof in open position.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the upper end portion of the closet, the section being on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3--3 of Fig.2 on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of oneof the shelves and garment hanger support cleats which .I employ.

It is the primary purpose of my invention to provide a collapsible knockdown closet structure which aside from the use of a flexible sliding door at the front door frame portion of the closet will represent a replica of a more or less conventional built-in closet construction as commonly. employed in the home' for the storage and hanging of various kinds and classes of articles of apparel including hats, shoes and the like. It is the further purpose of my invention to provide what might be termed a port- 1 able closet which may be readily set up in any room of the home for the convenient hanging of garments of apparel and for the placing of hats and other articles to accommodate guests visiting the home for an evening or for a weekend thereby providing a practical and useful article of merchandise for satisfying a much needed want in the home. In fact, by reason of the economy in the construction of the closet the average home could afford to use two or three of these cabinets in conveniently storing away garments in accommodating a large number of people still maintaining the garments in a neat and pressed condition as will be apparent. My improved cabinet also provides an extra closet for rooms where limited closet space is provided and-in fact in various camps and other public dwelling places where sufficient closet. space is not available and especially in overnight camps and other places of this type and kind.

It will of course be apparent that my improved structure is adapted for use in conjunction with collapsible wall parts of various t'ypes of construction and utilizing different types of door closures. For purposes of illustrating one adaptation of my invention, however, I have shown in the accompanying drawing a closet comprising a unitary sheet ill of foldable material forming vertical wall portions of the cabinet including a rear wall ll, side walls i2, Ma and 2 of the drawing), having peripheral reenforcing flanges ll, Ila formed of wood or other suitable material.

The top wall [4 of the cabinet, supports, by I means of'suitable brackets la, a roller IQ for supporting a flexible closure member 20 as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The closure member 20 is of less width than the width of the cabinet providing for the slidable arrangement of said member in longitudinal grooves 2| formed invertical rails 22, 22a and secured to the opposed free edges of the front wall panel members l3,

I311. The free end of the closure member 20 is provided with a reenforcing rail 23 having means closely and slidably engaging the grooves 2| in v the rails 22, 22a.

' The closure member 20 may be of any desired length to control the opening of the entire central portion ofthe front wall of the cabinet or desired part thereof. Forpurposes of illustration, however, the closure member 20 has been illustrated as adapted to extend only part way to the bottom of the cabinet, the lower portion of the cabinet being provided with an independent closure member 24 slidably arranged in the grooves 21 of the rails 22, 22a. The closure member 24 comprises a panel 25 of sheet material having an upper reenforcing rail 25 and a lower reenforcing rail 21 secured thereto and slidably engaging the grooves 2| as previously described in connection with the rail 23.

The rail 23 and the rail 23 are provided with suitable coupling means 23, 280 while the rail 21 and the reenforcing flaige Ila of the bottom wall of the cabinet are a so provided with cooperating coupling members 29, 23a. It will be apparent that the front wall of the cabinet may be completely closed when the coupling means 28, 28a and 29, 29a are in engagement, and it will further be apparent that the closure means may be operated to selectively open predetermined portions of the front wall by disengaging either or both of the coupling means.

The upper portion of the cabinet is provided in spaced relation to the topwall i4 thereof with a shelf 30 comprising a sheet 31 of thin material reenforced at the front and rear edges thereof a with transverse strips 32, 32a respectively of wood or other suitable material. The shelf 30 is detachably supported within the cabinet by cleats 33 riveted or otherwise secured to the side walls in abutting relation therewith by suitable means as indicated at 33a in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The cleats 33 are preferably notched at the ends thereof, (see 34 in Fig. 4 of the drawing), to receive the reenforcing strips 32, 32a, it being apparent that the cleats 33 are of suificient width to insure support of the strips 32, 32a as well as side edges of the sheet 3| throughout the length thereof. The inner side surface of each cleat 33, or in other words-the surface exposed within the cabinet, is preferably smooth throughout the length thereof while the outer surface 35 is provided intermediate the ends thereof with a vertically arranged channel or groove 36 providing a clearance between the wall I2 of the cabinet and the cleat 33. The channel 36 and the clearance formed thereby provides for the arrangement of a hanger bracket 31 on the cleat 33, the bracket being preferably constructed of thin sheetmetal. Anothersimilar bracket is employed in conjunction with the, opposed cleat, and the brackets are provided with pivoted hanger arms 38 to which is attached a suitable hanger rod 39. The brackets 31 together with the arms 38 and the rod 39 form a hanger unit freely detachable with respect to the cabinet. The hanger unit may also include means as indicated by the tube 66 for retaining predetermined scenting or moth killing materials and the like.

The removable shelf 30 when arranged on the cleats 33 will be substantially level, the center portion of the sheet 34 being held slightly above I the cleats at the central portion thereof by the brackets 31. It will be apparent, however, that in producing a more finished and expensive closet or cabinet suitable recesses could be provided in the'upper edges of the cleats 33 to dispose the brackets 31 in alinement therewith.

It will be apparent that my improved cabinet which may properly be termed a wardrobe or closet provides, in a single light weight and collapsible unit, combined storage space particularly adapted for the storage of hats, dresses, coats or similar apparel, and shoes or other footwear. It will further be apparent that the selec-, tively operable closure means provides for the ment compartments, while detaching only the' coupling 29, 2911 will make accessible the garment and footwear compartment. 0n the other hand, if both couplings are unlatched the hat and garment compartments will be normally accessible and the footwear compartmentcabinet may be readily reached by manually raising the lower closure member 24.

It will be apparent that the hanger unit forms a transverse brace tending to maintain the shelf supporting cleats 33 in proper spaced relation to insure engagement of the shelf therewith.

The inexpensive sheet material employed in the various wall portions of the device is preferably corrugated board or fibrous board. It will, however, be understood that other suitable materials may be used which will provide the desired light weight knockdown construction.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure b'yLetters Patent, is:

1. A knockdown cabinet of the character described comprising a foldable back and side wall member and independent top and bottom wall parts, vertical rails on opposed edges of said wall member, and transverse rails on said top and bottom wall parts forming a door frame for said cabinet, saidvertical rails having channels adapted for the support of slidable closure means for said door frame, inner opposed surfaces of the side walls of the cabinet having in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof elongated shelf supporting members, means on said members providing for the detachable support of a garment hanger unit, other means on said members and saidshelf for keying the shelf against accidental displacement, said shelf dividing said cabinet into an upper hat receiving compartment and a lower garment receiving compartment, the bottom of said last named compartadapted for the support of slidable closure means for said door frame, inner opposed surfaces of the side walls of the cabinet having in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof elongated shelf supporting members, a shelf detachable with respect to said members, means on said members detachably supporting a garment hanger unit in connection therewith, said hanger unit including a transverse hanger supporting rod and a transverse tube above said rod adapted for the support of volatile materials, said tube and rod forming of said hanger unit a transverse brace coupling said shelf supporting members.

, 3. In a knockdown closet of the character described comprising detachably coupled parts, one of said parts comprising collapsibly related rear and side walls of the closet, elongated strips per manently secured to'inner opposed surfaces of the side walls in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof and collapsible with said walls, a shelf, a garment hanger supporting unit for arrangement within said walls of the cabinet, means on said strips, said shelf and unit for detachably supporting the shelf and unit'on said strips and to extend between said side walls, said supporting strips extending substantially the full depth of the side walls, and the means coupling the shelf with the strips comprising notched upper ends on the strips, and front and rear flanges on the shelf engaging the notched ends of the strip to retain the shelf against displacement in the closet.

scribed comprising detachably coupled parts, one

of said parts comprising collapsibly related rear and side walls of the closet, elongated strips per manently secured to inner opposed surfaces of the side walls in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof and collapsible with said walls, a shelf,

a garment hanger supporting unit for arrangement within said walls of the cabinet, means on said strips, said shelf and unit for detachably supporting the shelf and unit on said strips and to extend between said side walls, and the means coupling the hanger unit with said strips comprising hook-shaped brackets on the unit engaging central recessed portions in said strips.

HARRY DERMAN.

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