US2477977A - Rack - Google Patents

Description

S. E. GELB Aug. 2, 1949. I

RACK

Filed Oct. 19, 1945 W W m I 511m 11d 5- Gel BY P ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 This invention relates to racks and more particularly to racks of the character for hanging garments, coat hangers and other articles.

Primarily the invention seeks to provide means movable from place to place Where needed for a temporary use. For instance, when coming into a house in inclement weather with a wet garment, it is undesirable to hang that garment with others in a closet and a temporary rack for the purpose adapted to be situated outside the closet would be a most acceptable accessory, and is an accomplishment of the present invention. The further desirability of locating the garment close to the closet so as to be conveniently put away when dry finds ready solution in the present invention by utilizing the door as a rack-supporting means. In this connection, an object of the invention is to utilize the door as a support without alteration of or injury to the door. Another .object of the invention is to permit shutting the door and enable the door to be subject to normal use while also having the present invention carried thereby. Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains as the description proceeds, both by direct recitation thereof and by inference from the context. Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views: .Figure 1 is :a perspective view of a rack'constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown. in its assembled operative position on a door;

Figure 2 is a front elevation; and

Figure 3 is an edge view of a different mounting for the bracket of Figure 1.

In the specific embodiment of the invention, the rack is illustrated complete in Figure 1 as comprising a mounting which in turn supports a bracket ll removably therefrom. The mounting shown in this view is applicable to the upper margin of a door I2 where it may be left, if desired, or removed at will. Said mounting is shown as made from sheet material, of which metal is a preferred example, and is shaped, in edge view as an inverted U the legs l3, l3 of which are adapted to be situated next the front and rear faces of the door and with the cross-portion M of the U resting on top edge of the door. The inside surfaces of the U-shaped mounting are made smooth so as not to scratch the door and the material is preferably resilient and the legs arranged to normally slope toward each other in the direction to- 5 Claims. (Cl. 211 106).

ward their free ends so as to grip the doorand frictionally retain the mounting in place. Near the upper or connected ends of thelegs is provided a suitable hook l5 projecting outward 5 and upward from the face of the leg. If desired,

both legs may be equipped withsuch a hook, enablin either or both to be utilized as a bracketsupporting means. As here shown, a tab of the metal of which the leg is made is stamped there from on three sides of the tab and bent across the fourth side to provide the said hook as an integral part of the leg material. However, it will'be appreciated a separately made hook secured to the leg may be employed if desired. Near the lower part of each leg of the mounting, at each side edge thereof, is provided a flange [6; also preferably integral with the material'forming the leg, and rolled forwardly and slightly over the leg to constitute another hook for engaging and limiting the side le of the bracket more specifically described below.

Bracket I I by preference is fabricated from steel wire, both for strength and resilience obtained by those inherent characteristics of that material. By welding, or otherwise, the wire is endless in the completed structure. The wire forming the bracket is bent to form a loop I! at an upper part of the same, the strands of the wire being brought near together as a constriction at 18, below the loop and then diverging outwardly downward in the plane of the loop to form diverging legs I9. At the bottom of the legs, the strands are bent forwardly substantially in a generally perpendicular direction from the plane of the legs and loop 55 to constitute a bottom reach 20 adapted to receive and suspend such items as clothes, clothes hangers and the like in use. If desired, said bottom reaches 20 may be provided with a series of waves 2| forming crests and hollows that will 40 aid in positioning or retaining items hung therefrom from sliding. At the forward ends of the bottom reaches, the strands are bent backwardly upward to converge toward the originally mentioned loop, these parts being identified as braces 45 22, and at the converging upper ends of these braces the strands unite in a second or front loop 23 which tangentially engages the upper part of the first-described loop and is preferably welded or otherwise secured thereto at the engaged area. Said loops l1 and 23 are made of adequate size to receive hook ll: of the mounting therein and are removable from the hook :at will by the user. The divergence of the legs I9 of the bracket is greater than divergence of the side hooks with on respect to the supporting hook of the mounting thereby necessitating that the said legs be flexed toward each other in order to engage them within the side hooks. The resilience of the metal wire of which the bracket is composed then functions to retain the legs confined by the hooks. The flexing of said legs is rendered more effective by virtue of the strands of the wire being brought inward at the lower part of the vertical loop I! at the constriction l8 described.

If desired, the mounting may be left in place on the door and the bracket removed when not in use, or both the mounting and bracket may be removed in accordance with the wishes of the householder. It may be said, that it is usual to provide some clearance between a door and the top rail of the frame for the doorway, and by virtue of the thin character of the material employed for the mounting, the mounting takes advantage of the clearance without interfering with the normal opening and closing of the door. Furthermore, it is most probable that a door will tend to sag slightly in time and there is consequently rarely an instance where the mounting cannot be used upon a door.

If desired, a mounting may be provided to be permanently attached to a door or wall, such a mounting being shown in Figures 2 and 3. This mounting, identified as Illa provides only a single leg or body l3a having a hook l5a on the face thereof near the top, and side flanges or hooks 16a at a distance below the top hook and into which the bracket of Figure 1 may be flexed for mounting as described in connection with the preferred form of mounting above. In this showing, hook [5a is shown attached by a rivet 24', exemplifying the previously mentioned possibility of utilizing a separately formed hook rather than forming it as a stamped portion 'of' the mounting. This mounting may be secured in place by such means as screws 25 applied therethrough into the door or wall where desired.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising a mounting having an upper hook and Side hooks, and a bracket so constructed and arranged that it engages with said side hooks and on said upper hook, said bracket having diverging legs and braces diverg ing 'f'r'onreach other and from the legs, and said bracket having article supporting means as part thereof extending from one of the legs to one of the braces.

2. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops in tangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs divergingly depending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces extending therefrom and diverging from the legs and from each other, and cross reaches each connecting one leg with one brace.

3. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops in tangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs divergingly depending. therefrom and the second of said loops having braces sloping forwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from each other, and cross reaches each connected to the bottom of a leg and the bottom of a brace and constituting article hanging means.

4. A bracket comprising a wire structure having a pair of loops in tangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs divergingly depending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces sloping forwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from each other, and a bottom reach extending generally perpendicular from each leg and connecting with a brace and thereby constituting a horizontally disposed article hanging means.

5. A bracket comprising a Wire structure having a pair of loops in tangential engagement, the first of said loops having legs divergingly depending therefrom and the second of said loops having braces sloping forwardly downwardly therefrom and diverging from the legs and from each other, and a bottom reach between the lower ends of a leg and a brace, said bottom reach being vertically wavy for retaining articles suspended therefrom in place.

SAMUEL E. GELB.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,628 Wagner 1 June 19, 1923 1,073,495 Johnson 1 Sept. 16,1913 1,315,326 Palis Sept. 9,1919 1,714,201 West May 21, 1929 1,759,214 Winters 1 1 May 20,1936 2,166,523 Gaebel July 18, 1939 2,198,584 Swably 1-1-1 Apr. 23, 1940 2,334,036 Roller 1 Nov. 9,1943 2,344,339 Zwald Mar. 14,1944

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