US3731857A

US3731857A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: US3731857A
Application number: US00131597A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Haggar
Original assignee: Haggar Co
Current assignee: Haggar Co; Haggar Apparel Co
Priority date: 1971-04-06
Filing date: 1971-04-06
Publication date: 1973-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-08

Abstract

In a garment hanger, a hanger hook is supported on a hanger body for movement between extended and retracted positions. The hanger body includes gripping members for receiving a garment and has shank and tip receiving slots formed in it. The hanger hook includes a shank that is slidably supported in the shank receiving slot and a member at one end of the shank for selective engagement with the shank receiving slot to secure the hanger hook in the extended position. A support extends laterally from the other end of the shank, and a tip extends from the support for selective engagement with the tip receiving aperture to secure the hanger hook in the retracted position.

Description

United States Patent 1 Haggar [52] U.S. Cl ..223/96, 24/2305 [51] lnt.Cl.; ..A47j 51/098, A47j 51/14 [58] Field of Search ..223/96, 85, 87, 88,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,347,414 4/1944 Kearns 223/87 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 859,013 Great Britain ..223/87 Primary Examiner-George H. Krizmanich AttorneyRichards, Harris and Hubbard [57] ABSTRACT In a garment hanger, a hanger hook is supported on a hanger body for movement between extended and retracted positions. The hanger body includes gripping members for receiving a garment and has shank and tip receiving slots formed in it. The hanger hook includes a shank that is slidably supported in the shank receiving slot and a member at one end of the shank for selective engagement with the shank receiving slot to secure the hanger hook in the extended position. A support extends laterally from the other end of the shank, and a tip extends from the support for selective engagement with the tip receiving aperture to secure the hanger hook in the retracted position.

11 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED 51973 3.731.857

3a INVENTOR EDMOND R. HA GGAR ATTO R N E Y S GARMENT HANGER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the like are typically displayed either on racks or on ta- 1 bles. In either case, it is often difficult to ascertain the brand name of a particular garment because the only place that the brand name appears is on a label which is attached to the garment at the waistband.

The present invention comprises a novel garment hanger useful in displaying slacks and similar garments both on racks and on tables. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a garment hanger comprises a hanger body adapted to receive a garment and a hanger hook which bears the brand name of the garment. If the garment is to be displayed on a rack, the hanger hook is moved to an extended position and is engaged withthe rack. On the other hand, if the garment is to be displayed on a table, the hanger hook is moved to a retracted position so that it does not become entangled with other hangers, etc. The components parts of the garment hanger are so arranged that the brand name on the hanger hook is visible regardless of whether the hanger hook is in the extended position or in the retracted position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a garment hanger incorporating the present invention in which the hanger hook of the hanger is shown in the extended position, and

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the hanger hook of the garment hanger in the retracted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the Drawing, a garment hanger incorporating the present invention is shown. The garment hanger 10 comprises a hanger body 12 and a hanger hook 14 which is mounted on the hanger body 12 for movement between the extended position shown in FIG. 1 and the retracted position shown in FIG. 2.

The hanger body 12 includes a pair of garment gripping members 16 and a bar 18 which interconnects the gripping members 16. As is best shown in FIG. 2, the bar 18 of the hanger body 12 includes a central portion 20 which extends between and beneath a pair of end portions 22.

The central portion 20 of the bar .18 of the hanger body 12 has a shank receiving aperture 24 and a tip receiving aperture 26 formed in it. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the hanger body 12 is molded from one of the various plastic materials and the

apertures

24 and 26 are formed by displacing sections, of the central portion 20 outwardly therefrom. In such a case, the

apertures

24 and 26 comprise aligned slots which are relatively wide and thin in shape.

The hanger hook 14 comprises a shank 28 and a sup-' port 30 which extends laterally from one end of the shank 28. A tip 32 extends from the end of the support 30 remote from the shank 28 for selective engagement with the tip receiving aperture 26 of the hanger body 12 to secure the hanger hook 14 in the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 2. A retaining member 34 is formed at the end of the shank 28 remote from the sup- 0 port 30 and comprises a first portion 36 for engagement with the shank receiving aperture 24 to secure the hanger hook 14 in the extended position illustrated in FIG. 1. The retaining member 34 further comprises a second portion 38 having a width substantially greater than the width of the aperture 24 which functions to prevent movement of the shank 28 out of the aperture 24. The hanger hook 14 may be formed from one of the various plastic materials and is preferably substantially equal in thickness to the

apertures

24 and 26.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the Drawing, each garment gripping member 16 of the garment hanger 10 comprises a pair of hinged jaws 40, one of which is attached to the bar 18 of the hanger body 12. One of the jaws 40 of each gripping member 16 is provided with a plurality of stepped notches 42, while the other jaw 40 is provided with a tab 44 which engages the notches 42 to grip a garment such as a pair of slacks between the jaws 40. It will be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not limited to the particular gripping members illustrated in the Drawing and that gripping members incorporating various other designs can be employed in the practice of the invention.

In use, the garment hanger 10 is attached to a garment such as a pair of slacks by the manufacturer of the garment. Then, the garment is distributed to a retailer for sale. Depending on the available facilities, the retailer displays the garment either vertically on a rack or horizontally on a table.

If vertical display is desired, the retailer positions the hanger hook 14 in the extended position illustrated in FIG. 1. The first portion 36 of the retaining member 34 of the hanger hook 14 preferably has dimensions substantially identical to the dimensions of the shank receiving aperture 24 formed in the hanger body 12, and therefore functions to secure the hanger book 14 in the extended position.

When the hanger hook 14 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1, it is available for engagement with a rack to display a garment vertically. That is, the support 30 of the hanger hook 14 is engaged with a rack, whereupon the tip 32 serves to retain the garment hanger 10 on the rack. It is contemplated that the support 30 of the garment hanger 10 will bear a brand name such as the name of the manufacturer of the garment. In such a case, the brand name is visible at a point just above the rack which supports the garment.

If the retailer desires to display the garment on a table, the hanger hook 14 of the garment hanger 10 'is positioned in the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 2. As the hanger book 14 is moved to the retracted position, the opposite sides of the shank 28 and the tip 32 engage the corresponding sides of the

apertures

24 and 26 to secure the hanger hook 14 in the retracted position. This locates the hanger hook 14 substantially entirely within the garment and thus prevents the hanger hook from becoming entangled with garment hangers attached to other garments that are displayed on the same table.

It will be noted that whenthe hangerhook 14 is in the retracted position shown in FlG. 2, the upper portion of the support 30 of the hanger hook 14 is positioned in alignment with the end portions 22 of the hanger body 12, and extends across the gap therebetween. By this means, the brand name on the support 30 is visible from both sides of the hanger 10, notwithstanding the fact that the hanger hook 14 is in the retracted position. Thus, the brand name is readily visible regardless of whether the garment is displayed vertically or horizontally.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the present invention comprises a garment hanger useful for displaying slacks and similar garments either vertically or horizontally. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a garment hanger comprises a hanger body for receiving a garment and a hanger hook supported on the hanger body for movement between an extended position and a retracted position. The hanger hook preferably bears a brand name and the component parts of the hanger are preferably so arranged that the brand name is visible regardless of whether the hanger hook is in the extended position or the retracted position.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the Drawing and described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of rearrangement, modification, and substitution of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment hanger comprising:

an elongate hanger body including garment gripping means at the opposite ends thereof and having a pair of slots formed in it at a point midway between the garment gripping means and a support including a shank slidably received in one of the slots in the hanger body, means at one end of the shank for preventing movement of the shank out of the slot, a hook extending laterally from the other end of the shank and a tip on the hook in spaced alignment with the other slot for selective engagement therewith in the hanger body to locate the hanger hook relative to the hanger body.

2. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said one of the slots in the hanger body has a predetermined width, and wherein the means for preventing movement of the shank out of the slot comprises a member fixed to said one end of the shank and having a width substantially greater than the width of the slot.

3. The garment hanger according to claim 2 wherein the shank portion of the hanger hook includes a portion located adjacent the member at said one end of the shank portion and having a width substantially equal to the width of the slot, said portion cooperating with the slot to secure the hanger hook in the extended position.

4. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein the slots in the hanger body are positioned adjacent each other and extend in the same direction.

5. The garment hanger according to claim 4 wherein the slots in the hanger body include end surfaces which engage corresponding end surfaces on the tip and the shank of the hanger hook to retain the hanger hook in a retracted position.

6. A hanger for displaying garments either vertically or horizontally comprising:

a hanger body including garment engaging means and having spaced, aligned shank receiving and tip receiving apertures formed in it, and

a support including a shank slidably extending through the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body, a hook extending laterally from one end of the shank, means at the end of the shank remote from the hook for selective engagement with the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in an extended position relative to the hanger body, and a tip extending from the hook remote from the shank in spaced alignment with said tip receiving aperture for selective engage-ment therewith in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in a retracted position relative to the hanger body.

7. The garment hanger according to claim 6 wherein the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body comprises a slot having a predetermined width and wherein the means for securing the hanger hook in an extended position comprises a first member secured to the end of the shank remote from the support and having a width substantially equal to the width of the shank receiving slot and a second member secured to the first member and having a width substantially greater than the width of the shank receiving slot.

8. The garment hanger according to claim 7 wherein the tip receiving aperture in the hanger body comprises a slot having a predetermined width and wherein the tip of the hanger hook includes a portion that is substantially equal in width to the width of the tip receiving slot.

9. The garment hanger according to claim 6 wherein the shank receiving and tip receiving apertures of the hanger body comprise aligned slots of predetermined thickness, and wherein the hanger hook comprises a unitary structure having substantially the same predetermined thickness as the slots.

10. The garment hanger according to claim 6 wherein the garment engaging means of the hanger body comprises a pair of garment gripping members positioned on opposite sides of the hanger hook, and wherein the tip receiving aperture of the hanger body and the tip of the hanger hook cooperate to selectively position the support of the hanger hook on a line extending between the garment engaging members of the hanger body.

11. A hanger for selectively displaying slacks and similar garments either vertically or horizontally, which comprises:

an elongate plastic hanger body including garment gripping apparatus at the opposite ends thereof, portions extending inwardly from the garment gripping apparatus in alignment therewith, and a central portion interconnecting the inwardly extending portions and positioned substantially beneath the inwardly extending portions to define an open gap therebetween,

said central portion of the hanger body having spaced, aligned shank receiving and tip receiving slots formed therein, outwardly displaced portions of the hanger body forming said slots, and

a plastic support including a shank slidably extending through the shank receiving aperture hanger hook is visible the hanger body, a hook extending laterally from one end of the shank, means at the end of the shank remote from the hook for selective engagement with the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body to secure the support in an extended position relative to the hanger body whereby the hanger is adapted for displaying a garment secured in the gripping apparatus in a vertical orientation, and a tip extending from the end of the hook remote'from the shank in spaced alignment with said tip receiving slot for selective engagement therewith in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in a retracted position relative to the hanger body whereby the support of the hanger hook is visible from one side of the hanger body through the open gap and the hanger is adapted for display of a garment secured in the gripping apparatus in a horizontal orientation.

Claims

1. A garment hanger comprising: an elongate hanger body including garment gripping means at the opposite ends thereof and having a pair of slots formed in it at a point midway between the garment gripping means and a support including a shank slidably received in one of the slots in the hanger body, means at one end of the shank for preventing movement of the shank out of the slot, a hook extending laterally from the other end of the shank and a tip on the hook in spaced alignment with the other slot for selective engagement therewith in the hanger body to locate the hanger hook relative to the hanger body.

6. A hanger for displaying garments either vertically or horizontally comprising: a hanger body including garment engaging means and having spaced, aligned shank receiving and tip receiving apertures formed in it, and a support including a shank slidably extending through the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body, a hook extending laterally from one end of the shank, means at the end of the shank remote from the hook for selective engagement with the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in an extended position relative to the hanger body, and a tip extending from the hook remote from the shank in spaced alignment with said tip receiving aperture for selective engage-ment therewith in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in a retracted position relative to the hanger body.

11. A hanger for selectively displaying slacks and similar garments either vertically or horizontally, which comprises: an elongate plastic hanger body including garment gripping apparatus at the opposite ends thereof, portions extending inwardly from the garment gripping apparatus in alignment therewith, and a central portion interconnecting the inwardly extending portions and positioned substantially beneath the inwardly extending portions to define an open gap therebetween, said central portion of the hanger body having spaced, aligned shank receiving and tip receiving slots formed therein, outwardly displaced portions of the hanger body forming said slots, and a plastic support including a shank slidably extending through the shank receiving aperture hanger hook is visible the hanger body, a hook extending laterally from one end of the shank, means at the end of the shank remote from the hook for selective engagement with the shank receiving aperture in the hanger body to secure the support in an extended position relative to the hanger body whereby the hanger is adapted for displaying a garment secured in the gripping apparatus in a vertical orientation, and a tip extending from the end of the hook remote from the shank in spaced alignment with said tip receiving slot for selective engagement therewith in the hanger body to secure the hanger hook in a retracted position relative to the hanger body whereby the support of the hanger hook is visible from one side of the hanger body through the open gap and the hanger is adapted for display of a garment secured in the gripping apparatus in a horizontal orientation.