US3140024A - Garment hanger - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1964 B. BURNS ETAL GARMENT HANGER Filed Aug. 28, 1961 United States Patent 3,140,024 GARMENT HANGER Bruce Burns, PA). Box 15, Yucca Valley, Calif., and Herbert Spitz, 108-25 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, N.Y. Filed Aug. 28, 1961, 8er. No. 134,390 13 Claims. (Cl. 223-93) This invention relates to garment hangers of general utility capable of hanging a wide variety of garments including but not limited to items of apparel of the off-theshoulder, single-shoulder, strap or strapless type. It will be exemplified as applied to a garment hanger for ladies wear which solves many of the existing problems of hanging the wide variety of garments found in current wardrobes.

The hanging of oif-the-shoulder dresses has presented a particular problem because the wide spacing of the shoulder members has prevented these garments from being hung from conventional hangers. It is an object of the invention to provide a garment hanger that has widely spaced garment-clamp spaces holding such shoulder members against slipping and in such normal position as not to create folds in the garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger in which the clamp members have upper garmentsupporting surfaces which are substantially flush with and form continuations of the normal garment-supporting surfaces of the inner portions of the arms of a hanger so that the hanger can be used for conventional garments as well as those of the off-the-shoulder or single-shoulder type. A further object is to provide a strap-receiving space between each clamp member and its outer arm portion adapted to support those dresses or undergarments having shoulder straps or loops.

If desired the garment hanger of the invention may be made to support a supplementary garment-clamping means adjustably suspended below the arms to support strapless garments or one side of a single-shoulder gar ment. It is an object of the invention to provide such a hanger and to provide for optional attachment or use of such a supplementary clamping means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in (a) the provision of simple and effective spring-mounting arrangements for attaching a clamp member to a hanger, (b) the use of simple supports preventing rocking of such a clamp member and (c) the provision of a spring arrangement which applies pressure to the clamp member at the end thereof and which does not apply shear forces to any pivot member. The latter feature is particularly important not only in reducing wear but in preventing the plastic deformation of certain materials when stress is applied thereto. For example many molded plastic articles are subject to cold flow as a result of small constantly-applied forces that may deform them, shear pivot members connecting them to other members or loosen the grip or fit of pivot members molded therein or extending therein or therethrough.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the acccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a utility view suggesting, in dotted lines, how the invention can be used to hang otf-the-shoulder dresses and, as indicated by full lines, how a single-shoulder dress can be supported;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the left portion of the hanger of FIG. 1 showing the preferred clamp member construction with portions broken away to disclose the details of construction;

FIGS. 3-9 inclusive are sectional views taken along corresponding lines of FIG. 2 or FIG. 11;

FIG. is a perspective view of the spring of the invention, full lines showing the stressed or deformed shape 3,l4,824 Patented July 7, 1964 the spring assumes when in use and dotted lines suggesting the unstressed or undeformed shape;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of an alternative clamp member construction employing no pivot pin;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view illustrating an alternative structure for supporting the supplementary garmentclamping means; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view illustrating an alternative construction for the end of the clamp member.

The hanger of FIG. 1 includes generally a hanger body member 15 made entirely of molded plastic material, such as medium or high impact polystyrene or cellulose acetate, equipped with a central support 16 and having arms 18 to which are attached clamp members 28. The arms 18 and the clamp members 20 each provides a pivot portion between its ends, the pivot portions of the arms being related to those of the clamp members so that the latter can pivot or swing relative to the body member 15. The central support 16 may be of conventional construction, being shown as a hook member 21 turning in upper and lower thickened portions 22, 23 of the body member and being flattened and locally widened at 24 in a window 25 between these thickened portions.

Each arm 18 is molded to provide a web 27 rigidified by upper and lower flanges or beads 28 and 29. The latter approaches the shape of heads at the bottom of known plastic hangers but the upper bead 28 is of quite different shape. In the inner portion of the arm 18 the contour of the upper head 28 is conventional, providing a garmentsupporting top surface 30 capable of supporting the neck portion of a coat or dress in correct shape. However at a shoulder 31 the upper bead 28 and the surface 30 are sharply offset downwardly to provide a clamp space for the clamp member 20. The top surface 33 outwardly beyond the shoulder is substantially below the position it would assume if it were an extension of the garment-supporting top surface 30. As shown, the upper bead 28 and the top surface 33 continue to the extreme end of the arm 18 but there is a break therein to provide a spring passage 34, as by molding a bead extension 35 overlapping a por- .tion of the continuing or end portion of the head 28, the bead extension providing a curved seat portion 36 for a purpose to be described. The offset top surface 33 usually extends about half or more of the distance between the center of the body portion 15 and the end of the arm 18.

The clamp members 20 are suitably attached to the arms 18 by any suitable means, as by a pivot member 38 or merely by an appropriate spring of the type to be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the position of the pivot member is determined by mounting it in a post element 40 (FIG. 4) rising from the Web 27 and having opposed fiat-faced bosses 41, 42 between its ends. The pivot member traverses these bosses and usually is journalled thereby.

Each clamp member 28 is preferably formed of molded plastic material and provides a top garment-supporting surface 45 disposed above the top surface 33 and forming substantially a continuation of the garment-supporting surface 30 of the corresponding inner arm portion of the body member 15. Throughout most of its length the clamp member 20 is of inverted U-shape', providing depending flanges 46 spaced to receive the bosses 41, 42 (FIG. 4) and to journal on the flat outer surfaces thereof to aid in stabilizing the clamp member against rocking. These flanges 46 are extended in the vicinity of the post element 40 for the dual purpose of providing enlargements receiving the pivot member 38 and providing arcuate surfaces 48 journalled by or closely spaced from the seat portions 36. It will be observed that a portion of the post element 40 is narrower than the distance between the flanges and that the bosses 41 and 42 provide outer faces spaced from each other in the direction of the pivot axis a distance slightly less than the distance between the inner surfaces of the flanges, see FIG. 4. A spring space 49 is formed in the zone between the spaced depending flanges 46 between the narrower portions of the post element 40 and the inner surfaces of each of the flanges 46, these spring spaces continuing around the pivot member 38 in the illustrated embodiment. Each spring space is thus disposed inwardly of the outer face of the corresponding boss 41 or 42. The pivot member 38 may be any suitable plastic or metal member, being preferably a metal semitubular rivet anchored in the enlargements 47.

Each clamp member 20 is preferably pivoted at a position intermediate its ends to provide outer and inner portions. The outer, and usually longer, portion extends substantially to the end of the arm 18 and cooperates with the top surface 33 of the extended head 26 in forming an outwardly-open garment-clamp space 56. The top of this space is bounded by the undersurface of the outer portion of the clamp member which in turn is formed in part by the edges of the depending flanges 46 and by a head member 51 into which the flanges merge at the outer end of the clamp member. This head member may be serrated (FIG. 13) to provide a projection with a toothed surface 53 or, as is preferred, it may provide a socket receiving a pad 54 of resilient material constituting a projection and providing a friction surface 55, the friction surfaces 53 or 55 forming a part of the undersurface of the outer portion of the clamp member. The pad 54 may be formed of vinyl or sponge rubber or the like.

The inner portion of the clamp member 20 is spaced from the top surface 33 of the body member to form a strap-receiving space 57, the extreme inner end 53 of the clamp member being spaced from the shoulder 31 to form a mouth 59 for such space. Garment straps disposed in the spaces 57 slide outward therein to engage a stop member 60 which may be a continuation of the post element 40 or separate therefrom. The top of the stop member 6t) may serve as a stop limiting the opening of the garmentclamp space 59 when the inner portion of the clamp member 29 is depressed. The stop member 69 is proportioned to fit closely within the channel formed by the depending flanges 46 to provide additional lateral stability to the clamp member 29. A boss 61 fits similarly and provides further lateral stability.

The invention contemplates any suitable means for biasing each clamp member 20 in a direction to close the garment-clamp space 50. Many advantages accrue from the use of a spring with arm portions straddling one of the spaces 50 or 57 and with a loop portion adjacent the pivot means for the clamp member, e.g., the pivot member 38. We prefer to use a spring 65 of a deformed or in-use shape shown by full lines of FIGS. 2 and 10, this spring being of an initial or before-installation shape generally suggested by the dotted lines of FIG. 10. Referring particularly to the full-line showing of FIG. 10, the preferred spring is made of a length of spring wire bent centrally upon itself to provide a crotch loop 67 with leg sections or side elements extending therefrom in sideby-side relation in substantially parallel planes. Each such leg section or side element is in turn bent back upon itself to provide a knee loop 69, a thigh portion 71 and a leg portion 72 having a terminal end 73. Each knee loop 69 biases its thigh and leg portions toward each other, usually to the extent that they cross each other before installation, as suggested by the dotted lines of FIG. 10.

The spring 65 is installed with its knee loop 69 disposed in the spring space 49 adjacent the pivot portions of the arm 18 and clamp member 20 and preferably looping around the pivot member 38. The thigh portions 71 extend along the upper interior of the clamp member between the flanges 46, the crotch loop 67 being anchored by extending into a pocket of the head member 51 and pressing against a ledge 75 thereof at the bottom of the pocket. The top of the pocket may be outwardly open 45. through an opening 76 exposing the crotch portion to view and facilitating initial assembly of the spring and clamp member. If desired the thus-exposed crotch portion may be riveted or adhered to the ledge 75 but this is not essential except in instances where the pivot member 38 is omitted and the pivoting and anchoring of the clamp member is accomplished by the action of the spring alone as suggested in FIG. 11.

The leg portions 72 respectively extend along the spring passages 34 on opposite sides of the web 27. The terminal ends 73 are anchored to the arm 18 near the outermost end thereof by being extended into the spaces provided by retainer members 78 and 79 (FIGS. 2, 5, 8, 9, 11 and 12). These are exemplified as members bridging between the upper bead 2.8 and the web 27 on opposite sides of the latter at positions offset along an elongated opening 80 of the web. Referring to FIG. 5, which shows a section identical with a corresponding section at the left hand of FIG. 2 except reversed, the outer end of this opening 80 is bounded by beveled walls 81 meeting at a sharp edge to guide outwardly the terminal ends 73 forced into the spaces provided by thev retainer members and thus displace these terminal ends outwardly until their sides engage the retainer members 73 and 79. In some instances the retainer members 78 and 79 may be merely depending legs spaced from the web 27 to provide downwardly-open spaces into vwhich the terminal ends may be snapped but the bridged construction illustrated is stronger and better protects the terminal ends and makes the structure tamper-proof.

Each clamp member 20 is first assembled with its spring by disposing the crotch loop 67 in the pocket of the head member 51. At this time the leg sections of the spring are on opposite sides of the clamp member. The leg portions 72 are depressed downward to lie in the spring passages 34 and their terminal ends 73 are respectively pushed beneath the retainer members 78 and '79 to be displaced outwardly by the beveled walls 81 as previously described. The clamp member and spring are then so positioned relative to the post element 46 that the arcuate surfaces 48 seat against the seat portion 36. The pivot member 38 can be inserted at this time.

If less positive anchoring and pivoting of the clamp member 20 is desired the pivot members 38 can be omitted. Outward displacement of the clamp member is then prevented because the leg portions 72 near the knee loops 69 respectively engage shoulders 82 formed by the upper bead 2.8 on opposite sides of the web, these shoulders being at the top of the spring passages 34. Engagement between the arcuate surfaces 4-3 and the seat portions 36 serve to journal the clamp member 20 relative to the arm 18 in the absence of the pivot member .38.

An alternative construction for mounting the clamp members 20 without using the pivot member 38 is shown in FIG. 11. Here the post 40 and its bosses 41, 4-2 are omitted, lateral stability being achieved by use of the upstanding stop member 60 and boss 61 which have only small clearances relative to the inner surfaces of the depending flanges 46 of the clamp member. Engagement between the arcuate surfaces 48 and the seat portions 36 serve to journal the clamp member. Upward movement of the central pivoted portion of the clamp member is limited by a cross bar 84 molded in place to bridge between the depending flanges 46 of the clamp member, leaving only a narrow space to receive the thigh portions 71 of the spring. The ledge 75 of the head member 51 is recessed in this embodiment, as it may be in the other embodiments, to provide a U-shaped groove 85 receiving and anchoring the crotch loop 67 of the spring'65 and thus further anchoring the clamp member against outward displacement longitudinally of the arm 18 of the hanger.

In FIG. 11, as in the other embodiments, it is desirable that the knee loops 69 substantially float in the adjacent spring space in the sense that the knee loops are stabilized by no more than light and random contact with one or another of the adjacent surfaces of the hanger body portion or the clamp member 20. While it is possible to have the spring substitute in whole or in part for the journalling action between the arcuate surfaces 48 and the seat portions 36, we prefer such journalling when no pivot member 38 is employed.

An important feature of the invention is the application of spring pressure at points far removed from the pivot zone. Thus in the preferred embodiments the crotch portion 67 and the terminal ends 73 of the spring respectively apply pressure to the outer ends of the clamp member and the hanger arm near the outer end of the garment-clamp space therebetween. This applies the pressures opposite the engaging or clamping areas of the space 5% and avoids constant bending stresses in the clamp member 20 or hanger arm 3t) that would be present if the spring action was localized close to the pivot zone, such bending stresses tending to produce plastic deformation or cold flow of the materials after prolonged use or with age. This feature also largely removes shearing or displacement forces on the pivot member 38, if used, and reduces wear thereon.

To accommodate single-shoulder or strapless garments each arm 18 may make provision for attachment of a supplementary garment-clamping means shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 as including a small spring clothes pin 90 with a flexible element 92 suspending same an adjustable distance below the hanger arm. The spring clothes pin 90 may include clamp elements 93 pivotally connected and biased by a spring 94, a typical construction being shown in US. Patent No. 2,471,606. The preferred flexible element is a bead chain shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 11. This bead chain extends through an end opening 96 with its free end extending through a second opening 97 to hang therefrom. Between the openings 96 and 97 the bead chain lies parallel to one face of the web 27 and may be adjustably anchored by pressing a selected bead between lugs 98 and 99 molded integrally with the hanger arm with a bead-receiving space 100 therebetween open at opposite ends to receive the adjacent connecting links of the bead chain.

Alternatively the flexible element 92 may be a cord or line 102 shown in FIG. 12. In this instance the second opening 97 has beveled walls 106 tapering toward each other in a direction toward the outer end of the hanger arm, forming a sharp-edged space clamping any section of the line if the line is pulled, as by applying pressure to the spring clothes pin 90.

One or both ends of the body member 15 may be provided with the openings 96, 97 and the hanger may be sold with one or two of the supplementary garmentclamping means which can at the option of the purchaser be threaded through the openings to suspend the spring clothes pin any desired distance below one end of the hanger arm. For single-shoulder garments a single supplementary garment clamping means will sufiice and will be particularly useful when the garment is not equipped with the usual sewn-in loop, receivable by the strapreceiving space 57 if desired, or when this loop is broken. The shoulderless side of the garment is then held between the clamp elements of the clothes pin 96 as shown to the left in FIG. 1. The adjustability of the flexible member 92 or 102 permits the garment to hang correctly from the hanger while the latter is substantially horizontal. Two of the supplementary garment-clamping means are used when it is desired to hang strapless garments.

It is not always essential to employ the double leg or double side element spring construction shown in FIG. 10. In some instances it is sufiicient to employ a single knee loop 69 with its attached portions 71 and 72. So also a single-leg or double-leg spring can be arranged with the portions 71 and 72 straddling the strap-receiving space 57 rather than or in addition to the illustrated arrangement in which the portions 71 and 72 straddle the garment-clamp space 50.

Various other changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing and are encompassed by and within the spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member having an end and a pivot portion spaced inwardly thereof; a clamp member having a pivot portion between its ends pivotally related to said pivot portion of said body member, one end of said clamp member cooperating with said end of said hanger body member in defining an outwardly-facing garment-clamp space, the other end of said clamp member being spaced from said body member defining a strap-receiving space therebetween; and a spring formed of a bent length of spring material having near its center a crotch loop with two side elements of the spring material extending therefrom, each side element being bent back on itself, each side element providing a knee loop joining thigh and leg portions of the corresponding side element extending in the same direction and of substantially equal length, each thigh portion joining said crotch loop and the knee loop of the corresponding side element, both of said knee loops being adjacent said pivot portions of said body and clamp members with the thigh and leg portions of each side element straddling one of said spaces; and means for anchoring the two leg portions to one of said body and clamp members and the crotch loop to the other of such members, each side element of said spring biasing said clamp member in a direction to close said one of said spaces.

2. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member having an end and a pivot portion spaced inwardly thereof; a clamp member having a pivot portion pivotally related to said pivot portion of said body member and providing an end cooperating with said end of said body member in providing an outwardly-facing garment-clamp space; and a spring formed of a bent length of spring material having a crotch loop and two side elements each bent back on itself and providing a knee loop joining thigh and leg portions of the corresponding side element, each thigh portion joining said crotch loop and the knee loop of the corresponding side element, each knee loop biasing its thigh and leg portions toward each other, both of said knee loops being adjacent said pivot portions of said body and clamp members with said thigh and leg portions of each side element straddling said garmentclamp space, said side elements being on opposite sides of the upright midplane of said end of said hanger body; and means for anchoring said crotch loop to one of said body and clamp members and the two leg portions to the other of such members.

3. A garment hanger as defined in claim 2 including a pivot member pivotally connecting said clamp and body members at said pivot portions thereof, and in which said knee loops of both side elements loop around said pivot member with a portion of each knee loop disposed adjacent that side of the pivot member away from the garment-clamp space.

4. A garment hanger as defined in claim 3 in which said body member provides a post element and said clamp member provides spaced flanges depending on opposite sides of said post element, said pivot member pivotally connecting said flanges and said post element, at least a portion of said post element being of a transverse dimension less than the distance between the facing surfaces of said flanges and providing a spring space receiving both knee loops of said spring.

5. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member having a central support and two arms extending outward therefrom, each arm having an inner portion having a top garment-supporting surface and an outer portion extending to the outer end of the arm having a top surface offset downwardly from the top garment-supporting surface of such inner portion providing a clamp receiving space extending to the outer end of such arm; a clamp member pivotally mounted in each of said clamp receiving spaces, said clamp members having top garment-supporting surfaces above said top surfaces of said outer portions that are respectively substantially aligned with and substantially continuations of said top garment-supporting surfaces of said inner portions, each clamp member extending substantially to the outer end of the corresponding arm and its outer portion, each clamp member providing an undersurface forming with the top surface of such outer portion an outwardly-facing garment-clamp space opening outwardly at the end of the corresponding arm; and means for biasing each clamp member toward the outer portion of its corresponding arm in a direction to close the garment-clamp space.

6. A garment hanger as defined in claim in which each outer portion of each arm provides an upstanding post element and each clamp member provides spaced flanges depending on opposite sides of said post element, said garment hanger including a pivot member pivotally connecting said post element and said flanges, said biasing means including a spring having a knee loop adjacent said pivot member with thigh and leg portions extending therefrom straddling said garment-clamp space, the outer end portions of said thigh and leg portions of said spring being respectively anchored to the corresponding clamp member and outer arm portion at opposed positions on opposite sides of said garment-clamp space near the outer end thereof.

7. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member having an outer end and a pivot axis spaced inwardly thereof perpendicular to the body member; a clamp member having a pivot axis between its ends, one of said members providing spaced flanges traversed by its pivot axis, the other of said members having a post element extending between said spaced flanges, said post element having outer faces spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the distance between said flanges, said post element having aspring space inwardly of at least one of said outer faces and in the zone between said spaced flanges; and connecting means attaching said clamp member to said body member to pivot about the pivot axis of the latter, one end of said clamp member cooperating with said outer end of said body member in defining a garment-clamp space, said connecting means including a looped spring having a loop portion within said spring space and arm portions respectively engaging said clamp member and said body member on opposite sides of said garment-clamp space, said spring biasing said clamp memher in a direction closing said garment-clamp space.

8. A garment hanger as defined in claim 7 in which said post element provides a portion of a thickness less than the distance between said flanges, said spring space being between an outer surface of such portion and an inner surface of a corresponding flange, said post element having a boss extending from said surface of said portion of said post element in the direction of the pivot axis of said post element, said boss providing thereon one of said outer faces of said post element.

9. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member providing an outwardly extending arm having an outer end and a pivot portion spaced inwardly thereof; a clamp member having a pivot portion pivotally related to said pivot portion of said body member and an outer end cooperating with said outer end of said arm in providing a garment-clamp space opening outwardly at the extreme outer end of said arm; and a spring formed of a length of spring material bent upon itself and providing a knee loop joining thigh and leg portions of said spring material, said knee loop being adjacent said pivot portions of said body and clamp members with said thigh and leg portions straddling said garment-clamp space, said thigh and leg portions extending in side-by-side relation from adjacent said pivot portions toward said outer ends of said clamp member and said arm, said thigh and leg portion having outer portions respectively adjacent said outer ends of said clamp member andsaid arm near the respective outer ends thereof applying. force to said clamp member and said arm at opposed positions near the outer end of said garment-clamp space; and means for anchoring the outer portions of said thigh and leg portions respectively to said clamp member and said arm at said opposed positions near the outer end of said garment-clamp space.

10. A garment hanger as defined in claim 9 in which one of said members has a projection adjacent the outer end thereof engageable with the other of said members closing the outer end of said garment-clamp space, said anchoring means anchoring said outer portions of said thigh and leg portions of said spring respectively to said clamp member and said arm at opposed positions adjacent said projection.

11. In a garment hanger the combination of: a hanger body member having a central support and two arms extending outward therefrom, each arm having an inner portion having a top garment-supporting surface and an outer portion having a top surface offset downwardly from the top garment-supporting surface of such inner portion providing a clamp receiving space, each arm of said body member having an upright shoulder at the junction of said top garment-supporting surface and the downwardly-offset top surface of the outer portion of such arm, said shoulder forming the inner end of the corresponding clamp receiving space; a clamp member disposed in each of said spaces; means for pivoting each clamp member to its arm at a position between the ends of the clamp member, one end of each clamp member extending substantially to the end of the outer portion of the corresponding arm and providing an undersurface forming with the top surface of such outer portion an outwardly-facing. garment-clamp space, said clamp members having top garment-supporting surfaces above said top surfaces of said outer portions that are respectively substantially aligned with and substantially continuations of said top garment-supporting surfaces of said inner portions, the other end of each clamp member being spaced above the corresponding offset top surface providing a strap-receiving space therebetween, such other end extending toward but terminating short of the corresponding shoulder providing a mouth for said strap-receiving space opening upwardly on the substantially aligned top surfaces of said clamp members and said inner portions of said arms; and means for biasing each clamp member toward the outer portion of its corresponding arm.

12. In a garment hanger for garments including conventional, off-the-shoulder, single-shoulder and strapless dresses and other wearing apparel, the combination of: a hanger body member having a central support and two arms extending outward therefrom, each arm having an inner portion having a top garment-supporting surface and an outer portion having a top surface offset downwardly from the top garment-supporting surface of such inner portion providing a clamp receiving space; a clamp member disposed in each of said spaces, said clamp members having top garment-supporting surfaces above said top surfaces of said outer portions that are respectively substantially aligned with and substantially continuations of said top garment-supporting surfaces of said inner portions, each clamp member extending substantially to the end of the corresponding outer portion and providing an undersurface forming with the top surface of such outer portion an outwardly-facing garmentclamp space; means for biasing each clamp member toward the outer portion of its corresponding arm; and a supplementary garment-clamping means and means for suspending same from the end of at least one of said outer arm portions, said suspending means including a flexible element extending through an opening in the end of said outer arm portion and means for anchoring said flexible element with different portions thereof disposed in said opening thereby adjustably suspending said supplementary garment-clamping means below said end of said outer arm portion.

13. A garment hanger as defined in claim 12 including a second opening in said outer arm portion through Which said flexible element is extended, said anchoring means comprising means between said openings for gripping said fiexible element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nickerson May 14, 1929 Lederer Feb. 5, 1935 Maccaferri Jan. 19, 1954 Volker et a1 June 11, 1963

Claims (1)

1. 7. IN A GARMENT HANGER THE COMBINATION OF: A HANGER BODY MEMBER HAVING AN OUTER END AND A PIVOT AXIS SPACED INWARDLY THEREOF PERPENDICULAR TO THE BODY MEMBER; A CLAMP MEMBER HAVING A PIVOT AXIS BETWEEN ITS ENDS, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS PROVIDING SPACED FLANGES TRAVERSED BY ITS PIVOT AXIS, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A POST ELEMENT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SPACED FLANGES, SAID POST ELEMENT HAVING OUTER FACES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID POST ELEMENT HAVING A SPRING SPACE INWARDLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OUTER FACES AND IN THE ZONE BETWEEN SAID SPACED FLANGES; AND CONNECTING MEANS ATTACHING SAID CLAMP MEMBER TO SAID BODY MEMBER TO PIVOT ABOUT THE PIVOT AXIS OF THE LATTER, ONE END OF SAID CLAMP MEMBER COOPERATING WITH SAID OUTER END OF SAID BODY MEMBER IN DEFINING A GARMENT-CLAMP SPACE, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING A LOOPED SPRING HAVING A LOOP PORTION WITHIN SAID SPRING SPACE AND ARM PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID CLAMP MEMBER AND SAID BODY MEMBER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID GARMENT-CLAMP SPACE, SAID SPRING BIASING SAID CLAMP MEMBER IN A DIRECTION CLOSING SAID GARMENT-CLAMP SPACE.

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