US1728249A - Hat holder - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1929. p NA E 1,728,249

HAT HOLDER Filed March 13. 1928 INVENTOR j gger ATTORkES Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PETER J. NAGLE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK HAT HOLDER Application filed March 13, 1928. Serial No. 261,363.

This invention relates to holding devices or supports and more particularly to the variety adapted to hold and support hats, aapers or other objects in places such as automobiles or other passenger vehicles, or public places, one object being to provide an effective device of this character of a simple and inexpensive form which is easy to install and use. Another object is the provision of a device of this character occupying a minimum amount of space and adapted for efiectively holding one or more hats or other objects without injury thereto. A further object is the provision of an effective hat holding device in 1 which a single yielding element is so shaped and attached to a supporting means as to provide a plurality of independently acting holding means. Still a further object is the provision of a device of this character which can be conveniently folded into a relatively small space for packing purposes. Still a further object is theprovision of a device of this character which is neat and sightlyin appearance. light in weight, yet strong and durable and comprising relatively few parts not likely to get out of order.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the present invention showing the device in position on a supporting surface such as in side the top of an automobile:

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device;

3 is a detail view of the supporting 4 bracket illustrating the means for assembling the holder thereon;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 41-4 of Fig. 3; a

5 is a sectionon line 55 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a view of the device showing the holder folded so as to allow for convenient packing.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts,

The present embodiment of the invention provides a light, strong and compact device of the class described, capable of being produced at moderate cost, being particularly advantageous for use in automobiles for se-' curely holding thehats of the occupants without injury thereto. To this end the invention as disclosed is embodied in a supporting a bracket having ready means for attachment to a convenient surface such as the inside of the top of an automobile body and having an efitefitive hat holding means associated there- W1 Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown at 10 the usual cross piece in the top of a sedan automobile having attached thereto'a bracket or hearing member 12 with the hat holding member 13 thereon.

The hat holding member may be secured to a supporting surface in any suitable manner, but in the present instance, the securing means is shown in the form of a bracket or bearing member 12 suitably formed from a plate with a downwardly bent rim as shown in Fig. 4. The bracket 12 is provided with oppositely extended wing portions 1 1, 14 and 15, 15 provided with openings 16 for the accommodation of ordinary wood screws 17.

Thehat holdingmember in the present embodiment is constructed from a length of spring wire 18, or other yieldable material. WVhile it is within the scope of the present invention to form the wire 18 in one or more relatively independent hat holding sections, in the present form of the device the wire is formed in two loops resembling a figure 8. The wire 18 is secured in such a way upon its supporting surface that a torsional'stress is produced adjacent the point of attachment tending to cause the outer portions of the loops to bear againstthe supporting surface.

The means forsecuring the hat holding member 18 to the bracket or bearing member may assume various forms. such, for example, as welding or any other attaching method which will secure a portion of the holding member either non-rotatably or for only a limited amount of rotation on the bracket. In the present embodiment 'of'the invention, this purpose is accomplished by forming a pairof outwardly extending cars 19, which are preferably struck from the material of the bracket and are bent away from the surface thereof to provide apertures 20. Apertures 21 are formed in each ear l9 and are of sufficient size in the pres ent form of the invention to allow for the passage of three strands of the wire 18 therethrough as shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the wire after passing through the aperture 21 are bent outwardly and laterally at 22 so as to pass through aperture 20 and engage the under surface of the bracket 12. (See Fig. The end portions of the wire 18 are thus held non-rotatably or for, at most, only a limited amount of rotation relatively to the bracket.

The portion of each loop engaged in apertures 21 on the bracket can be considered as extending generally transversely to the direction of extension of the outwardly extending portions of the loops so that in elfect it is somewhat similar to a spring hinge for the outwardly extending portions which holds them yieldingly against the surface on which the holder is mounted.

In normal unstressed position the loops are disposed to extend substantially clownwardly below the plane of the bracket as indicated in Fig. 6. In this condition the device/can be readily placed in a fiat shipping carton substantially the size of a single loop. The relation of the downwardly bent ends 22 to the plane of their respective loops is such that when the loop is moved to a position approximately parallel to the sur-' face of the bracket, as shown in Fig. 2, the,

bent ends 22 engage against the side of the aperture '20 and prevent the free rotation of the.-wire, thus a torsional stress will be setup in the portions of the wire 18 adjacent the bracket which tends to yieldingly hold the outer portions of the loops against the surface on which the device is attached.

The assembly of the hat holder upon the bracketmay be effected in various ways. The preferred manner of assembly is to pass a piece of wire of the proper length through the aperture 21 until the bracket is approximately at the'mid-section of the wire, a loop is then formed'in each portion and the ends are, inserted into apertures 21 from opposite directions' The ends are next bent as shown at 22 so as to engage within apertures 20 while the looped portions are held more or less adjacent each other substantially below the top face of bracket 12. It will be understood that the object of holding the loops substantially together while the ends are bent to engage in apertures 20 is to insure the stressed condition in the wire near its ends when the loops are extended as described above.

Assuming that it is desired to install the device in the top of a sedan automobile, the

loops are grasped and pulled outwardly to bring them to lie in approximately the same plane and the bracket 12 isforced against the cross piece 10. The bracket is held in this position while the wood screws 17 are inserted in place to hold the bracket permanently to the cross piece. The torsional stress existing in the wire 18 adjacent the ends thereof when the holder is in this position serves to yieldingly hold the free ends of the loops against the cross piece 10 so that a hat, the crown of which has been placed in the loop, will be held up with the brim positioned against the usual fabric covering 23 which conceals the cross piece. The bracket 12 can be attached lengthwise of the cross piece 10 by utilizing the screw openings in the wings 14 or it may be secured at right angles to this position by securing the screws through the openings in the wings 15.

The invention thus provides an extremely simple, convenient and readily attachable device for effectively holding one or more hats on any desired surface. The device. further has the advantages of lightness and compactness so that while not interfering with the movement of persons within the automobile in which it is attached it will at all times be accessible for immediate use.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bearing adapted to be applied to a supporting surface of a length of spring wire, curled into a loop, a portion of which is engaged and held by the bearing, theloop having its ends passed oppositely through said bearing and locked against rota tion therein except torsionally to yieldingly hold the loop against the surface and supply spring tension to the loop.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bearing element, of a length of spring wire curled into a figure 8 forming a double loop, the ends of the wire and its intermediate portion being held in the bearing and the said ends being locked against rotation therein except torsionally go yieldingly hold the loops against the surace.

'3. Ina device of the class described, a bracket and supporting means thereon, com prising a pair of opposed members yieldingly secured to said bracket at adjacent portions thereof so that in their inoperative position they will lie with their free portions substan tially adjacent each other to permit the device to be inserted in a carton substantially the size of one of said members, and when in their operative position in which, the members and bracket are positioned to lie approximately in a plane on a surface the free end portionsof said members will yieldingly engage such surface.

4. The combination in a hat holder adapted for cooperation with a supporting surface,

of a bracket secured to said surface, a yielding member connected with the bracket and having an outwardly extended portion in contact with said surface, another portion of said member being extended in a direction generally transverse to the direction of extension of said first mentioned portion and non-rotatably secured at one point on said bracket, the relation of said outwardly extended portion to the portion secured to said bracket being such that a torsional stress is set up in said transversely extending portion adjacent its point of attachment whereby the outwardly extended portion is caused to yieldingly bear against said surface.

PETER J. NAGLE.

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