US2272446A - Garment rack bracket - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 10, 1942. A, TRASK 2,272,446

GARMENT RACK BRAcxEm Filed sept. lso, 1940 Patented Feb. 1G, 1942 ATENT OFFICE 2,272,446 Gant/mm nAcK BRACKET Allen Trask, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Walter Haertel Products Company,

Minneapolis,

2 Claims.'

'Ihis invention relates to garment racks, and in particular to a bracket arm which is adapted to receive and support one or more rack bars disposed parallel to the floor.

In many cases it is desirous that garment racks be furnished with the supporting structure and laterally extending brackets, but without the horizontal rack bars. Generally the purchaser can supply himself with rack bars locally at a lower price than they could be shipped to him by the manufacture of the remainder of the rack. While this is true,` it is sometimes difhcult for the purchaser to secure rack bars of a particular size needed for certain rack brackets if he is to secure the bars at an advantageous price.

It is, therefore, a general object ci my invention to provide a bracket for garment racks upon which horizontal rack bars can be quickly and easily mounted and secured in position when the racks are set up at their place of use.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a bracket for garment racks which are so constructed that it will receive and securely support rack bars of various sizes with equal facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bracket for garment racks which can be cheaply and simply stamped in a single stamping operation.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a bracket for garment racks which when erected and provided with rack bars presents a neat and pleasing appearance and has no sharp or outwardly projecting small portions against which a prospective customer might strike himself in the head or shoulders.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion oi a completely installed garment rack with the supporting posts and rack bars broken away at their medial portions;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through a garment rack erected as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the end of a bracket arm illustrating the manner of installation of a relatively large rack bar,` and Fig. 5 is a View generally similar to Fig. 4,

showing the manner of installation of a relatively small rack bar.

In the drawing there is shown a pair of posts 6 Whose lower ends are adapted to restl upon a floor 'I and whose upper ends are arranged suitably for attachment to a ceiling 8. Couplings 9 in the posts 6 permit slight adjustment of the length of each bar or the substitution of diiferent lengths of upper post portions to accommodate different heights of ceiling. Each of the bracket arms B comprises a main web portion Iii with upper and lower flanges II and I2 lying in planes substantially in right angles to the web I0. The inner end of each of the bracket members B is provided with a curved portion II adapted to t partially around a post 6 and the inner edge of each of the bracket members is provided with an angular portion I4, and, as best shown in Fig. 3, when two bracket members are placed oppositely to each other against one of the posts 6, said bracket members can be securely clamped together and also to the post by means of nutted bolts I5 which pass through the bracket members to provide a tight clamp at their inner ends around the post.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the outer end of each bracket bar B is provided with a cutout portion comprising a notch IS. It will be seen that the notch is cut down substantially straight at its left side and then along the arc of a circle until it reaches a portion of the lower web flange l2 which comprises an upwardly and outwardly extending tongue member I'l. At least the tongue member Il of the bracket B is of a malleable material and is preferably of a material which can be bent with an ordinary hammer and is of such material that when bent it will retain its bent position under ordinary usage of the rack.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a rack bar I8 which conforms generally tothe shape of the arcuate portion of the notch I6 in the end of each bracket arm. In Fig. 4, however, there is shown a rack bar I9 whose circumference lies in a circle of greater radius than that of the arcuate portion of said bar receiving notch I6. Thus the rack bar I9 will not t down into the bottom of the notch I6, but the malleable tongue member I'I can be bent, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the rack can still be securely clamped to the bracket B. n

In Fig. 5 there is shown a rack bar Et whose circumference described a circle having a radius less than that of the. arcuate portion of the notch i6 so that said bar will t easily into the lower portion of the notch. In this case, when the malleable tongue member I'I is bent around the bar 20 by hammer or other suitable means, said bar 2U willbe nearly completely encircled and naturally securely retained by the bracket B.

It should be noted that regardless of whether a relatively large or small rack bar is mounted between two of the spaced brackets B, the retaining malleable members I'l, being fiat against the rack bar, will lie substantially flush there- With and the bracket thereby offers no projecting portions against which a customer might strike and injure himself. In many cases the rack bars are placed at an elevation against which ones shoulder or head might strike and some of the -conventional forms of garment racks have projecting studs or other elements which oier an opportunity for possible serious injury in the event of relatively hard contact therei.

with. j

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a bracket for supporting the bars of garment racks which is a relatively simple structure and which is capable of formation in a single stamping operation. The clamp portions I3 and I4 at the inner ends of the bracket members, as well as the reeniorcing flanges Il and I2 along the upper and lower edges and the malleable tongue member il which form continuations of the flanges l2, can all be shaped in a single operation. rIhe malleable retaining tongues l1 in combination with the notches l5 comprise means for receiving and securing the rack bars which require little time in the erection of the rack for proper installation of the rack bars, and the bar retaining means is such that no skill is required in the placement and securing of the rack bars. One of the most important features of the invention is the simplicity of the fastening means combined with the capability of installing rack bars of diierent diameters without having to make any adjustments or alterations in the bar fastening means.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A bracket for garment racks comprising, a laterally extending web having a rack bar re ceiving notch formed therein, said notch being at least partially deiined by a relatively iiat malleable member extending from said web and lying in a plane normal to said web and capable of being bent at least partially about a rack bar receivable in said notch.

2. A bracket for garment racks comprising, a laterally extending arm comprising a substantially vertical web portion having means for attachment to a support, said arm having an outer end with a generally upwardly open notch formed therein to receive and support a rack bar, a portion of said web being of tongue-like formation and bent to lie in a plane substantially normal to the general plane of said web, said tongue portion defining a portion of said notch, and said tongue portion further being malleable to permit it to be bent about a rack bar receivable in said notch with said tongue lying substantially iiush with said rack bar.

ALLEN TRASK.

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