US2779479A - Garment bag frame - Google Patents

Description

J, 29, 1957 w. COHEN GARMENT BAG FRAME Filed July 28, 1953 INVENTOR W/LL/AM COHEN BY Z ATTORN E5 2,779,479 GARMENT BAG FRAME.

William Cohen, New York, N. Y.

Application July 28, 1953, Serial No. 370,765

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-119) This invention relates generally to garment bags, and is particularly directed to garment bag frames.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally garment bag spreading members, a garment hanger support secured to the bag spreading members, a swivel on the garment hanger support, and suspension means on the swivel for supporting the garment bag and frame from an overhead support.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved garment bag frame construction which is provided with means for attachment to both a carrying handle and a suspension hanger for supporting the garment bag and contents thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment bag frame of the type described which may inexpensively be manufactured from stock materials without cutting or punching operations.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a garment bag frame having the characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs and which is provided with a highly improved swivel construction rotatably mounted on the garment hanger support and adapted to afford a maximum of movement with a minimum of garment bag opening.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garment bag frame including a garment hanger support and swivel which is extremely simple in construction and durable in operatiomwhich is effective for its intended purposes, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a partial, top perspective view showing a garmerit bag employing a frame constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial, top perspective view, showing a garment bag frame constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view showing the swivel construction of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a garment bag, generally designated 10, and a garment nite Sums Pawn: O

,. ice

bag frame, generally designated 11, and adapted to be positioned interiorly of the garment bag.

The garment bag is fabricated of any suitable flexible material and includes a top panel 12 of substantially rectangular configuration, end panels 13, and side panels 14. The top panel 12 is formed with a central opening 15 which is surrounded by a grommet or eyelet 16. On opposite sides of the opening 16, the top panel 12 is formed with through slots or openings 17 and 18 adjacent to the side panels 14. The openings 17 and 18 are preferably beaded along their edges as at 19 and 20.

The garment bag frame 11 includes a generally rectangular spreader element having parallel spaced end members 26 (only one being shown, see Fig. 2) and parallel spaced side members 27 and 28 extending between the end members. The bag spreading element 25 is adapted to underlie. the garment bag top panel 12 to retain. the latter in extended, substantially flat condition and space the bag sides 14 and ends 13 away from each other. While the garment bag spreading element is preferably fabricated of a single length of wire stock, any suitable means of construction may be employed. Centrally of the side members 27 and 28, there are formed oppositely disposed, depressed portions 29 and 30 for a purpose appearing hereinafter.

Extending between the side spreader members 2'7 and 28, in the region of the depressed portions 29 and 30, is a garment hanger support, generally designated 32. The garment hanger support includes a corrugated wire portion 33 extending transversely of and spaced below the side spreader members 27 and 28. Extending upwardly from opposite ends of the corrugated wire portion 33 are wire portions 34 and 35. The upwardly extending wire portion 34 is bent outwardly at 36 and looped over the depressed side member portion 29 as at 37. Similarly, the upwardly extending wire portion is bent outwardly as at 38 and looped over the adjacent depressed side member portion 30 as at 39. The loops 37 and 39 snugly and firmly embrace the depressed portions 29 and 30, respectively, to substantially rigidly secure the corrugated wire portion 33 to the bagspreading members 27 and 28. From the loop 37, a wire portion 40 extends toward. the remote spreader member 23, curving outwardly at 41 between the side spreading members 27 and 28 and having its end portion bent to form an upstanding eye 42 adjacent. to the depressed portion 30. Similarly, a wire portion 44 extends from the loop 39 toward the remote spreading member 27, curving outwardly at 45 adjacent to the outwardly curved portion 41, and having its end portion bent to form an upstanding eye 46 adjacent to the depressed side member portion 29. The oppositely extending wire portions 40 and 44 are, for the most part, in side by side abutting relation and may be fixedly secured together by any ap propriate means, such as welding or the like.

Stated otherwise, the garment hanger support 32 comprises a single strand of wire stock having one end portion bent to form an upstanding eye 42 adjacent to the de pressed spreading member portion 30, thence extending toward the depressed spreading member portion 29, curving outwardly as at 41, and snugly looping over the depressed portion 29 as at 3'']. The wire strand is then bent downwardly at 36 to form 21 depending portion 34 which merges with the transversely extending corrugated portion 33 at one end of the latter. On the other end of the corrugated portion 33 is formed an upstanding portion 35, bent outwardly at 38 and tightly looped over the depressed member portion 30 as at 39. The loop 39 is formed with a transverse extention 44 which is curved outwardly at 45, opposite to the curved portion 41 and extends in side by side relation with the portion 40 whence it is bent to form the upstanding eye 46. Thus, it is now apparent that the garment hanger support 32 may be formed of a single strand of wire by simple bending operations, the usual cutting and punching operations being completely eliminated.

The oppositely curved wire portions 41 and 45 are disposed adjacent to and below the top panel aperture 15 and serve to form an opening 48 in registry with the top panel aperture. In this manner the garment hanger support 32 is adapted to rotatably receive a swivel, generally designated 50.

The swivel 50 includes a tubular member 51 having a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced legs 52 on one end. On the other end of the tubular member 51 is formed a bail or yoke 53 which combines with the tubular member to provide an eye. A pair of plates or discs 54 and 55 are each provided with through slots or apertures 56 and 57 adapted to conformably receive the legs 52. In assembly, the plate 54 is positioned on the tubular member 51 with the legs 52 inserted through the apertures 56, the plate abutting against the shoulders 53 defined by the spaces intermediate the legs. The tubular member is then inserted through the opening 48 with its legs 52 extending toward the corrugated wire portion 33. The plate 55 is then arranged with the legs 52 inserted through the slots 57, and the free ends of the legs upset against the undersurface of the plate 55. It will now be observed that the plate 54 engages the upper surface of the wire portions 41 and 45 and the plate 55 engages the undersurface of said wire portions. As the wire portions 41 and 45 are substantially horizontal when in use, and as the plates 54 and 55 are slidably engageable with the wire portions, 'it will be seen that the tubular member 51 is mounted for 360 of rotative movement about the axis of the tubular 5 member.

Extending loosely through the bail 53 of the tubular member 51 is an eye 59 of the hanger 60. Thus-, t he hanger 60 is mounted for rotative movement aboutthe vertical axis of the tubular member 51, and rotative movement about a horizontal axis extending through the bail 53.

In operation, the hanger 60 is suspended from an overhead support, and in turn supports the frame 11, garment bag 10 and any garments which may be suspended on the wire garment hanger supporting member 33. As garment bags of this general character are used under a wide variety of conditions, for example, as luggage, car bags, and storage bags, the flexibility of movement of the hanger 60 is well adapted to accommodate for widely differing conditions of use. The flexibility of movement of the hanger 60 does not cause the garment bag to open or distort. As best seen in Fig. 3, the grommet 16 closely surrounds the tubular member 51 to completely close the opening 15 and permit swiveling of the tubular member without admitting dust or other foreign material to the interior of the bag.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the eyes 42 and 46 extend upwardly through the garment bag apertures 18 and 17, respectively, and are there adapted for connection to a handle 61, shown in dot and dash outline. This construction permits ready conversion of the bag for use as luggage. In addition, as the loops 37 and 39 embrace the recessed portions 29 and 30, the loops are spaced from the eyes 42 and 46 to prevent obstruction thereof and present a smooth top panel 12.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a garment bag frame having a pair of parallel spaced bag-spreading members, a garment hanger support extending between and secured to said spreading members, said garment hanger support comprising a single strand of wire having a central portion disposed below said bag-spreading members for supporting garment hangers, the end portions of said wire each extending upwardly and snugly over its adjacent bag-spreading member and thence laterally toward the distal bag-spreading member, said laterally extending wire portions being in side-by-side relation except for an intermediate portion which is spaced apart to form a circular opening for rotatively receiving a swivel, each of said wire portions terminating in an upstanding reentrantly bent loop for receiving the ends of a handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 304,857 Reichardt Sept. 9, 1884 515,023 Salathe Feb. 20, 1894 637,122 Isachson Nov. 14, 1899 2,150,074 McLure Mar. 7, 1939 2,318,119 Westhaver May 4, 1943 2,350,901 Johnston June 6, 1944 2,554,483 Corwin May 29, 1951 2,644,589 Levine July 7, 1953 2,670,854 Einhorn Mar. 2, 1954

Images