US3666224A

US3666224A - Self-retractable hanger

Info

Publication number: US3666224A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles J Domanico
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-23
Filing date: 1970-10-23
Publication date: 1972-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-30

Abstract

A housing having a reciprocally movable hook supported in the housing and under the influence of a spring. A key-actuated lock also influences the position of the hook to extend an angled end of the hook out of the housing. The angled hook end serves as a hanger for items, such as a fire extinguisher suspended on a wall, and, when the extinguisher is removed from the hanger, the hook automatically retracts into the housing so that it cannot again be used until the lock is rotated by the key. A finger is connected with the lock for engaging the hook and extending it from the housing, when the lock is rotated. Also, a pawl is connected with the finger for extending into the path of the hook and preventing the hook from being exposed from the housing, except for the use of a key.

Description

United States Patent Domanico [54} SELF-RETRACTABLE HANGER [22] Filed: Oct. 23, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 83,543

[5 2] US. Cl ..248/203, 70/62 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47l' 5/08 [58] Field of Search ..248/203, 204, 295, 316 A; 70/62,58;21l/4, 8, 9

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,94l,l 12 12/1933 Schmansky..... 248/203 2,274,] l l 2/1942 Weaver..... ...248/203 3,391,888 7/1968 Longo ..248/203 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 736,565 9/1932 France ..248/316 A 51 May 30, 1972 Primary ExaminerMarion Parsons, Jr. AttorneyArthur J. Hansmann [57] ABSTRACT A housing having a reciprocally movable hook supported in the housing and under the influence of a spring. A key-actuated lock also influences the position of the hook to extend an 'angled end of the hook out of the housing. The angled hook end serves as a hanger for items, such as a fire extinguisher suspended on a wall, and, when the extinguisher is removed from the hanger, the hook automatically retracts into the housing so that it cannot again be used until the lock is rotated by the key. A finger is connected with the lock for engaging the hook and extending it from the housing, when the lock is rotated. Also, a pawl is connected with the finger for extending into the path of the hook and preventing the hook from being exposed from the housing, except for the use of a key.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1;) (gill? 0 Ir (1" /a 3/ .9 $1 n t"; 11 1| PATENTEDMAY 30 I972 [NI EN TOR CHARLES J DOMAN/CO A TTOR/VEY SELF-RETRACTABLE HANGER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Self-retractable hangers are already known in the prior art, and such hangers exist for suspension of fire extinguishers and like items. In these prior art structures, the hangers are available for supporting fire extinguishers or other items, such that when the fire extinguisher is first removed from the hook of the hanger, the hook automatically retracts into a housing and cannot again be exposed for use until a key is used to release and expose the hook. In this manner, once a fire extinguisher has been removed from the hanger, such as for emptying the contents in combating a fire, the extinguisher cannot be replaced on the hanger, except by authorized personel who have the key for actuating the lock. Therefore, vandals, inadvertent use of the extinguisher, and like factors cannot jeopardize the primary purpose of indicating that the suspended item has not been initially removed from the hanger.

With more detailed consideration of the prior art hangers, it is also noted that these hangers are of a self-locking or self-actuating nature such that once the item is removed from the hook of the hanger, the hanger retracts and cannot again be exposed until a key is used. However, these prior art hangers are not commonly used in actual practice, and no doubt one reason for their lack of use is that they are complicated and expensive, and they are not wholly suitable and reliable for the intended purpose. One such example of a prior art hanger is shown in US Pat. No. 1,941,112, and, while this shown hanger does utilize a retracting spring and a lock, it does not have a hook which is extendable from the housing, nor is it of a structure which is reliable in the relationship of the sliding arts. p Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a self-retracting type of hanger for supporting fire extinguishers or the like, and to provide this construction in an improved structure which is also more sturdy and reliable than the hangers known heretofore.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a hanger which has a self-retracting hook under the influence of a spring and also a lock, such that actuation of the lock will cause the retracted hook to be'exposed from the housing for supporting an item suspended thereon. In accomplishing this object, the hook is reciprocally mounted in the housing to move in and out along a controlled path so that, when the item is removed from the hook, the hook will reliably retract into the housing, since the hook is guided in its reciprocal or retracting movement. Still further, the lock is arranged with an arm for engaging the hook to extend the hook from the housing, and a pawl is related to the arm for further assuring that the retracted arm cannot be tampered with and pulled from the housing to an exposed position for rehanging the item without use of the key.

Still further, it is a specific object of this invention to provide a hanger which can be mounted on a wall and have a hook exposed from the housing of the hanger such that the hook is disposed in a position immediately adjacent the wall so that the item suspended on the hook will be suspended in contact with the wall and thereby occupy only a minimum of space.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hanger with a fire extinguisher suspended therefrom.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the hanger of FIG. 1, but with the rear cover plate removed for exposing the working parts.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the parts in different position, and with part of the housing broken away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a building wall 10 suitably supporting the hanger 11, which is the hanger of this invention, and a fire extinguisher 12 is suspended from the hanger 11. It will therefore be understood that the hanger 11 is suitably mounted on the wall 10 by being bolted or screwed thereto, and the fire extinguisher 12 is available for the fire fighting purpose. The major feature of this invention is that when the extinguisher 12 is removed from the hanger 11, then the extinguisher cannot be placed onto the hanger 11 without the use of a key 13 which actuates a lock 14 on the hanger 11. Thus, a movable hook 16 is included as a part of the hanger l1, and, as soon as the extinguisher 12 is removed from the engaged position with the hook 16, then the hook 16 is retracted into the hanger 'housing 17 so that the extinguisher 12 cannot be replaced without the use of the key 13.

The housing 17 has a cavity 18 which provides a guide track for the reciprocal and sliding hook 16 which has an upper offset portion 19 and a lower hook end or angled end 21. A post 22 is fixedly mounted in the housing 17, and the hook offset portion 19 has an opening 23 which receives the post 22 and thereby provides a slide relationship of the hook 16 on the post 22. The hook 16 can therefore slide between its upper position shown in FIG. 2, where the hook offset portion 19 will abut the housing upper wall 24, and the hook 16 can also slide down to where the offset portion will abut the two stope 26 affixed to the housing 17. Thus, when a heavy item such as the fire extinguisher 12 is hung on the hook 16, the hook 16 will be pulled downwardly to where the hook portion 19 will rest on the housing stops 26, and this is the position of the hook 16 as seen in FIG. 1.

The housing 17 also has a wall 27 which provides a support for the lower end of the post 22. Further, a compression coil spring 28 is disposed on the post 22 and encircles the post 22 and extends between the hook upper portion 19 and the housing wall 27, as shown. Still further, it will of course be seen and understood that the housing 17 has

side flanges

29 and 31 which contain screw holes 32 for mounting the hanger 11 on the wall 10.

With the structure as thus described, the hook 16 is closely guided in its sliding or reciprocal movement relative to the housing 17, and a rear housing cover plate 33 is removably mounted on the back of the housing 17 for enclosing the moving parts seen in FIG. 2 and for further confining and guiding the hook 16. In this arrangement, the hook 16 is therefore closely guided and is accurately slidable so that it readily moves under the influence of the spring 28 to retract into the housing 17 when the extinguisher 12 is removed from the hook 16.

The rotatable lock 14 is mounted on the housing 17 and is controlled by the key 13. A screw 34 is threaded into the lock 14 to rotate with the lock in full response to rotation of the key 13, in the conventional manner. An arm 36 is also mounted on the lock 14 to rotate with the rotating portion of the lock 14, and the arm presents a finger 37 which rotates into the path of movement of the hook 16, so the arm 36 rotates between the two limit positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thus, in rotating the lock 14 and therefore the arm 36 from the FIG. 2 position and to the FIG. 5 position, the finger 37 engages the hook offset portion 19 as it contacts the hook upper surface 38 at the finger tip 39. Thus the finger 36 depresses the hook 16 and moves it to slightly beyond the position of the hook 16 as seen in FIG. 5, and the finger 37 then slides beyond the surface 38 and stops in the position actually shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the hook 16 has its angled end 21 exposed from the housing 17, as desired. Also, the finger surface 41 is disposed in the path of the hook 16 in the FIG. 5 position, so the hook 16 is held exposed even though the extinguisher 12 is not holding the hook 16 down. With this arrangement, the user can rotate the lock 14 to position the parts as shown in FIG. 5, and he then need not hold the key 13 with one hand while trying to place the extinguisher 12 onto the hook 16 with the other hand. Instead, the parts will stay in the position shown in FIG. 5 while the key 13 remains in the lock 14, and the operator can then use two hands to lift the relatively heavy extinguisher 12 and place it onto the hook 16.

When the extinguisher 12 is placed onto the hook 16, then the hook 16 is further depressed and moves down to where its offset portion 19 rests on the stops 26. In this position, the operator can then re-rotate the lock 14 and thus replace the arm 36 to the FIG. 2 position, and the key 13 can now for the first time be removed from the lock 14. This assures that the arm 36 is placed in its correct upper position of FIG. 2 before the key I3 can be removed. Also, as soon as the extinguisher 12 is removed from the hook 16, then the spring 28 will cause the hook 16 to be moved upwardly to the retracted position shown in FIG. 2, as desired.

Finally, a pawl 42 is also associated with the lock 14 and is pivotally related to the arm 36 to be limitly pivotal relative to the arm 36. That is, the pawl 42 can rotate with the rotation of the lock 14, as shown in the two positions between FIGS. 2 and 5, and the pawl 42 can also rotate slightly relative to the lock 14 and also relative to the arm 36. Thus the pawl 42 has a bent end 43 which overlies the edge of the arm 36 to provide the limited pivotal movement of the pawl 42 relative to the arm 36in the clockwise direction of rotation of the pawl 42 as seen in FIG. 2. To limit rotation or pivot of the pawl 42 in the counter-clockwise direction, a tang or offset 44 is provided on the pawl 42, and this tang is in the plane of the arm 36 to abut the arm 36 as the pawl 42 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to a position of abutment with the arm 36, and FIG. 3 shows the offset tang 44. That is, the pawl 42 is simply provided with two projecting portions which lie in the plane of the arm 36 to abut the arm 36 and thereby limit pivotal motion of the pawl 42 relative to the arm 36. In this manner, it will then be understood that, while the pawl 42 can rotate counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2, the hook 16 then can be moved up past the pawl 42 and to the position shown in FIG. 2. However, since the pawl 42 cannot rotate in a clockwise direction from that position shown in FIG. 2, the hook 16 cannot be pulled downwardly to be exposed from the housing 17 since the pawl end 46 projects into the path of the hook portion 19 to prevent such pulling of the hook 16 from the housing 17.

Pawl portions

43 and 44 are stops.

The hook angled end 21 is disposed parallel with the housing surface 46, and thus the two

portions

21 and 46 provide a desirable angle for entrapping and securing the fire extinguisher handle 47.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-retractable hanger, comprising a housing, a hook reciprocally disposed in said housing and including an angled end exposable beyond and retractable within said housing in accordance with the movement of said hook, a spring in said housing and operative on said hook for retracting said angled end into said housing, a key-actuated lock on said housing and including a rotatable part, an arm operatively connected with said rotatable part for rotating therewith and with said arm extending into the path of movement of said hook for engaging and moving said hook to a position of exposing said angled end beyond said housing, and a pawl connected to said am and extending therefrom into the path of movement of said hook for engaging said hook and preventing movement of said hook when said lock is not rotated, to thereby prevent expo sure of said angled end without actuation of said lock.

2. The hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arm includes a finger extending to a position to rotate across the path of said hook and to an over-center position relative to the central axis of said lock, for holding said hook against the influence of said spring.

3. The hanger as claimed in claim 2, including a stop on said housing and in the path of movement of said hook for limiting the extent that said angled end can be exposed from said housing, said stop being located on said housing and relative to said hook at a position along the path of movement of said hook beyond the over-center position relation of said hook with Said arm.

4. The hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing has a beveled end at the location where said angled end is exposed beyond said housing, and with said beveled end and said angled end being parallel to each other and presenting two spaced-apart inclined surfaces for receiving and suspending an item therebetween.

5. The hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hook includes a portion extending in the direction of the central axis of said lock, said pawl being pivotally mounted relative to said arm for independent movement past said hook portion, and stops on said pawl for limiting pivotal movement relative to said arm and thereby limiting movement of said hook when said lock is in the locked position.

6. The hanger as claimed in claim 1, including a post fixed in said housing, said hook having an offset portion slidable on said post to render said hook reciprocable in said housing, said spring encircling said post and engaging said hook offset portion for spring-urging said hook, and a stop in said housing in the path of movement of said offset portion for limiting exposure of said angled end from said housing.

k IF

Claims

1. A self-retractable hanger, comprising a housing, a hook reciprocally disposed in said housing and including an angled end exposable beyond and retractable within said housing in accordance with the movement of said hook, a spring in said housing and operative on said hook for retracting said angled end into said housing, a key-actuated lock on said housing and including a rotatable part, an arm operatively connected with said rotatable part for rotating therewith and with said arm extending into the path of movement of said hook for engaging and moving said hook to a position of exposing said angled end beyond said housing, and a pawl connected to said arm and extending therefrom into the path of movement of said hook for engaging said hook and preventing movement of said hook when said lock is not rotated, to thereby prevent exposure of said angled end without actuation of said lock.