US1557251A - Wall closet - Google Patents

Description

Oct C.R.HAMUN.

WALL CLOSET Filed April 20 192; Z-Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 13, 1925. I 1,557,251

I C.- R. HAMLIN WALL CLOSET Filed April 20. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fll lllll iik Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

a fixed support and by which a. number of articles of clothing may be firmly supported and protected against dust. The invention is illustrated in the accompanym drawings and will be hereinafter fully set orth.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention arranged for use; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, the supporting arm being shown lowered; 1n

Fi 1 and raised in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3'is a detail perspective view showing another embodiment of the IDVBDtIOH, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a form of sup orting arm different from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a base 1 which may conveniently be a block of hard wood having openings formed therethrough between its ends whereby fastening screws 2 or similar devices may be inserted into a wall or other fixed support. To the base at the lower end thereof, I secure a socket or supporting bracket 3 which w1ll preferably be of pressed steel and presents side leaves adapted to bear fiat against the front face of the base and be rigidly secured thereto and a central supporting portion comprising spaced lugs 4 between which one end of the supporting arm 5 is pivoted. In Figs. 1 and 2, the sup orting arm is shown as consisting of a sing e iece of stout wire bent to present the shan or body member 12 and suspending lugs 13 projecting therefrom. An eye 14 is formed at the lower end of the shank to permit the same to be pivotally secured between the lugs 4 and the tongues 9 will be located close enou h together to firmly engage the shank an support it in upright position. The upper extremity of the shank is projected sli htly forward, as shown at 15, whereby it orms a convenlent handle or gripping portion to facllitate the lowering of the arm when the removal or suspension of arments is to be effected. Each lug 13 is ormed at its extremity with an eye 16 in which garment hangers 8 may be engaged, and'these arms or hooks are so disposed that in the upright positlon they will be inclined upwardly from the shank and. the base 1 and may, therefore, be used to support hats or similar articles. When garments are to be removed, the supporting arm '5 may be swung downwardl as shown in Fig. 1, so as to bring the garment hangers within convenient reach and when the removal of garments or the suspending of the same is not desired, the arm is swung upwardly against the base to the position shown in Fig. 2 and will be supported in said upright position by a retainer consisting of resilient tongues 9 bent from an attaching shank 10 which is rigidly secured to the base, as clearly shown, and the tongues, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, have divergent extremities so that the arm may readily ride into and out of engagement therewith.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the arm formed of cast steel having spaced lugs 6 on its front side provided with openings 7 therethrough.

whereby garment hangers 8 may be engaged in the said lugs and suspended therefrom.

The arm is provided upon its side edgeswith longitudinal ribs or flanges 11 so that it may be readily and firmly engaged by the retaining tongues 9.

Above the clip or retainer 9, I secure to the base a loop or suspending bracket 17 which extends across the front of the base in spaced relation thereto and is adapted to carry a curtain-supporting member 18. In Figs. 1 and 2 this supporting loop is shown as constructed of wire having eyes 19' at its ends through which fastening devices are inserted into the edges of the base and having its central portion disposed across the front-of the base in position to admit the hooks 20 of the curtain-carrying device 18. The said curtain-carrying device is shown as consisting of a stout wire or light rod bent upon itself to provide upper and lower parallel branches connected integrally at one end, as shown at 21, and having a retaining hook 22 at the opposite end of one branch or member adapted to receive the pointed end 23 ofthe other branch or member. The upper branch is bent laterally to form the hooks 20 and the extremities of said hooks are connected by a bridge 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. A curtain 25 of any suitable textile material is suspended from the carrying member 18 and is secured thereon by having the pointed end of the lower branch of said member threaded through the upper edge or hem of the fabric. As shown most clearly at 26 in Fig. 1, the curtain is formed in two sections which have their inner edges overlapping so that garments suspended on the main supporting arm. will be completely covered by the curtain and thereby protected from dust or other damaging elements. In applying the curtain-carrying member to the base, the ends of the hooks 20 and the bridge connecting the same are disposed against the base below the loop 17 and the device is then slid upwardly on the base so that the said bridge and the ends of the books will pass between the loop and the base, after which the curtain-carrying member is swung pivotally about the loop so as to assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and .2, in which position it will be firmly supported by the loop.

At the upper extremity of the base, I secure a retaining loop 27 in which is engaged the depending base or rest portion 28 of a hat-supporting member or rack 29, the said hat-supporting member consisting of a ring formed integral with the rest 28 and projecting forwardly from the base, as clearly shown. A hat to be supported is engaged with its crown downward through the ring 29, as shown in Fig. 2, and other hats may be nested within the first hat in an obvious manner so that several hats may be supported by the one ring.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a curtain-carrying member slightly different from the curtain-carrying member shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this alternative form of curtain-carrying device, the lower branch 30' is formed with a depending U-shaped rest or-supporting member 31 which is adapted to be engaged downwardly through a loop 32 secured upon the base, the portions of the lower branch 30 at the sides of the said rest bearing upon the upper edges of the loop 32 at the ends thereof so that the curtain-carrying member will be firmly supported. It

will be readily noted that either form of ourtain-carrying device may be readily removed from the base and its support when the apparatus is to be disassembled for storage.

While it is desirable to secure the base directly to a fixed support as by the screws 2 previously described, it may sometimes be preferred to suspend the apparatus from a hook without rigidly securing it in place, and to meet this possible preference, I provide the suspending bracket shownv in Fig. 3 and consisting of a plate 33 rigidly secured to the back of the base and pro ecting above the upper extremity of the same. Near the upper extremity of the plate is an opening 35 whereby the plate may be easily engaged over a hook or similar device.

When the device is placed in position for use, several suits of clothes and several hats may be supported thereon and will be in position to permit their easy and convenient removal when desired for use. The curtain need not be detached from the curtain-carrying member when the parts are to be disassembled, but the said member may be very readily withdrawn from the loop in which it is supported and similarly the hat-supporting ring or rack may be likewise readily removed from its supporting loop and as easily engaged therein. The main supporting arm 5 or 12, as the case may be, may be left folded against the base when the device is to be placed in a trunk or stored away and the other parts may be easily folded so as to be conveniently placed within available space. My portable closet is very simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts and may be produced at a low cost. It will be found desirable for use by persons whose vocation requires them to travel constantly, as commercial travelers, actors and persons engaged in other occupations which carry thei'n into small towns where hotel ac- I commodations are of poor quality and closet space is limited or non-existent.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A portable closet comprising a base, a bracket thereon, a garment-carrying element consisting of parallel side by side strands of stout wire forming a shank, eyes at the ends of the shank integrally uniting said strands, one of said eyes being pivotally engaged in said bracket and the opposite end of the shank being diverged slightly away from the base to form a handle, a series of arms integral with one strand of the shank and inclined toward the same, each consisting of parallel branches of the strand integrally united by a terminal eye, and a retainer on the base having resilient fingers to engage the shank of the garment-carrying element and hold the same in upright position close to the base.

2. A garment supporting device comprising a base, a bracket carried thereby, a garment-hanger suspending member comprising a single length of wire formed to provide a twostrand shank having an eye at each end uniting the strands, means pivotally mounting the eye at one end of the shank, in the said bracket, one of the strands being formed, at intervals in its length, to provide two-strand hanger-supporting arms having terminal eyes to accommodatethe hooks of garment hangers, the arms extending from the shank at an acute angle thereto in the direction of the free end of the shank, the said member being movable about its pivot to assume a substantially horizontal position and an upright position in front of the base,

and means upon the base for maintaining the member in the last mentioned position, the free end portion of the member being deflected to provide a handle portion extending forwardly at an angle from the base 15 in the said last mentioned member.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature.

CHARLES A'MLIN. La]

position of the

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