U.S. patent number 3,762,602 [Application Number 05/234,216] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-02 for coat hanger dispenser.
Invention is credited to Edwin E. Wasil.
United States Patent |
3,762,602 |
Wasil |
October 2, 1973 |
COAT HANGER DISPENSER
Abstract
A coat hanger dispenser comprising an elongate rail over which a
supply of coat hangers is hooked, an advancing means at one end of
the rail intermittently operable to advance a hanger from
engagement on and longitudinally outward from said one end of the
rail and delivery means extending from the said end of the rail and
the advancing means to releasably hold a hanger advanced in a
convenient location and disposition for manual engagement. The
advancing means is motor driven and is under control of a switch at
the delivery means and operated by a hanger engaged with the
delivery means.
Inventors: |
Wasil; Edwin E. (Huntington
Park, CA) |
Family
ID: |
22880430 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/234,216 |
Filed: |
March 13, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/195; 222/312;
221/312A |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G
25/1442 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47G
25/14 (20060101); A47G 25/00 (20060101); B65h
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/312A,191,277,258,268,13,195,9,196,194 ;198/25 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Coleman; Samuel F.
Assistant Examiner: Rolla; Joseph J.
Claims
Having described my invention, I claim:
1. A coat hanger dispenser comprising an elongate longitudinally
inclined rail with an upper inner end and a lower outer end and
adapted to be engaged by the laterally inwardly and downwardly
opening central hook portions of and to slidably support a
plurality of coat hangers, advancing means at the lower outer end
of the rail operable to intermittently engage the hook portion of
the lower and outermost coat hanger on the rail and to advance said
hangers forwardly and outwardly relative to the rail, delivery
means at and extending forwardly from the advancing means to
receive and releasably support a coat hanger advanced by said
advancing means for manual engagement and removal and control means
carried by the delivery means and connected with the advancing
means to effect operation of the advancing means each time a hanger
is manually engaged and removed from supported engagement with said
delivery means, said advancing means includes a flat disc-shaped
rotor on an axis normal to the axis of the rail and having an upper
inner portion with a coat hanger hook engaging part projecting into
a notch in the outer end of the rail, electric drive means to
rotate the rotor to move the part upwardly forwardly and downwardly
relative to the rail and to advance the hanger carried thereby
forwardly, said delivery means including a longitudinally outwardly
and downwardly inclined rod to slidably engage a hanger advanced by
the advancing means, and a saddle on the rod to establish hooked
engagement with an advanced hanger, said control means including a
switch at the saddle and engaged and operated by a hanger engaged
with the saddle.
2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hanger hook
engaging part on the rotor is defined by a radially outwardly and
circumferentially disposed notch in the periphery of the rotor.
3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rod has a
notched inner end in which the longitudinal outer peripheral
portion of the rotor is freely engaged.
4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the saddle is an
upwardly opening hook at the outer free end of the rod, said switch
has an operating finger projecting into the confines of the
saddle.
5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hanger hook
engaging part on the rotor is defined by a radially outwardly and
circumferentially disposed notch in the periphery of the rotor,
wherein the saddle is an upwardly opening hook at the outer free
end of the rod, said switch has an operating finger projecting into
the confines of the saddle.
6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rod has a
notched inner end in which the longitudinal outer peripheral
portion of the rotor is freely engaged, wherein the saddle is an
upwardly opening hook at the outer free end of the rod, said switch
has an operating finger projecting into the confines of the saddle.
Description
This invention has to do with a device for dispensing coat hangers
and is more particularly concerned with a device which receives a
supply of coat hangers and automatically presents the hangers, one
at a time, for convenient manual engagement and use.
In commercial laundries and dry-cleaning establishments, large
numbers of coat and/or pants hangers are used to engage and hold
articles of clothing and the like which have been worked upon and
for subsequent handling.
The ordinary, standard coat hanger is established of a length of
soft, bent wire and is characterized by a looped, garment engaging
lower portion having a lower horizontal bar, upwardly and
longitudinally inwardly convergent top bars and by a central
upwardly projecting and thence downwardly turned upper clothes pole
engaging hook portion, which hook portion occurs in a common plane
with the lower looped, garment engaging portion.
While the exact form and construction of coat hanger is subject to
some variations, they are substantially alike in their basic
make-up.
In laundries and the like, where large quantities or supplies of
coat hangers must be provided and put to use, the supplies of
hangers become interengaged and hooked with each other in such a
way or manner that much valuable time is spent and wasted by
personnel in separating the hangers, as they are engaged, one at a
time, for use. In carrying out the above and common practice, many
hangers become bent and damaged by personnel, as they engage, pull
and seek to free a hanger from a supply of entangled hangers.
In efforts to overcome the above, the prior art has provided
clothes poles in the area of or adjacent to the work stations where
the hangers are to be used and engages a supply of hangers on the
poles, which hangers can be more conveniently engaged by the users
thereof.
While the above practice has proven to be far superior to providing
and presenting hangers in a pile or in boxes, for use, it is still
not wholly satisfactory and efficient, as the users of the hangers
must, as a general rule, reach an excessive distance to engage a
hanger, must manually shift the supplies of hangers on the poles as
they are consumed and must carefully select and engage but one
hanger, each time a hanger is required.
An object and feature of my invention is to provide a means or
device with which a supply of hangers can be easily and
conveniently engaged, and which operates to advance one hanger at a
time, deliver it to a convenient location for manual engagement by
a user and which orients and holds the hangers thus delivered for
most convenient manual engagement.
It is an object and feature of my invention to provide an elongate
inclined hanger supporting rail down and along which a plurality of
hangers engaged in hooked relationship therewith will slidably
advance in side by side relationship and to provide dispensing
means at the lower end of the rail and operable to intermittently
engage and advance the lowermost hanger on the rail and to deliver
and present hangers at a holder located at a convenient delivery
station.
Another object and feature of my invention is to provide a coat
hanger dispenser of the character referred to in which the
dispensing means includes an electrically operated hanger engaging
and advancing means and a hanger actuated switching means to
control the advancing at the delivery station, whereby a coat
hanger is advanced by the advancing means to the delivery means
each time a hanger is disengaged from the delivery means.
The foregoing and other objects and features of my invention will
be fully understood and will become apparent from the following
detailed description of typical preferred forms and carrying out of
my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a view showing my invention related to a supporting
structure;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of my invention;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by
line 3--3 on FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially as
indicated by line 4--4 on FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the advancing means that I
provide;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 6--6 on FIG.
2 and showing details of the delivery means provided;
FIG. 7 is a view showing a slight modification of a portion of my
invention;
FIG. 8 is a view showing another form of support rail; and
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of another form of advancing
means.
Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 6 of the drawings, my coat hanger
dispenser includes, basically, an elongate support rail R, mounting
means M for the rail, advancing means A at one end of the rail,
delivery means D related to the advancing means A and control means
at the delivery means D and controlling the advancing means A.
The support rail can be varied widely in form and is shown as being
established of a straight length of tube stock in the form of the
invention now under consideration.
The rail R is of sufficient diametric extent so that when the
curvedly formed, downwardly and laterally opening hook portions 10
of coat hanger H are engaged therewith or thereover, the arcuate
surface opposing the inside curvature of the hook portion 10 tends
to maintain the hangers on planes at right angles to the axis of
the rail.
The rail R is inclined horizontally at a sufficient angle so that
the hangers H engaged thereon will normally slide down the rail to
the lowermost end 11 thereof.
The mounting means M can vary widely in form and is shown as
including a pair of like brackets 12 spaced longitudinally of the
rail. Each bracket has a vertical foot 13 with an upper end fixed
to the bottom of the rail, a laterally outwardly, upwardly and
thence inwardly curved central portion 14 extending from the lower
end of the foot 13 and an elongate vertical leg 15 projecting
upwardly from the upper inner end of the central portion 14. The
brackets 12 can be described and broadly referred to as C-shaped
brackets.
The brackets 12 occur on one side of the rail, which will be
referred to as its rear side and so the portions 14 thereof open
toward the forward side of the rail.
The upper legs of the brackets are preferably perforated to
receiving or accommodate suitable means for securing the brackets
to a supporting structure.
In the case illustrated, the brackets are suspended from a ceiling
structure C by hanger wires W engaged with the legs 15 and with eye
bolts or the like engaged in the ceiling structure.
The brackets of the means M are such that they effectively support
the rail and do not present an obstruction with which the hooks 10
of the hangers H engaged on the rail might catch on.
It will be apparent that the hangers must be engaged on the rail
from the front side thereof with their hook portions opening
downwardly and toward the rear side of the rail.
The advancing means A is located at the lower end 11 of the rail R
and includes a rotor 20 on a vertical plane on the central axis of
the rail and has a normally upwardly opening hook engaging part or
portion 21 which normally occurs on or just below the top or
uppermost edge of the rail, at said lower end 11. The means A next
includes means N to rotate the rotor 20 to move and advance the
hook engaging part upwardly and axially outwardly relative to the
lower end of the rail to a position where the hook-engaging part is
spaced forward of the lower end of the rail and is disposed
substantially downwardly.
The hook engaging part 20 is sufficient in size to engage and carry
the hook portion of one hanger hook 10 when it is moved in the
manner set forth above, with the result that when it is so moved,
it engages the hook of the lowermost hanger engaged on the rail and
carries the hanger upwardly and axially forwardly to a position
where the hook disengages from the part 20 and is dropped by the
rotor.
The drive means N for the rotor 20 is shown as an electric motor.
The motor is supported on a bracket-like frame F fixed to the lower
or bottom edge of the rail at the lower end thereof and projects
downwardly laterally rearwardly and axially outwardly therefrom.
The rotor is carried by the drive shaft of the motor, as shown.
The rotor is shown as a disc-shaped part and is arranged with its
upper quarter, related to the lower end of the rail, engaged in a
notch 22 in the lower end of the rail and with its upper portion
projecting above the top of the rail.
The hook engaging part 21 is, of is established by, a simple notch
in the outer periphery of the disc-shaped rotor, as clearly shown
in the drawing.
With the above structure and relationship of parts, it will be
apparent that when the motor N is energized the rotor is moved to
engage, advance and release or drop the lowermost hanger on the
rail R.
The motor remains energized until the part 21 advances into the
notch in the lower end of the rail, it is de-energized and remains
ready for recycling.
In practice, and as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9 of the
drawings, the drive means N' for the rotor 20' can involve a slow
operating linear motor or buffered solinoid, a rack 23 driven by
the motor or solinoid and a drive pinion on the shaft of the rotor
and engaged with the rack.
It will be apparent that the means N', by reciprocating motion,
will effictively impart the desired hanger advancing motion or
movement to the rotor.
The delivery means D related to the means A includes an elongate
delivery rod 30 carried by the frame F. The rod 30 is preferably
established of a length of tubing, is spaced axially outwardly from
the lower end of the rail R and is inclined axially outwardly and
downwardly relative to the central axis of the rail and so that a
hanger H engaged in hooked engagement therewith slides rapidly
therealong. The rod 30 has an upper inner end 31 which is notched
as at 32 to freely receive the axially outwardly disposed edge of
the rotor 20 and has an outer, lower, free end 33.
In practice, the rod can be straight, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2
of the drawings or can be suitably curved, as shown in FIG. 8 of
the drawings.
The delivery means D next includes an axially outwardly projecting
upwardly opening hanger hook engaging hook-like saddle 35 at the
outer lower end of the rod 30 which saddle engages, stops and holds
the hook 10 of a hanger H slid down the rod.
The saddle 35 is shown as a simple bent wire or rod structure with
parallel sides, a rounded outer tip and inner legs engaged and
fixed in the outer open end 33 of the rod.
The delivery means D next includes control means C for the motor N
(or N') of the advancing means. The control means E includes a
simple on and off switch 40 arranged in the outer end of the rod
and connected in the power line L for the motor in series therewith
and having an actuating finger 41 projecting axially forwardly from
the rod and into the confines of the saddle 35 to be engaged by a
hanger hook engaged in the saddle.
When the finger 41 is engaged and urged downwardly by a hanger H,
the switch 40 is open and the means A is de-energized. When the
hanger is removed the switch 40 closes and the means A advances a
hanger into engagement with the means D. As soon as the last
advanced hanger engages in the saddle, the means A is again
de-energized and stopped.
With the above relationship of parts, it will be apparent that my
invention effictively, dependably and conveniently advances
hangers, one at a time, to the saddle 35 of the means D so that a
hanger is always presented for manual engagement at the saddle.
It will be further apparent that the structure is such that the
supply of hangers on the rail R can be arranged out of the way of a
related working area and that the saddle of the means D can be
arranged at a most convenient location within the working area.
With the tubular rod and rail here provided, the power line L for
the motor and connected with the switch 40 can be engaged in and
through the tubular parts in a most convenient and safe manner and
as clearly illustrated in the drawings.
In practice, if desired, that rail can be established of olher than
tubular stock. For example, a rail R' can be established of a pair
of elongate, parallel, spaced lengths of strap metal 50 suitably
joined by brackets 51 and as illustrated in FIG. 8 of the
drawings.
Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of
my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details
herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications
and/or variations which may appear to those skilled in the art and
which fall within the scope of the following claims:
* * * * *