US3214032A - Foldable clothes hanger - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26, 1965 J. P. HIGHTOWER FOLDABLE CLOTHES HANGER Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR JOSEPH PAUL HIGHTOWER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,214,032 FOLDABLE CLOTHES HANGER Joseph Paul Hightower, 423 Lively Drive, San Antonio, Tex. Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,978 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-99) This invention relates to a hide-away clothes rack having ornamental features as well as utilization as a shelf.

The primary object of the present invention is to disclose a clothes rack having ornamental features.

It is another object of the present invention to disclose an ingenious clothes rack with hanging facilities for clothes.

It is still another object of the present invention to disclose a hide-away clothes rack.

It is yet another object of the present invention to disclose an ingenious clothes rack having a shelf.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the clothes rack of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the clothes rack shown in FIGURE 1.

It will be appreciated from the drawing provided that the clothes rack of the present invention is an ingenious arrangement which folds down into unobtrusive view being vertical with the wall on which it is hung. When in use, the top portion thereof folds upwardly and provides both access to a clothes hanging arrangement and provides a shelf for paraphernalia such as hats and pocketbooks and the like. It will be appreciated that this invention may be utilized considerably in association with oflices or homes. As a matter of fact, it has been found that the terminology applied to it may be pict-u-robe which aptly and succinctly describes the invention.

Now, turning to FIGURES 1 and 2 for a consideration of the present invention, reference numeral 71 refers to a frame of a clothes rack which is mounted to a wall by means of screws 82. The frame surrounds a mirror 80. A framed picture portion 72, having a picture 81, is hinged as at 83 to the frame 71. When not in use, the frame 72 of the picture portion of the device is in a vertical position fronting mirror 80 and is held close by means of latch 76 which is inserted in female portion opening 77. In order to retain the frame 72 in a horizontal position, knee brackets 73 are utilized which are foldable at junction pivot 73A. A clothes hanger 78 is pivotally mounted at 79 to the underside of frame 72. The pivotal mounting of clothes hanger 78 is entirely conventional and may be a ball-socket or knee-type pivot joint which will permit the manual pivoting of hanger 78 to lie parallel to the flat underside of element 72. Therefore, as frame 72 is moved from the vertical position after disengagement through its latch arrangement and is moved to a horizontal position as shown in FIGURE 2, hanger 78 is permitted to pivot downwardly by gravitational force. Additionally, hat hooks 75 are pivotally mounted in slots 74 of frame 71.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is an ingenious compact arrangement utilizable as a pictu-robe in any small or large ofiice. By providing mirror 80, the office help has easy access for means of applying cosmetics and for properly clothing themselves. When frame 72 carrying the picture 81 is released to assume its vertical position, the only portion visable is the picture 81 which accompanies a decorative feature in the office. When frame 72 is in a horizontal position as shown in FIGURES l and 2, a shelf is provided upon which various items of wearing apparel and the like may be positioned.

It will be further appreciated that more than one hanger 78 may be pivotally secured to the underside of frame 72 in order to provide additional hanging space than that shown in the FIGURES 1 and 2 provided. It may be that when more than one hanger is employed the dimensional characteristics of the pict-u-robe may necessarily have to be changed to afford sufficient capacity for the device.

Without further analysis, it will be seen that the invention described in detail in the above accomplishes the objects of providing a clothes rack which is both useful and ornamental and is known as a pict-u-robe.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A wall mounted hideaway clothes rack comprising: a relatively thin rectangular frame having two long sides and two short sides, said frame adapted to be mounted upon a wall with said long sides horizontal, said frame having a rectangular recess therein and an outwardly facing mirror mounted within said recess but substantially below the surface of said frame; a thin rectangular cover having essentially the same dimensions as said frame; said cover pivotally hinged at the upper edge thereof to said frame, said cover having a flat inner surface and an outwardly facing rectangular recess in the outwardly facing surface thereof, and an ornamental display mounted within said recess; a collapsible bracket means at each short side of said frame connected to both said frame and said cover, said bracket means adapted to support said cover in a position perpendicular to said frame when extended and to permit said cover to immediately overlie said frame when collapsed; at least one clothes hanger pivotally mounted on the underside of said cover, said clothes hanger adapted to pivot against the flat inner surface of said cover and to lie within the recess of said frame when said cover overlies said frame; at least one vertical slot having a keyhole configuration in the forwardly facing surface of a short side of said frame; rod means to act as a hat hook pivotally mounted on said frame at one end of said slot, said rod means adapted to pivot to a position perpendicular to said frame and to a position entirely within said slot; and cooperating portions of a latch means mounted on said frame and said cover to retain said cover over said frame when not in use, whereby said clothes rack when collapsed has the appearance of a conventional framed ornamental display.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Schipkowsky 21 187 Shepard 21199 Patterson 2111.3 Keicher 297145 Hall 29217 Poole 21199 Gustin 211--119 4 2,317,437 4/43 Botta 211 1.3 2,778,705 1/57 Barker 312-313 3,086,657 4/63 Myers 211 1.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 5 198,734 5/08 Germany.

610,335 10/48 Great Britain.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

10 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner.

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