Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
3~
TITLE OF INVENTION: EXTENSIBLE LOOP HOOK FASTENING DEVICE
ABSTRACT
This invention pertains to improvements in fa~tening
devices utilizing a rigid or semi rigid elongated and elast-
ically extendible loop or, alterna-tively, a flexible ~tretch-
able loop for fastening a hook, such as a garment hanger
hook, to a linear member, such as a clothesline.
SPECIFICATION
Technical Field:
This invention relates to fastening devices in the form
of an effectively closed loop, in which the effective length
of the loop is elastically extensible, for fastening the hook
15 of a garment hanger or other hook including device to a gen-
erally linear member such as a clothesline, cable, rod or the
like to which the hook is hooked in the normal manner. It
also relates to devices, comprised of a hook and an elastic-
ally extensible loop, for connecting an object to a linear
20 member. It further relates to a spring device which provides
a non linear force-displacement relationship. In addition,
it relates to methods for fastening a hook to a linear mem-
ber, to methods for pro~iding ~or the installation and remov-
al of the fastening device, and to apparatus and methods ~or
25 increasing the extensibility of a flexible loop.
~ack~round Arts
A bendable loop hook fastening device is set forth in
French Patent No. 1.~00.741 issued to Jacob. A semi rigid
30 loop-type clip for closing the opening of a hook i~ ~hown in
U.S. Patent 2,122,309 issued to Beimler. A stretahable link,
with two spaced holes, for closing the opening of a garment
hanger hook appears in U.S. Patent 2,877,941 issued to
Melone. U.S. Patent 822,675 ~hows a rigid loop with a
35 clamping thumb screw for closing the opening o~ a tackle
hook. Other devices for connecting a garment hanger hook
to a linear member attach to the linear member and then,
in turn, suspend the hook from the device itself as, rOr
example, in U.S. Patent~ 2,092,121; 2~915~2745 and
3,184,204. Devices which replace or modify a garment
hanger hook for~ fastening the hanger to a clothesline are
shown in U.S. Patents 1,690,614; 3,048,311; 3,240, 462 and
.,
'' ."
.~ .
~L2~
4 ~ o34 ~ 902. Devices made for other purposes, but which have
some similarity to the structure of my invéntion, include a
nose clamp for horses in U.S. Pa-tent 1,047,284; snap hooks in
U.S. Patent 382,611 and Swedish Paten-t No. 102462; as well as
5 other devices in U.S. Patents 1, o93,945; 1,618,9~1;
1,797,539; 2,61G,203; 3,115,381; and 4,419,874.
Disclosure of Invention:
i
There has long been a need ~or a practical means for fas-
10 tening a garment hanger or other hook including device to a
¦ clothesline or other linear member. Garment hangers are
j often used ~or holding clothing while it dries after be- -
ing laundered. When suspended from a clothesline, garment
hangers are often blown by the wind along the clothesline,
, 15 particularly when the clothesline has appreciable sag, with
¦ the result that several suspended garment hangers may bunch
I together and thereby retard the drying. In gusty winds, sus-
pended garment hangers are often blown off the clothe~line.
Some of the previous attempts to solve these problems
1 20 have involved modifications to, or replacement of, the hook
¦ of the garment hanger. In some cases this has resulted in
devices which were very limited in the range of diameters of
supporting clotheslines which could be accomodated. Nearly
always, such devices resul~ed in higher product cost. Such
25 devices also lacked convenience and fIexibility since they
could only be used with the particular garment hanger on
j which they ~ere installed. Other devices have been made
which merely close the opening of a garment hanger hook with- ~-
out any capability for frictiona~lly fastening the hook to a
30 clothesline so as to prevent displacement of the hook along ¦
~ ~ the clothesline. Other;attempts at solving these problems
t have produced devices which attach to the clothesline and
then, in turn, suspend the garment hanger hook from the devi-
, ce itsel~. These devices appear to be costly and/or ineffec-
i 35 tual at retaining the hook in suspension under adverse condi-
, tions. The bendable loop set forth in French Patent No.
j 1.500.741 is a séparate fastening device which does fas-ten a
¦ hook to a clothesline. However, this device is quite limited
~ in the range of hook and clothesline sizes which it can
,
- 2 -
1 . .
`.
~L2~ 7~;
accomodate and is also limited in the amount of clamping
force which it can exert on the hook and the clothesline.
In order to alleviate problems such as the foregoing,
this invention provides a supplementary fastening device in
5 the form of an elastically extensible effectively closed loop
for securing the hook of a garment hanger or other hook in-
cluding device to a clothesline or other generally linear
member when the hook is hooked to the linear member in the
normal manner. The loop is arranged and installed to pass
10 over and contact the hook at two locations, one on each side
of the linear member, and to pass under the linear member be-
tween the two locations where it contacts the hook. This
fastening device thus acts to lock the suspended hook to the
supporting linear member. This loop-type fastening device
15 may be in the form of a rigid or semi-rigid loop-shaped clip
in which the effective length of the loop is elastically
elongatable. The loop-shaped clip may have an openable or
open section in the loop to facilitate installation. The
loop-type fastening device may also be in the form of a
20 flexible and elastically elongatable loop.
I It is therefore an object of the present invention to i
¦ provide a supplementary fastening device for fastening ~he
hook of a garment hanger or other hook or similarly curved
member including device to a clothesline or other generally
, 25 linear member to which the hook is attached by being hooked
¦ to the Iinear member.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a fast- -~
ening device for securing a hook or curved member to a gener-
ally linear member, which is lnexpensive to manufacture and
j 30 easy to use, and which wiIl tend to prevent a hook, which is
¦ hooked to a linear member, from being unintentionally unhook- ~
I - ed from the linear member and from being displaced from its 1 -
¦ desired positlon along~the linear member.
I Another object of this invention i9 to provide a device
! 35 for fastening an object to a linear member, said device being
comprised of the combination of a hook and a loop-type ~ ¦~
fastening~device.
It is also an object of this invention to provide methods
for fastening a hook to a linear member, for removing a
: ' :
. .
~ ~ -3-
!
,: ~.' ` " ` ', ; ,:
loop fastening device from its fastening position and for
providing for the removal of the fastening device.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a
spring device which has a non-linear force-displacement'rela-
5 tionship for applications, including the fastening deviceherein described, in which it is necessary or desirable to
have non linear forces or to avoid high return forces at the
upper range of spring displacement.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent and a
10 fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring
to the detailed description hereinafter presented, taken in
conjunction with the drawings forming a part hereof, wherein
like numerals refer to li]se parts throughout.
15 Brief Description of Drawin~s:
In the drawings:
~ ig. 1 is a plan view of the el~p type elongatable loop
~astening devioe with a generally C-shaped spring provided
with thumb and ~inger rests, the movable loop end being'in
20 ths position o~ minimum e~feotive length of the loop,
~ ig. 2 is a plan vlew of the device shown in Fig. 1 with
the movable loop end being in the position of maximum effec-
tive length of the loop.
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary slde elevational view of the
25 thumb rest end of the loop body o~ the device of Fig. 1.
Fig~ 4 is an end vieW of the thumb rest shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of that portion of the ~
generally C-shaped spring which crosses the loop body of the ~' '
device shown in Fig~ 1.
Fig. 6 i a fragmentary end view, taken from the left, o~
that portion of the C-shaped spring shown in Fig. 5.
~ ig. 7~is a fragmentary end view, as viewed from the
right, of that portion of the generally C-shaped spring which
pivotally attaches to the body of the device of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 is~a plan view of the spring~loaded clip of the
` device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, removed from the device.
; Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the spring loaded
clip shown in Fig. 8.
Flg. 10 is~an end view Or the spring loaded clip shown
., ~ 1',.
-4
I
;
.
~ 36
in Figs. 8 and 9.
Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the loop fastening
device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 installed in its fastening po-
~ sition on a garment hanger hook and a clothesline.
I 5Fig. 12 is a plan view of the loop body por-tion of à
i fastening device similar to that shown in Fig. 1, wherein the
¦ loop body has an openable section in the loop.
Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the loop body
shown in Fig. 12-
I 10Fig. 14 is an end view of the thumb rest of the loop body
j shown in Figs. 12 and 13.
Fig. 15 is a plan view of the loop body portion of a
fastening device similar to that shown in Fig. 1 wherein the
I loop body has an open section in a portion of the loop.
1~Fig. 16 is a side elevational view of the loop body shown
in Fig. 15.
Fig. 17 is a view of the section at the plane indicated
by the line 17-17 of Fig. 16.
- Fig. 18 is an end view of the loop body shown in Fig. 16.
20Fig. 19 is a plan view of the loop body portion of a
fastening dèvice similar to that shown in Fig. 15 wherein the
open section is open to the full effective length of the loop.
Fig. 20 is a ~ide elevational view of the loop body
shown in Fig. 19. ~
25Fig. 21 is a plan view of the loop fastening device with
a helical spring and finger grip on the spring.
Fig. 22 is a side elevational view of the device shown in ~ I
Fig. 21.
Fig. 23 is a modified perspective view of a flexible and
30 elastically elongatable loop-type fastening device as ~ade
generally from stretchable sheet material.
Yig. 24 is a side elevational view of a garment hanger
hook which is hooked to a clo~he~line and a loop-type fasten-
ing device in an~initial position of installation.
Fig. 25 is a~side elevational view of the hook and cloth-
esline as in Fig. 24 with the loop-type fastening device in
an intermediate position of installation.
Fig. 26 is a side elevational view of the hook and cloth-
esline as in Fig. 24 with th~ loop-type fastening device in a
:~
: : -
. .
:, ,
~2~
final intermediate position of installation
Figo ~7 is a side elevational view of ~he hook and cloth-
esline as in Fig. 24 with the loop-type fastening device in
its position of fastening the hook to the clo-thesline.
5 Fig~ 28 is a side elevational view of a flexible and
elastically elongatable loop fastening device as made gener-
ally of molded stretchable material.
Fig. 29 is a plan view of a flexible and elastically
elongatable loop fastening device having s-tructure on which
10 at least part of the loop is mounted.
Fig. 30 is a side elevational view of the device shown in
~ig. 29.
Fig. 31 is an end view of the device shown in Figso 29
and 30.
Fig. 32 is a side view of the device ~hown in Fig. 30
installed on the hook of a garment hanger.
Fig. 33 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 32
fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
20 Modes for Carr~in~ Out the Invention:
This invention provides a device, vomprising an elastic-
ally elongatable loop, for fastening a hook to a linear mem-
ber; for example, a garment hanger hook tc a clo~hesline.
The loop may be of rigid or semi rigid conatruction or the
25 loop may be flexible and elastically elongatable.
Figs. 1 through 11 depict one embodi~ent in the form of a
clip having a loop of rigid or semi rigid construction. This
clip has a loop body, comprised of side members, 3, forming
the sides of the loop, and a fixed loop end, 6, attached to
30 the side members and~forming one end of the loop. The loop
is termed rigid or semi rigid because the side members of the
loop body do not bend ~ufficiently during use to significant-
ly affect the ope~ation of the device. A movable loop end,
7, which effectively forms the other end of the loop and
35 which slide~ back and~forth along the side members, 3, of the
loop body, provides means for increasing and decreasing the
effective length of the loop. The effective length of the
loop is that variable length which extends between the fixed
loop end, 6, and the movable loop end, 7. The side members,
Rev, Augu8t 1989 6
:
~Z86~
3, form the sides and side extensions of the loop; the sides
of the loop being that variable portion of -the side members
which is included in the effective length of the loop as the
loop assumes different effective lengths depending on the
5 position of the movable loop end.
A generally C-shaped spring, 8, functions as an elastic
force producing member which urges the movable loop end, 7,
in a direction of decreasing the effective léngth of the loop.
This C-shaped spring, 8, provides finger rests, 9, and the
10 loop body has a -thumb rest, 10, which allows the device depi-
cted in Fig. 1 to be held and manipulated in a manner analo-
gous to the manipulation of a hypodermic syringe. When so
held, and the finger rests, 9, are squeezed toward the thumb
rest, 10, the loop portion of the clip becomes elongated and
15 the C-shaped spring becomes bent as shown in Fig. 2. With
the loop thus elongated, the clip can be installed in a fast-
ening position on a garment hanger hook, 2~ suspended from a
clothesline, 5, as shown in Fig, 11, by reaching over the
suspended hook, with the end of the hook pvinting away from
20 the person, passing the end of the hook through the loop
pulling the clip toward the person so that the Pixed loop end,
6, of the loop passes between the hook and the clothesline
(under the hook but over the clothesline), then moving the
clip so that the fixed loop end, 6, moves under the clothes-
25 lin0, 5, toward the end of the hook, 2, and finally passingthe end of the hook through the loop, once again, and raising
and releasing the cIip in the position shown in Fig. 11. An
alternative method of installing the clip is to position the
loop on the shank portion, 4, or inboard section of the hook
30 (the inboard section, 4, being that section of the heok which
extends from the location occupied by the clothesline, 5, to,
and including, the shank of the hook) so that the shank por-
tion of the hook passes through the loop before suspending
the hook from the clothesline. Then~ after the hook i5 SUS-
35 pended from the clothesline, the loop~can be elongated asdescribed above and the clip moved, raised, and released in a
fastening position as shown in Fig. 11. It does not make
much difference whether the fixed loop endl 6, is on the out-
board section, 2, of the hook (that sectio.~ of` the hook which
. Rev~ Augus-t 1989
~2~
extends from the position occupied by the clothesline, ~, to
the end of the hook, at 2) or the inboard section, 4, when
the clip is in its ~astening position.
Fig. 11 illustrates the means by which this fastening de-
5 vice achieves excellent effectiveness and stability in its
preferred fastening position. As shown, the ends of the loop
contact the outside surface of the hook, 2, at two spaced-
apart locations, one such location, at 6, being outboard and
the other location, at 7, being inboard o~ the position occu-
10 pied by the clothesline, ~. At each of these locations, at 6and 7, the curved outer surface of the hook is substantially
inwardly inclined away from the vertical which creates an in-
clined ramp effect on these curved sur~aces. These inwardly
inclined surfaces react wi-th the tendency of the effective
15 length of the loop to become shorter due to the bias of the
spring, 8, and this creates a force which tends to push the
loop in an upward direction on the hook. In so doing, this
causes the loop to lift up on the undersur~ace of the cloth-
esline, 5, and to push it toward the undersurface of the hook.
20 This creates a clamping force which frictionally binds the
hook and the clothesline together. If the clothesline was
replaced with a much larger diameter supporting rod, such as
a typical closet hanger rod, this type of positive clamping
action could not be achieved since the loop would either be
25 forced to a position off of the hook, or~ if the hook had a
suf~iciently long end section, 2, (which the illustrated hook
does not have) the loop would be forced to occupy a position
on the hook that was so low that it could no-t take advantage
of the substantially inwardly inclined outer surfaces on the
30 upper section of the hook to achieve such positive fastening
action. Such positive fastening action thus requires (with
typically shaped hooks) that the supporting linear member be
comparatively thin with respect to the size o~ the hook.
The meaning of the term "comparatively thin", as used herein
3~ to describe the relative size of the hook and the linear
member, is that the hook is o~ such size and shape
with respect to the diameter or thickness of the
linear member to which it is being
-8-
Rev~ August 1989
~.
~z~
fastened that the diameter or thickness of the linear member
does not exceed that which will allow the loop to be installed
in a fastening position which will e~fectively produce the
above described positive clamping and locking action resulting
5 from the loop being installed on the substantially inwardly
inclined outer surface of the hook as set forth above.
Figs. 3 and 4 are addi-tional views of the thumb rest, 10,
of the device shown in Fig. 1 and show how the ends of the
j wire forming the loop body can be bent to form the thumb
10 rest, 10. Figs. 5 and 6 show details of the center section
of the C-shaped spring at the location, 11, where it crosses
the side members, 3, of the loop body in Fig. 1. As depicted,
this fastening device uses a spring
loaded clip, 12, to slidably attach the C-shaped spring, 8,
15 to the side members, 3, at this crossing location, 11. In
this cas~ the wire in the center section of the C-shaped
spring i~ bent so that it forms a generally square cornered
raised section, 13, which protrudes between the side members,
3, and is capable of being locked in place by the spring loa-
20 ded clip, 12.
The ends of the C-shaped spring, which are bent in small
eyelet loops, 14, for pivotal connection to the side members,
3, of the loop body at the pi~otal connection points, 15, are
shown, in end view, in Fig, ~. The pivotal connection points,
25 1~, on the loop body are, in this case, formed as small eye-
let loops, 1~, in the wire of the side members as shown in
; Figs. 1 and 2.
The spring loaded clip, in its unattached and unloaded
state, is shown in three views ln Figs.~8~ through 10. This
30 clip has two outward opening and outwardly biased hooks, 18
and 19, which hook to the raised~section, 13, of the C-shaped
spring, 8, and slidably lock it to the side members, 3, of
the loop body a9 shown in Fig. 1. When assembled in the fas-
tening device, the wire of the spring loaded clip extends
35 outward from one of its hooks, 18, past the side member on
its side to a position, 20, outboard of the side member.
~hen the wire is bent in a gene~ally reverse direction 90 as
to extend inward and to pass by the opposite side of the same
side~member,~ Then, be~ore reaching the middle o~ the loop
~ _g_
,` ~
., ,. ~ ~.
.
3~Z~6~
body, the wire is bent generally outward again, at 21, and
then is bent generally around the ou-tside of the same side
member, at 22, and then the wire extends inward to the center
and o~ the ~a~e side o~ the loop body as the hooks, lg and 19,
5 are located where it may be ~ormed into a V-shaped detent, at
7, to form a movable loop end for the fastenlng device which
acts to center and align the hanger hook with the longitudin-
al axis o~ the loop body. Then the wire contlnues across to,
and is be~t around, the o~her side member, as shown, in gen-
10 erally the same manner a~ being bent around the first sidemember and then the wire termina~es at the second hook, 19,
in the spring loaded clip. This ¢lip thus serves the dual
function of movable loop end and o~ an in~erlocking clip to
slidably attach the spring to the side members.
1~ The C-shaped spring, 8, used in this fastening device has
a unique advantage in that the force which it provides at the
crossing location, 11, to urge the movable loop end toward a
position of minimum effective length of the loop, as shown in
Fig. 1, becomes substantially less at the position of maximum
20 deflection and maximum effective length of the loop, as shown
in Fig. 2, than would be the case with a more typical spring,
such as a helical t~pe spring in which the force-displacement
relation~hip is essentially linear. This allows the person
using the ~astening device with a C-shaped spring to hold it
25 in the position of max~mum deflection of the spring, Fig. 2,
with less e~ertion during inAtallation and removal of the de-
vice in it~ ~a~tening position ~han would otherwise be re-
quired. The amount of this reduction in force at maximum de-
~lection is determined to some extent by the shape of the C-
30 shaped spring. An increase in the degree of curvature inthat portion of the spring ~hich is closer to the crossing
location, 11 (Fig. 1), than to the ends of the spring wire,
14, generally~causes a further reduction in the force at
maximum deflection of the C-shaped spring.
A modified form of loop body which improves the ease of
installing and removing the fastening de~ice in its fastening
position, and which can be directly substituted for the loop
body in the device of Figs. 1 and 2, is ~hown in Figs. 12 and
13. Here the fixed loop end of the loop body is formed of
I
.
-10- a~
` ). . i`~
two overlapping seg~ents, 2~, to create an openable section
in the loop. These overlapping segments, which are normally
held together by spring pressure ~rom the loop body, can be
separated in the directions indicated by the arro-ws in ~ig.
i ~ 13 to open the fixed loop end of the loop body and thereby
allow the shank or inboard section of a hanger hook to be in-
serted directly into the inner region of the loop without
, first passing the end of the hook through the loop as is nec-
¦ essary with the device shown in Figs. 1-11. These two mutu-
10 ally separable segments, 25, comprise an effectively closed
openable section in the loop, located, in this case, in the
effectively closed fixed loop end of the loop, which allows
the fastening device to be just as effective for fastening a
I hook to a linear member as those devices in which there is no
! 15 openable section. Each overlapping segment, 25, may be pro-
I vided with a structure, 26, which extends away from the fixed
¦ loop end of -the loop body at an angle, as shown in Fig. 13,
' and which provldes a ramped entry region, 27, at that end of
¦ the loop body~ Thus it can be seen that if the fastening de-
20 vice is moved so that the shank of a hanger hook enters the
ramped entry region, 2~, with the shank approximately in or
I parallel to the plane of the loop body, the device can then
¦ be pushed toward and against the shank causing it to react
with these ramped entry structures, 26, ~orcing the overlapp-
25 ing segments` 25, apart, and thereby allowing the device to
be further moved in the same direction until the shank or in- !
board section o~ the hanger hook enters into the inner region
of the loop. In performing this operation, the fastening de-
vice is, of course, held so that the movable loop end is in a
30 position of ma~imum effective length of the loop eorrespond-
ing to the position shown in Fig. 2. After the shank of the
hook is within the~inner region of the loop, the fastening ~-
~ device can then be~tilted approximately 90 degreec so that
I the plane of the loop body is approximately parallel to the
35 clothesline and the device can then be raised, passing the
end of the hanger hook through the loop, and released in a
fastening position corresponding generally with that shown in
! Fig, 11, ~
¦ The modified lcop body of Figs. 12 and 13 also permits
~ ~J
. , .
~ 3
the fastening device to be removed from its fastening posi~
tion and directly separated from the hanger hook without sli-
pping the loop body off the end of the hangsr hook, In remo-
ving this fastening device, the loop is first elongated to
5 correspond with the situation as shown in Fig. Z, the fasten-
ing device i9 lowered so that only the shank of the hanger
hook remains within the inner region of the loop, and the de-
vice is then generally tilted about 90 degrees so that the
shank of the hook contacts the side members, 28, and forces
10 the overlapping segments, 25, to separate, thus opening the
loop. Then the fastening device can simply be pulled back so
that the shank of the hanger hook passes out of the opened
section of the loop. It can be seen that each overlapping
segment, 25, without the ramped entry structure, 26, forms a
15 generally J-shaped structure with the side member, 28, being
the straight part of the "J". That part of each overlapping
segment corresponding with the end of the curved part of the
"J", 29, can be bent away at an angle from the plane of the
loop body, as shown in Fig. 13, to form a ramped exit region
20 to facilitate withdrawing the shank of the hanger hook from
, the inner re~ion~of the loop.
Having an openable section at the fixed loop~end of the
loop body, as in Figs. 12 and 13, generally requires that the
; ends of the wire or other material forming the loop body be
25 at that end of the loop body. In this case the thumb rest,
30, at the other end of the loop body can be formed by bend-
ing and curving the wire between~the side members, 28,~as
' shown in Figs. 12 through 1~
I Instead of having an openable sectlon in the loop, there
30 may be a permanently open section in order to facilitate in-
stallation and remo~al of the fastening device. It should be
~noted, however, that even though there may be such a~ open
sec-tion in the loop, the result is still that of an effectiv-
ely~closed loop insofar as the action of the fastening device
35;on the~ combination of the clothesline and suspended hook is
concerned. One configuration of a loop body with an open
section~ls~shown in~Figs. 15 through 18. Here the open sec-
tion, 32, lS located to~one;side of the fixed loop end, 33.
There lS a structural support member, 34, connecting the two
: :, ~
~, : ' '
: ~:
: ~ -12-
~4 ~ ~ ~
.
~Z~
side members, 35 and 36, near -the open section, 32, to pro-
vide strength and stiPfness for the side member, 36, which is
on the same side of the loop body as the open section, 32.
This support member, 34, may be curved downward, as shown in
5 Fig. 17, to provide clearance with the suspended hanger hook.
There may also be a short projection, 37~ at or near the end
of the side member, 36, which is on the same side as the open
section, 32, in order to preven-t the clothesline from slipp-
ing off that side member, 36, and into the open section, 32.
lO This loop body may generally be used with a C-shaped spring
and movable loop end of a type similar to that describéd pre-
viously. It may also be modified as necessary to function
with other types of springs such as helical and two-legged
springs. As shown in Figs. l~ through l8, this loop body is
l5 made from a stamping of sheet metal although other methods of
fabrication can be used. These drawings show how the thumb
rest, 38, can be made from this material.
A fastening device with the loop body shown in Figs. l5
through l8 can be used by first having the end of the hanger
20 hook, which is su~pended from a clothesline, pointing toward
the person using the fastening device. After elongating the
loop, as described with reference to Figs. l and 2, the de-
vice is moved so that the ~hank or inboard section of the
hook enters the open section, 32, and into the inner region
25 of the loop near the fixed loop end, 33. Then the fastening
device is simply raised so that the end of the~hanger-hook
passes through the inner region of the loop, 39, without the
open section, and released in à fastening position correspon-
ding generally with that shown in Fig. ll.
The loop body may also have an open section, 41, without
a structural support member near the open section as shown in
Figs. l9 and 20. In this case some additional ~tif~ness may
be provided for the structure by having a support member, 42,
between the side members at or near the pivotal connection
35 points, 43, for the C-shaped spring. Additional stiffness
may also be furnished by having thicker material in the loop
body. Projections, 44, may be provided on the side member
next to the open section as limit atops for the movable loop
end and to prevent the clothealine from slipping off the side
,
1 ~13-
,~1
.
,
~ 2 ~ 3~;
member and into the open section, 41. In addition to being
usable with a C-shaped spring, this loop body may also be mo-
dified for use with other types of springs. A fastening de-
vice with the loop body shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is used in a
5 generally similar ~anner to the device described with refer-
l ence to Figs. 15 through 18 except that the hanger hook need
¦ not be oriented in any particular direction.
I Figs. 21 and 22 show a fastening device employing a heli-
¦ cal type spring, 46, which acts and is slidable along the
¦ 10 side members~ 49 and 50, of the loop body. This allows the
movable loop end, ~7, to move back and forth along the side
members to increase or decrease the effective length of the
loop. The effective length of the loop is that dis-tance and
portion of the loop which lies between the fixed loop end,
15 48, and the movable loop end, 47, and is thus a variable
quantity depending on the position of the movable loop end.
The loop body is -that portion of the fastening device which
generally includes the fixed loop end and the side members.
The side members, which are ordinarily parallel, are compri-
20 sed of the sides, 49, of the effective portion of the loop,which is that variable portion of the side members lying
within the effective length of the loop as determined by the
position of the morable loop end, 47, and the side extensions,
~0, of the loop which is that variable portion~of the side
25 members extending on the other side of the movable loop end.
In the device shown in Figs. 21 and 22, that portion, 51,
of the helical type spring nearest the movab~le loop end is
shaped so that it can bei grasped by the fingers and thereby
used as a hand hold in manipulating the device. There may be
30 à raissd portion, 52, in the spring to assist in preventing
the fingers from slipping along the spring. This fastening
device-can be used as follows. After inserting the hanger
hook into the inner region of the 1QP~ 53, so that the loop
is mounted on the shank porti.on of the hook, and suspending
3~ the hanger hook from the clothesline, pull the hand hold, 51,
on the spring to elongate the loop (with the fixed loop end,
48, being held by thel shank of the hook) and~maneuver the
fastening device so that the end Of the hook passes through~
the loop and~so that the fastening device is raised and
~ . ' ,
j
-14-
,,"~.I'i
. . .
~z~
released into a position corresponding generally with that
shown in Fig. 11.
Fig. 23 sho~s an embodiment of this extensible loop fast-
ening device in which the loop is flexible as well as elast-
5 ically elongatable. This device, 55, can be made from any ofa variety of flexible and elastic materials such as rubber,
synthetic rubber, and some of the stretchable rubber-like
plastics. It is also possible to make such an elastic loop-
type fastening device from a coil or other type of spring
10 which can be stretched in length. The loop, 55, is made of
such size, shape, and configuration, considering -the elastic
properties of the material used in its construction, that it
can be stretched sufficiently in length to allow its being
installed on the hook and the linear member without exceeding
15 the normal useful elastic deformation capability of the loop
material. The loop must also be constructed so that it will
contract sufficiently in length at the end of the installa-
tion procedure to grasp the hook and the linear member and
con~ine them in their fastened-together position. A handle,
20 57, can be connected to one section of the loop, 55, gener-
ally at one end of the loop, which will make it easier to
stretch and manipulate the loop, particularly when removing
the device from its fastening position, than would be the
case without the handle.
Figs. 24 through 27 show a convenient and effective meth-
od for installing the fastening device on a garment hanger
hook, 59, which is hooked to a clothesline, 5, in the normal I -
manner. First the loop, 55, is positioned 80 that the hook,
59, passes once through the loop opening; 56, as shown in
30 Fig. 24. In thls case the hook passes through the loop at a
- location, 6~, on the hook which is outboard o~ the position
; occupied by the clothesline, 5. The outboard section, 61, ofthe hook, 59, is that section of the hook which~extends from
the~position occupied by the clothesline, 5, to the end, 65,
35 of the hook. Then, essentially by pulling on one section of
the loop to stretch it and also moving that section of the
loop, the loop is manipulated as shown in Fig. 2~ so that the
two strips of loop material, which extend from the above men-
tioned locatlon where the h~ook passes through the loop, are ~
1,
:
: .
-15-
,;,'~'-~
. _ . . ..... . . , ~ ~
caused to extend under the clothesline, 5, (at 62) and then to
one side of the hook at a location on the hook which is in-
board of the po3ition occupied by the clothesline~ This in-
board location on the hook i5 on that portion of the hook
5 which is on the other side of~ the position occupied by the
clothesline, 5, from that section containing the end, 65, of
the hook. In the example of Figs. 24 through 27, the loop,
5~, has a handle, 57, connected to the loop at that section
, of the loop which is pulled and moYed, as described above, in
, 10 order to facilitate manipu~ation of that section of the loop.
Duri~g installation of the loop on the hook and the clothes-
line, the hook i9 ordinarily held in its position on the clo-
thesline by the person installing the fastening device. It
may also be held in this position by gravity acting on a
' 15 weight attached to the hook, by inertia, or by any other in-
i ternal or externally applied force. After achieving the sit-
! uation shown in Fig. 25, the same section of the loop that
was pulled and moved previously is further moved around the
outside of and aro~nd the other side of the hook (at 63) and !:
20 down under the clothesline, 5, toward the outboard section,
61, of the hook as shown in Fig. 26. Then that same section
` of the loop is further moved so that the loop passes on the
end, 65, of the hook, 59, with the end of the hook passing
` through the end, 66, of the loop and, finally, that section
2~ of the loop is raised and released on the outboard section,
61, of the hook as shown in Fig. 27.
The handle, 57, greatly improves the ease with whi~h the
¦ fastening device can be reIeased from its fastening position
I for two reasons- First, the handle, 57, present9 a readily
¦ 30 grippable appendage to a device which would, without the han- j
dle,~be quite difficult to grasp when tlghtly bound to the
i hook,~59, in~its fastening position as shown in Figo 27. Se-
¦ cond, the handle~automatically and conveniently differenti-
¦ ates which end of the loop was la~ placed on the hook during
35 installation of the fastening device. This is very important
because it is this end of the loop which must be removed
first from the hook during removal of the fastening device in
order to release the loop from its fastening position without ¦~
=ntangling t~he loop in the hook and th= clothesline and
. 11.
-16-
", ~s
.
1~3~'r3~
thereby seriously impeding removal.
One important aspect of the method of usin~ a flexible
and elastically elongatable loop fastening device, as presen-
ted herein, is that, when in~talled, the loop occupies a po-
sition on the hook and the clothesline or other linear member
such that it con~aots and ~aps around the outer surface of
the hook effectively at two loc~tions on the hook whioh are
substantia~y inwardly inclined. This creates an upward com-
ponent of the tension forces in the stretched loop to positi-
10 vely clamp or bind the hook and the linear member together ina manner similar to that described above with reference to
the rigid or semi rigid clip and Fig. 11. Actually, the pri-
mary difference between the clip and the flexible loop is
that, in the flexible loop, the stiffness constraint of the
15 side members has been rem~ved, allowing the loop to bend
around the Iinear member as well as to be installed in the
; position shown in Fig. 27. In order to utilize the substan-
tially inwardly inclined outer surfaces of the hook to achie-
I ve its positive clamping action on the hook and the linear
20 member, the size of the linear member must be comparativelythin with respect to the size and shape of the hook so that
the loop will not be forced to occupy a position so low on
the hook that only frictional~forces would be available to
retain it in place. Thus the term "comparatively thin" as
25 used herein to describe the size of the linear member has the
; same meaning with regard to the flexible and elastically
elongatable loop as to the rigid or semi rigid clip, i.e., I
that the size of the linear member,~ with respect to the size
.
and shape of the hool~, does not ex¢eed that size which will
30 allow the flexible and elastically elongatable loop-type fas-
tening device to be installed on the substantlally inwardly
I inclined outer surfaces of the hook in order to achieve such
¦ positive clamping and binding action of the loop on the hook
and the linear member.
The embodiment of the fastening device shown in Fig. 23
i~ readily adapted to being manufactured by being cut from
¦ stretchable, generally rubber-like, sheet material. When the
! fastening~device lS cut from sheet material, the grippability
of the handle by the fingers can very conveniently be
',
-1 7--
,
~ 2 ~D~3~
increas~d by having the handle, ~7, provided with a cut-out
section, 58, as shown in Fig. 23. This additional cut~out
can be accomplished during the same cutting operation used to
manufacture the fastening device and thereby furnished with
5 minimum increase in manufacturing cost. This fastening de-
vice can also be manufactured by being molded together with
its handle as a one-piece unit of stretchable, generally rub-
ber-like, material. When made in this way, the grippability
; of the handle by the fingers can conveniently be increased by
~ 10 providing the handle, 57, with a raised portion, 69, as
¦ shown in side view in Fig. 28.
I Installation of this fastening device will be facilita-
j ted, particularly when used with garment hangers which have
¦ thick hooks, such as those made of plastic, if the device is
15 constructed and shaped so that the two strips of loop mater-
I ial which extend from the handle are held in a spaced-apart
¦ relationship. This will make it easier to install the handle
~ end of the loop on the end of the hook during the final phase
¦ of installation. The fastening device shown in Fig, 23 ac-
20 complishes the spacing of these parts of the loop by having
these two strips of loop material, 67, joined to the handle,
` 57, at suitably spaced-apart locations. Additionally, the
section, 68, of the handle, ~7, spanning between the loca-
tions where these two strips of loop material, 67, are joined
¦ 25 to the handle, 5?~ has a greater cross sectional area than
that of each strip to lessèn the distortion tending to reduce
the spacing between these two strips when stretching tension f
is placed on the loop during installation. These same meth-
ods can be used when the fastening device is produced by a
30 molding process. In addition, when produced by molding, the
handle end of the loop can be provided with a thickened or
¦ raised sectlon, 70, in the vicinity~of the location where
~ these two strips of loop matierial are joined to the handle as
¦ shown in Fig. 28. This wiIl provide additional crosslsect-
3~ ional area and stiffne0 to hold these two strips of loop
material apart when the loop is stretched.
The flexible and elastically elongatable loop-type fast- ¦
ening device can be furnished with a loop lengthening struc- ~ ¦
ture on which at least part of the loop~is ~ounted and which
18-
. ~ :
lZ~ 9~
takes up at least par-t of the slack of the loop as shown in
Figs. 29 through 33. As shown, the loop, 71,is mounted on
such a structure which also serves as a handle, 72. By tak-
ing up some of the slack in this manner, -the stretchable
5 length of the loop can be longer than without such a struc-
ture which results in an increase in the effective elastic
extensibility of the loopO This provides for the accomoda-
tion of a greater range of hook and clothesline sizes while
providing better elastic clamping action on the hook and -the
10 clothesline. In this embodiment, the loop, 71, is retained
on the structure and handle, 72, by an enclosing ring, 73,
which for~s an aperture through which the loop extends in
lateral confinement at one end of the structure, and by a
notch, 74, which forms a retaining support for the loop at
15 the other end of the struc-ture. The structure is shaped to
provide finger grasps, 75, to aid in manipulating and pulling
it in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 30 to
stretch the loop, 71, while installing or removing it.
To use this device, the end of the loop which is in the
20 notched support, 74, can be pulled out of the notch and plac-
¦ ed off to one side of the handle, ~2, so as to release tension
on the loop and allow the other end of the loop, 76, to be
pulled out through the enclosing ring, 73, to create an en-
larged loop of slack loop material a-t that end of the handle.
25 This enlarged loop of material is then placed around the neck
of a garment hanger hook, 59, by passing -the end of the hook,
I 65, through the loop, after which the end of the loop that
¦ was in the notch, 74, is replaced in the notch so that ~the
loop fastening device is positioned on the hook, 59t as shown
30 in Fig. 32. Then the hanger~hook is suspended from a cloth-
esline, 5, the handle, 72, is pulled down and under the clo-
I thesline, 5, and moved so that the end, 65, of the hanger
¦ hook passes through the stretched-ou-t loop near the enclosing
¦ ring,,73, the handle, 72, is raised and released on the out-
1 35 board~section of the hook so that the fastening device is in
I a position as shown in ~ig. 33. The handle structure, 72, is
I of such width that it holds the two strips of loop material
I extendinglfrom the enclosing ring, 73, in a spaced-apart re-
¦ lationshiplwhen stretching tension is placed on the loop to
!
1 -19
'~`',
i-
.
3~
facilitate passing the end, 6~, o~ the hook through the loop.
In addition to fastening a garment hanger hook to a linearmember such as a clothesline, as in the examples herein, the
loop-type fastening device can be combined with a hook to
5 comprise a connecting device generally capable o~ connecting
an object, other than a garment hanger, to a linear member in
a manner somewhat analogous to that performed by a snap hook.
To accomplish this, the object can be temporarily or perman-
ently attached to a hook, generally to the non-hooked or
10 shank portion of the hook, by means such as bolting, tying,
welding, fastening with a snap fastener, by being manufactured
as part of the same piece of material as the hook (as in the
case of some garment hangers), etc. The exact means by which
the ob~ect is attached to the hook is not pertinent to the
15 inventive concept presented herein and any appropriate means
for attaching the object to the hook is intended to be inclu-
ded within the scope of the claims presented herein. The term
"object", as used in the claims, includes a garment hanger as
well as any other ob~ect which may be connected to a linear
20 member. The term "hook", as used in the claims, covers all
parts of the hook, including any non hboked or shank portion
of the hook which may be present. With the object attached
to the hook, the hook can, in turn, be hooked to a linear
member and fastened to it by mean~ of a loop-type fastening
25 device as described herein to complete the connecting of the
object to the linear member
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifi-
cations and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
30 the art, it is not intended to limit the invention to the
exact construction and operation described, and accordingly
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted
to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.
For example, in the device shown in Figo 23 and installed in
35 the fastening position shown in Figs. 24-27, it would be
possible to rejoin the two strands of loop materlal in the
middle section of the loop and still have the device function
in suhstantially the same manner as that depicted. Such a
modification would be considered to be well within the range
40 and scope of my invention.
-20-
, :
~~ ~ Rev. December 1990
.,
