Method and means for supporting clothes hangers

A support for clothes hangers includes an upper tube section telescopically received in the upper end of a lower tube section. A support arm is slidably fitted over the upper tube section and extends perpendicularly with respect thereto. Below the support arm is a locking pin which extends through a diametric bore in the upper tube section. Below the pin is a spring which is compressed between upper and lower stop washers. The lower stop washer engages the upper end of the lower tube section. The upper end of the upper tube section and the lower end of the lower tube section may be compressed together against the bias of the spring so as to fit between the ceiling and floor of a room.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a method and means for supporting clothes 
hangers. 
Both in the home and in commercial laundries, it is desirable to have a 
support for hanging clothes hangers as the clothes are being pressed and 
hung on hangers. It is also desirable to have a device for supporting the 
hangers which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled for use 
or for storage respectively. 
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an 
improved method and means for supporting clothes hangers. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for 
supporting clothes hangers which includes a vertical post which can be 
mounted between the floor and ceiling of a room at any desired location. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus 
for supporting clothes hangers which includes a first support arm 
sufficiently strong to support clothes hangers having clothing hung 
thereon and a second support member for supporting empty hangers. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus 
for supporting clothes hangers which can be easily adjusted to accommodate 
rooms having different distances between the floor and ceiling. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved 
apparatus for supporting clothes hangers which can be disassembled and 
placed in a small container for storage. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved 
apparatus for supporting clothes hangers which is economical to 
manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing objects are achieved by an apparatus for supporting clothes 
hangers comprising upper and lower tube sections with the upper tube 
section being telescopically received within the lower tube section. 
Before the upper tube section is inserted into the lower tube section, a 
sleeve of a hanger support is slidably mounted over the upper tube 
section. The hanger support includes a sleeve slidably mounted over the 
upper tube section as well as a support arm which extends perpendicularly 
away from the upper tube section. 
The upper tube section includes a plurality of diametric holes extending 
therethrough, and a pin is inserted through one of those diametric holes 
below the sleeve of the support arm. Next, an upper stop washer is slipped 
over the lower end of the first tube section and is pushed upwardly until 
it abuts against the pin extending through the diametric hole in the upper 
tube section. An elongated coil spring is then placed over the lower end 
of the upper tube section below the upper washer and the pin. Finally, a 
lower stop washer is slipped over the lower end of the upper tube section 
so that the coil spring is positioned between the upper and lower stop 
washers. 
The lower end of the upper tube section is then telescopically fitted 
within the upper end of the lower tube section. The lower stop washer 
engages the upper end of the lower tube section and consequently limits 
the downward movement of the upper tube section within the lower tube 
section. 
The distance between the upper end of the upper tube section and the lower 
end of the lower tube section is determined by the particular hole of the 
upper tube section in which the pin is inserted. Preferably the distance 
between the upper and lower ends of the telescoped tube sections should be 
slightly greater than the distance between the floor and the ceiling of 
the room in which the device is to be mounted. The device can also be 
mounted between a countertop and the ceiling, between a washer or dryer 
top and the ceiling, or between a table and the ceiling. 
To mount the device within a room, the upper tube section is forced 
downwardly into the lower tube section against the spring bias provided by 
the coil spring. The tubes are then permitted to expand with respect to 
one another in response to the spring force caused by the spring until the 
upper end of the upper tube section and the lower end of the lower tube 
section press against the ceiling and floor of the room respectively. This 
holds the upper and lower tube sections in a vertical position between the 
ceiling and floor. In this position, the support arm extends horizontally, 
and one end of the pin also extends horizontally. The protruding end of 
the pin can be used to support empty hangers, and the support arm can be 
used to support hangers having clothing thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally refers to the support 
apparatus of the present invention. Apparatus 10 includes an upper tube 
section 12 and a lower tube section 14. 
The upper tube section 12 includes an upper end 18 having an upper pad 16 
mounted therein and a lower end 20 which is telescopically received within 
the upper end 32 of the lower tube section 14. A plurality of vertically 
spaced diametric bores 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 are provided along the length of 
upper tube section 12. Only five bores are shown in the drawing for 
illustrative purposes, but preferably there should be a much larger number 
of such bores. 
Lower tube section 14 includes a lower end 34 having a lower pad 36 mounted 
thereto. 
A bottom stop washer 38 is slidably received over the lower end 20 of upper 
tube section 12 and is sized to abut against the upper end 32 of lower 
tube section 14. Mounted over the lower stop washer 38 is a coil spring 
40, and mounted above the coil spring 40 is a top stop washer 42. A stop 
pin 44 includes a shank portion 46 extending through one of the diametric 
bores 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 of upper tube section 12. In FIG. 1, the shank 
portion 46 extends through bore 30, but depending upon the desired length 
required for the assembled first and second tube sections, other bores 22, 
24, 26, 28 may be selected. The particular configuration of stop pin 44 
can be varied slightly without detracting from the invention. The stop pin 
44 shown in FIG. 1 includes a shank portion 46 and a hook or L-shaped 
portion 48. Referring to FIG. 3, a modified form of the pin 78 may include 
a shank 82 and a round head 80. 
Mounted above pin 44 is a hanger support 50 which comprises a T-shaped 
sleeve 52 having a support arm 54 extending perpendicularly therefrom. At 
the outer end of support arm 54 is a plastic or rubber end cover 56. The 
other end of support arm 54 is fitted within a horizontal socket bore 62 
of a horizontal socket 60 which forms a part of T-shaped sleeve 52. The 
T-shaped sleeve 52 also includes a vertical bore 58 which is slidably 
mounted over the upper tube section 12. 
The horizontal support arm 54 is secured within the horizontal socket bore 
62 of socket 60 by means of a crimp or bead 64 (FIG. 2) which can be 
provided by conventional crimping elements 74, 76 of a crimping tool. 
The shank portion 46 of pin 44 (or the shank portion 82 of the pin 78) may 
be used to support empty hangers during the clothes pressing process. The 
support arm 54 is sufficient to support filled hangers 68. The upper tube 
section 12 and the lower tube section 14 are forced downwardly against the 
spring bias provided by spring 40 so that they may be fitted between the 
ceiling 70 and the floor 72. They are then permitted to expand so that the 
upper pad 16 and the lower pad 36 are pressed against the ceiling 70 and 
floor 72 respectively. 
If the distance between the floor 72 and the ceiling 70 is less than that 
shown in FIG. 1, the length of the telescoped tube sections can be 
adjusted by removing pin 44 from the bore 30 and inserting it into one of 
the other bores 22, 24, 26, 28 so as to achieve the desired length. The 
distance between the upper pad 16 and the lower pad 36 should normally be 
slightly greater than the distance between the floor 72 and the ceiling 70 
so that the tube sections can be compressed and so that the spring 40 will 
exert a force causing the upper pad 16 and the lower pad 36 against the 
ceiling and floor respectively. 
After the device has been used, it can be quickly and easily dissembled. 
All that is required to dissemble the device is to remove the pin 44 and 
to slide the upper tube section 12 out of the lower tube section 14. The 
parts then can be stored in a container for later use. When it is desired 
to reassemble the device, the sleeve 52 of the support arm 50 is slipped 
over the upper tube section 12. Next the pin 44 is inserted into the 
appropriate bore 22, 24, 26, 28, 30. The upper stop washer 42, the spring 
40, and the washer 38 are slipped over the lower end of upper tube section 
12. Finally, the lower end 20 of the upper tube section 12 is 
telescopically inserted into the upper end 32 of the lower tube section 
14. The device is then ready for mounting between the ceiling and floor 
70, 72 respectively. 
The preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in the 
drawings and specification, and although specific terms are employed, 
these are used in a generic or descriptive sense only and are not used for 
purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and proportion of parts as 
well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as 
circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the 
spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following 
claims.