Abstract:
A hat-and-uniform caddy that has hat space for protective hat storage and transportation in predetermined proportion to uniform space for protective uniform storage and transportation. The hat-and-uniform caddy includes swivel casters and optional center wheels for transporting hat-and-uniform caddy on and off of transportation vehicles and for placing hat-and-uniform caddy immovably on the vehicles for transportation to and from performance sites where the hats and uniforms are used. Space for hats in boxes is provided on horizontal supports with retainer walls. The space for uniforms are provided on hanger rods having notches and optional keepers. Components of the hat and uniform caddy are assembled and disassembled with wheel fasteners which join a plurality of parts simultaneously.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to transportable caddies for containing hats, uniforms and related items neatly for transportation either assembled with the hats, uniforms and related items on them or unassembled for separate transportation and storage. 
   2. Relation to Prior Art 
   Transporting and storing hats, uniforms and related items for bands, choirs, entertainers and various groups of performers has long been a time-consuming and often risky problem. It has been relegated to unreliable improvision by marching bands, choirs and other performers that travel to various destinations. Usually, hats, uniforms, related items and garments of performers and entertainers are transported and stored with inadequate care and with inconvenience. They are often put in or on whatever clothes container, rack, rod, shelf, luggage or box that might be available at performance destinations or at base facilities. Although there are known clothing caddies, garment-sales racks and closets for garment storage, there is no known hat-and-uniform caddy for transporting and storing hats, uniforms, related items and garments conveniently, orderly and securely in a manner taught by this invention. 
   Listed for consideration is related but different prior art that includes the following: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               PATENT 
               DATE 
               NAME 
               CLASS 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,169 B2 
               Nov. 12, 2002 
               Krusell 
               211/85.7 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,947 B1 
               Jun. 11, 2002 
               Hu et al. 
               211/189 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,330 B1 
               Apr. 02, 2002 
               Weber et al. 
               280/47.35 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,869 
               Mar. 02, 1999 
               Busuttil et al. 
               182/69.6 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,517 
               Feb. 02, 1999 
               Wang 
               312/237 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,584 
               Feb. 03, 1998 
               Crane 
               280/47.35 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,154 
               Aug. 14, 1990 
               Guggenheim 
               280/79.3 
             
             
               U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,991 
               Jan. 03, 1961 
               Duffner 
               211/60 
             
             
               U.S. Des. 179,459 
               Dec. 25, 1956 
               Potts 
               D14/3 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a transportable hat-and-uniform caddy which: 
   can be assembled quickly and conveniently for safe storage and vehicular transportation storage of hats and uniforms for bands and other groups of performers; 
   can be disassembled quickly and conveniently for storage when hats and uniforms have been removed from it; 
   includes hat-storage space, uniform-hanger supports and optionally performance-item containers that prevent movement and damage from transportation movement and theft; 
   includes lockable mobility with wheels for being loaded and unloaded easily for transportation on vehicles, for being placed immovably on vehicles and for being moved easily from vehicles to use areas and to after-use storage areas; 
   includes containment organizers which maintain protective separation of the hats, uniforms, garments and other items when being transported; 
   can include cleanly protective covering; and 
   can include lockable retainers of the hats, uniforms, garments and other items. 
   This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a hat-and-uniform caddy having hat space for protective hat storage and transportation in proportion to uniform space for protective uniform storage and transportation predeterminedly. An immovably placeable mobility of the hat-and-uniform caddy includes caddy wheels for wheeling the hat-and-uniform caddy on and off of transportation vehicles and for placing the hat-and-uniform caddy immovably on the vehicles for transportation to and from performance sites where the hats and uniforms are used. Spaces for hats and uniforms can include hat-box containers for uniform hats, slide-prevention hanging rods for uniforms, protective covers and locks. Components of the hat-and-uniform caddy include quick-disconnect connections for use assembly and for non-use disassembly when hats and uniforms have been removed from it. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows: 
       FIG. 1  is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a hat-and-uniform caddy having open sides and containing hats and uniforms in containers for protection; 
       FIG. 2  is a partially cutaway top view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having a single hanger rod; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the  FIG. 2  illustration; 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having two juxtaposed hanger rods; 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having horizontal supports for containing hats at an end of one or more hanger rods; 
       FIG. 6  is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having center wheels at a central position intermediate oppositely disposed end legs that are raised with a jack for the center wheels; 
       FIG. 7  is the  FIG. 6  illustration with the end legs lowered with the jack for resting the end legs on a floor; 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary cutaway view of a caster wheel attached to a corner of the caddy framework and having angle-beam construction for structural integrity with convenient assembly and disassembly; 
       FIG. 9  is a fragmentary top view of an end of the caddy framework having the angle-beam construction of the  FIG. 8  illustration; 
       FIG. 10  is a partially cutaway end view of the caddy framework having the angle-beam construction with a perforated plate for a structural wall; 
       FIG. 11  is a partially cutaway side view of the  FIG. 10  illustration; 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary view of the hanger rod with independent notch keepers shown in open and closed modes to deter dislodgment of hangers during foreseeable movement of transportation conditions; 
       FIG. 13  is a fragmentary view of the hanger rod with multiple notch keepers shown in open and closed modes; 
       FIG. 14  is a front-side elevation view of the hat-and-uniform caddy with see-through plastic sheeting attached at centers and fasteners at sides of openings to hat sections above hanger sections; 
       FIG. 15  is a partially cutaway back-side elevation view of the  FIG. 14  illustration with a rear structural wall; 
       FIG. 16  is a front-side elevation view of the hat-and-uniform caddy with doors hinged to open and close at sides of openings to the hat sections and the hanger sections; 
       FIG. 17  is a partially cutaway back-side elevation view of the  FIG. 16  illustration with the rear structural wall; 
       FIG. 18  is a partially cutaway end view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having a single hanger rod, structural ends, a structural back side and a plastic-sheeting front side; 
       FIG. 19  is a partially cutaway end view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having two juxtaposed hanger rods, structural ends, an inside structural wall, and a plastic-sheet covering on front and back sides; 
       FIG. 20  is a partially cutaway end view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having a single hanger rod, structural ends, a structural back side and doors on a front side; 
       FIG. 21  is a partially cutaway end view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having two juxtaposed hanger rods, structural ends, the inside structural wall, and doors on front and back sides; 
       FIG. 22  is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the hat-and-uniform caddy having a hanger rod with a bar keeper for retaining clothes hangers in notches of a hanger rod; 
       FIG. 23  is an exploded fragmentary and partially cutaway side view of the hanger rod of the  FIG. 22  illustration with the bar keeper raised to allow the clothes hangers to be put into the notches; 
       FIG. 24  is the  FIG. 23  illustration with the bar keeper lowered to prevent dislodgment of the clothes hangers from the notches; 
       FIG. 25  is a section view through section line  23 — 23  of  FIG. 23 ; and 
       FIG. 26  is a section view through section line  24 — 24  of  FIG. 24 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
                1. 
               Hat-and-uniform caddy 
             
             
                 
                2. 
               Vertical supports 
             
             
                 
                3. 
               Horizontal girders 
             
             
                 
                4. 
               Horizontal supports 
             
             
                 
                5. 
               Hanger rod 
             
             
                 
                6. 
               Notches 
             
             
                 
                7. 
               Clothes hangers 
             
             
                 
                8. 
               Uniforms 
             
             
                 
                9. 
               Swivel keepers 
             
             
                 
               10. 
               Slide keepers 
             
             
                 
               11. 
               Retainer walls 
             
             
                 
               12. 
               Base framework 
             
             
                 
               13. 
               Swivel casters 
             
             
                 
               14. 
               End legs 
             
             
                 
               15. 
               Floor surface 
             
             
                 
               16. 
               Center wheels 
             
             
                 
               17. 
               Jack 
             
             
                 
               18. 
               Off-centered axle 
             
             
                 
               19. 
               First side 
             
             
                 
               20. 
               Second side 
             
             
                 
               21. 
               Boxes 
             
             
                 
               22. 
               First end wall 
             
             
                 
               23. 
               Second end wall 
             
             
                 
               24. 
               Side wall 
             
             
                 
               25. 
               Roof wall 
             
             
                 
               26. 
               Plastic sheets 
             
             
                 
               27. 
               Fastening positions 
             
             
                 
               28. 
               Inside structural wall 
             
             
                 
               29. 
               Doors 
             
             
                 
               30. 
               Hinges 
             
             
                 
               31. 
               End angle beams 
             
             
                 
               32. 
               Side angle beams 
             
             
                 
               33. 
               Wheel fasteners 
             
             
                 
               34. 
               Upright angle beams 
             
             
                 
               35. 
               Upright fasteners 
             
             
                 
               36. 
               End plate 
             
             
                 
               37. 
               Angle braces 
             
             
                 
               38. 
               Rod bases 
             
             
                 
               39. 
               Bar keeper 
             
             
                 
               40. 
               Wing nut 
             
             
                 
               41. 
               Slot 
             
             
                 
               42. 
               Bar riser 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIGS. 1–5 , a hat-and-uniform caddy  1  has a caddy framework with vertical supports  2  attached to horizontal girders  3  that include horizontal supports  4  with hat-container space for containing items that include uniform hats and boxes  21 . At least one hanger rod  5  with uniform-container space is supported horizontally by the vertical supports  2  for containing uniforms  8 . 
   The hat-container space is proportioned to the uniform-container space for sizes of classes of hats and uniforms  8  for containing predetermined ratios of pluralities of the hats, the uniforms  8  and any related items. 
   Hat retainers are provided on the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  for retaining the hats in place to deter damage and loss during transportation and storage. Uniform retainers are provided on the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  for retaining the uniforms  8  in place to deter damage and loss during transportation and storage. 
   The vertical supports  2  have base framework  12  for support of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  on floors of use areas and on transportation vehicles selectively. The base framework  12  has end legs  14 , caster wheels that include swivel casters  13  and transit-placement retainers predeterminedly for retaining the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  in place in transit. 
   The hat-container space includes one or more of the horizontal supports  4  which are full-length shelves that are vertically above the uniform-container space. The uniform-container space includes one or more of the hanger rods  5  which are full-length hanger rods that are extended from-end-to-end of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  intermediate proximate the vertical supports  2  linearly and the horizontal girders  3  laterally. 
   The uniform retainers can include notches  6  for containing handles of clothes hangers  7  on which the uniforms  8  can be hung. The notches  6  are articulated for preventing escape of the handles from transportation movement that is transmitted to the hat-and-uniform caddy  1 . The articulation of the notches  6  can include notch depth sufficient to retain the handles predeterminedly. Notch-entrance bottlenecks also can be articulated to retain the handles predeterminedly. 
   As shown in  FIG. 12 , the articulation of the notches  6  can include swivel keepers  9  which are attached pivotally to the hanger rod  5  for being swivelled to and from handle-keeper positions with portions of the swivel keepers  9  over entrances to the notches  6 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 13 , the articulation of the notches  6  can include slide keepers  10  that are slidable horizontally on the hanger rod  5  for being slid to and from handle-keeper positions with portions of the slide keepers  10  over entrances to the notches  6 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 22–26 , the articulation of the notches  6  can include a bar keeper  39  that is slidable vertically on the hanger rod  5  for being slid vertically to and from handle-keeper positions with portions of the bar keeper  39  over entrances to the notches  6 . The bar keeper  39  can include wing nuts  40  on bolts that extend from the hanger rod  5  through slots  41  in a bar riser  42  for fixing the bar keepers  39  over the notches. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1–2 ,  6 – 7 ,  11 , and  22 , the hat retainers can include retainer walls  11  for preventing boxes  21  containing hats and other uniform-related items from being bounced and jarred off of the horizontal supports  4  from transportation movement that is transmitted to the hat-and-uniform caddy  1 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  10 – 11 , and  14 – 22 , the transit-placement retainers can include the end legs  14  with swivel casters  13  with wheels that are rotation lockable as represented figuratively by a cross member for foot actuation on the swivel casters  13 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 6–7 , the transit-placement retainers can include the end legs  14  without wheels in combination with center wheels  16  midway intermediate the ends of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1 . The center wheels  16  can be positioned on a jack  17  for raising the end legs  14  off of a floor surface  15  to move the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  on the center wheels  16  and for lowering the end legs  14  to the floor surface  15  for transit-placement mobility of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  on the center wheels  16 . The jack  17  can include an off-centered axle  18  for raising and lowering the center wheels  16 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the hat-container space can include one or more of the horizontal supports  4  which are part-length shelves that are stacked beside the uniform-container space and the uniform-container space can include one or more part-length hanger rods  5  which are extended intermediate an end of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  and the hat-container space having the horizontal supports  4  which are part-length shelves that are stacked. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8–11  and  14 – 21 , the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  can include a first side  19 , a second side  20 , a first end wall  22 , a second end wall  23 , a side wall  24  and a roof wall  25 . An end plate  36  can be positioned intermediate the first side  19  and the second side  20 . The end plate  36  is articulated and fastened to the first side  19  and to the second side  20  for providing angular rigidity intermediate the first side  19  and the second side  20 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the end plate  36  can include a perforated end plate for receiving hanger handles, hanger hooks and other items. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 14–15 , one or more plastic sheets  26  can be fastened to one or more sides of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1  at fastening positions  27  for being opened and closed selectively. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 16–17 , one or more doors  29  can be positioned to be openable and closable predeterminedly, including with use of hinges  30 , on one or more sides of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1 . 
   The hat-and-uniform caddy  1  can include a convenience structure for being assembled into a rigid use mode and for being disassembled into a non-use storage mode quickly and conveniently. As shown in  FIGS. 8–11 , the convenience structure can include end angle beams  31  intermediate side angle beams  32  at bottoms of upright angle beams  34 . The upright angle beams  34  can include the vertical supports  2 . The end angle beams  31  can be attachable detachably to the side angle beams  32  with a wheel fastener  33  on a swivel caster  13  on each of four caddy-corner intersections of the end angle beams  31  and the side angle beams  32 . 
   The wheel fastener  33  can include a vertical bolt that is colinear to a pivot axis of the swivel caster  13  and extended upward vertically from a swivel base of the swivel caster  13 . The vertical bolt is fastened to a horizontal wall of the end angle beam  31  and to a vertical wall of the side angle beam  32  on each of the four caddy-corner intersections. A vertical wall of the end angle beam  31  is fastened to an end angle wall of the upright angle beam  34  with an upright fastener  35 . Angle braces  37  are optional. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 10–11  and  18 – 21 , the hanger rod  5  can have opposite ends that are attached to the end plate  36  for being positioned intermediate opposite ends of the hat-and-uniform caddy  1 . Attachment of the hanger rod  5  to the end plates  36  can be with rod bases  38 . 
   A new and useful hat-and-uniform caddy having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.