Abstract:
A hanger designed to frustrate potential shoplifters by clamping a portion of the garment suspended thereon to the hanger and requiring a series of unlocking movements to free the garment therefrom, the hanger consisting of a customary inverted V-shaped yoke having hollow arm members converging together at the top to be secured to a suspension hook, the suspension hook being associated with rigid locking rods extending through the hollow arms and terminating adjacent the shoulder portions of the yoke for cooperation with a clamping linkage and which locks the clamping linkage in a closed clamping position when the suspension hook lies in the plane of the yoke, rotation of the hook 90°  unlocking the clamping mechanism to permit opening thereof to release a garment from the hanger.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to garment hangers and more particularly to a novel and improved garment hanger of a tamper-proof operation to frustrate shoplifters by releasably locking the garment to the hanger while yet permitting easy removal of the garment from the hanger when desired. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     As is well known in the sale and display of garments, such garments are displayed for inspection and general display and advertising purposes on hangers where the garments are easily removed therefrom by shoplifters or potential shoplifters, this resulting in losses to the commercial business. Presently there are few, if any, mechanical provisions made in commercial stores selling and displaying garments to frustrate and hamper the efforts of shoplifters. 
     Prior art devices are known which attach a chain or other connection between the hanger or the hanger pole or other fixed member and to the garment to prevent unauthorized removal of the garment therefrom, but such devices frequently damage the garments, requiring time consuming and laborious efforts to remove the device from the garment should the garment wish to be tried on by a prospective purchaser, and otherwise are frustrating in use such that the devices soon fall into nonuse by sales personnel who would rather chance having the garments stolen than continuously attach and detach the anti-theft chain or device to the garment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a novel tamper-proof garment hanger for the hanging of garments thereon and which frustrates the efforts of shoplifters as the hanger includes means thereon for clamping and locking the garment on the hanger so that it is a difficult matter for an unauthorized individual to resort to shoplifting tricks and to steal the garment as the locking means require a series of steps which, while easily and rapidly performed, cannot be performed inconspicuously. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved tamper-proof garment hanger. 
     A further feature of the present invention provides a garment hanger including clamps for releasably securing the garment in position on the hanger. 
     Still a further feature of the present invention provides a garment hanger which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture due to its simplicity of construction such that it may be produced and retailed at a sufficiently low price to encourage widespread use thereof. 
     Still yet a further feature of the present invention provides a garment hanger which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in operation in a manner requiring positive action by sales personnel to automatically return the hanger to a locked position before returning the hanger to the pole on which it is suspended. 
     Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the garment hanger of the invention in the locked position; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the garment hanger in the unlocked position; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the locking mechanism of the garment hanger in the locked position; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the locking mechanism in the open position; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the locking mechanism in the locked position; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 5 but with the same portion of the locking mechanism illustrated in the open position; and 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view partially in cross-section taken at the central sleeve. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a tamper-proof garment hanger constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and which embodies in its construction a horizontal rigid cross member 11 which extends between the shoulder portions 12 of the customary inverted V-shaped yoke or top portion 13 having hollow leg members 14 joined together at top ends 15 and equipped with a suspension hook 16 extending vertically outwardly therefrom and rotatable relative thereto about its axis. A pair of side members 17 extend downwardly from each of the shoulder portions 12 and are connected together at their lower ends by a transverse cross-member 18. 
     A pair of clamps 21 are pivotally attached by pivot pins 22 to associated shoulder portions 12 and are provided at their lower terminal ends with clamping pads 23 which are engagable with similar type pads 24 secured to associated ones of the side members 17. 
     The clamps are pivotable about the pivot pins 22 within the plane defined by the side members 17 and are operable interconnected by an articulated toggle bar 25 which consists of a pair of rigid links 26 and 27 having their adjacent ends pivotally connected together by pivot pin 27&#39;, the pivot pin extending normal to the plane of side members 17 and diametrically of a hollow open ended sleeve 28 having side walls 29 with the pin passing through the side walls to be affixed thereto. A ring 30 is affixed to side walls 28 on the top central portion thereof and is used for operation of the toggle bar as will be later described. 
     Each of the links 26 and 27 are of an identical structure formed of flat stock material and extending outwardly from pivot pin 27&#39; terminating inwardly of the associated shoulder portion 12 with a flat vertically downwardly extending edge 31 which then merges into a terminal end portion 32 extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom. Pivotally interconnecting the end 33 of terminal end portion 32 and the topmost end 34 of clamps 21 is a linkage element 35 connected therebetween by pivot pins 36 and 37 as shown. A pivot pin 38 extends through the links 26 and 27 at the terminal end of vertical edge 31 at the juncture point with end portion 32, the pivot pins 38 extending normal to the plane of the side members 17 and pivotally connecting the links to the associated shoulder portions 12 for pivotal movement relative thereto. 
     The link members 26 and 27 extend inwardly and downwardly relative to pivot point 38 to be joined at the pivot 27&#39;, this joining being an over-center position when sleeve 28 engages cross-member 11, this position effecting pivotal movement of clamp arms 21 to engage pads 23 with pads 24 such that a garment affixed to the hanger, such as a men&#39;s suit coat having clamp arms 21 extending through a portion of the sleeves thereof, is securely maintained in position on the hanger with portions of the coat sleeves being clamped between pads 23 and 24. Pulling upward on ring 30 to an over-center position spaced from cross-member 11 effects the outward pivotal movement of arms 21 relative to sides 17 to thus permit any garment to be free from the hanger. 
     In this regard it is to be noted that the over dead center positions are relative to the straight line defined between the horizontal position of link members 26 and 27 when axially aligned. 
     The suspension hook 16 extends outwardly of the top 15 of the yoke 13 and includes a shank 41 extending axially through the yoke top portion and rotatably mounted thereto for rotation about its axis. Affixed to a terminal end portion of the shank 41 inwardly of top 15 and extending horizontally is a circular flat disc shaped plate 42 having a pair of diametrically opposed openings 43 extending therethrough adjacent the peripheral edges thereof. Each opening 43 has rotatably affixed thereto an associated end 44 of an elongated rigid control rod 45 extending axially through hollow leg members 14 and terminating at its opposite end 45 being rotatably received in an aperture 46 disposed in a radially spaced position from the central axis of a horizontal flat circular control disc 47 mounted in each of the shoulder portions 12. Each disc 47 is rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane about its central axis by shaft 48. A V-shaped notch 49 is provided in the peripheral edge of each of discs 47 circumferally spaced from opening 46 and having its vertex pointing radially inwardly of the disc toward shaft 48. 
     The discs 47 are in horizontal alignment with their peripheral edges disposed in immediate adjacentcy to vertical straight edge 31 of each of their associated links 26 and 27 respectively when the links are in the locking position with sleeve 28 adjacent cross member 11 and pads 23 and 24 in engagement. In this position, as clearly seen in FIG. 3, it is apparent that the links 26 and 27 are locked and cannot be raised by ring 30 as straight edge 31 strikes the peripheral adjacent edge of disc 47, this thus being the closed locked position of the garment hanger as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. 
     To unlock the hanger to permit a garment to be removed therefrom, suspension hook 16 is rotated about its axis through an angle of ninety degrees, this effecting rotation of plate 42 which, in turn, effects similar rotation of interconnected control discs 47 to place the notches 49 of each of the control discs in alignment with associated links 26 and 27 such that the space of the notch is disposed adjacent vertical straight edge 31. This position of the discs is as illustrated in FIG. 6. It is now apparent that grasping ring 30 and lifting sleeve 28 will move the links 26 and 27 to the position of FIG. 4 with straight edge 31 fitting into notch 49 to permit such movement of the links, this effecting the opening of clamps 21 to separate pads 23 and 24 to permit the removal of a garment therefrom. 
     It is thus apparent that after a garment has been clampingly secured to the hanger 10, that to remove the garment an individual must first remove the hanger from a supporting rod, then rotate the suspension hook through a 90° angle, and then lift up on ring 30 to operate links 26 and 27 to free pads 23 and 24 from each other. Only then may the garment be removed. Similarly, for the garment to be returned to the hanger, this is accomplished in a fast and easy manner as the garment is placed on the hanger in the normal manner with clamps 21 extending through the sleeves of the coat portion of the garment, sleeve 28 is depressed to engage cross member 11 to effect the clamping of the garment in position, after which suspension hook 16 is rotated through a 90° angle to effect locking of the links by the control discs 47. 
     In addition, it is to be noted that the side frames 17 and cross member 18 make up a general U-shaped extension frame which is co-planar with the yoke 13 and cross-member 11, the extension frame being rigid and relatively long, as least as long as the overall length of the cross-member 11. Thus, any ordinary or conventional garments displayed in the stores may be hung on the garment hanger. Thus, the yoke 13 will take care of the coat to a suit with the cross-member 11 providing suspension for suite trousers, the extended U-shaped extension frame not inerfering with the usual placement of the garment on the hanger. However, the clamping means when closed will grip the juntional portions of the coat sleeves and the body of the coat, for instance, in a manner to substantially lock the coat and hanger together. Considering the difficulty which attends tampering with this garment and hanger combination, it is plain to be seen that shoplifting activities will be reduced to a minimum, perhaps, eventually taken care of, insofar as garments suspended on hangers are concerned. 
     In addition, the extended U-shaped extension frame makes the hanger cumbersome and sufficiently unwieldy to protect against the bundling of the garment around the coat hanger, as is often done for compactness by shoplifters, this making it difficult for shoplifters while making it easier for store detectives and others to spot shoplifters. 
     It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.