Patent Publication Number: US-6216886-B1

Title: Post-mounted hanging device

Description:
This application is a non-provisional application of co-pending provisional application Serial No. 60/145,182, filed on Jul. 22, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates in general to hangers. In particular, the invention relates to a hanger designed for being mounted atop a post, especially a fence post, and having means for hanging objects that can be placed in several different positions. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Hangers for plants and other objects are well known. Generally, hangers are attached to walls and other flat surfaces. A hanger that could be attached to an upright post, especially a fence post, would be desirable for hanging plants and decorative objects. In addition, a hanger that allowed the objects hanging from the hanger to be rotated, similar to a Lazy Susan, would be desirable. This would allow, for example, several plants to be hung from a fence post and allow access to plants on both sides of the fence for watering without having to travel around to both sides of the fence. However, the hanger should not be moved by natural forces such as wind. To the inventor&#39;s knowledge, no hanger presently exists that incorporates all these features and advantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, a structure having the desired features is achieved by a substantially horizontal base plate, attached to means such as a skirt extending below the base plate for affixing the device to a post. A tubular sleeve located just below the base plate retains the bottom part of a pole that stands upright in the sleeve, with most of the pole&#39;s length extending above the base plate. A number of arms extend radially out from the post and are adapted for hanging objects. In the preferred embodiment, the end of the sleeve distant from the base plate is capped with a stop plate, on which the pole rests. 
     A number of stops are attached to the base plate in a pattern about the pole. The stops are arranged so that gaps exist between adjacent stops. A projection extending radially from the pole is adapted to fit within the gaps between adjacent stops. The pole is moved from one gap to another by lifting the pole vertically in the tubular sleeve until the projection clears the stops, then turning the pole so that the projection is above another gap, and lowering the pole back down to a rest position. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description and in the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of hanger according to the invention, installed atop a solid wooden post. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front elevation thereof. 
     FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the hanger partially installed atop a hollow metal post. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front elevation of the alternative embodiment, when fully installed on the post. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a post hanger  11  of the invention, installed on a solid wooden post  13 . While the post  13  is shown with a square cross-section, round posts and posts with other cross-sectional shapes are also envisioned for use with the hanger  11 . The hanger  11  includes a substantially horizontal base plate  15  having a hole  17  defined roughly in the center of the base plate, and a skirt  19  below the base plate  15  that is adapted to fit over and around the top of the post  13 . The skirt  19  provide the means to fix tie base plate  15  to the post  13 . The skirt is preferably secured by attaching hardware such as set screws  21 . The top surface  16  of the base plate  15  is shown flat, but can have other shapes, such as being generally convex. Regardless of the particular configuration, the base plate  15  is substantially horizontal. 
     A tubular sleeve  23  is attached at one end to the bottom side of the base plate  15 , in line with the hole  17 . The other end of the sleeve  23  is capped by a stop plate  25 . The combination of the tubular sleeve  23  and the stop plate  25  provides the means to hold a pole  27  that extends upward through the base plate hole  17 . 
     At least one, and preferably a number of arms  29  extend from the top end of the pole  27 , generally in a radial direction from the pole&#39;s central axis  31 . The arms are all shown having an arcuate shape for aesthetic purposes; other shapes can be used. When there is more than  25  one arm, the arms  29  can differ from each other in shape and length, and can attach to the pole  27  at different heights above the base plate  15 . Each arm  29  has a crook  33  at the end of the arm  29  distant from the pole  27 , so that an object can hang from the arm  29  without sliding off. Hooks, eyeholes, or other devices known in the art for hanging objects can also be used, and more than one device can be used per arm. 
     The stop plate  25  preferably extends toward and attaches to the skirt  19 . This structure helps relieve stress that develops at the junction  20  of the tubular sleeve  23  and the base plate  15  when the load on the pole  27  (i.e. the weight of the objects hanging from the arms) is unbalanced. 
     The pole  27  can rotate freely in the tubular sleeve  23 , and can also be moved vertically within the sleeve  23 . As shown, the pole  27  can be easily removed from the sleeve  23 . Alternative embodiments are envisioned wherein the pole is prevented from being removed from the sleeve, but can still rotate and move vertically within the sleeve  23 . Vertical movement of the pole  27  is required to adjust the position of the pole, as will be discussed below. 
     A number of stops  35  are attached to the base plate  15 , each stop about the same radial distance from the pole axis  31 . The stops  35  are generally pyramidal in shape, but other shapes can be used. Also, each stop  35  is shown with the edges of their base just touching the edges of the bases of adjacent stops. An angular gap  37  is thus defined between adjacent stops. When stops having vertical sides are used, then the stops  35  must be spaced apart to forms gaps  37 . The stops are preferably equally spaced from each other about the pole  27 , but other arrangements can be used, such as a number of pairs of closely spaced stops, each pair being separated from adjacent pairs of stops by a distance that is substantially greater than the gap between the stops in each pair. 
     A triangular projection  39  is attached to the pole  27  just above the base plate  15 . The projection  39  is designed to extend between the stops  35  and rest within the gaps  37 . The projection  39  is shown with a flat bottom  41 , but an angular bottom shaped to match the angular gaps  37  can also be used. The entire projection  39  can have other shapes as well. The projection  39 , the stops  35 , and the gaps  37  together provide means for holding the pole  27  in one of a number of positions, at different angles about the pole&#39;s axis  31 . To change positions, the pole  27  is grasped and raised vertically until the projection  39  is completely out of the gap  37  in which it rested. The pole is then rotated until the projection  39  lines up with another gap  37 , and the pole  27  is lowered back down. While the pole  27  preferably rests on the stop plate  25 , the projection  39  can be located on the pole so that the projection rests on the base plate  15  (or in this case, on the stops  35  within the gap  37 ) instead. The weight of the pole  27  and any objects hanging from it bias the pole downwards to hold it in place. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the invention. Only the material differences from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be discussed. 
     In this embodiment, the hanger  11 ′ is adapted to sit atop a tubular post, such as a metal post for a chain link fence. The skirt  19 ′ is designed to fit into the post  13 ′, rather than outside it. No screws are used to attach the skirt  19 ′ to the post  13 ′ in this embodiment, but the weight of the hanger  11 ′ will keep the hanger in place. 
     The stops  35 ′ in this embodiment are shaped like truncated wedges with vertical sides. Since the stops have vertical sides, they are separated from each other to form gaps  37 ′ for retaining the projection  39 . 
     The invention has been shown in two embodiments. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but is capable of being varied and modified without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the attached claims.