Abstract:
Embodiments include, in combination with a ball joint relievable hanger having an moveable rod in which movement is facilitated by a ball portion within a complementary cavity, the ball portion having a bore containing a spring which bears on a locking member and urges the locking member into a detent in the complementary cavity, thereby retaining the rod in position unless a release weight is placed on the hanger, resulting in the downward movement of the rod, the improvement comprising, the extension of the bore in the ball portion to the end of the rod, a threaded screw which interacts with threads on the bore extension to allow distal-proximate movement of the screw, and seat means for conveying distal-proximate movement of the screw to the spring. Embodiments include means for adjusting the release weight of the relievable hanger.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments pertain to devices which carry the weight of articles, in particular to those with a single joint adjustable bracket in which movement is facilitated by a spherical portion within a complementary cavity. 
     Embodiments find use in mental health and corrective institutions where fixed clothes hangers are sometimes used with a ligature to commit suicide or murder. Ball joint relievable hangers are known in the art. They have the disadvantage of not being capable of adjustment of the force which causes the bracket to break away. Embodiments of the present application have the advantages of being adjustable by maintenance personnel and are capable of mounting on a vertical surface such as a wall without requiring an aperture in the mounting surface. 
     The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tool and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements. 
     Embodiments include, in combination with a ball joint relievable hanger having an moveable rod in which movement is facilitated by a ball portion within a complementary cavity, the ball portion having a bore containing a spring which bears on a locking member and urges the locking member into a detent in the complementary cavity, thereby retaining the rod in position unless a release weight is placed on the hanger, resulting in the downward movement of the rod, the improvement comprising, the extension of the bore in the ball portion to the end of the rod, a threaded screw which interacts with threads on the bore extension to allow distal-proximate movement of the screw, and seat means for conveying distal-proximate movement of the screw to the spring in order to increase or decrease pressure on the spherical locking member into the detent cavity. 
     Embodiments include in combination with a ball joint relievable hanger having a body having a hemispherically-shaped depression therein, said depression having a pair of spaced detents therein, a hanger element comprising a ball-shaped member with a rod fixedly attached thereto and extending therefrom, said ball-shaped member being disposed in said depression in contiguous relationship to the wall forming said depression within said body and freely moveable therein The ball-shaped member further having a passageway with a single opening thereinto facing the wall forming said depression in said body, and compression biasing means disposed within said passageway in said ball-shaped member of said hanger element. There are retaining means for capturing said ball-shaped member within said depression, a locking element disposed within said passageway in said ball-shaped member of said hanger and freely moveable therein, with one end of said locking element being disposed between said biasing means and said opening facing said depression and formed to be receivable into said detent, whereby said rod is locked into an upward position to form a hanger for towels and the like when said biasing means urges said one end of said locking element into said detent following alignment therewith. When a substantial weight is impressed upon said rod in said locked position, said locking element in said passageway within said ball-shaped member is urged into said passageway towards said biasing means and out of said detent thereby unlocking said ball-shaped member from its previously fixed position and allowing said rod to fall downwardly and permitting said substantial weight to fall freely therefrom. Said detents are lying along a vertical plane passing through the center of said ball-shaped member and being equally spaced above and below said center, whereby said hanger may be installed in either of two possible installation positions. The improvement comprises, the extension of the passageway in said ball-shaped member to the end of said rod distal to the ball-shaped member, a distal-proximate movable pin with coupling means on said pin surface which interact with coupling means on the surface of said passageway extension to allow distal-proximate movement of said pin. There are seat means for conveying distal-proximate movement of said pin to said biasing means to adjust the magnitude of said substantial weight required to unlock said ball-shaped member from its previously fixed position and allowing said rod to fall downwardly. 
     In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment sheet-metal structure with mounted ball-and-rod element. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the sheet-metal structure with mounted ball-and-rod element of  FIG. 1  taken at line  2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of an embodiment relievable hanger mounted on a wall with an embodiment faceplate. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the back of an embodiment relievable hanger attached to an embodiment faceplate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,241 are incorporated by reference herein. 
     In this disclosure the term “release weight” means the weight of an object hanging on an relievable hanger adequate to cause the rod or hanger portion to move and shed the object. 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment sheet-metal structure with mounted ball-and-rod element. Visible in  FIG. 1  is the sheet metal structure or hook body  21 . The hook body  21  has two apertured arms  23 , each of which has holes or apertures  27 . Hook body assembly bolts along with nuts are used to secure the hook body to a faceplate when a faceplate is used. 
     Also visible in  FIG. 1  is the ball-and-rod element  11  comprised of a rod  17  with an adjustment bore  52  visible at the distal end. The rod  17  is integral with or attached to the ball  15  at the proximal end. A circular retaining ring or hook cap  25  is attached to the hook body  21  at the outer circumference and bears upon and retains the ball  15  in position at the inner circumference of the hook cap  25 . 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the sheet-metal structure or hook body  21  with mounted ball-and-rod element  11  of  FIG. 1  taken at line  2 - 2 . The relievable hanger  10  comprises a ball-and-rod element  11 , a socket  12  for the ball portion of the element  11 , with at least one detent  26  and a spring biased locking member  14  for engagement with the detent  26 . 
     The ball-and-rod element  11  further comprises a ball  15 , a locking member  14 , in this embodiment a spherical bearing, a bore  16  and a rod  17 . A compression spring  18  is nested within the bearing bore  16 . A locking member  14 , in this embodiment a spherical bearing, is positioned inside the bore  16  with the spring  18  biasing the locking member  14  toward the outside of the ball. Although the locking member  14  is depicted here as a spherical bearing, other equivalent structures of this element, such as a rod with a rounded end, are specifically contemplated. 
     A socket  12  is formed by the combining of a sheet metal structure or hook body  21  having a hemispherical depression  22  therein and a pair of oppositely-disposed apertured arms  23  extending outwardly from the rim  24  of the hemispherical depression  22  and a ball retaining ring or hook cap  25 . There is a lower detent  26  and an upper detent  29  on the inside of the hemispherical depression  22 . 
     In use, when the rod  17  is in the upper position, as depicted in  FIG. 2 , the locking member  14  rests in the lower detent  26 . When the release weight on the rod is exceeded, as by a ligature, the locking member  14  is forced up into the bearing bore  16 , the ball  15  rotates until the movement of the rod  17  is stopped by the retaining ring  25 , and the ligature which has exceeded the release weight falls off of the rod. The upper detent  29  allows installation of the hanger in either of two possible positions. 
     The present disclosure includes the improvement which allows adjustment of the spring compression in order to compensate for wear, age, or other conditions which may affect the degree of bias of the compression spring on the locking member and thereby affect the release weight. Such conditions may lower or raise the release weight, resulting in a hanger which fails to provide the desirable support for towels or clothes, or fails to release and confound a suicide attempt. The adjustment feature of the present disclosure will compensate for either an unwanted increase or decrease in the release weight. Furthermore, this feature allows adjustment of the release weight without requiring access to the back of the hanger or to the back of the wall as with hangers whose installation requires penetration of the wall. 
     Visible in  FIG. 2  is the adjustment bore  52  which is an extension of the ball bore  16  through the rod  17 . The adjustment bore has adjustment bore threads  54  on its inner surface. A threaded adjusting screw  58  interacts with the adjustment bore threads. Rotation of the adjustment screw causes it to move linearly through the adjustment bore. The proximal end of the adjustment screw bears on a circular disk-shaped spring seat  56  which, in turn, bears on the end of the compression spring  18 . The distal end of the adjustment screw is terminated short of the end of the rod at approximately the middle of the rod. A security head  59  on the adjustment screw prevents unauthorized manipulation. Rotation of the adjustment screw in the clockwise direction causes movement of the screw in the proximal direction and increases compression of the compression spring  18  thereby increasing the release weight. Conversely, rotation of the adjustment screw in the counter-clockwise direction causes movement of the screw in the distal direction and reduces compression of the compression spring, thereby decreasing the release weight. 
     The use of an adjustment screw to alter an improper release weight has the advantage of allowing an infinite adjustment with a range of release weights. Such adjustments can be made from the user side of the installed hanger without removing the assembly from the wall. The hanger is vandal resistant because access to the adjustment screw is not obvious, because a special tool is required to adjust the load capacity, and because the threaded adjustment screw cannot be removed from the user side of the wall. 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of an embodiment adjustable relievable hanger  10  mounted on a vertical surface or wall  50  by an optional faceplate  40 . Although an embodiment faceplate is shown in this disclosure, it is specifically contemplated that a variety of faceplates may be used with the sheet-metal structure, such as round, square, or rectangular faceplates, or no faceplate at all. 
     In the embodiment in  FIG. 3 , the approximately square faceplate  40  comprises flat faceplate rim  41  which surrounds and is attached to the bottom of a four-sided faceplate wall  42 . The top side of the faceplate wall  42  is attached by a rounded shoulder  43  to an approximately square flat faceplate platform  44 . The faceplate platform  44  and faceplate rim  41  are parallel to each other and to the wall  50 . The faceplate walls  42  are at an angle of approximately 55° to the faceplate platform and to the faceplate rim. The faceplate walls are wide enough to accommodate a hanger  10  mounted behind the faceplate  40  without requiring a hole or depression in the wall  50 . Four countersunk wall connector holes  48  are arrayed in the corners of the faceplate platform  44 . A ball-and-rod element hole  51  is located approximately in the center of the faceplate platform  44  and hook body connector holes  46  are located at the sides of hole  51 . Four wall mounting screws  49  with security heads are visible in  FIG. 3 . Two blind bolts  47  are used to connect the ball and rod element to the faceplate. The blind bolt heads are flat and cannot be turned from the front of the faceplate platform  44 . 
     Use of this embodiment faceplate has the advantage of allowing installation of the hanger without requiring penetration through the wall or requiring access to the back of the wall. 
     Also visible in  FIG. 3  is a ball  15  which protrudes through the hole  51  in the surface of the faceplate platform. Rod  17  with an adjustment bore  52  is attached to or integral with the ball. In  FIG. 1  the rod  17  is in the upper position and is available as a hanger to support towels, clothes, hats, etc. The apertured arms  23  of the hook body are indicated by dashed lines in  FIG. 3 . Hook body assembly bolts  47  with security heads connect the hook body to the faceplate. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the back of an embodiment relievable hanger mounted on an embodiment faceplate. Visible in  FIG. 4  is the back sides of the faceplate rim  41 , faceplate wall  42 , faceplate rounded shoulder  43 , and faceplate platform  44 . The four wall mounting screws  49  are visible in  FIG. 4 . Also visible are the back sides of some elements of the sheet metal structure or hook body  21 . These include the hemispherically-shaped depression  22 , apertured arms  23 , lower detent  26  and upper detent  29 . The hook body  21  is secured to the back of the faceplate platform  44  by two hook body assembly bolts  47  and secured by nuts  28 . Also visible in  FIG. 4  is the rod  17 . 
     In embodiments, the faceplate is approximately 5.13 inches on each side. Each side of the platform is approximately 3.50 inches. The distance between the centers of the wall connector holes is approximately 2.75 inches. The length of the rod is approximately 1.42 inches and the diameter of the ball is approximately 0.95 inches. When installed on a vertical wall, the distance of the faceplate from the wall is approximately 0.89 inches. 
     In embodiments the release weight is variable or adjustable. 
     Embodiment adjustable releasable hangers may be manufactured of any suitably strong, resilient, and durable materials, such as iron, steel, aluminum, and plastics. 
     While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope. The applicant or applicants have attempted to disclose all the embodiments of the invention that could be reasonably foreseen. There may be unforeseeable insubstantial modifications that remain as equivalents.