Improvements in Coat and Vest Holders.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coat and Vest Holders.
I, DAVID WILLHELM AXENE, of Kansas City, County of Jackson, State of
Missouri, United States of America, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to coat and vest hangers, its object being to provide a
device of this character comprising a series of hinged sections made of suitable
flexible material which will normally lie flat and may be folded together to occupy
but little space when not in use and which will be so shaped that when certain
parts of the several sections are secured together the device will assume a shape
corresponding substantially to the shape of the upper portion of a human body and
thus form a support for holding the garments in practically the same shape the
garments assume when being worn.
With this object in view the invention consists of the several details of construc-
tion, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described,
and partially pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hanger in position for
use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same when opened-out, looking at the outer face
thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, looking at the inner face. Fig. 4
is a perspective view of the hanger in its folded form. Fig. 5 is a detailed sec-
tional view of one of the fastening devices.
Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.
The device is formed of two back sections (indicated by 1) and two front sec-
tions, (indicated by 2,) and these sections are shaped substantially like the front
and back sections of a high-cut vest before being stitched together. The sections
will preferably be made of cardboard, although I do not intend to limit my inven-
tion to the use of such material, as other flexible materials may be used with
equally good results. The abutting edges of the back sections and the abutting
edges of the respective front and back sections are hinged together by strips of
textile fabric 3, which are secured to the outer faces of the respective sections by
a suitable adhesive, and on the inner faces of said sections, opposite each joint, a
one edge to one of the sections
strip of cardboard 4 is secured at
the other section.
and extendis across the joint to loosely engage
for a purpose to be referred to hereafter. The hinge connecting the two back
sections to each other extends only about half their length, and above the hinge
the edges incline away from each other to form a gore 5 in order that when the edges
are secured together a curve will be formed corresponding substantially with
that at the junction of the neck and back of a person. The edges of the respective
sections which when united together form the shoulder-seams, the free vertical
edges of the two front sections, and also the opposing edges of the
all reinforced by having strips of
back sections above the hinge are
textile material (indicated by 6) secured to the respective sections by a suitable

page_text: adhesive. The said textile material will preferably be folded over the edges and
be secured to both faces of the cardboard, although in some cases it may be sufficient
to secure a strip of such material to one face only of the cardboard. The shoulder
edge of each back section is provided with a series of hooks 7, preferably three,
although there may be more or less, if preferred, and the free vertical edge of one
of the front sections is provided with a series of similar hooks, and a single hook
is secured to one of the edges of the gore 5 near its upper end. These hooks are
made alike and consist of a strip of metal bent to form a hook 8 at one end, which
is engaged in a slot in the cardboard and clamped against opposite faces of the
cardboard to securely hold the hook in position. The strip is then bent down-
wardly at a right angle in front of the edge of the cardboard to form a locking-
shoulder 9 and then again bent at a right angle to form a brace 10. The other
edge of the gore 5 is provided with a slot 11 to receive the hook 7, secured in the
opposing edge, and the vertical free edge of the other front section is provided
with a series of similar slots 11 to receive the hooks on the opposing edge. The
shoulder-edge of each front section is also provided with a series of slots indicated
by 11 and with another series of similar slots indicated by 11, arranged below
the series marked 11. This arrangement of slots permits the shoulder-seam to be
varied to make a square, sloping or medium shoulder, the slots 11 being for the
latter, while one of the end slots 11, and two of the slots 11ª will be used for the
sloping or square shoulder, respectively, the respective slots being connected by
dotted lines and marked "square" and "sloping."
A loop 12 is secured to one of the back sections and a similar loop to one of the
front sections adjacent to the back and front joints, respectively, and those loops
serve to suspend the hanger from a hook or other projection. Assuming the de-
vice to be in the folded position indicated in Fig. 4, it will first be opened out to
the position shown in Fig. 2, after which it will be turned over and the hooks in
the free edge of the front section caused to engage in the slots in the free edge of
the other front section. The shoulder edges will next be hooked together, after
which the two edges of the gore will be secured together by the engagement of the
hook and slot, and the device will then be in the position indicated in Fig. 1. and
a coat and vest can be hung upon it and will assume the same shape as when being
worn:
When the several edges are secured together by the engagement of the hooks
in the slots, the cardboard strips which are secured upon the inner face of the
several sections opposite to the hinges will tend to prevent sharp angles being for-
med by the edges of the respective sections which are hinged together. When
the hooks 7 are inserted in their respective slots, the locking-shoulders 9 will
engage one side of the slot and the brace 10 will engage the inner face of the
slotted section and prevent the hooks from being pulled out from the slot unless
the two sections are turned at an angle to each other, as will be readily under-
stood. This form of hook makes, therefore, a very secure locking device, but
one which can be very easily disengaged when necessary.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced an exceed-
ingly simple and efficient coat and vest hanger which will keep the garments in
proper shape when not being worn and which hanger can be quickly folded up
and when so folded will occupy but very little space and can therefore be con-
veniently stored away in a trunk or satchel or other convenient place.
In. will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor de-
tails of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or
sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. A hanger for coats and vests, comprising two front sections, and two back

page_text: sections, said sections being shaped substantially like the front and back sections
of a vest, the two back sections being hinged together and to the front sections,
whereby the sections are adapted to fold upon one another, and fastening devices
for connecting the free edges of the front sections and for connecting the ad-
jacent upper edges of the front and rear sections to hold the sections in operative
position, substantially as described.
2. A hanger for coats and vests, comprising two front and two back sections
shaped like the front and back sections of a vest, and hinged together at the sides
and back of the hanger, whereby the sections are adapted to fold upon one an-
other, the upper edges of the front sections and the free edge of
one of the front sections being provided with slots, and hooks mounted
on the free edge of the other front section and on the upper edges of the
back sections for engaging the slots to hold the sections in operative position,
substantially as described.
3. A. foldable hanger for coats and vests, comprising two front and two back
sections of flexible material, shaped substantially like the front and back sections of
a vest, the two back sections being hinged together at their opposing edges by a
strip of textile fabric extending substantially half way their length, said edges
above the hinge inclining away from each other to form a gore, and the front
sections being hinged to the respective back sections by strips of textile fabric and
the free edges of the front sections, the shoulder edges of adjacent front and rear
sections, and the opposite edges of the said gore being respectively provided with
devices to detachably lock them together, substantially as described.
4. A foldable hanger for coats and vests, comprising two back and two front
sections of flexible material shaped substantially like the front and back sections
of a vest, the two back sections being hinged together and to the front sections
by strips of textile fabric, and a strip of flexible material being secured at one
edge to one section at each hinge-joint and extending across said joint to loosely
engage the other section, and the free vertical edges of the front sections and the
shoulder edges of adjacent front and back sections being respectively reinforced by
strips of textile fabric and provided with devices to detachably lock them together,
substantially as described.
1 1
حيم
1000