GB2211399A - Article supporting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An article supporting apparatus is described comprising a rigid frame 1 including a rectangular wooden frame 2 braced by a metal structure 3 formed by metal alloy tubes 4. Located at the outer ends 6 of each tube is a peg 7 with a rectangular projecting portion 8 located, when stowed, in correspondingly shaped rectangular recess 9 in the frame 2. Releasably mounted on the front of the frame 1 is a framed picture or mirror 10 so that when the pegs 7 are in their stowed position the article supporting apparatus serves the dual purpose of a decorative picture or mirror. <IMAGE>

Description

ARTICLE SUPPORTING APPARATUS This invention relates to an article supporting apparatus, more particularly but not exclusively for supporting articles of clothing.

Various types of clothes stands are known which support coats, hats and other articles such as umbrellas and walking sticks. However, these have the disadvantage that they take up a considerable amount of floor space in hallways and passages and are only fully utilised for short periods of the year, i.e. during inclement weather.

An aim of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and provide an improved article supporting apparatus which has a dual purpose < 1s a picture or mirror frame which incorporates the article supporting apparatus, the article supports being readily stowed in the frame when not in use.

According to the present invention, there is provided an -article supporting apparatus comprising a rigid frame and one or more article supporting means, wherein the supporting means is movable from a first in use position, where it projects from the frame, to a second position where it is stowed within the outer periphery of the rigid frame.

Preferably, the article supporting means are in the form of projecting pegs which are pivotably and slideably mounted in the rigid frame.

Conveniently, the apparatus is releasably fitted to the back of a rectangular picture or mirror frame.

A prt f'rred embodiment of the article snpportiii apparatus, according to the invention, will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the acconpanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an article supporting apparatus; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and; Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The article supporting apparatus comprises a rigid frame generally indicated at 1 including a wooden rectangular frame 2 braced by a metal structure 3. The metal structure is formed by alloy tubes 4, welded at their joints 5. The outer ends 6 of each tube are located in a drilled hole in the wooden frame 2 and receives an article supporting means in the form of a peg 7. The pegs 7 are made of a rigid material, such as a metal alloy rod with one end bent at right angles and embedded in a moulded plastics material having a rectangular cross-section forming a projecting portion 8.

The wooden frame 2 has a number of rectangular recesses 9 for housing the projecting portions 8.

Mounted on the front of the frame 1 is a picture or mirror 10 having a frame 11 which is secured to the wooden frame 2 by suitable releasable fixing means such as pins 12 located in holes 13 in the wooden frame 2.

With particular reference to Figures 3 and 4, the pegs 7 are slideably and pivotably mounted in the outer ends 6 of tubes 4. Figure 3 is an enlarged crosssection of one of the side pegs 7. The peg is slideably secured in the tube 4 by a grub-screw 14 which slides in a groove 15 so that by gripping the moulded rectangular portion and pulling it from its recess 9- and pivoting it forward, the grub-screw 14 engages the curved end of groove 15 supporting the peg in its projecting 'in use' position. To retract the peg, it is pivoted towards the frame 1 and slid into its tube 4 so that the portion 8 is stowed in its recess 9.

Similarly, Figure 4 shows an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of one of the bottom pegs 7. The shaft of the peg is slideably and pivotably mounted in the end 6 of a tube 4 and is held in its retracted position by a torsion spring 16 secured at one end to a pin 17, fixed to the tube, and at its other end to a pin 18 fixed to the peg 7. To locate the peg in its projected 'in use' position as shown in the chain dotted line, the wooden frame 2 has a rear recess 19 surrounding the frame, see Figure 2, facilitating the gripping of the rectangular portion 8, enabling it to be pulled down from its recess 9, against the action of the torsion spring 16, and to pivot it away from the frame 1 so that it projects forwards as shown in Figure 2. The peg is held in place by engaging the pin 18 in a curved end of a slot 20.

There are fourteen pegs shown in the illustrated embodinent, four at the top and four at the bottom of the frame 1 with three at each side. The rectangular portions 8 of the four top pegs are longer that the rectangular portions 8 of the four bottom pegs to facilitate the hanging up of the clothes on both the top and bottom pegs at the same time. Unlike the four bottom pegs, the four top pegs are freely located in their respective tubes 4 without any locking grub-screws or springs as they are held in position by gravity.

The side pegs are of different lengths with the middle peg projecting further from the side of the frame than the other two to allow for room to hang the different articles of clothing. The rectangular portions 8 of the side pegs are located at an acute angle so that they project slightly upwards to prevent the articles of clothing or other articles, such as walking sticks or umbrellas, from sliding from the peg.

Each peg may also be provided with one or more grooves 21 to form a gripping surface, for example, for a clothes hanger.

The rectangular portions 8 of each peg are idcaly of the same colour or of the same material as the frame 2 to blend with the edges of the frame when the pegs are in their stowed position.

The article supporting apparatus is secured to a vertical surface, e.g., a wall by screws located in holes 22 drilled in the frame 2. The frame must be securely fixed to the wall to bear the total weight of the clothes or other articles supported on the apparatus.

Various modifications can be made to the apparatus described, for example, the apparatus may have less that the fourteen pegs shown, such as two at either side of the frame 1. This construction will only require two tubular members 4 which would extend between the two side members of the rectangular wooden frame 2.

It will be obvious that other materials than those described in the preferred embodiment can be used for the various components of the apparatus provided they have the required rigidity.

Claims (9)

1. An article supporting apparatus comprising a rigid frame and one or more article supporting means, wherein the supporting means is movable from a first in use position, where it projects from the frame, to a second position where it is stowed within the outer periphery of the rigid frame.

2. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the article supporting means are in the form of projecting pegs which are pivotably and slideably mounted in the rigid frame.

3. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein it is releasably secured to the back of a rectangular picture or mirror frame.

4. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the projecting pegs are made from metal alloy rods with one end bent at right angles, the bent end being embedded in a moulding of plastics material having a rectangular cross-section.

5. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the article supporting means are spring loaded to the rigid frame to hold them in their first or second positions.

6. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein te rectangular moulded ends of the pegs are of different lengths.

7. An article supporting apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the rectangular moulded ends of the pegs have one or more grooves in their upper surface to provide a gripping surface for the article.

8. An article supporting apparatus as claimed i any preceding Claim, wherein the rigid frame is recessed to provide access to grip the article supporting means to retract them from their stowed position in the rigid frame.

9. An article supporting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.