US2866559A - Adjustable rack - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, 1958 l. BYRNE 2,8

ADJUSTABLE RACK Filed June 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Irma B yrne MMJW - ATTORNEY Dec. 30, 1958 BYRNE ADJUSTABLE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1955 Irma Mia; KW

ATTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTABLE RACK 'Irnia Byrne, De Bary, Fla.

Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,477

4 Claims. Cl. 211-35) This invention relates to racks for supporting articles of various types in convenient placeson the wall or a closet door.

Many different kinds of wall racks for storing articles have been used in the past, but none have been found to have the adjustability and versatility coupled with the simplicity of the present invention.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple, readily adjustable wall rack, which is adaptable for holding articles ranging in size from a large shoe down to a collar button.

Another object is to make a simple, adjustable and easily assembled shoe rack comprising a stiff sheet with horizontal rows of spaced vertical slits and a ribbon of flexible material threaded through each row of slits to form loops on the front of the sheet for holding shoes, the ends of the ribbons being tied together in the back of the sheet.

Another object is to adapt the above defined construction to articles'of different sizes and types as may be required, by proper spacing of the slits, varying the width and type of the ribbon, and the corresponding dimensions of the slits to accommodate the ribbon.

Another object is to use a ribbon in the abovementioned construction provided with pucker strings along both sides so that pockets may be formed from any one or more of the ribbon loops by drawing the corresponding portions of the lower pucker string taut across the space between the corresponding slits to close the lower edge of the ribbon against the sheet forming the bottom of the pocket.

Another object is to tack adjacent loops of ribbon together to prevent possible shifting of the empty loops when articles are hung in the adjacent loops.

Another object is to use a ribbon material which is more flexible in its axial direction than crosswise.

Another object is to make the width of the slits substantially the same as the ribbon thickness so as to provide sufiicient friction between the ribbon and the slits to prevent the ribbon from accidentally shifting after the loops are properly adjusted for size.

Other and more specific objects will appear in the following detailed description of some forms that the present invention might take for purposes of illustration, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a shoe rack for six pairs of shoes, with convenient means for fastening it to a wall or door,

Fig. 2 shows the back of the rack and the ends of the ribbons with tie strips attached to them,

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a portion of the stiff sheet with one row of slits,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a rack using ribbon with pucker strings, showing how pockets may be formed from some of the loops,

Fig. 7 shows the back of the rack using the pucker strings extending from the ends of the ribbon to form the tie between the ends,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 illustrates the use of another type of ribbon which is stiffer in a crosswise direction and is held in slots of substantially the same width as its thickness, whereby to prevent accidental slippage of the ribbon loops without requiring tacking between loops, and Fig. 10 shows the detail structure and weave of the ribbon which may be decorative as well as useful.

The present invention contemplates the making of standard kits of sheets with the required ribbons with instructions for easy assembly to suit the requirements of the user. Several different sizes of sheets and arrangement and size of slits may be made for different requirements. The sheets and ribbons may be made in matching pastel colors and of decorative materials.

The sheets and ribbons may be sold separately so that the customer may choose his own combinations of mate-- rials and colors to suit his own tastes or color schemes. Obviously, for shoes, a wide band or ribbon is more suitable in order to provide a shield for protection of any clothes that might be hung adjacently to the rack, as' in a clothes closet when the rack is hung on the door which closes against some of the hanging clothes. On the other hand, for tools, .a narrow ribbon is usually more convenient. For some purposes an elastic ribbon might be preferable.

The present invention is adaptable to all requirements and a few different standard forms of sheets with a relatively few different standard forms of ribbon will provide a suflicient number of different suitable and decorative combinations to meet the requirements of a wide range of hanger uses, whether it be in the closet, the kitchen, the workshop, garage, store, office, laboratory, or just a display room.

By way of illustration of the simplicity and versatility of the rack made in accordance with the present invention, a six-pair shoe rack is shown in Fig. l comprising the stiff sheet material 10, having three horizontal rows of eight vertical slits 11 each, spaced as shown, with a ribbon 12 threaded through each row of slits to form loops 13 and having its ends tied in the back of the rack as shown in Fig. 2, by a pair of strips 14 fixed to the ends of the ribbon at the corners 14'. v g

In order to adjust the adjacent pairs of loops in accordance with the size of the shoes, the adjacent loops of the pairs may be tacked together as at 15 by a couple of stitches or staples to prevent accidental slippage of loops when one of the pairs of shoes is hung up and the other loops are vacant. The fixing of the loops may not be necessary if the ribbon material and the width; of the slits is'substantially the same, and sufficient friction is maintained therebetween after assembly and adjustment to prevent such slippage.

The ribbon material illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 is particularly adaptable for the above purpose, as well as being decorative. This ribbon 16 is made of reed material 17 which is comparatively stiff, with bands of colored thread 18, woven alternately over and under the reeds, thus providing good flexibility axially of the ribbon. The ribbon is bound around the edges with a flexible strip material 19, the side strips 20 being extended be yond the ends of the ribbon to form the tie pieces. This ribbon may be made to fit snugly in the slits, so as to provide sufiicient friction to prevent slipping of the loops to which it may be adjusted upon assembly.

This type of ribbon is adaptable for use without tie strips, since the binding strip material 19 may be made with a weakened centerline so that any individual reed may be readily pushed through the binding to form a stiff projection 30 from the edge of the ribbon, and two such projections on opposite edges of the ribbon could form stops back of the slits to prevent slippage of the ribbon after adjustment of the loops. This method of fixing the'lo'ops obviates'the'need for'the tie strips and tacking means: To'facilitate thismetli'od, the reed at one. end of eachribbon may be made longer thanfthe rest, sofas to project from both edges and format readymad'e stop for the trailing endof the ribbon as it is threaded th'rongh the row of slits. The other stops may then be formed as described'aboveafter properadjustment of the desired loops.

The pueker type of ribbon121 and its uses are illustrated'in Figs. 6to 8. Thepucker strings 22" are passed. through" casings 23 formed along the sides of the ribbon, and ext'c'ndout of the ends of the ribbon sufficiently to form the ties 24 at the back of the rack as shown in Fig'. 7. The lower string may be drawn tight between slits asshown at 25 to pucker up the lower edge of the 'ribbon snugly against the surface of the sheet 10 and thus form a pocket 26 with a wide opening at the top, or the uppper string may also be drawn slightly to partiallypucker up the-upper edge of the ribbon and make the opening, at the top of the pocket more or less restricted, allowing the middle of the ribbon to flare outwardly to form a bulging pocket 27 if desired. After proper adjustment of the strings they may be tacked or stapled on theback of the sheet between slits to prevent slippage.

These puckerstrings may be made elastic if required or more suitable for some purposes.

The ribbons themselves may be made of elastic material when such is preferred.

By a suitable choice of colors in these materials, many attractive combinations of useful and convenient racks.

with each standard set or kit for assembly and mounting.

by the purchaser, or may be sold separately, providing a choice of different types of mountings.

Many obvious modifications in form and construction of the parts, not shown, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A make-it-yourself wall rack for holding articles comprising a stiff sheet having rows of vertical slits spaced horizontally therein, a flexed ribbon of suitable length adapted to be threaded through each row of slits,

so as to form loops on the front of said sheet between each pair of adjacent slits, the ends of said ribbon having means for tying together in the back of said sheet after adjustment of the ribbon between all the pairs of slits in the row to form loops of the desired size, said ribbon being made of comparatively stiff reeds crosswise of the ribbon with bands of colored threads woven alternately over and under adjacent reeds, said ribbon being bound around the edges by strips of flexible material with the ends of the side strips extendedbeyond the ends of the ribbon to form ties at the backof the rack.

2. A make-it-yourself wall rack for holding articles comprising a stiff sheet having rows of vertical slits spaced horizontally therein, a'flexed ribbon of suitable length. adapted to-be threaded through each row of slits, so as to form loops on the front of said sheet be tween each pair of adjacent slits, the ends of said ribbon having means for tying together in the back of said sheet after adjustment of the ribbon between all the pairs of slits in the row to form loops of the desired size, said ribbon having a pucker string passed through headings formed in eachside of the ribbon and extending beyond the ends of the ribbon to form the ties, one or more of said loops being formed into a pocket by drawing. up the lowerpucker string taut acrossthe space betweenwthe slits to bring the lower puckered up edge of said loop tight against the front of said sheet, said string being stapled to the backof the sheet between slits'to keep it taut.-

3. A rack as. defined in claim 2, the upper edge of one or more of said pockets being partly puckered up by drawingthe upper-string to restrict the opening in the top of the pocket and provide a-bulging pocket.

4. A wall rack for holding articles comprising'a stiff sheet having. rows. of vertical slits spaced horizontally therein,. an axially flexible ribbon threaded thru each row of slits -to formarticle holding loops onthe front of.

said sheet and made of comparatively stiff reeds cross-- wise of .said ribbon substantially the length of said slits with bands of threads woven alternately over andunder adjacent reeds, said ribbon being bound around the edges with readily puncturable strips of flexible material, said loops beingheld in any adjustedposition by at least two adjacent needs which may be partially pushed through opposite edge bindings at the back of the sheet after adjustment of the loopsto prevent slippage of the ribbon through said slits.

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