GARMENT-SUPPORTER

No. 771,719.

Patented October 4, 1904.

To all whom U may concern:

Be it known that I, James C. Copeland, a citizen of the United States, residing- at Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of 5 Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Garment - Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment-supporters particularly adapted for use in connection

vo with light articles of wearing-apparel; and

the primary object of the same is to provide

a cheap and simple device of this character

including an organization of elements which

• are readily operative to firmly engage a por

J 5 tion of a garment or other devices—such as a napkin, towel, or cloth—and capable of being readily and economically manufactured. A further object of the invention is to provide a garment-supporter of a clasp-like na

20 ture devoid of projections to catch or hang in articles to which it is applied and especially free of projections that may be of an injurious nature to the person of the wearer, and also to so construct the supporter that the

25 main clasping member thereof will be given a spring action without the use of a -separate spring.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construc

3° tion and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter set forth. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved supporter shown open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the supporter

35 shown open and illustrating a piece of cloth or a portion of a garment in connection therewith in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the supporter shown

. in locked condition and engaging a portion of

4° a garment or piece of fabric. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the supporter shown in locked condition. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the supporter in locked condition. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a spring-frame

45 forming part of the supporter.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a U-shaped springwire frame, the cross, member 2 at one end 50 forming a clamping-bar. The side members 3 are bent at intermediate points to form legs 4, having inturned terminals 5 and intermediate stop-bends 6, one in each leg. A hanger 7, having an elongated loop construction, is 55 secured to the bends 8, formed in the side members 3 of the frame 1 to produce the legs 4, and a simple mode of securement consists in providing the hanger with a lower tubular extension 9, against the ends of which the 60 bends 8 are applied, and inserting a wire fastening 10 through said tubular extension and turning the ends thereof .upwardly over the bends 8, as at 11. By attaching the hanger 7 in the manner explained it is permitted to 65 have movement or pivotal action in relation to the frame 1, and, furthermore, by having the bends 8 of the frame solely secured to the hanger the resilient action of said frame is unimpaired and the opening therethrough is 70 unobstructed for the application thereto and operation of parts which will now be described.

The inturned terminals 5 of the legs 4 project through or engage fulcrum barrels or. rolls 12, formed at the opposite sides at the 75 rear of a clamping member or plate 13, which is freely movable through the frame and projects below the clamping-bar 2 when in locking position. Projecting upwardly from the center of the clamping member or plate 13 is 80 a shank or reduced extension 14, having a transversely-extending indentation or seat 15 near its upper end to receive a verticallymovable slide 16, having the terminals thereof bent around the legs 4. This slide 16 prefer- 85 ably consists of a strip of flat sheet metal, which is limited in its downward movement by the bends or stop projections 6 of the legs 4. Above the stop projections or bends 6 the slide is free to be moved to clear the. upper 90 'end of the shank or extension 14, and a part of the latter projects above the seat 15 to provide a finger-engaging terminal 17.

In securing the supporter to the garment S or piece of fabric the clamping-bar 2 and adjacent portion of the frame are applied against one side of the fabric or garment and the clamping member is turned over and downwardly against the opposite side of the latter,

10 thereby forcing the fabric or portion of the garment through the lower part of the frame and rearwarclly against the clamping-bar 2. The shank or extension 14 of the clamping member 13 will then be in vertical position,

15 and the slide 16 is drawn downwardly and caused to engage the seat 15, the upper terminal of the shank or extension being pressed inwardly to permit the slide to pass it. After the slide 16 engages the seat 15 accidental

20 separation of the shank or extension and slide willbe prevented, and the clamping member or plate 13 will be held in positive locked position. The stop projections 6 of the legs 4 and the seat 15 of the shank or extension 14

25 are arranged in such position in relation to each other when the said shank or extension is turned in between the legs that the terminals of the slide 16 will bear on the stop projections 6 when said slide is in the seat 15.

3° When the clamping member or plate 13 is pushed through the frame and is brought in close relation to the clamping-bar 2, the legs 4 are forced toward the side members 3 of the frame, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. In

35 releasing the supporter the slide 16 is disengaged from the seat 15 by pressing inwardly on the upper finger-engaging terminal IT of .— the shank or extension 14, and the resiliency of the legs 4 causes the clamping member or

4° plate 13 to be thrown outwardly and to assume a reverse position (shown by Figs. 1 and 2) or with the extension downward. This will be the normal condition of the supporter, and thereby the clamping member or plate 13

45 will always be in position for ready application.

The improved supporter may be made in different sizes; but the dimensions and proportions of ordinary devices of this class will

5° be adopted.

From the foregoing explanation it will be seen that the several parts may be readily assembled and, further, that the use of an independent spring for imparting an automatic

55 releasing movement to the clamping member or plate is avoided. The use of solder is also absent in the construction and assemblage of the several parts, and aside from the hanger 7 the supporter consists exclusively of three

60 main elements—namely, the resilient frame, the clamping member, pivotally supported by a part of the frame or the legs 4 and movable through the remaining portion of said

frame, and the slide. Ifc will also be understood that the parts of the supporter may be 65 ornamented by plating or other embellishment.

It will be understood that the improved supporter herein set forth is adapted to be used wherever it may be found applicable; 70 but a particularly advantageous use of the same is as a hose or stocking supporter.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is—

1. A supporter having a resilient wire 75 frame bent to form a lower clamping-bar and legs, a clamping member pivotally held by the legs and movable through the frame, and

a slide on the legs to engage a portion of the clamping member. 80

2. A supporter having a resilient wire frame with a lower clamping-bar and legs, the latter projecting over the frame, a clamping member pivotally carried by said legs and having an extension with a seat therein, and 85 a slide movable, on the legs and adapted to engage the said seat.

3. A supporter having a resilient wire frame with a lower clamping-bar and legs,

a clamping member pivotally held by the ter- 90 minals of the legs adjacent to the clampingbar and movable through the frame, a device movable on the legs to engage a portion of theclamping membertohold the latter locked, and a hanger attached to the upper portion of 95 the frame.

4. A supporter- having a resilient wire frame bent to form legs, a clamping member pivotally held by the terminals of the legs and movable through the frame, the lower part of 100 the frame having a. clamping-bar ^ and a device movable on the legs to engage a portion

of the clamping member to hold the latter locked.

5. A supporter having a frame with a lower 105 clamping-bar, resilient legs which are- normally projected outwardly therefrom and downwardly thereover to points near the clamping-bar, a clamping member pivotally held by the legs and movable through the no frame, and a device movable on the legs to engage a portion of the clamping member to hold the latter in locked position.

6. In a supporter, a frame haying resilient legs with intermediate projecting stops, a 115 clamping member pivotally carried by the legs, and a slide movable on the legs and adapted to engage a portion of the clamping member, the slide being limited in its movement by the said stop projections. 120

7. In a supporter, a frame having legs with projecting stop devices, a clamping member pivotally carried by the said legs and provided with an extension with a seat therein, the clamping member and its extension 125 being movable through the frame, and a slide

movably mounted on the legs and adapted to engage the said seat, the slide being limited in its downward movement by the said stop projections.

8. In a supporter, a resilient .frame having upper bends, a clamping member carried by the frame, a hanger having a tubular extension against which the said bends are applied, and a fastening passed through the said

bends and tubular extension and terminally secured over the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

John L. Fletcher,
Wilfred E. Lawson.