Basket Hanger
OwnerBrad Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A basket hanger a method of forming a hook for the basket hanger and a method of attaching the basket hanger to a basket. The basket hanger having a hook with a plurality of steel wires strands attached at a proximal end to the hook, the steel wire strands having a substantially straight downwardly extending portion terminated at a distal end in a clip with an upwardly extending leg, the upwardly extending leg canted to one side and having a dogleg. The steel wire strands may be spring steel.
Claims20
A basket hanger, comprising:
- a hook;
- a plurality of steel wire strands attached at a proximal end to the hook, each of the strands having a substantially straight downwardly extending portion terminating at a distal end in a clip, the clip comprising an approximate 180 degree upward bend forming an upwardly extending leg, an end portion of the upwardly extending leg bent outwardly at an angle θ forming a short dogleg, the upwardly extending leg canted at an angle α to one side of the substantially straight downwardly extending portion
- wherein the angle θ is about 5 degrees to 90 degrees and wherein the angle α is about 1 degree to about 90 degrees.
A method of forming a hook for a plant hanger, comprising:
- inserting a plurality of steel wire strands into a tubular member, the tubular member having a longitudinal axis, a length, a first end and a second end, the plurality of steel wires extending into the tubular member a distance of approximately ¾ of the length;
- simultaneously crimping the tubular member in a longitudinal direction between the first and second ends, crimping the tubular member in a transverse direction proximate the second end, and bending the tubular member between said first and second ends into a hook shape.
A method of securing a hanger to a basket, the hanger comprising a hook and a plurality of steel wire strands attached at a proximal end to the hook, the steel wire strands having a substantially straight downwardly extending portion terminating at a distal end in a clip, the clip comprising an approximate 180 degree upward bend forming an upwardly extending leg, an end portion of the upwardly extending leg bent outwardly at angle θforming a short dogleg, the upwardly extending leg canted to one side at an angle α to the substantially straight downwardly extending portion and the dogleg offset further to the canted side at an angle β from the substantially straight downwardly extending portion, wherein the angle θ is about 5 degrees to 90 degrees and wherein the angle α is about 1 degree to about 90 degrees and wherein the angle β is about 5 degrees to 90 degrees;
- the method comprising:
- (a) orienting the clip of one of the plurality of steel wire strands toward a center of the basket and inserting the upwardly extending leg portion of the clip through a hole in a flange of the basket;
- (b) pulling the upwardly extending leg portion extending through the hole in the flange of the basket toward a side away from the canted side and away from the center of the basket until the dogleg is on a back side of the downwardly extending substantially straight portion of the strand;
- (c) releasing the upwardly extending leg portion such that the dogleg partially wraps around said downwardly extending substantially straight portion of the strand;
- d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for each of the plurality of strands.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.