Elastic loop-type hook fastening device

The combination of a hook, which is part of and which comprises suspension means for a garment hanger, and a flexible and elastically elongatable effectively closed loop, wherein the hook and the loop are assembled and arranged in a hereinafter described relative position with respect to each other to fasten the hook to a linear member with the hook being hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, wherein the assembled and arranged relative position of the hook and the loop with respect to each other is that in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member, the hook passes through one end of the loop opening at a first substantially inwardly inclined location on the hook which is on one side of the position occupied by the linear member, the loop extends therefrom to a location underneath the position occupied by the linear member, and the hook passes through the other end of the loop opening at a second substantially inwardly inclined location on the hook which is on the other side of the position occupied by the linear member, wherein the hook is of such size and shape with respect to the diameter or thickness of the linear member to which it is being fastened that the linear member is comparatively thin with respect to the size and shape of the hook to such degree that the loop can be installed on the hook at substantially inwardly inclined locations on the hook which are on each side of the position occupied by the linear member, wherein the size, the flexibility and the range of effective and useful elastic extensibility and contractibility of the loop is such as to permit installation of the loop to such position and also to confiningly grasp the hook and the linear member in such position within such range, and wherein the loop is so constructed that it functions to permit its installation to such position and to confiningly grasp the hook and the linear member in such position primarily by the elastic extension and contraction of the loop.

A connecting device for connecting an object to a generally linear member, said device comprising the combination of a hook and a flexible and elastically elongatable effectively closed loop as assembled and arranged in a hereinafter described relative position with respect to each other to fasten the hook to the linear member with the hook being hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, wherein there is means for attaching the object, at least indirectly and at least temporarily, to the hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, wherein the assembled and arranged relative position of the hook and the loop with respect to each other is one in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member, the hook passes through the loop at a first substantially inwardly inclined location on the hook which is on one side of the position occupied by the linear member and the strip of material of which the loop is made and comprised substantially and effectively lies on a path which extends from said location where the hook passes through the loop to a location under the position occupied by the linear member, thence to one side of and over and around the outside of and around to the other side of the hook at a second substantially inwardly inclined location on the hook which is on the other side of the position occupied by the linear member, thence under the position occupied by the linear member again and, finally, rejoined on the hook on the first mentioned side of the position occupied by the linear member, wherein the hook is of such size and shape with respect to the diameter or thickness of the linear member to which it is being fastened that the linear member is comparatively thin with respect to the size and shape of the hook to such degree that the loop can be installed on the hook at substantially inwardly inclined locations on the hook which are on each side of the position occupied by the linear member, wherein the size, the flexibility, and the range of effective and useful elastic extensibility and contractibility of the loop is such as to permit installation of the loop to such position and also to confiningly grasp the hook and the linear member in such position within such range, and wherein the loop is so constructed that it functions to permit its installation to such position and to confiningly grasp the hook and the linear member in such position primarily by the elastic extension and contraction of the loop, whereby, with the object attached to the hook and the hook fastened to the linear member by the loop, the object is connected to the linear member by the connecting device.

A connecting device for connecting an object to a generally linear member, said device comprising the combination of a hook and a flexible and elastically elongatable effectively closed loop as assembled and arranged in a hereinafter described relative position with respect to each other to connect and retain the hook to the linear member with the hook being hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, wherein there is means for attaching the object, at least indirectly and at least temporarily, to the hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, wherein the assembled and arranged relative position of the hook and the loop with respect to each other is one in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member, the hook passes through one end of the loop opening at a first location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member, and the strip of material of which the loop is made and comprised substantially and effectively lies on a path which extends from said first outboard location on the hook, extending past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, to a second location on the hook which is inboard of the position occupied by the linear member with both strips of loop material, which extend from said first outboard location on the hook, passing to one side of and over and around the outside of and around to the other side of the hook at said inboard location on the hook, thence the loop said path extends therefrom, extending past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, to a location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member and so that the hook passes through the other end of the loop opening at that last mentioned outboard location on the hook, generally near to the first mentioned outboard location on the hook, wherein the size, the flexibility, and the range of effective and useful elastic extensibility and contractibility of the loop is such as to permit installation of the loop to such position and also to confiningly grasp the hook in such position, and wherein the loop is so constructed that it functions to permit such installation and to so grasp the hook primarily by the elastic extension and contraction of the loop, whereby, with the object attached to the hook and with the hook hooked to and retained to the linear member by the loop, the object is connected to the linear member by the connecting device.

A method for fastening a hook to a comparatively thin linear member comprising the steps of putting the hook on the linear member so that the hook is hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, positioning a flexible and elastically elongatable effectively closed loop on the hook such that the hook passes once through the loop at a first location on the hook at which the outer surface of the hook is substantially inwardly inclined and which is on one side of the position occupied by the linear member when the hook is hooked to the linear member and, after the preceding two steps have been accomplished in an appropriate order, essentially pulling one section of the loop to stretch the loop and also moving said section of the loop so as to install the loop in a fastening position with respect to the hook and the linear member such that the strip of material of which the loop is made and comprised substantially and effectively lies on a path which extends from said first substantially inwardly inclined location on the hook to a location under the linear member, thence around the outside of the hook at a second location on the hook at which the outer surface of the hook is substantially inwardly inclined and which is on the other side of the position occupied by the linear member, thence to a location under the linear member again and, finally, rejoined on the hook on the first mentioned side of the position occupied by the linear member, wherein the comparative relationship of the hook being fastened to a comparatively thin linear member means that the hook is of such size and shape with respect to the diameter or thickness of the linear member that the linear member is comparatively thin with respect to the size and shape of the hook to such degree that the loop is permitted to be installed on the hook at substantially inwardly inclined locations on the hook which are on each side of the position occupied by the linear member, whereby the method results in the hook being positively and forcefully fastened to the linear member by the loop.

A method for connecting and retaining a hook to a linear member comprising the steps of putting the hook on the linear member so that the hook is hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, positioning a flexible and elastically elongatable effectively closed loop on the hook such that the hook passes once through one end of the opening of the loop at a first location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member when the hook is hooked to the linear member and, after the preceding two steps have been accomplished in an appropriate order, essentially pulling one section of the loop to stretch the loop and also moving said section of the loop so that the loop is extended from said outboard location on the hook, past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, to a second location on the hook which is inboard of the position occupied by the linear member with both strips of loop material passing to one side of the hook at that inboard location on the hook, thence moving said pulled and moved section of the loop so that both strips of loop material wrap around the outside of and around the other side of the hook at said inboard location on the hook and extend therefrom, past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, toward the section of the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member, and further, moving said section of the loop so that the loop passes on the end of the hook with the end of the hook passing through the other end of the opening of the loop, and releasing said section of the loop on the outboard section of the hook.

A method for providing means for avoiding entanglement of a loop in a hook and a linear member when removing the loop from a hereinafter described position of connecting and retaining the hook to the linear member, said position of connecting and retaining the hook being that in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, the hook passes through one end of the loop opening at a first location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member, and the loop substantially and effectively lies on a path which extends from said first outboard location on the hook, extending past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, to a second location on the hook which is inboard of the position occupied by the linear member with both strips of loop material, which extend from said first outboard location on the hook, passing to one side of and over and around the outside of and around to the other side of the hook at said inboard location on the hook, thence the loop path extends therefrom, extending past a position occupied by the undersurface of the linear member, to a final location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the linear member and so that the hook passes through the other end of the loop opening at said final outboard location on the hook, said final outboard location on the hook generally being near to said first outboard location on the hook, the method in this claim comprising only the step of providing the loop with a graspable manipulatable appendage which is connected to one section of the loop, said section of the loop being that section at the end of the loop opening which is last placed on an outboard location on the hook during installation of the loop in its connecting and retaining position, whereby said section of the loop is provided with ready removal means which positively identifies said last-placed end of the loop opening to ensure that that section of the loop and end of the loop opening can be removed first from the end of the hook during removal of the loop from its connecting and retaining position and thereby avoid entanglement of the loop in the hook and the linear member.