The Invention of the Coat Hanger衣架的发明

Mary Bellis 张宁

Todays wire coat hanger was inspired by a clothes hook patented1 in 1869， but it wasnt until 1903 that Albert J. Parkhouse， an employee in Jackson， Michigan， created the device2 that we now know as the coat hanger in response to co-workers complaints of too few coat hooks. He bent a piece of wire into two ovals3 with the ends twisted together to form a hook. Parkhouse patented his invention， but it is not known if he profited4 from it.

In 1906， Meyer May， a mens clothier of Grand Rapids， Michigan， became the first retailer5 to display his wares on his wishbone-inspired6 hangers. Some of these original hangers can be seen at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Meyer May House in Grand Rapids.

Schuyler C. Hulett received a patent in 1932 for an improvement which included cardboard tubes screwed7 onto the upper and lower parts to prevent wrinkles8 in freshly washed clothes.

Three years later， Elmer D. Rogers created a hanger with a tube on the lower bar which is still used today.

Thomas Jefferson invented the early wooden coat hanger along with other inventions like the hideaway bed， the calendar clock， and the dumbwaiter9.

Todays Coat Hangers

Todays coat hangers are made of wood， wire， and plastic. Some are with fine materials such as satin10 for expensive clothes. The soft， plush11 padding12 helps protect clothes from shoulder dents13 that wire hangers may make. A caped hanger is an inexpensive wire clothing hanger covered in paper. They are most often used by dry cleaners to protect clothes after cleaning.

今天的金属丝衣架灵感来自于1869年的专利衣钩，但直到1903年，密歇根州杰克逊的一位公司雇员阿尔伯特·J·帕克豪斯，为了回应同事关于衣钩太少的抱怨，才发明了一种我们现在称之为衣架的装置。他把一根铁丝弯成两个椭圆形，两端拧在一起形成一个钩子。帕克豪斯为他的发明申请了专利，但我们不知道他是否从中获利。

1906年，密歇根州大急流城的一位男装零售商迈耶·梅，成为第一个将自己的商品陈列在以叉骨为灵感的衣架上的零售商。在大急流城内由弗兰克·劳埃德·赖特设计的迈耶·梅的房子里，可以看到一些这样的原始衣架。

1932年，舒尔勒·C·休利特获得了一项改进专利，该改进包括将硬纸板管拧在衣架的上下部分，以防止刚洗过的衣服出现皱纹。

三年后，埃尔默·D·罗杰斯发明了一种衣架，在衣架下面的杆子上装有一根管子，这种衣架至今仍在使用。

托马斯·杰斐逊则发明了早期的木制衣架，以及其他的发明，如隐藏式的床（内置在其他家具内、不用时可以收起來的床）、日历时钟和（楼层间运输食物和餐具的）升降机。

今天的衣架

如今的衣架是由木头、金属丝、塑料制成的。有些包有精细的材料，比如用来做昂贵衣服的缎子。柔软的毛绒垫料有助于避免金属线衣架可能造成的衣服肩部痕迹。包纸衣架是一种廉价的金属线衣架，上面包着纸。干洗店常用它们来保护清洗后的衣服。

（英语原文选自：www.thoughtco.com）

【Notes】

1. patent [     ] v. 取得……的专利权;授予专利

2. device [     ] n. 装置;设备

3. oval [    ] n. 椭圆形

4. profit [    ] vi. 获利;有益

5. retailer [    ] n. 零售商

6. wishbone [     ] n. 叉骨;如愿骨;Y字型的东西    wishbone-inspired 受叉骨激发灵感的

7. screw [    ] vt. 旋，拧

8. wrinkle [     ] n. 皱纹

9. dumbwaiter [    ] n. 升降机;餐桌旁的上菜架

10. satin [    ] n. 缎子

11. plush [      ] adj. 豪华的;长毛绒做的

12. padding [    ] n. 填料;垫料

13. dent [     ] n. 凹痕