Anti-theft security chain

Claim 1

An anti-theft security chain exclusively for a standard garment rack fixture of the type usual to a retail store and the like, said anti-theft security chain being for use only with garments having sleeves, said rack fixture being of the type that includes a horizontally disposed bar on the upper portion thereof, a plurality of hangers each having a hook portion loosely and freely engaging the top bar of said rack fixture, garments mounted on said hangers, each of said garments including sleeves of hollow formation, a chain projecting through a sleeve of the garment and said chain having a portion that is freely wrapped and looped over the bar of said rack fixture and wherein the looped wrapped portion permits the chain to be moved along the horizontally disposed bar as well as permitting convenient removal of the chain from the bar, said chain comprising a plurality of interfitting, interconnected small links, said chain including a top link and a lower link, the top link of each chain having an enlarged formation thereby allowing the upper portion of the chain to be extended through the top link of the chain, the anti-theft security chain providing a choke effect on the bar so that the upper portion thereof can not be removed from the rack, a lock detachably connected to the lower link of said chain, a retainer connected to said lock, said retainer including an enlarged open ring member having a greater size than the diameter of the sleeve of the garment, said ring member being positioned contiguous to the lower outer end of said sleeve, said ring member having an open interior and said ring member having a loose free connectioN to said lock, the main portion of the chain hanging down by gravity due to the weight of the retainer, and wherein said anti-theft security chain permits a prospective purchaser to examine and handle the garment but preventing the garment from being removed from the rack fixture until the lock is manually unlocked, said chain having a length that is sufficiently large enough to permit the chain to be looped over the top bar, said chain being free of sharp edges so that damage to the garment will be prevented and wherein the links of the chain provide a smooth construction so that the links will not snag the garment lining, said retainer being sufficiently large enough so that it can not be pulled back through the sleeve, and wherein when a rack of clothes is being displayed the only garment that will show the anti-theft security chain is the end garment so that the overall appearance of the garments being displayed will not be spoiled, said ring member being of sufficient strength and weight so that it can not be compressed whereby unauthorized removal can be prevented, said anti-theft security chain being usable with the conventional garment rack fixture without requiring any alteration to the rack fixture, said anti-theft security chain being solely for use with garments and articles of clothing to be worn.