Article hangers having an elongated body serving as a beam with depending end portions connected by a wire rod have been known and used for years. An example of this type of hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,784 issued Jan. 29, 1952 to Maccaferri. The rod is unsupported for almost its entire length since it is supported only at its ends. This materially limits the weight which can be supported from the rod unless the rod is relatively thick, a feature considered undesirable in article hangers from both the standpoint of cost and that of appearance. Further, the rod has to be inserted in the hanger mold or inserted from one end through a suitable opening in one of the hanger's dependent legs. Neither of these are satisfactory arrangements, particularly from the standpoint of manufacturing cost. The use of the heavy rod to avoid load deflection is also unsatisfactory from the point of weight.
Another problem has been development of a satisfactory article grip. Heretofore, these gripping or clamping devices have either gripped the articles with such force as to mark the articles or have not had adequate gripping force to dependably hold the articles, particularly, heavy articles against unwanted release, particularly under the effects of vibration, rough handling or the conditions normallY experienced in transport. Not only is providing an adequate grip important, it is also important to be able to mount and dismount the article clamp from the rod without having to detach the rod from the hanger body.