Carrier and discharging system for hangers

Details Carrier and discharging system for hangers Carrier and discharging system for hangers

2000-02-09

2001-03-27

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Conveyors: power-driven

Conveyor section

Endless conveyor having means for suspending load

C198S465400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206178

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a carrier and an unloading system for clothes hangers which are intended to be transported from a first running conveyor to a second running conveyor. The present invention more particularly relates to such conveyors which are commonly used in, for example, laundries where the garments are hung up on clothes hangers at a hanging station and are then moved up to a main conveyor to which the clothes hangers with the garments are transferred for further transport and treatment. These garments are normally hung in a hanging station at a height adapted for a human being, and are thereafter transported up to a higher level for further transport.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A hanging station of the type described above is disclosed, for example, in European Patent No. 0,566,553. This hanging station, which can be regulated in height according to the height of the operator, comprises an endless chain having a number of carriers on which the clothes hangers are hung up automatically. These carriers are made in the form of a pin which is mounted in the conveyor chain and which has head or flange on the free end thereof. The hangers are usually fed automatically into the hanging station where they are hung up one by one on separate carriers, whereupon the garments are hung upon the empty hangers at a certain level. After hanging the garments on the hangers the conveyor, which has been stopped at the hanging station, is again started and moves the hanger with the garment, usually upwards to a main conveyor. To ensure that the hanger is transferred to the new conveyor, some transferring mechanism, for example in the form of a wedge, has been arranged which forces the hanger hook over the free end of the pin where the head of the flange is located, and from there the hanger falls down onto a new transport track.
The carriers according to the prior art as described above are rigidly anchored on the conveyor chain and the hanger hooks must, as mentioned above, be forced over the flange or the head to be removed. This means that both the hangers, and more particularly the supporting carrier, are subjected to very heavy wear. This is particularly the case with the flange or the head on the pin-shaped carrier. This may lead to the flange or head decreasing so much that they no longer safely prevent the hanger hook from unintentionally sliding over this hindrance and falling down. It is therefore necessary to repair or exchange these carriers from time to time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, this and other problems have been overcome by the discovery of apparatus for carrying and unloading hangers from a first movable conveyor to a second movable conveyor comprising a carrier mounted with respect to the first movable conveyor, whereby a hanger hook can be mounted on the carrier, the carrier comprising a disc having a normally upper surface eccentrically and swingably mounted with respect to the first movable conveyor, the normally upper surface of the disc including a groove for the hanger hook, and a wedge mounted adjacent to the first movable conveyor, whereby when the carrier passes adjacent to the wedge the carrier is caused to swing upwardly displacing the normally upper surface of the disc downwardly and causing the hanger hook to fall out of the groove so that it can be transferred to the second movable conveyor. Preferably the groove comprises an arc-shaped groove.
In accordance with one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, the disc comprises a first disc and the carrier includes a second disc joined to the first disc, the second disc being larger than the first disc and being suspended from the first movable conveyor and the first disc including the groove for the hanger hook. In a preferred embodiment, the first movable conveyor comprises a conveyor chain, and the second disc is suspended from the conveyor chain.
In order to solve the above problems, a carrier and unloading system for clothes hangers has been invented, which is intended to be transported hanging in the hanger hook from the first running conveyor and to be transferred to a second running conveyor, in which system the carrier on which the hanger hook is intended to hang in the first conveyor consists of a preferably circular disc which is eccentrically and swingably suspended from the conveyor in a plane parallel with the conveyor band (chain) and which on its upper side is provided with an arc-shaped groove for the hanger hook, and an unloading wedge arranged close to the track which, when the carrier passes it, swings the carrier up so that the hanger falls out of the groove.
According to the present invention, it is suitable that the carrier disc consists of two joined discs of different size wherein the larger one is swingably suspended in the transport band (chain) and the smaller one is provided with the groove for the hanger hook.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1998109 (1935-04-01), Walter, Jr.
patent: 4907699 (1990-03-01), Butcher et al.
patent: 5975279 (1999-11-01), Blattner et al.
patent: 0 566 553 B1 (1993-10-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Carrier and discharging system for hangers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Carrier and discharging system for hangers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Carrier and discharging system for hangers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2482314