Claims
- 1. A hanger for use in conveyor systems for transporting units of limp material from work station to work station, said hanger comprising:
- a carrier portion;
- a carrier body having an opening formed therein, said opening having a first and second end;
- a carrier shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end of said shaft having at least one transversely fixed and laterally extending projection, said carrier body being rotatably mounted on said carrier shaft such that said opening in said carrier body rotatably receives said carrier shaft with one of said carrier body first and second ends being oriented adjacently to the at least one transversely fixed projection,
- a support portion fixed to said carrier portion and having means for attaching said carrier shaft second end thereto;
- at least two diametrically opposed slots formed in the carrier body adjacent at least one of said first and second ends of said carrier body opening said at least two diametrically opposed slots cooperating respectively with said at least one transversely fixed projection on said carrier shaft to prevent rotation of said carrier body when said at least two slots engage said at least one transversely fixed projection;
- said carrier body further including gripping means for carrying work material; and
- biasing means mounted on said carrier shaft for urging said at least two slots to engage said at least one transversely fixed projection such that the orientation of said gripping means can be changed by moving said carrier body against the bias of said biasing means and rotating it through to another selected orientation.
- 2. A hanger as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said biasing means being a helical spring coaxially oriented about said carrier shaft and having a first end contacting said carrier body and having a second end abutting a pin transversely extending through said carrier shaft;
- said carrier shaft having a cylindrical outer surface, and said opening in said carrier body being circular in transverse cross-section and having a diameter slightly greater in size than that of said carrier shaft to thereby receive the cylindrical outer surface of the carrier shaft and to allow for relative rotation to occur therebetween.
- 3. A hanger at defined in claim 1 wherein said two diametrically opposed slots are formed adjacent both said first and second ends of said carrier body opening;
- said carrier body being shaped as a truncated pyramid, and having opposite portions extending laterally outwardly from a base portion of said pyramidal shape for supporting said gripping means, said carrier body being capable of being variably positioned on the carrier shaft such that said carrier body opposite portions may either be oriented downwardly or may be inverted such that the carrier body opposite portions are oriented upwardly,
- and wherein said gripping means are detachable from said carrier body so as to be reattached to said carrier body in an upright position after said carrier body is inverted.
- 4. A hanger as defined in claim 3 wherein said carrier body opposite portions are two oppositely extending arms each including a through opening extending parallel with said carrier portion and being circular in transverse cross-section;
- said gripping means including at least two cylindrical support shafts each respectively supporting each of at least two gripping assemblies;
- each of said circular openings in the respective ones of said oppositely extending arms receiving in rotational engagement therewith a respective one of said support shafts.
- 5. A hanger as defined in claim 4 wherein each said two gripping assemblies includes:
- a body,
- a substantially straight pin having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, said pin being fixed to said body at said first end and beyond said first end extending to said second end,
- a gripping element mounted on said pin for movement relative to said pin at least axially along said longitudinal pin axis,
- said gripping element having an external gripping surface,
- said body having a gripping surface fixed relative to said body and cooperable with said gripping surface of said gripping element to grip a unit of limp material between said gripping element and said body,
- biasing means urging said gripping element downwardly along said longitudinal pin axis toward said gripping surface of said body,
- said body having a flange extending generally outwardly from the remainder of said body and located near said first end of said pin, and
- said gripping element having a flange extending generally outwardly from the remainder thereof,
- said body flange and said gripping element flange being simultaneously engagable with and manipulatable by the thumb and fingers of an operator's hand to move said gripping element along said longitudinal pin axis against the force of said biasing means away from said gripping surface of said body.
- 6. A hanger as defined in claim 3 wherein said carrier body opposite portions are two oppositely extending arms each including a through opening extending parallel with said carrier portion;
- said gripping means including at least two support shafts each respectively supporting a gripping assembly;
- each of said through opening in the respective ones of said oppositely extending arms of carrier body receiving in supporting engagement therewith a respective one of said support shafts.
- 7. A hanger as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said two gripping assemblies includes:
- a body,
- a substantially straight pin having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, said pin being fixed to said body at said first end and beyond said first end extending to said second end,
- a gripping element mounted on said pin for movement relative to said pin at least axially along said longitudinal pin axis,
- said gripping element having an external gripping surface,
- said body having a gripping surface fixed relative to said body and cooperable with said gripping surface of said gripping element to grip a unit of limp material between said gripping element and said body,
- biasing means urging said gripping element downwardly along said longitudinal pin axis toward said gripping surface of said body,
- said body having a flange extending generally outwardly from the remainder of said body and located near said first end of said pin, and
- said gripping element having a flange extending generally outwardly from the remainder thereof,
- said body flange and said gripping element flange being simultaneously engagable with and manipulatable by the thumb and fingers of an operator's hand to move said gripping element along said longitudinal pin axis against the force of said biasing means away from said gripping surface of said body.
- 8. A hanger defined in claim 7 further characterized by said external gripping surfaces of each of said gripping elements including a plurality of circular ribs oriented concentrically about each pin longitudinal axis and further including at least one circular retaining ring oriented concentrically with the longitudinal axis of said pin.
- 9. A hanger as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said gripping assembly biasing means are helical spring members oriented coaxially around said substantially straight pins,
- an each of said helical springs having a first end and a second end, said first end engaging said body flange bottom surface and said spring second end engaging said gripping element flange top surface thereby biasing each of said gripping elements toward each of the planar fixed gripping surface.
- 10. A hanger as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said external gripping surfaces are generally conical.
- 11. A hanger as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said at least one retaining ring is formed from a non-marring elastic material.
- 12. A hanger for use in conveyor systems for transporting units of limp material from work station to work station, said hanger comprising;
- a carrier portion;
- a carrier body having an opening formed therein, said opening having a first and a second end;
- a carrier shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end of said shaft having orienting means, said opening in said carrier body receiving said carrier shaft and having one of said first and second ends oriented adjacently to the orienting means on said shaft,
- means for attaching said carrier shaft second end to said carrier portion;
- gripping means positioned on said carrier body for holding limp material;
- positioning means formed on the carrier body adjacent both of said first and second ends of said carrier body opening, said positioning means being capable of cooperating respectively with said orienting means for fixing said carrier body relative to said shaft when said one of said first and the second ends of said carrier body opening is positioned adjacent said orienting means;
- biasing means cooperating with said carrier body for urging the carrier body toward said orienting means such that the orientation of said gripping means can be changed by moving said carrier body against the bias of said biasing means and rotating it through to another selected orientation; and
- said carrier body in said view being shaped as a truncated pyramid, and having opposite portions extending laterally outwardly from a base portion of said pyramidal shape for supporting said gripping means, said carrier body being capable of being variably positioned on the carrier shaft such that said carrier body opposite portions may either be oriented downwardly or may be inserted such that the carrier body opposite portions are oriented upwardly, and wherein said gripping means are detachable from said carrier body so as to be reattached to said carrier body in an upright position after said carrier body is inverted.
- 13. A hanger as defined in claim 12 wherein said orienting means includes at least one fixed and transversely extending projection extending from said shaft and said positioning means includes a transversely extending slot.
- 14. A hanger for use in conveyor systems for transporting units of limp material from work station to work station, said hanger comprising:
- a carrier portion;
- a carrier body having an opening formed therein, said opening having a first and a second end;
- a carrier shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end of said shaft having at least one transversely fixed extending projection, said opening in said carrier body receiving said carrier shaft and having one of said carrier body opening first and second ends being oriented adjacently to the at least one transversely fixed projection,
- a support portion fixed to said carrier portion and having means for attaching said carrier shaft second end thereto;
- positioning means formed on the carrier body adjacent both of said first and second ends of said carrier body opening, said positioning means being capable of cooperating respectively with said at least one transversely fixed projection on said carrier shaft for fixing said carrier body relative to said shaft when said one of said first and the second ends of said carrier body opening is positioned adjacent said at least one transversely fixed projection;
- said carrier body further including gripping means portions for carrying work material;
- biasing means mounted on said carrier shaft for urging the carrier body toward said at least one transversely fixed projection such that the orientation of said gripping means can be changed by moving said carrier body against the bias of said biasing means and rotating it through to another selected orientation;
- said carrier body in side view being shaped as a truncated pyramid, and having opposite portions extending laterally outwardly from a base portion of said pyramidal shape for supporting said gripping means, said carrier body being capable of being variably positioned on the carrier shaft such that said carrier body opposite portions may either be oriented downwardly or may be inverted such that the carrier body opposite portions are oriented upwardly and wherein said gripping means are detachable from said carrier body so as to be reattached to said carrier body in an upright position after said carrier body is inverted.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 216,094 filed on July 7, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,538.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
216094 |
Jul 1988 |
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