Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 INDICATOR ATTACHMENT MECHANISM
AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING
INDICATORS FROM HANGERS
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to improvements in
indicator attachment mechanisms for molded plastic
hangers, such as garment hangers and to a method and
apparatus for removing indicators from garment
hangers.
~ackcrround of the Invention
For purposes of displaying garments
suspended on hangers in an orderly and attractive
manner to the retail customer, it is often desired to
affix an indicating means on the hanger in a position
visible to the retail customer while the hanger is
suspended on a rack. The indicating means identifies
some attribute of the garment suspended from the
hanger, such as size, quality, color, manufacturing
data, or pattern.
The provision of a readily visible size
indicator on a garment hanger is now accepted by
retailers as a desirable addition to a garment hanger.
To accommodate the various types of hangers available
in the industry numerous indicating means have been
developed in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials.
Similarly, hangers have been developed to accommodate
a variety of different indicating means.
In Australian Patent No. 638436 and
' corresponding U.S. Patent No. 5,388,354, assigned to
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the assignee of the present invention, a low-profile
molded plastic indicator for a garment hanger which
requires limited modification to the hook of the
hanger to enable the indicator to be securely attached
to the top of the hook where it is most visible is
described. The improvements described in the above
patents overcame the major disadvantages of one type
of indicator (trapezium-shaped) described in U.S.
Patent No. 4,322,902 which required a specially molded
hook profile to support the indicator.
The indicator according to Australian Patent
No. 638436 and U.S. Patent No. 5,388,354 is also
designed to enable sorting into a predetermined
orientation to enable automated handling and fitting
of the indicators to hangers as described in U.S.
Patent Nos. 5,272,806 and 5,285,566 which are assigned
to the assignee of the present invention. For these
reasons, the indicator has enjoyed considerable
commercial success.
The indicator is retained on the hook by
means of at least one abutment projecting from the
hook which engages an aperture in the side wall of the
indicator. While it is possible to disengage the
indicator from the abutments) by bowing the side
walls in the regions of the apertures, this is a
difficult operation and often results in some damage
to the indicator or to the hanger.
Furthermore, it is increasingly common for
customers to require that the indicator be removable
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from the hanger for re-use with other sized garments
or re-location and the attachment mechanism described
above does not readily facilitate this operation. It
~ 5 is, of course, equally necessary for the indicator to
remain securely attached to the hanger during the
usual handling operations to which the hanger is
subjected in day to day use.
S»anaxy of the Invention:
Accordingly, it is an object of the present
invention to provide an improved indicator attachment
mechanism which securely fastens an indicator to a
hanger but which permits removal of the indicator in a
simple operation that reduces the likelihood of damage
to the indicator or to the hanger.
The invention therefore provides a molded
plastic hanger having an indicator attachment device,
wherein the hanger has a hook formed with an
upstanding web to be received within a downwardly
opening cavity of a molded plastic indicator, and
attachment means formed on the web to engage and
releasably secure the indicator to the web.
In one preferred embodiment of the
invention, the indicator has side walls formed with at
least one aperture adapted to receive the attachment
means. The attachment means preferably comprises a
resilient detent means which is formed in said
upstanding web and has a laterally projecting portion
3o
positioned to engage the side wall aperture of the
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indicator to prevent removal of the indicator from the
hook. The resilient detent means also enables the
laterally projecting portion to be disengaged from the
opening to facilitate removal of the indicator from
the hook without damage to the indicator or to the
hook.
In use, as will be described more fully
below, the laterally projecting portion is disengaged
from the side wall by inserting a probe or pin through
the side wall aperture to displace the laterally
projecting portion from the aperture to thereby
release the indicator from the hook.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the
detent means comprises a downwardly depending leg
integrally molded within a molded opening in the
upstanding web and resiliently connected to the web to
enable deflection of the laterally projecting portion
into the plane of the web to facilitate removal of the
indicator from the web.
The present invention also relates to a
method and apparatus for removing indicators from
garment hangers.
The method and apparatus of the present
invention provide an extremely versatile arrangement
which can accommodate virtually all types of
indicators mounted on the hook of a hanger. The
method and system can also accommodate a wide variety
of hanger types.
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Accordingly, it is an object of the
° invention to provide a system which includes: a first
means for receiving an indicator affixed to a hanger;
a second means for securing said hanger for removal of
the indicator; actuating means for driving the first
and second means upwardly and downwardly; and means
for ejecting the indicator. After the indicator is
ejected the first plate is driven downwardly to its
lower position and the apparatus automatically repeats
the operation.
In one embodiment the first means includes a
first plate defining a recess, such that the indicator
affixed to the hanger is received by the recess. The
first means preferably further includes a pin
positioned to displace the indicator attachment
mechanism.
In operation, the actuating means drives the
first plate downwardly to receive the indicator in the
recess and then upwardly to remove the indicator from
the hanger while the hanger is secured by the second
means.
The hangers with indicators affixed thereto
can be lined up on a feeding rail which is slanted
such that the force of gravity drives the indicator
affixed to the hanger into the recess. In a preferred
embodiment the second means includes an edge for
holding the top region of the hanger to prevent the
3~ hanger from moving when the indicator is removed by
the upward movement of the first plate. In a
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particularly preferred embodiment the second means
includes a plate which is driven downwardly to
separate the hanger undergoing the decapping process
from the rest of the hangers on the feeding rail.
The first plate of the present embodiment
includes a milled out portion defining a recess
substantially corresponding to the shape and
dimensions of the indicator such that when the first
plate is in its lower position gravity forces the
foremost indicator into the recess. The first plate
also includes a pin extending from the recess in a
position corresponding to the indicator attachment
mechanism on the hanger. When the indicator engages
the recess of the first plate the pin thereby
displaces the indicator attachment mechanism to
release the indicator from the hanger. It gill be
noted that the pin can be positioned in any of several
positions provided the configuration of the recess
confor~as substantially to the exterior dimensions of
the indicator. Thus, the system of the present
invention is easily adapted to accommodate a variety
of indicator configurations.
To remove the indicator from the hanger the
first plate is driven upwardly by, for instance,
pneumatic cylinder means, when the indicator is
resting in the recess of the first plate.
The system further contemplates ejection of
the indicator from the recess of the first plate. In
one embodiment an aperture is defined in the first
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plate and the ejection means generates an air blast
that passes through the aperture to eject the
indicator from the recess. In a preferred embodiment
the second means further includes a second plate
having a window through which the indicator passes
upon ejection. The window can be dimensioned to
accommodate a variety of indicator configurations. A
discharge tube can be attached to said second plate
such that upon ejection the indicator is removed from
the decapping apparatus and collected in a separate
device.
It is also an object of the present
invention to provide a device for manually removing an
indicator from a hanger with an indicator attachment
mechanism. In a preferred embodiment the device
includes a plate with at least one recess for
receiving at least a portion of the indicator. The
device further includes a pin positioned within the
recess such that when the indicator rests in the
recess the pin releases the indicator attachment
mechanism. In a particularly preferred embodiment the
indicator attachment mechanism comprises a resilient
detent leg as discussed above which the pin depresses
to release the indicator from the hanger.
The device for manually removing the
indicators from hangers can include through-holes for
mounting to a support such that the operator need not
handle the device while manually decapping the
hangers. The device can further include more than a
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single recess and pin such that the device can be used
in more than one orientation. .
It is a further object of the present
invention to provide a method for removing an
indicator from a hanger by inserting a pin defined on
a first plate into the indicator to displace the
indicator attachment mechanism and thereby release the
indicator from the indicator attachment mechanism.
The method can be performed either manually or
automatically.
The automated method for removing the
indicator from the garment hanger comprises: holding a
plurality of hangers with indicators affixed thereto;
selectively engaging one of the indicators; displacing
the indicator attachment mechanism and removing the
indicator from the hanger.
In one embodiment the method comprises
selectively engaging and receiving the indicator
affixed to a hanger in a recess of a first plate;
inserting a pin included in the first plate into the
indicator to displace the indicator attachment
mechanism, and removing said indicator from the hanger
by carrying the indicator upwardly in the first plate.
In a second embodiment the method further contemplates
moving the first plate upwardly and aligning said
recess with indicator therein with a window in a
second plate and ejecting the indicator from the
recess through the window into a discharge tube.
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Before the indicator is selectively engaged
the second plate can be driven upwardly to permit the
indicator affixed to the garment hanger to advance
~ 5 along a feeding rail and rest in the recess in the
first plate and then downwardly to prevent a second
indicator affixed to a second hanger in the plurality
of hangers with indicators from advancing. After the
indicator is disengaged from the hanger the second
plate is moved upwardly to permit the second indicator
affixed to the second hanger to advance.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of
the present method the step of displacing the
indicator attachment mechanism contemplates depressing
a resilient detent leg included in the indicator
attachment mechanism with a pin on the first plate to
release the indicator from the hanger.
brief Description of the Drawing's:
The foregoing and other objects of the
invention may now be more readily ascertained from the
following detailed description of preferred
embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings; in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation view
of the hook of a hanger incorporating the improved
indicator attachment mechanism of the present
invention;
Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional
view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;
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Figure 3 illustrates a front elevation view
of a second embodiment of the hanger hook depicted in .
Figure 1 with an indicator of the type described in
Australian Patent No. 638436 and U.S. Patent No. -
5,388;354 held in place by the indicator attachment
mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken
along line 4-4 in Figure 3;
Figure 5 illustrates a front elevation view
of a third embodiment of the hanger hook incorporating
the indicator attachment mechanism of the present
invention;
Figure 6 illustrates a front elevation view
of a fourth embodiment of the hanger hook
incorporating the indicator attachment mechanism of
the present invention;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation
view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a fifth
embodiment of the indicator attachment mechanism;
Figure 8 illustrates a sectional view taken
along line 8-8 of Figure 7;
Figure 9 illustrates a sectional view taken
along line 9-9 of Figure 7;
Figure 10 illustrates a top view of Figure
3;
Figure 11 illustrates a perspective view of
one embodiment of the decapping apparatus according to
the present invention with a feeding rail with a
plurality of hangers thereon;
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Figure 12 illustrates a sectional view taken
' along line 12-12 of the decapping apparatus of Figure
11 in a first feed position;
' S Figure 13 illustrates the sectional view of
Figure 12 with the two plates in a second and lower
feed position;
Figure 14 illustrates a sectional view of
the two plates in the lower position with a second
embodiment of the front plate;
Figure 15 illustrates a sectional view taken
along line 15-15 of the decapping apparatus of Figure
11;
Figure 16 illustrates a sectional view
similar to Figures 13 and 14 with a third embodiment
of the front plate, wherein the indicator is to be
removed from a second embodiment of the hanger;
Figure 17 illustrates a partial sectional
view taken perpendicular to the view of Figure 16;
Figure 18 illustrates a perspective view of
the back plate of the decapping apparatus of Figure
11;
Figure 19 illustrates a perspective view of
the front plate of the decapping apparatus of Figure
11;
Figure 20 illustrates an enlarged
perspective view of one embodiment of the pin
positioned on the back wall of the recess of the back
. 3~ plate;
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1 Figure 21 illustrates an enlarged
perspective view of a second embodiment of the pin
positioned on the back wall of the recess of the back
plate;
Figure 22 illustrates a top view of one
embodiment of a manual decapping device according to
the present invention; and
Figure 23 illustrates a sectional view of
the manual decapping device taken along line 23-23 of
Figure 22.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments:
Referring now in detail to the drawings, and
to the embodiments depicted in Figures 1-10, there is
illustrated
generally a hook 2 adapted to engage a rod
or other supporting means, with an upwardly projecting
web 4 extending upwardly above the top contour 2a of
hook 2 that engages the rod or other supporting
device. An opening 6 is defined in said upwardly
projecting web 4 such that upwardly projecting web 4
completely surrounds opening 6. Leg 8 descends from
an upper portion 10 of the upwardly projecting web
into the opening 6.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings,
Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the hook 2 of a
molded plastic garment hanger in simplified form which
in practice typically includes the usual strengthening
ribs 12a, 12b shown in Figure 3 around the perimeter
of the hook. The hook 2 is formed with a flange 14
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defining a top region 16, which in a preferred embodiment is
flattened and slightly larger in peripheral dimensions than
the lowermost portion of an indicator 18 (shown in Figures
3, 4 and 10) having side walls 20, 22 formed with at least
one retention aperture 24, 26, as described in Australian
Patent No. 638436 and U.S. Patent No. 5,388,354. The
apertures 24, 26 define through-openings which facilitate
stacking of the indicator 18 with other indicators prior to
fitting to a hanger.
The upstanding web 4 extends centrally from the
top region 16 of the hook 2, and in this embodiment the web
4 is shaped similarly to the shape of the cavity of the
indicator 18 so as to comfortably fit within that cavity.
Alternatively, the web 4 can be configured in the manner
shown in Figures 5 and 6 herein or Australian Patent No.
638436. In a preferred embodiment the upstanding web is
narrow.
The web 4 is formed with integrally molded
indicator attachment means 28. In the present embodiment
the indicator attachment means includes central opening 6
from the upper portion of which a resilient detent leg 8
extends downwardly terminating in a laterally projecting
portion 30 configured to engage one of the apertures 24 or
26 in the side wall of the indicator 18, as shown in Figure
4 of the drawings.
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1 Since the detent leg 8 is narrow and is
resiliently connected to web 4, it is easily deflected -
laterally by means of a probe or pin inserted into the
aperture 24 or 26 which engages laterally projecting '
portion 30 to displace laterally projecting portion 30
toward the plane of the web to clear the aperture 24
or 26 and allow the indicator to be removed from the
web 4. This operation can be achieved simply and
quickly with little or no damage to the indicator 18
or the attachment means 28. Nevertheless, while the
laterally projecting portion 30 remains in the
position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the
indicator 18 will remain securely fastened to the web
4 and will withstand all usual handling operations to
which the hanger is usually subjected in day-to-day
use.
To improve the flexibility of the detent leg
8~ it can be reduced in thickness as shown at 200
inFigure 4 of the drawings.
Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the
drawings, third, fourth and fifth embodiments of the
invention are shown in which the same reference
numerals are used to indicate similar parts. In the
embodiment of Figures 5 and 7, the resilient detent
leg extends angularly from its point of attachment to
the web 4, as shown most clearly in Figures 8 and 9 of
the drawings, and has a shorter laterally projecting
portion 30 formed at its free end. The upstanding web
4 of the hook 2 is further formed with a pair of ribs
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1 34 on either side of the central semi-circular opening
6 to prevent the indicator (not shown in Figures 5 and
7) from being inadvertently laterally displaced to
clear the laterally projecting portion 30 which
engages the aperture of an indicator similar to that
shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. If desired, ribs
34 can be provided in the embodiment of Figures 1-4 of
the drawings.
Figure 6 illustrates the hook 2 of the
present invention in which flange 14 is integrally
formed as part of strengthening rib 12, and extends
around the perimeter of the hook 2.
In the present invention the upstanding web
4 formed on the hook 2 of the hanger can be shaped and
dimensioned similar to the shape of the cavity of the
indicator 18 so as to comfortably fit within that
cavity. By the same token, as depicted in Figure 5,
upstanding web 4 can also be formed in the "normal"
shape of the shape of the hook 2 so the hanger can be
used with or without the indicator. The web can also
be configured in the manner shown in Australian Patent
No. 638436 and U.S. Patent No. 5,388,354 or in any
other manner to accommodate the cavity dimensions of
any other type of indicator, including indicators that
have angled or sloping end walls to conform to the
angularity of the hook design.
The indicator attachment mechanism described
in the above embodiments rovides a
- p particularly
simple and convenient means of retaining the indicator
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1 18 on the web 4 of the hook 2 while enabling the
indicator 18 to be conveniently removed in a simple -
operation which does not significantly damage either
the indicator 18 or the hook 2 of the hanger. In this
way, the disadvantages associated with the attachment
mechanism described in our Australian Patent No.
638436 and U.S. Patent No. 5,388,354 are overcome in a
simple but innovative manner.
In the preferred embodiment, the improved
hanger hook of the present invention is formed of
styrene which provides a clear virtually transparent
hanger for maximum display of garments suspended
therefrom. Alternately, the hanger could be formed
from K resin, H.I. styrene, polypropylene or other
suitable thermoplastic.
Referring now to Figures 11-21 of the
drawings, a perspective view of an automated system
for removing indicators from hangers is provided.
Figure 11 shows a perspective view of one
embodiment of the decapping apparatus according to the
present invention. A garment hanger 1 to be decapped
is provided with an upstanding web 4, which extends
from a top region 16 of the hook of the hanger 1. The
web is formed with integrally molded indicator
attachment means. The attachment means includes a
central opening defined in the upper portion of the
web 4 with a detent leg, which extends downwardly
terminatin in a lateral! ro ectin
g y p j g portian 30
configured to engage one of the apertures 24, 26 in
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the side walls of the indicator 18. In a preferred
' embodiment the laterally projecting portion 30 is
narrow and resiliently connected to the web 4. In the
' S embodiment depicted in Figure 11 the top region 16 is
flat and has a width larger than the indicator 18. As
shown more clearly in Figure 12, side wall of the
indicator 18 is not aligned with the side walls of the
hook of the flange. A top view of the indicator and
hook of this embodiment is provided in Figure 10 which
more clearly shows top region 16 of hook 2 extending
beyond side walls 22 and 24 of the indicator 18. In a
second preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 16,
the top region of the hook and the indicator have
about the same width.
The method and apparatus for removing the
indicator 18 from the hangers 2 will be hereinafter
described with respect to Figures 11-21. Throughout
this description, the term decapping will be used to
describe the removal of the indicator 18 from hanger
1.
As illustrated in Figure 11, the laterally
extending portion 30 is easily deflected laterally by
means of a pin 120 inserted in the aperture 24 of the
indicator 18 which engages the laterally extending
portion 30 to displace it towards the plane of the web
4 to clear the aperture 24 and allow the indicator 18
to be removed from the ranger 1. With the decapping
apparatus of the present invention, indicators 18 can
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1 be automatically removed from their respective hangers
1.
In this embodiment the hanger 1 is fed to
the decapping apparatus by means of a feeding rail '
105. The feeding rail 105 is inclined so that the
hangers 1 move downwardly toward the decapping
apparatus by gravity. The hangers 1 can be put onto
the feeding rail 105 manually or automatically. Other
means to feed hangers 1 to the decapping apparatus
could comprise a screw conveyor, a belt conveyor, or
any other appropriate means to carry the hangers
toward the decapping apparatus.
The decapping apparatus includes a front
plate 106, a back plate 107 and an actuating means
108. The actuating means 108 comprises an escapement
valve, which is pneumatically driven and includes two
rods. Each of the rods is connected to the plate 106
or 107 via respective connecting means 109 and 110.
Front plate 106 and back plate 107 are arranged
vertically and are facing each other. In the
embodiment shown in Figure 11, the two plates 106 and
107 are almost quadratic, but any other appropriate
shape, for example rectangular, can be used. The
actuating means 108 moves the front plate 106 and the
back plate 107 parallel to each other in a vertical
plane. This movement is periodically repeated, so
that one hanger after another can be decapped.
As can be seen in Figure 11, the feeding
rail 105 extends under the two plates 106 and 107.
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The distance between the plates 106 and 107 when said
" plates are in their lower positions and the feeding
rail 105 is preferably such that pin 120 in its lower
position will be aligned with aperture 24 of indicator
18. The height of the assembly is adjusted to provide
automatic operation for different styles of hanger
hooks. As illustrated in Figure 11, the back plate
107 is in its lower position, and the front plate 106
is in its upper position. When the hanger 1 moves
down the feeding rail 105 toward the decapping
apparatus, the movement of the hanger 1 is stopped by
the back plate 107. As shown in Figure 12, in
operation, a plurality of hangers 1 are waiting in
front of the deca in a
pp g pparatus on the feeding rail
105 in line, to be decapped one after the other.
As shown in Figure 11, at the start of the
decapping cycle, the back plate 107 is lowered to its
lowermost position. Plate 107 has a recess 119
positioned on an outer portion of the surface facing
the front plate 106. Recess 119 is dimensioned to
correspond to the dimensions of the indicator 18, so
that when a hanger 1 is pressed against the back plate
107, the indicator 18 is received in the recess 119.
A pin 120 is provided on the back wall of the recess
119 in a position corresponding to the aperture 24 of
the indicator 18. The dimensions, such as the size
and the shape of the pin 120 are selected according to
the dimensions, particularly the shape and the depth,
of the aperture 18, so that the pin 120 enters the
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1 aperture 18 and is able to displace the laterally
projecting portion 30 of the web 4 of the hanger 1 to '
clear the aperture 18, and allow the indicator 18 to
be removed from the hanger 1 as described above. In '
the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 11, the pin
20 has a rectangular cross-section, but any other
appropriate shape can be used, as will be described
herein.
At the start of the decapping cycle, the
front plate 106 is raised but only needs to be raised
upwardly until it no longer covers the recess 119. In
other words, the amplitude of the movement of the
plates 106 and 107 has to be at least the height of
the recess. 119, so that the indicator 18 can be
received in the recess 119.
After the indicator 18 is received in the
recess 119 of the back plate 107, the front plate 106
is moved downwardly to seat the indicator 18 firmly or
at least to hold the indicator firmly in the recess 19
of the back plate 107. In this position the pin 120
of the back plate 107 displaces the laterally
extending portion 30 of the hanger 1, to permit the
release of the indicator 18 from the hanger 1. The
pin 120 is long enough to fully displace the laterally
extending position 30 from the recess 24 of indicator
18, but is not long enough to engage the aperture 6 of
hook 2. As is shown in Figure 12, the lower edge 146
of the front plate 106 can be beveled, so that the .
downward movement of the front plate 106 separates
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hanger 1 from the rest of the hangers so that front
r plate 106 enters between the hangers. In the
embodiment shown in Figure 12, the lower edge is
S beveled towards the back plate 107.
As illustrated in Figure 15 when the pin 120
has displaced the laterally extending portion 30 from
the indicator 18, the indicator may be removed from
hanger 1 when the back plate 107 is moved upwardly to
its upper position, while the front plate 106 stays in
its lower position. Since pin 120 of the back plate
107 extends into the aperture 18 of the indicator 18,
the back plate 107 carries the indicator 18 upwardly.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 11-15, front plate
106 engages hanger 1 and prevents the hanger 1 from
also being carried upwardly. Figure 13 illustrates
this situation, wherein both of the plates 106 and 107
are in their lower positions and the beveled lower
edge 146 of the front plate 106 holds the hanger 1
down by abutting against the edge of the top region
116 of the hook of the hanger 1. Consequently, the
pin 120 has two functions: displacing the laterally
extending portion 30 of the hanger 1 to release the
indicator 18 from the hanger 1 and carrying the
indicator 18 upwardly to separate the indicator 18
from the hanger 1.
Figure 14 shows the decapper mechanism with
a second embodiment of the front plate 106. The lower
. 30 edge 148 has a step-shape to hold the edge of the top
region 16 down. As depicted in this embodiment and
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Fi ure 2 to re ion 16 is
g p g preferably flat. For
clarity of illustration, Figures 13 and 14 show only ,
the plates 106 and 107 in their lower positions, a few
hangers 1 and the feeding rail 105. As illustrated in
Figure 11, the front plate 106 has an aperture or a
window 118 having generally the same shape as the
recess 119 of the back plate 107. When the back plate
107 is in its upper position and the front plate 106
is in its lower position, the recess 119 and the
window 118 match, so that the indicator 18 can be
removed from the recess 119 through the window 118.
The window 118 can have any appropriate shape, as long
as the indicator 18 can pass through it.
In the described embodiment, the indicator
18 is removed from the recess 119 by means of an air
blast. As can be seen in Figure 11, the back wall of
the recess 119 has an aperture 121, which is connected
to an air control means by means of a tube 127, shown
in Figure 15. The air blast through the opening 121
is controlled, so that, when the back plate 107
reaches its upper position, and the front plate 106 is
in its lower position, an air blast is generated or
enabled, which pushes the indicator 18 through the
window 118 of the front plate 106. The released
indicator 18 passes through the window 118 of the
front plate 106 and is collected by a discharge tube
124, which is positioned in front of the window 118
and leads the released indicator to a container 125.
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Upon removal of the indicator 18, hanger 1
continues, as soon as the back plate 107 is moved
upwardly, to slide down the feeding rail 105. As
' S illustrated in Figure 15, hanger 1 with web 4 is
moving down the feeding rail 105 after being decapped.
The decapped hanger is either collected manually or
automatically therefrom, for example by means of a
screw conveyor. Said screw conveyor can collect
decapped hangers from a plurality of feeding rails 105
coming from respective decapping apparatuses.
As illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the
decapping apparatus is driven pneumatically, and
further comprises position control means 111, air
control means 114, a first timer 116, a second timer
117, and an air valve 137. The air valve 37 generates
and/or controls the pressurized air, by which the
decapping apparatus according to the preferred
e~odiment of the present invention is controlled and
driven.
The air valve 137, the timers 116 and 117,
the actuating means 108, the air control means 40 and
the position control means 111 respectively are
connected by air tubes for pneumatic control. Also,
the entire apparatus is held and fixed to a holding
means (not shown).
As shown in Figure 12, the position control
means 111 comprises a first detector 112 for the
position of the front plate 106 and a second detector
113 for the position of the back plate 107. The first
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detector 112 and the second detector 113 work on a
pneumatical basis and have a similar structure. First
and second detectors 112 and 113 each include
generally a cylindrical tube illustrated by 144 and
145, respectively, and pistons 122 and 123,
respectively, which are movable within each of said
cylindrical tubes 144 and 146. The outer ends of
pistons 122 and 123 are provided with contact plates,
which are contacted by the upper sides of the front
plate 106 and the back plate 107, respectively.
In the upper position, the front plate 106
and the back plate 107 press inwardly pistons 122 and
123, respectively, and cause a pneumatic signal in the
position control means 111, thereby permitting a
steady control of the position and the movement of the
plates 106 and 107. Figure 12 shows a cross section
of the control means 111 and the plates 106 and 107,
whereby the position of the plates 106 and 107 is the
same as in Figure 11. Also, the discharge tube 124
and a collecting container 125 for the released
indicators 18 are illustrated.
Figure 15 illustrates a side view of the air
control means 114 and the tube plates 106 and 107.
The air control means 114 comprises a third detector
115 for detecting the position of the back plate 107.
Third detector 115 has a cylindrical tube 149 and a
piston 126, which, generally have the same shape and
function as the first and second
position detectors
112 and 113 as described above. In Figure 15, the
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back plate 107 is in its upper position, and the front
plate 106 is in its lower position. The back plate
having released and carried a indicator 18 upwardly
from hanger 1, contacts a contact plate 26 of the
position detector 115 and moves the contact plate 126
together with its piston into the cylindrical tube of
the detector 115. This causes a pneumatic signal
within the air control means 114, which enables a
pressurized air blast through a tube 127, which is
connected to the opening 121 of the back plate 107 by
appropriate connection 128. The air blast through the
opening 121 ejects the released indicator 18 through
the window 118 of the front plate 106 into the
discharge tube 124. The arrow in Figure 13 indicates
the direction of the movement of the indicator 18.
In operation, the back plate 107 moves
downwardly to its lower position, which is followed by
an upward movement of the front plate 106 to its upper
position. The whole movement cycle is repeated
periodically, so that a plurality of hangers 1 can be
decapped easily and reliably in an automated process.
Since one of the plates 106 and 107 is always in its
respective lower position, there will be always a
number of hangers 1 on the feeding rail 105 waiting to
be decapped one after another, as shown in Figures 12
to 15.
The actuating means 108 controls the
movement of the two plates 106 and 107, so that the
front plate 106 cannot move upwardly when the back
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plate 107 is not in its lower position, and the back
plate 107 cannot move upwardly when the front plate '
106 is not in its lower position. This ensures that
the hangers to be decapped do not slide along the
feeding rail 105 under the plates 106 and 107 without
being decapped.
The first timer 116 controls the regular
cycle of the movement of the two plates 106 and~107,
whereas the second timer 117 enables a repeated
downward movement of the front plate 106. If, for
example the hook of the hanger 1 is bent or damaged,
or the indicator 18 is bent or damaged, the front
plate 106 is not permitted to slide downwardly to
press or hold the indicator 18 into the recess 119,
since its lower edge contacts the upper edge of the
indicator 18 and is therefore restricted in its
downward movement. In this case, the timer 117 gives
a signal to the actuating means 108 to lift the front
plate 106 up again and retry to move it downwardly.
This is repeated, until the indicator 18 is properly
received in the recess 119 of the back plate 107 and
the front plate 106 can move to its lower position
without resistance. This problem can already
partially be avoided by an appropriate angle or bend
of the lower edge of the front plate 106, as discussed
above.
Figure 16 shows a cross-section of the two
3~ lates 106 and 107 in their lower
p positions and
several hangers 1 to be decapped on feeding rail 105.
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These hangers 1 have a top region 16a on their hooks,
' which does not extend beyond the width of the
indicators 18. In other words, the sidewalls of the
indicators 18 are substantially even with the
sidewalls of the hooks and the hangers. Therefore,
the hangers 1 cannot be held down by the lower edge of
the front plate 106 abutting the edge of the top
region 16a, as described and shown with respect to
Figures 13 and 14. Since the hangers 1 cannot be held
down by the front plate 106, when the back plate 107
moves upwardly, this embodiment of the invention
further includes a holding means 152 which is
activated to hold down the hanger 1 being decapped,
while the back plate 107 is moving up. The holding
means 152 is pivotable around an axis 155. In the
present embodiment the holding means includes two
parallel L-shaped arms 153, which are connected by a
cross bar 154, as depicted in Figures 16 and 17.
In the holding position, the two arms 153 of
the holding means 152 extend parallel to both sides of
the feeding rail 105 and the hook of the hanger 1, so
that the arms 152 extend perpendicularly to the hanger
1. The hanger 1 cannot move upwardly, since its upper
edge abuts the lower surface of the arms 152. After
the indicator 18 is removed from the hanger 1, the
holding means is pivoted back to a free position
(dashed lines in Figure 16), so that the decapped
hanger 1 can move down the rail 105. In a different
embodiment (not shown) the holding means could include
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a similarly shaped holding means being swung
horizontally to hold the hanger 1 down.
In Figures 11 to 16, the structure of the
front plate 106 and the back plate 107 is only '
schematically shown. Figures 18 and 19 show detailed
perspective views of the back plate 107 and the front
plate 106, respectively.
Figure 18 shows the back plate 107 in a
perspective front view. The recess 119 is formed in
the lower portion of a wall member 132 extending from
the middle portion of the back plate 107. The recess
119 can be dimensioned to accommodate the indicator 18
which, as depicted, has a basically rectangular shape.
The recess 119 is provided with the pin 120 and the
aperture 121. The dimensions of the recess 119 are
slightly larger than the dimensions of the indicator
18 to be decapped, so that the indicator 18 can be
oriented properly upon entering into the recess 119.
This is important to ensure that the aperture 24 of
the indicator 18 receives the pin 120.
The recess 119 can be replaced by any other
appropriate means, for example a frame or a single
sidewall, as long as the pin 120 can enter into the
opening 24 to release the indicator attachment
mechanism to remove the indicator 18, when the
indicator 18 is pressed or held against the back
plate. The shape of the pin 120 in Figure 18 is
basically rectangular, but can be any other
appropriate shape as necessary to match opening 24.
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1 As shown in Figure 18, plate 107 has two
rail or slide members 130 and 131 bolted thereto,
which are positioned to each side of the wall member
132 defining a space between the wall member and the
rail members 130 and 131 respectively. The rail
members 130 and 131 each have a generally rectangular
shape with concave surfaces and extend the complete
height of the back plate 107. The lower sides of the
rail members 130 and 131 and the wall member 132 are
connected by a common base plate 129, which extends
from and over the entire length of the back plate 107.
Rail or slide members 130 and 131 guide the movement
of the plates 106 and 107 in connection with bearing
assemblies 133, 134, 135 and 136, which are shown in
Figure 15.
Figure 19 shows a perspective back view of
the front plate 106. The bearing assemblies 133, 134,
135 and 136 each have a generally longitudinal shape
and extend vertically from and over a portion of the
height of the front plate 106. One pair of bearing
members 133 and 134 is located to the left of the
window 18, and another pair of bearing assemblies 135
and 136 is located to the right of the window 118.
Each pair of bearing assemblies defines a space
therebetween wherein the rail or slide members 30 and
31 of the back plate 107 can be inserted, when the
decapping apparatus of the present invention is
assembled. In other words, the rail or slide member
130 is received in the space between the bearing
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1 assemblies 135 and 136, and the rail or slide member
131 is received in the space between the bearing
assemblies 133 and 134. This enables an exact
reciprocable movement of the plates 106 and 107. In a
particularly preferred embodiment slide members 133,
134, 135 and 136 are a pair of roller-bearing
assemblies having parallel rollers which engage rail
members 130 and 131 and support the plates from either
side.
Figure 20 shows an enlarged perspective view
of the pin 120 of the recess 119. In the preferred
embodiment pin 120 has a generally rectangular shape
and is sufficiently small to be able to enter into the
opening 24 of the indicator 18 to be decapped. Also,
the pin 120 has a height sufficient to displace the
laterally extending portion 30 of the web of the
hanger 1 thereby enabling the indicator 18 to be
released from the hanger 1.
Figure 21 shows an enlarged perspective view
of a second preferred embodiment of the pin 120 of the
recess 119. In this embodiment, the pin 120 has a
generally oval shape. Other shapes, for example a
cylindrical shape, can be substituted as appropriate.
Referring now in detail to Figures 22 and
23, there is illustrated a tool for manually removing
indicators 18 from hangers 1. Figure 22 shows a top
view of one embodiment of the manual decapper, and
Figure 23 shows a sectional view taken along line 23-
23 in Figure 22.
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1 More particularly, the device for manually
removing an indicator from a garment hanger has a
plate 138 which can have a rectangular shape as shown
' S in Figures 22 and 23. The plate 138 can be made of
metal or molded plastic and comprises at least one
recess 139, which is provided with a pin 140. The
recess 139 and the pin 140 correspond to the above-
described recess 119 and pin 120 of the back plate 107
of the automatic decapping apparatus. The recess 139
and the pin 140 perform exactly the same functions as
described in relation to recess 119 and pin 120. The
only difference is that with the manual decapper, the
indicator 18 has to be pressed manually onto the
recess 139, so that the pin 140 is inserted in the
opening 24 of the indicator 18 to displace the
laterally extending portion 30 of the hanger and to
effect release of the indicator 18 from the hanger 1.
In this embodiment the indicator 18 or at least the
body with hanger 1 has to be manually held or pressed
onto the recess 139, to manually separate the plate
139 with the indicator 18 from the hanger 1. In a
preferred embodiment the plate 138 can define through-
holes 176 for mounting the device to a support (not
shown) .
All the variations and features explained in
view of the recess 119 and the pin 120 of the back
plate 107 of the decapping apparatus are also true for
the recess 139 and the pin 140 of the plate 138 of the
manual decapper. The pin 140 can also be configured
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1 as shown in Figures 20 and 21. In the preferred
embodiment shown in Figures 22 and 23, the plate 138
has a rectangular shape for ease of handling by the
operator with the recess 139 being provided at a long
side of the plate 138. However, in the alternative,
the recess can be provided at a short side of the
plate 138. Or the decapper device 138 can have
further recesses, so that depending on the size and
the shape of the indicator 18 to be removed multiple
applications with the manual decapper of the present
invention can be performed. For ease of operation the
operator may chose to mount the device 138 to a
support (not shown) via through-holes 176 so that it
is not necessary for the operator to handle the manual
device 138 but only the hangers and the removed
indicators.
In the embodiment shown in the Figures 22
and 23, a further recess 141 is provided on one of the
short sides of the rectangular plate 138. The recess
141 is provided with a pin 142 positioned on the edge
of the short side 143 and has no side walls. This
allows the recess 141 and the pin 142 to be applied to
indicator caps 18 of any configuration. In addition,
the short side 143 can be curved thereby adapting to
the form of the hook of the hanger 1, from which the
indicator 18 is to be removed. It should be
understood, that for the recess 141 and the pin 142
3~ the above-described features and variations explained
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in view of the recesses 119 and 139, and the pins 120
' and 140 are also true and applicable.
Also, it should be understood that although
preferred embodiments of the present invention have
been described, various modifications by one skilled
in the art can be made without departing from the
scope of the invention as defined in the enclosed
claims. Particularly, the decapping apparatus of the
described embodiment is pneumatically driven.
However, the decapping apparatus, namely the plates
106 and 107 could also be driven by means of
electrical, mechanical or any other appropriate drive
mechanism. Also, the position control means 111 and
the air pressure control means 114 can work using
optical, electrical or any other appropriate detection
means which detects the position of the plates 106 and
107, respectively. The released indicator 18 can also
be ejected from the recess 119 through the window 118
of the front plate 106 by means other than a
pressurized air blast, as described above. For
example, the decapped indicator 18 could be ejected
through the window 18 by means of an ejection pin or
vacuum ejector.
Furthermore, the present invention has been
described and illustrated in conjunction with a single
type of indicator 18. The present invention can also
be used without any adaptation or easily adapted to
accommodate other t
ypes of indicators.
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While there have been shown and described
what are considered to be the several preferred
embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be
understood that various modifications and changes in
form cr detail can readily be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore
intended that the invention not be limited to the
exact,form and detail herein shown and described nor
to anything less than the whole of the invention
herein disclosed as hereinafter claimed.
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