The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1995
Gary S Kimmet, Galloway, OH (US);
Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL (US);
Abstract
A system for transporting a plurality of hangers on which a plurality of garments may be hung, having a hook transport system with at least a hook conveyor and a plurality of hooks disposed along the hook conveyor, the hooks being moved by the hook conveyor along a conveyance direction at a first rate, a hanger supply member on which the plurality of hangers may be disposed, and a hanger feed apparatus adapted to periodically feed one of the hangers from the hanger supply member to a hanger pickup position. The hanger feed apparatus is adapted to cause a plurality of physical contacts to be made between the hook transport system and the hanger feed apparatus, the physical contacts occurring at a second rate substantially equal to the first rate. Each of the physical contacts causes one of the hangers to be fed from the hanger supply member to the hanger pickup position, and the hooks of the hook transport system periodically pick up the hangers from the hanger pickup position. The hanger feed apparatus has a hanger holding member coupled to the hanger supply member, a pivotable feed member coupled to the hanger holding member, and an actuator mechanically coupled to the feed member and disposed to periodically make contact with the hooks, the actuator causing the feed member to transfer one of the hangers from the hanger supply member to the hanger pickup position when one of the hooks makes contact with the actuator.