Carrier for use in handling tobacco leaves or the like

Claim 1

A SELF-POSITIONING CARRIER FOR USE IN HANDLING TOBACCO LEAVES OR THE LIKE AND COMPRISING, AS FLEXIBLE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET, A FIRST ELONGATED ROD ATTACHED TO SAID SHEET ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF, A SECOND ELONGATED ROD ATTACHED TO SAID SHEET ALONG A SECOND EDGE THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID FIRST EDGE, EACH OF SAID RODS HAVING RING-RECEIVING MEANS AT THE EXTREME ENDS THEREOF AND LOCATED TO ONE SIDE OF THE AXES OF SAID RODS THEREBY TO PROVIDE LEVER ARMS THROUGH WHICH THE WEIGHT SUPPORTED BY SAID SHEET MAY ACT IN ORDER TO POSITION SAID CARRIER IN RESPONSE TO ADDITION TO WEIGHT THERETO, A PLURALITY OF RINGS SWIVELLY ATTACHING SAID SHEET TO THE RESPECTIVE RING-RECEIVING MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND CARRIER-SUPPORTING SECTIONS INTEGRALLY FORMED ON SAID RESPECTIVE RODS ADJACENT THE MIDLENGTHS THEREOF; SAID SECOND SECTION HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE SAID FIRST SECTION, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING A PAIR OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED HOOK MEMBERS, SAID MEMBERS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS OF THE RESPECTIVE RODS AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER SUFFICIENTLY FAR TO PROVIDE LONGITUDINAL STABILITY TO SAID CARRIER AND WITH EACH OF SAID HOOK MEMBERS OF EACH PAIR BEING JOINED TO ITS COMPANION MEMBER BY A LONGITUDINAL EXTENDING CONNECTING PORTION, WHEREBY SAID CARRIER MAY BE DETACHABLY SUPPORTED FOR LOADING UPON PARALLEL GENERALLY HORIZONTAL CYLINDRICAL POSTS BY MEANS OF SAID HOOK MEMBERS AND MAY BE CARRIED IN LOADED CONDITION AFTER DETACHMENT FROM SAID POSTS AND FOLLOWING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRST SECTION WITHIN SAID SECOND SECTION WITH THE CONNECTING PORTION OF SAID FIRST ROD SERVING AS A HANDLE FOR THE CARRIER, SAID REPOSITIONING OF SAID CARRIER SERVING TO ENHANCE THE GRIPPING ACTION OF SAID HOOK MEMBERS UPON SAID POSTS WHEN SAID CARRIER IS BEING SUPPORTED UPON SAID POSTS.