US3727745A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyor rail
Assignee: CISSELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY A CORP OF RI
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Filing: 1972-02-28
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Granted: 1973-04-17
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Expires: 1992-02-28
Abstract
Abstract A garment conveyor rack having an endless garment hanger receiving conveyor which is power driven to move around curves or corners to form a closed path, the conveyor having an uninterrupted rail to allow free sliding movement of the garment hangers in either direction. The rail is constructed of straight metal sections which are pivotally linked together at structural joints formed by a slippery pivot pin having a curved raised head which operates as a camming surface to lift a sliding hanger a slight distance out of contact with the metal rail sections before the hanger reaches the end of the rail section so that the hanger will pass over the joints smoothly to permit continuous movement of the hangers along the rail. The joints are symmetrically shaped so that hangers can be moved with equal freedom in either direction along the rail. One of the surfaces of either the rail sections or the links is preferably split on both sides of the other of the surfaces to aid in a smooth transfer of a sliding hanger from one of the surfaces to the other.
Inventors
- 👤 F Richterkessing
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G21/00; B65G21/20; B65G21/22; B65G1/00; B65G1/02; B65G1/04; B65G1/12; B65G1/133
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
214 words
A garment conveyor rack comprising: an endless conveyor movable about a closed path, said path including curved portions; a support for movably supporting said conveyor; a drive unit for moving said conveyor with respect to said support; and a rail mounted to said conveyor for movement therewith, said rail being adapted to support the hooks of garment hangers for slidable movement with respect to said rail, said rail including: a. a plurality of straight rail sections arranged end-to-end along said path, said sections each having an upper hanger contacting surface, b. a plurality of pivot pins having upper and lower ends and each pivotally joining adjacent rail sections, and c. the upper end of each of said pins having a convex camming surface thereon, said camming surface having a raised portion adjacent the ends of each of the joined rail sections and lowered portions adjacent some point between the opposite ends of each of the joined rail sections, so that a hanger is supported solely by said camming surface when in the region of a rail section end and is supported solely by said rail surface when in the regions of said points and so that a hanger will transfer smoothly from one of said surfaces to the other when sliding between said regions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
A garment conveyor rack comprising: an endless conveyor movable about a closed path, said path including curved portions; a support for movably supporting said conveyor; a drive unit for moving said conveyor with respect to said support; and a rail mounted to said conveyor for movement therewith, said rail being adapted to support the hooks of garment hangers for slidable movement with respect to said rail, said rail including: a. a plurality of straight rail sections arranged end-to-end along said path, said sections each having an upper hanger contacting surface, b. a plurality of pivot pins having upper and lower ends and each pivotally joining adjacent rail sections, and c. the upper end of each of said pins having a convex camming surface thereon, said camming surface having a raised portion adjacent the ends of each of the joined rail sections and lowered portions adjacent some point between the opposite ends of each of the joined rail sections, so that a hanger is supported solely by said camming surface when in the region of a rail section end and is supported solely by said rail surface when in the regions of said points and so that a hanger will transfer smoothly from one of said surfaces to the other when sliding between said regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 1 wherein: said rail, in the neighborhoods of said pivotal joints, is symmetrical about transverse planes through said rail at the axes of said pins.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 1 wherein: the camming surface of each of said pins includes two parts spaced on opposite sides of said rail surfaces to provide a two point contact with a hanger when supported by a camming surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 1 wherein: the upper surface of each of said rack sections includes two parts spaced on opposite sides of said camming surfaces to provide a two point contact with a hanger when supported by a rail section surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 4 wherein: said rail sections each have a horizontal flat upper surface bordered by two straight hanger hook contacting edges.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 1 wherein: said camming surface is made of a slippery material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A garment conveyor rack according to claim 6 wherein: said slippery material is nylon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2899072A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-16 | 1976-10-16 | 1977-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-16 | 1980-10-16 | 1981-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-16 | 1984-10-16 | 1985-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |