Hanger for smoke house

Claim 2

Support bar apparatus for use in a side-loading hanger system for supporting meat products such as sausages and the like on a moving conveyor system, during curing, said apparatus comprising; a support bar adapted for attachment to said conveyor system, said bar defining two ends; eye means at one said end of said bar; catch means at the other said end of said bar, and, guide rod means located substantially alongside but spaced from said support bar, said guide rod means having two ends, one said end being attached to said catch means and the other said end to said support bar.

Claim 3

A support bar as claimed in claim 1 wherein said catch means is in the form of a downwardly dependent hook having a free end, said guide rod means being attached to said free end.

Claim 4

A support bar as claimed in claim 2 wherein said hook is directed along an axis extending outwardly from the axis of the guide rod, and making a slight angle thereto, and includes a V-shaped portion defining an upwardly angled ramp at either side thereof.

Claim 5

A support bar as claimed in claim 2 wherein said hook is of generally curved shape, and is located in a plane rotated at approximately 90° to the axis of the guide rod.

Claim 6

A support bar as claimed in claim 4 wherein said guide rod means extends from the free end of said hook, to said eye means, and is located approximately parallel with said support bar but spaced downwardly and to one side thereof.

Claim 7

A support bar as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide rod means and said catch means are formed of a continuous piece of metal rod, one said end of said rod being welded to said support bar adjacent to the end of said bar having said eye means, and said rod at its other said end being bent into a V-shape, and the free end of the V being bent directly upwardly and welded to the other said end of said support bar.

Claim 8

A hanger for use in conjunction with a support bar forming part of a side-loading hanger apparatus for supporting meat products such as sausages and the like on a moving conveyor system, during curing, said hanger comprising; an upper support rail; a pair of lower spaced apart spacer rails; connecting means connecting between said upper support rail and said lower support rails and securing the same in their predetermined spaced apart relation; hook means at one end of said upper support rail, and, centering pin means at the other end of said upper support rail, said pin means having an upwardly angled portion and a free end portion which is angled slightly downwardly with respect to the axis of the upper support rail said two angled portions meeting at an apex.

Claim 9

A hanger for use in conjunction with a support bar forming part of a side-loading hanger apparatus for supporting meat products such as sausages and the like on a moving conveyor system, during curing, said hanger comprising; an upper support rail; a pair of lower spaced apart spacer rails; connecting means connecting between said upper support rail and said lower support rails and securing the same in their predetermined spaced apart relation; hook means at one end of said upper support rail, and, centering pin means at the other end of said upper support rail, said pin means having an upwardly angled portion and a free end portion which is angled slightly downwardly with respect to the axis of the upper support rail said two angled portions meeting at an apex.

Claim 10

A hanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein said lower spacer rails are longer than said upper support rail, and are parallel along most of their length, and are angled inwardly towards one another at their ends, with their ends merging with one another, and including a plurality of cross bars extending between said lower spacer rails, and connecting rods extending between said upper support rail and some of said cross bars, and further connecting rods extending between said upper support rail and the ends of said lower spacer rails.

Claim 11

A hanger as claimed in claim 7 including downwardly dependent support means located below said lower spacer rails, each of said support means being in the form of a continuous piece of metal rod, with both ends welded to said lower spacer rails, and an intermediate portion bent downwardly therefrom, the two ends of said rod being spaced apart from one another lengthwise along said spacer rails whereby to avoid entanglement with meat products carried on said hanger.

Claim 12

A hanger system for supporting meat products such as sausages and the like on a moving conveyor system, during curing and the like, wherein said meat products are supported on a hanger, which is in turn supported on a support bar connected to said moving conveyor, said hanger system comprising; a support bar adapted for attachment to said conveyor, said bar defining two ends; eye means at one said end of said bar; catch means at the other said end of said bar; guide rod means located alongside but spaced from said support bar, said guide rod means having two ends, one said end being attached to said catch means and the other said end to said support bar; a hanger for attachment on said support bar and having an upper support rail, a pair of lower spaced apart spacer rails and connecting means connecting between said upper support rail and said lower spacer rails; hook means at one end of said upper support rail shaped to fit over said guide rod means, and, pin means at the other end of said upper support rail for interengagement with said eye means, said pin means having a free end which is angled slightly downwardly with respect to the axis of said upper support rail.

Claim 13

A hanger system for supporting meat products such as sausages and the like on a moving conveyor system, during curing and the like, wherein said meat products are supported on a hanger, which is in turn supported on a support bar connected to said moving conveyor, said hanger system comprising; a support bar adapted for attachment to said conveyor, said bar defining two ends; eye means at one said end of said bar; catch means at the other said end of said bar; guide rod means located alongside but spaced from said support bar, said guide rod means having two ends, one said end being attached to said catch means and the other said end to said support bar; a hanger for attachment on said support bar and having an upper support rail, a pair of lower spaced apart spacer rails and connecting means connecting between said upper support rail and said lower spacer rails; hook means at one end of said upper support rail shaped to fit over said guide rod means, and, pin means at the other end of said upper support rail for interengagement with said eye means, said pin means having a free end which is angled slightly downwardly with respect to the axis of said upper support rail.

Claim 14

A hanger system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said catch means is in the form of a downwardly dependent hook having a free end, said guide rod means being attached to said free end.

Claim 15

A hanger system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said hook is directed along an axis extending outwardly from the axis of the guide rod, and making a slight angle thereto, and includes a V-shaped portion defining an upwardly angled ramp at either side thereof.

Claim 16

A hanger system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said hook is of generally curved shape, and is located in a plane rotated at approximately 90° to the axis of the guide rod.

Claim 17

A hanger system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said guide rod means extends from the free end of said hook, to said eye means, and is located approximately parallel with said support bar but spaced downwardly and to one side thereof.

Claim 18

A hanger system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said guide rod means and said catch means are formed of a continuous piece of metal rod, one said end of said rod being welded to said support bar adjacent to the end of said bar having said eye means, and said rod at its other said end being bent into a V-shape, and the free end of the V being bent directly upwardly and welded to the other said end of said support bar.