Abstract:
A shelf hook loading tool for loading multiple articles onto a display or shelf hook. The device includes an angled or flexible tubular member for supporting multiple articles of merchandise, a means for securing the merchandise to the tool, and a mounting means for facilitating insertion of the tool onto a shelf hook. Once the tool is inserted onto a shelf hook, merchandise can be readily loaded by sliding it off the tool and onto the shelf hook. The tool is then removed from the shelf hook for reuse or disposal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to shelf hooks for displaying merchandise and more particularly to a method and apparatus for loading merchandise onto shelf hooks. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Shelf hooks, of the type normally used to display products or merchandise on store racks, are a popular means of storing multiple articles in a relatively small space and in a manner that allows purchasers to readily access a product without having to move or disturb other products or the display arrangement itself. 
     At present, there are a variety of shelf hooks used for displaying articles but most share common characteristics of having a horizontally disposed rod attached at one end to a vertical support surface or wall, with the other end of the rod projecting outward to receive the displayed products. Articles to be displayed are typically loaded onto this outward end of the shelf hook and then pushed along the shelf hook rod toward the support wall in order to make room for loading of additional merchandise. 
     In order to help retain articles on the shelf hook, the outward end of the rod often includes a bend directed in an upward, outward angle. While presumably adequate for its intended function, this bend or hook often complicates loading the shelf hook with merchandise. Threading the shelf hook through multiple product tags can be cumbersome because the bend at the end of the rod tends to catch or snag on individual tags. Often, merchandise is simply loaded one unit at a time to overcome this difficulty. In addition, when removing shipping packaging to access merchandise for loading, individual units often become disarrayed and are not packaged in a way that lends itself to rapid loading of multiple units on a shelf hook. 
     Therefore, there exists a need for a method and apparatus for loading multiple products onto a shelf hook in an easy and rapid fashion, preferably using a device capable of being incorporated into the product packaging prior to shipping to the display destination. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A shelf hook loading tool in accordance with the present invention providing an elongated, tubular body adapted to receive a product or products for loading onto a shelf hook. The device includes a head portion, a mounting member facilitating the insertion of the device onto a shelf hook, and a rear portion extending angularly from the head portion. A tail member is attached to the device, preferably near the terminus of the rear portion and is adapted to be selectively secured to and removed from the head portion. The head portion can include a means, such as a tab or slit(s), for attaching the tail member to the head position. 
     The following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, sets forth by way of illustration and example, a now preferred embodiment of this invention, among others. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shelf hook loading tool in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the shelf hook loading tool of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the shelf hook loading tool of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the shelf hook loading tool of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view showing work gloves mounted on the loading tool, with the tool&#39;s tail securing the gloves thereon; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the loading tool, showing the tool positioned to be inserted over the end of a shelf hook; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the loading tool showing the gloves being removed from the loading tool onto the shelf hook; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a shelf hook loading tool in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the loading tool of FIG.  8  and shows the action of the neck which pivots the head portion of the tool; 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of a third embodiment of a shelf hook loading tool in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A shelf hook loading tool  10 , in accordance with the present invention, is shown in FIGS. 5-7 loading a set of gloves  12  onto a shelf hook  14  for display and sale. The tool  10  includes a body  16  and a tail  18 . As seen in FIGS. 5-7, the labels or tags  20  of each of the gloves  12  are loaded onto the body  16  and held thereon by the tail  18  until removal is desired, discussed below in more detail. Although the figures depict the tool  10  being used with a set of gloves  12 , the tool  10  may be used with any product mountable on a shelf hook. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the body  16  is formed of metal; however, the body  16  can be formed of any other relatively rigid, load bearing material, such as plastic. As shown in detail in FIGS. 1-4, the body  16  is an elongated, tubular member having a through passageway  22  extending through the entire length of the body  16 . The passageway&#39;s diameter is adapted to allow the body  16  to fit around the shelf hook  14 , as seen in FIG.  7 . In other words, passageway  22  has a diameter larger than the shelf hook  14 . The outer diameter of the body  16  is adapted to receive labels/hang tags  20  thereover, as shown in FIGS. 5-7. In other words, the diameter of the body  16  is smaller than the label openings. The body  16  includes a head portion  30 , a neck portion  32  and a rear portion  34  which are integrally and unitarily connected to form the elongated, tubular body  16 . 
     The head or first end portion  30  includes a first free end  40  of the body  16 . The head  30  further includes a narrow, elongated opening or slot  42 . The slot  42  extends from the free end  40  and terminates adjacent the junction between the head  30  and neck  32 . As shown and described herein for use with the gloves  12 , the head  30  is approximately one inch long and the slot  42  is approximately ¾ inch long and ¼ inch wide. The head  30  may include additional structure such as a slit or slits  37 ,  38  or tab  36  to facilitate removably securing the tail  18  to the head  30 . 
     The neck  32  extends between the head  30  and the rear portion  34 . The neck  32  presents a bend in the body  16  so that the head portion  30  extends angularly from the rear portion  34 . 
     The rear portion  34  extends from the neck to a second free end  46  of the body  16 . The rear portion  34  presents a length that is adapted to accommodate the set of gloves  12  for mounting to the shelf hook  14 , as shown in FIGS. 5-7. This length can be changed as necessary depending on the type of item and/or number of items to be mounted. Generally, the rear portion  34  will have a substantially greater length than the head portion  30  due to their different functions. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-7, the rear portion  34  includes a slit  48  which is formed adjacent to but is spaced from the second free end  46  in alignment with the slot  42 . The tail  18  of the tool  10  is thereby secured to the body  16  through the slit  48 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the tail  18  is a stretchable and flexibly resilient loop, like a rubber or elastic band. The tail  18  attaches to the second free end  46  of the rear portion  34 , through the slit  48  by inserting it into the passageway  22 , up through the slit  48  and over itself, as seen in FIGS. 1,  2  and  4 . Of course, the tail  18  could be secured to the second free end  46  by any other suitable means such as adhesive. If secured in some alternative way, the slit  48  may be unnecessary. 
     In use, the first free end  40  of the body  16  is inserted through holes (not shown) formed in the labels or tags  20  of the gloves  12  and the tail  18  is stretched over the top of the labels  20  and secured to the head portion  30  of the body  16 , as shown in FIG.  5 . The tail  18  thus prevents the set of gloves  12  from sliding or slipping off of the tool before the gloves  12  are loaded onto the shelf hook  14 . Typically, the gloves  12  are substantially loaded onto the rear portion  34  of the body  16 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tail  18  may be secured by engagement with tab  36  or slit(s)  37 ,  38  formed in the end of the head  30 . Alternatively, the tail  18  may be secured to the head  30  by simply looping the tail  18  over and in engagement with the end  40  of the head  30 . Once secured, the gloves  12  or other merchandise can be packaged, stored and shipped to the destination for display on a shelf hook  14 . 
     The set of gloves  12  which have been loaded onto the tool  10 , as in FIG. 5, are now ready for loading onto the shelf hook  14 , as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tool  10  is first positioned with the head  30  directed toward the shelf hook  14  as shown in FIG.  6 . The body  16  at head portion  30 , is then inserted over the end of the shelf hook  14  as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     In general and as shown, shelf hooks include an end portion  52  that angles upwardly. This end portion  52  thereby prevents any products mounted onto the shelf hook from easily falling off. The angle of the head portion  30  and the slot  42  formed therein now cooperate to facilitate the insertion of the first free end  40  of the tool  10  over the shelf hook end  52 . 
     However, shelf hook configurations vary. Slot  42  allows the tool  10  to be used with different types of shelf hooks  14 . For instance, in FIG. 7, shelf hook  14  includes a top flange  54  that terminates in a price display  56 . This price display  56 , which is typically spaced only a small distance above the shelf hook end  52 , can make loading products such as the gloves  12 , thereon more difficult. However, the slot  42  facilitates the mounting of the gloves  12  onto the shelf hook by allowing the tool  10 , particularly the rear portion  34  of the tool, to be maintained in a horizontal disposition while gloves  12  are mounted. 
     After the first free end  40  is inserted over the shelf hook end  52 , the gloves  12  are simply pushed off of the rear portion  34 , slid down the neck portion  32  and head portion  30  and onto the shelf hook  14 , as shown in FIG.  7 . By sliding the gloves  12  off of the body  16  of the tool  10 , the tail  18  is disengaged from the tab  36  or slit(s)  37 ,  38  or free end  40  and the tail  18  is then left to hang from the second free end  46  of the rear portion  34 . For example, when the gloves  12  are moved from the tool  10  to the shelf hook  14 , the force applied causes the leading label to engage the tail  14  causing it to slide out of the slits  37 ,  38  thereby releasing the gloves  12  from the tool  10 . 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment  60  of the loading tool in accordance with the present invention. In many respects, the second embodiment is identical to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-7. Accordingly, primarily the differences will be discussed. 
     The second embodiment  60  includes a body  62  that is formed of rigid plastic except that the neck portion  66  is flexibly resilient and accordion-like. As shown in FIG. 9, the neck  66  pivots the head portion  64 , wherein the head portion  64  and the rear portion  68  are aligned between a straight position, and an angled or bent position. The rear portion  68  of this second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, does not have a slit. The tail  63  is a flexible strap member having spaced apart beads  71  thereon. The tail  63  may be secured at or adjacent the free end  72  of the rear portion  68  by any type of suitable adhesive. Alternatively, the tail  63  may be formed as a contiguous extension of the body  62  itself. This tail  63  thus includes a free end  74  which is inserted into a slit  37  or  38  and secured by any one of the beads  71  of the tail  63  to hold any product mounted onto the body  62 , similar to the tail  18  of the first embodiment. 
     FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment  80  of the loading tool in accordance with the present invention. The third embodiment is identical in many respects to the first (FIGS. 1-7) and second (FIGS. 8,  9 ) embodiments. Accordingly, primarily the differences will be discussed. The third embodiment  80  preferably includes a body  62 , neck  66 , head  64 , rear  68 , tab  36 , and slits  36  and  37  substantially similar to those of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and described above. The tail  73  includes a flexible strap secured to, or contigous with, the free end  78  of the rear portion  68 . Preferably, the tool  80  is molded or otherwise produced as a single piece. 
     The tail  73  has a free end  79 . Typically, the free end  79  includes a structure such as a loop  77  that engages with a tab  36  or other suitable structure to removably secure the tail  73  to the head  64  to hold any product mounted onto the body  62  of the tool  80 , similar to the tail  18  of the first embodiment. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.