Patent Publication Number: US-2005133548-A1

Title: Adapter hook for conveyor systems and loading station for an adapter hook

Description:
PRIORITY INFORMATION  
      This application claims priority to German Patent Application de10359859.6, filed on Dec. 18, 2003.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      The present invention relates to an adapter hook for conveyor systems, especially for garments, with an upper suspension, which can be hung from a rail or a conveyor mechanism for the transport of objects, and a lower holding mechanism, by means of which one or more hangers can be received. In addition, the invention relates to a loading station for such an adapter hook.  
      2. Description of Prior Art  
      DE 196 14 905 discloses a conveying pocket for a hanger conveyor, in which a latch is provided for the transport of carriers, being mounted on the conveying pocket, and its axis is arranged behind the bearing point in the transport direction. In this way, the latch can be held in the closed position by gravity. The drawback of this conveying pocket is that it cannot be used for standardized conveyor rails, and inadvertent opening of the latch cannot be entirely ruled out. For unloading and opening of the latch, one must first lift up the object suspended from the latch. Thus, lifting work has to be expended, and it is mechanically difficult to allow for the undefined forces, which depend on gravity, and this can only be accomplished by costly guiding systems.  
      WO 96/29267 discloses an adapter hook for a conveyor system, in which an upper hook can be used for a standardized conveyor rail. For this purpose, a hanger being transported is introduced with an upper hook into a slot in the adapter hook from underneath and secured there by a detent mechanism. The drawback here is that the loading process is manual and the detent mechanism is specially designed for a particular type of hanger. Moreover, it is not possible to transport several hangers at the same time with this adapter hook, and it is also conceivable that the loading cannot be accomplished entirely at the detent mechanism.  
      Finally, another adapter hook is known from DE 195 00 612, which can be hung from a standardized conveyor rail. In the lower region, the adapter hook has two slotted legs, in which a hanger can be suspended. With this adapter hook as well there is the drawback that only certain hangers can be accommodated and automatic loading and unloading is scarcely possible. Furthermore, the leverage conditions are disadvantageous.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore the goal of the present invention to create an adapter hook and a loading station for an adapter hook in which it is possible to use the adapter hook on standardized conveyor rails, and simple and safe loading and unloading are made possible for one or more hangers.  
      This goal is achieved with an adapter hook for conveyor systems, especially for garments, with an upper suspension, which can be hung from a rail or a conveyor mechanism for the transport of objects, and a lower holding mechanism, by means of which one or more hangers can be received, characterized in that the lower holding mechanism has a swivel lever for the receiving of one or more hangers, which can be secured by a locking mechanism. Additionally, a loading station for an adapter hook according to one of the foregoing claims with a conveyor rail for the adapter hook and a loading rail arranged underneath for the feeding of hangers, characterized in that an activating mechanism is provided for releasing a locking mechanism and for releasing a swivel lever for the loading of a lower holder mechanism with one or more hangers.  
      According to the invention, the adapter hook comprises a lower holder mechanism to receive one or more hangers, on which a swivel lever is arranged, which can be secured via a locking mechanism. In this way, inadvertent swiveling of the lever is prevented, so that the hanger loaded in the receptacle cannot drop out accidentally. Such a locking mechanism is also especially suitable for automatic loading and unloading, since mechanical activation can be arranged at specific points in a conveying system. If the holder mechanism is designed for one or more hangers, the adapter hook can furthermore have universal application and is not limited to a particular type of hanger. The term “adapter hook” should thus also encompass configurations in which not a hook but rather different means of fastening are provided in the upper region, which can be secured from a conveyor belt, a conveying chain, a cable, etc. Even then, the adapter hook can be used for corresponding transport purposes.  
      Preferably, the swivel lever can close a receptacle that is open at the bottom, in which one or more hangers can be introduced. The downwardly open receptacle can be loaded especially easily with hangers. If a rotational axis of the swivel lever is arranged essentially perpendicularly to a transport direction of the adapter hook, when the adapter hook is moving in the transport direction the lever can swivel already from one or more hangers bearing against it, without the need to provide a separate drive unit or other means.  
      According to a preferred embodiment, the swivel lever has a lower leg to support one or more hangers. The leg thus forms a bearing surface for the hangers. Adjoining the lower leg of the swivel lever, one can provide a front bearing surface (in the transport direction), by means of which a hanger can be oriented essentially perpendicularly to the transport direction. The bearing surface preferably has a greater width than the swivel lever, so that a corresponding orienting effect occurs.  
      If the swivel lever is essentially C-shaped and a pivot axis is arranged on the upper leg, the swivel lever in the loaded state will already be urged in an opening direction by gravity. Due to the locking mechanism, however, such an opening movement is prevented, and for automatic unloading it is necessary only to release the locking mechanism for the swivel lever to move into the open position by gravity, so that loaded hangers can fall off.  
      If the lower leg of the swivel lever forms a bearing surface for the hanger and is configured to drop off at an inclination in the transport direction, the position of a loaded hanger can be determined precisely, since the hanger will slide against a front wall by virtue of the incline, which lies for example in a range of 10 to 30°. Thus, an orienting at the bearing surface also occurs at this front wall.  
      Preferably, the receptacle has a rear wall and the swivel lever can be passed through a slot in the rear wall, so that the adapter hook has an essentially closed configuration from the outside.  
      For easy receiving of the hangers, the swivel lever is arranged between a front wall and a rear wall, and the rear wall projects downward past the front wall. In this way, for automatic loading, by moving the adapter hook in the transport direction a hanger can pass the front wall, push the swivel lever, and then be carried away at the rear wall.  
      The locking mechanism can be easily configured by a lever, which in a first position forms a stop for the swivel lever and in another position releases the movement of the swivel lever. Other mechanical means for locking of the swivel lever are also conceivable, however.  
      According to the invention, a loading station for an adapter hook is also provided, having a conveying rail for the adapter hook and a loading rail arranged underneath for the feeding of hangers, wherein an activating mechanism is provided for the releasing of a locking mechanism and releasing of a swivel lever for the loading of a bottom holder mechanism with one or more hangers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention is explained in greater detail herein below by means of an exemplary embodiment in relation to the attached drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of an adapter hook according to the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the adapter hook of  FIG. 1  from the opposite side;  
       FIG. 3  is a detailed sectional view of the adapter hook of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the adapter hook of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the adapter hook of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an adapter hook of  FIG. 1  in a loading station.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Adapter hook  1  has a body  2 , made of plastic for example, on which an upper hook  3  is mounted. The hook  3  is configured so that it can be used on standardized conveyor rails, especially for the transport of hangers for garments. Instead of the hook, a bolt or other mechanical connection element could also be provided, such as can be combined with a corresponding conveyor mechanism.  
      The adapter hook  1  has a bottom holder mechanism on which a swivel lever  4  is arranged. The swivel lever  4  can move through a slot  6  in a rear wall  5 . The slot  6  is arranged inside the body  2 .  
      Moreover, a lever  7  is mounted on the base body  2  for locking the swivel lever  4 . The lever  7  can turn about a pivot axis  8  and is held in a locked position by a spring  9 .  
      As can be seen in the cutaway view of  FIG. 3 , the lever  7  has a projection  10  in a lower end segment, which forms a bearing surface with respect to the swivel lever  4 . In an upper region, the lever  7  is held by the spring  9  in the locked position, while an upper activating segment of the lever  7  is accessible from the outside through a recess in the body  2 .  
      In  FIG. 4  the function of the swivel lever  4  can be clearly seen. The swivel lever  4  in the closed position delimits a downwardly open receiving space  14 , the swivel lever  4  being C-shaped and its lower leg having a bearing surface  12 , which is configured to drop off at an incline, viewed in the transport direction. In  FIG. 4 , the adapter hook  1  would move from right to left in the transport direction. The receiving space  14  is open transversely to the direction of transport and delimited in front by a front wall  13 , which has a greater width than the swivel lever  4 .  
      In the loading process, the adapter hook is moved in the transport direction and an object being loaded, such as a garment hanger, stands ready and waiting in the region of the lower holder mechanism. This then presses against a front edge of the swivel lever  4 , by which this can swivel backward through the rear wall  5  when the locking mechanism is open. After the swivel movement, the garment hanger lies against the rear wall  5  and from here it is introduced into the receiving space  14 . Once the garment hanger is in the receiving space  14 , the swivel lever  4  can swivel back by gravity into the closed position and the locking mechanism  7  closes and thus secures the closed position of the swivel lever  4 . The loaded hanger then lies on the bearing surface  12  of the swivel lever  4  and slides by virtue of the incline against the front wall  13 , which orients of the hanger transversely to the direction of transport.  
      For the unloading of the garment hanger, one need only release the locking mechanism by swiveling the lever  7 , so that the swivel lever  4  can be swiveled through the rear wall  5 . The swivel lever  4  will execute such a swivel motion due to the gravity of the hanger.  
       FIG. 6  shows a loading station for an adapter hook  1  according to the invention. The loading station comprises a feed rail  20  for garment hangers  24 . The loading rail  20  is arranged sloping upward at an angle to a loading ramp  21 , so that the hanger  24  slides by gravity onto the loading ramp  21 . The hanger  24  remains on the loading ramp  21  until an adapter hook  1  is brought up. The adapter hook  1  is carried by the upper hook  3  on a conveyor rail  25  and is moved in the transport direction via transport means  26 . In the lower region, the adapter hook  1  is carried by a pusher  27 , which is arranged on a chain  28  and moves at the same transport speed as the means of transport  26 . In this way, swiveling of the adapter hook  1  is prevented. The adapter hook  1  is moved on the ramp  21  until the hanger  24  rests against the back wall  5  and the swivel hook  4  is in the backwardly open swiveled position. Next, the hanger  24  is moved together with the adapter hook  1 , whereupon thanks to an upwardly inclined ramp  23  when moving in the transport direction the hanger  24  is lifted and thereby introduced into the receiving space  14  from below. As soon as the hanger  24  is in the receiving space  14  and no longer lying against the front edge on the swivel lever  4 , the swivel lever  4  swings into the closed position and can then be locked. For the locking, a plate  29  is provided at the loading station, being arranged in the region of the recess on the body  2 , at which the upper end of the lever  7  is accessible. The plate  29  has a slant that presses against the upper end of the lever  7  and thus releases the locking mechanism, so that the stop  10  is disengaged from the swivel lever  4 . For as long as the plate  29  is pressing against the upper end of the lever  7 , the swivel lever  4  can swing freely. After the hanger  24  has been introduced into the receiving space  14 , the lever  7  is released by the plate  29  or its end and moves by the force of spring  9  into the locked position and the swivel lever  4  can no longer swing. After the end of the ramp  21 , the hanger  24  lies on the bearing edge  12  of the swivel lever  4 , which is held securely by the locking mechanism. The front wall  13  still provides for orientation of the hanger  24  at this time.  
      In the exemplary embodiment depicted, only one hanger  24  is represented, being received at the loading station. It is of course possible to introduce several hangers at the same time on the adapter hook  1  at the loading station. The receiving space  14  is then dimensioned so that one or more hangers  24  can be received at the same time and also different types of hangers  24 , for example including plastic hangers, having a larger dimension in the vertical direction, can be accommodated. As needed, the receiving space  14  can be one or more centimeters in length and in height.  
      Instead of the lever  7 , other locking mechanisms can also be provided for locking the movement of the swivel lever  4 , for example by means of sliders or other mechanical arrangements. The prestressing of the lever  7  in the locked position can be accomplished by clamping mechanisms other than the spring  9 , or even by gravity.  
      Furthermore, a coding, a chip, or another means can be provided in familiar fashion on the adapter hook  1 , so as to enable the loaded objects to be identified.  
      The swivel lever  4  can also have a geometry different from the indicated C-shape contour, without thereby departing from the framework of the invention.