Patent ID: 7070492

Claim:
An automated elongated support member supply and removal system comprising: a central platform member; a travel track mounted to the platform member that, in operation, is configured to advance continuously about an endless path about the platform member; a plurality of mounting brackets, each individually mounted to said travel track in spaced apart intervals, the mounting brackets being configured to travel along the endless path; a plurality of elongated support members, each having an end portion configured to attach to a respective mounting bracket; and a loading station disposed at a fixed location along the travel track in cooperating alignment with each elongated support member as a respective elongated support member travels proximate thereto; wherein, in operation, the elongated support members are configured to advance on the travel track in serial and spaced-apart relationship to individually present in a loading configuration at the loading station whereby a respective elongated support member is oriented generally horizontally so that each elongated support member is automatically loaded over a generally horizontal length thereof with suspended elongated product formed into greater than three loops, bights and/or three discrete lengths of suspended elongated product while the travel track advances about the platform member.