Container supporting and transporting device

An apparatus for releasably suspending and transporting open-mouth rigid containers comprising:

• A. overhead conveyor means having a container pick-up point and a container take-off point;
• B. an assembly depending from said conveyor means, said assembly engaging a container at said pick-up point, disengaging the container at said take-off point and transporting the container along the conveyor between the pick-up and take-off points, said assembly comprising:
• a. a hollow support rod having an upper end and a lower end;
• b. a hollow, elongated resilient diaphragm affixed to and in open communication with the lower end of said support rod;
• and
• c. hydraulic means cooperative with the upper end of said support rod whereby said diaphragm is deflated at said points of pick-up and take-off to permit respective insertion into and removal of said diaphragm from the container mouth and whereby said diaphragm is inflated to frictionally engage the inner surface of the container mouth during transport between said pick-up and take-off points, said hydraulic means comprising:
• i. a cylinder having an upper end and a lower end;
• ii. a piston disposed in said cylinder and coaxial therewith, the piston dividing the cylinder into an upper annular portion and a lower annular portion, the upper end of said support rod being affixed to and in open communication with said lower annular portion of said cylinder, said cylinder being vertically displaceable with respect to said piston;
• iii. a non-compressible fluid contained in said lower annular portion of said cylinder, said hollow support rod and said resilient diaphragm;
• d. means for transferring a static load through said fluid whereby the diaphragm is inflated and means for relieving said static load whereby the diaphragm is deflated, said means for transferring and relieving said static load comprising a coil spring disposed in said upper annular portion of said cylinder and coaxial therewith, said spring being expanded when said cylinder is displaced vertically upward relative to the piston thereby transferring said static load, said spring being compressed when said cylinder is displaced vertically downwardly relative to the piston thereby relieving said static load;
• and
• e. means at said points of pick-up and take-off to displace said cylinder vertically downward with respect to said piston.