Hanger for handling sheet material during processing thereof

Abstract

In order to hang sheet material, such as an aluminum skin section of an aircraft, during processing thereof, a plurality of hangers are provided, for releasably engaging an upper edge of the sheet material at spaced locations therealong so as to provide, in one mode, points of attachment for connection of the sheet material to an overhead support or hoist, and to provide in another mode, lateral abuttments for straddling a pair of elevated, spaced parallel rails to hand the sheet material therebetween while awaiting the next processing operation. The body of the hanger has an inverted Y-shape wherein the downwardly oriented leg portions are separated by a vertical slot for receiving the upper edge of the sheet. A releasable shear pin held in the legs of the hanger body is passed through a pin receiving hole provided in the sheet adjacent the upper edge thereof when such sheet edge is inserted in the hanger slot. An upwardly projecting lug portion on the hanger body serves as the point of attachment to the overhead support or hoist, and the downwardly oriented legs form spaced feet for supportively resting on the above-mentioned spaced parallel rails. The hanger body is made of an electrically conductive metal, such as aluminum, to serve as an electrical connection to the sheet during electroprocessing thereof, and a clamping screw threaded into a leg of the hanger body, but electrically insulated therefrom, clamps the sheet to an interior surface of the hanger slot for achieving positive electrical contact between the metal sheet and the hanger body while protecting the screw threads from electrochemical corrosion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.