Conveying apparatus having L-shaped hanger

A conveying apparatus, comprising:

• conveying means supported for horizontal movement in a longitudinal direction of travel, support means for supporting said conveying means, and a pair of longitudinally spaced, substantially L-shaped hangers each having a pair of substantially perpendicular arms which are fixed to one another at adjacent ends thereof, one said arm of each said L-shaped hanger being coupled at an upper free end thereof to said conveying means and depending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, the other of said arms of each said L-shaped hanger being cantilevered from said one arm and extending substantially horizontally but in a sideward direction which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of travel of said conveying means, each said L-shaped hanger being carried with said conveying means for travel in said longitudinal direction, said one arm of each said L-shaped hanger being pivotally coupled to said conveying means such that each said L-shaped hanger is freely sidewardly swingable about said conveying means, each said other arm terminating at a free end which is substantially sidewardly offset from said conveying means, each said L-shaped hanger being adapted to support an object on said other arm thereof for conveyance therewith, said object, as supported on said other arm, being substantially sidewardly offset from said conveying means, a longitudinally extending bar connected between said L-shaped hangers thereof, and a plurality of guide rollers adapted for rolling engagement with a guide rail to provide roller support for said L-shaped hangers, each said guide roller being rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation, a lower one of said guide rollers being carried on said longitudinally extending bar and located substantially midway between said L-shaped hangers, upper ones of said guide rollers being coupled to said conveying means and being carried adjacent but slightly sidewardly spaced from respective said free ends of said one arms, said lower guide roller being spaced substantially midway longitudinally between and substantially below said upper guide rollers.

An apparatus for simultaneously conveying and treating a workpiece, comprising:

• conveying means supported for horizontal movement in a longitudinal direction of travel, support means for supporting said conveying means, a substantially L-shaped hanger having a pair of substantially perpendicular arms which are fixed to one another at adjacent ends thereof, said L-shaped hanger having one of said arms coupled at an upper free end thereof to said conveying means and depending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, the other of said arms being cantilevered from said one arm and extending substantially horizontally but in a sideward direction which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of travel of said conveying means, said L-shaped hanger being carried with said conveying means for travel in said longitudinal direction, said one arm being pivotally coupled to said conveying means such that said L-shaped hanger is freely sidewardly swingable about said conveying means, said other arm terminating in a free end which is substantially sidewardly offset from said conveying means, said L-shaped hanger being adapted to support the workpiece on said other arm for conveyance therewith, said workpiece, as supported on said other arm, being substantially sidewardly offset from said conveying means, means defining a chamber having a bottom wall and two sidewardly spaced upstanding side walls, said chamber being adapted to hold a fluid for use in treating the workpiece, said other arm of said hanger being received in said chamber with the workpiece supported thereon, said L-shaped hanger having a guide roller carried thereon, and a longitudinally extending guide rail supported stationarily relative to said hanger, said guide roller being engaged against said guide rail to provide roller support of said hanger against sidewardly swinging movement.