Apparatus for inspecting and hangering shirts

Apparatus for hangering an open-necked garment, comprising:

• hanger supply means for serially feeding hangers to a take-away position, an open-necked garment being adapted to be draped over a hanger at said take-away position so that the hook portion of the hanger extends through the neck opening of the garment;
• take-away means for removing the hanger from said take-away position and simultaneously lifting the garment draped over the hanger away from said take-away position, said take-away means including:
• (i) a vertical column located proximate said take-away position;
• (ii) a transfer bracket movable vertically along said vertical column between a lowered position adjacent said take-away position and a raised position spaced vertically above said take-away position;
• (iii) fluid motor means carried on said transfer bracket and vertically movable therewith, said fluid motor means having a piston movable between an extended position and a retracted position along an axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said transfer bracket along said vertical column;
• (iv) hanger pick-up means connected to said piston of said fluid motor means for movement therewith, said hanger pick-up means being effective to engage the hook portion of a hanger at said take-away position with said piston in said extended position and said transfer bracket at said lowered position, and to lift said hanger vertically upwardly from said take-away position as said transfer bracket moves to said raised position;
• means for operating said hanger supply means after said take-away means has lifted one garment from said take-away position, said hanger supply means feeding another hanger to said take-away position in preparation for receiving another garment.

Apparatus for inspecting and hangering an open-necked garment, comprising:

• a garment inspection station including garment support means for supporting an open-necked garment in an extended, unfolded position to permit visual inspection thereof, and illumination means positioned relative to said garment support means for shining light through the garment carried on said garment support means;
• hanger supply means for feeding hangers to said inspection station adjacent to said garment support means, the garment carried on said garment support means being adapted to be draped over said hanger supplied by said hanger supply means so that the hook portion of the hanger extends through the neck opening of the garment;
• and
• take-away means for removing said hanger from adjacent said garment support means and simultaneously lifting the garment draped over the hanger away from said inspection station.

The method of inspecting an open-necked garment for defects, comprising:

• feeding hangers adjacent to a garment form located at an inspection station;
• placing a garment over the garment form and the hanger at the inspection station so that the shoulders rest on said garment form and the garment extends downwardly therefrom in an unfolded position;
• conducting a direct visual inspection of one of the front side or back side of the garment carried on said garment form;
• conducting an indirect visual inspection of the other of said front side or back side of the garment carried on said garment form by viewing said other side in a mirror;
• illuminating at least one lighting fixture positioned relative to said garment form so that said lighting fixture is located at least partially inside of said garment carried on said garment form, said lighting fixture shining light from the inside of the garment through the garment to permit inspection thereof for defects;
• and
• removing said hanger from adjacent said garment from and simultaneously lifting the garment draped over the hanger away from the inspection station.