Hanger transport system

A system for transporting a plurality of hangers on which a plurality of garments may be hung, said system comprising:

• a hook transport system having at least a hook conveyor and a plurality of hooks disposed along said hook conveyor, said hooks being moved by said hook conveyor along a conveyance direction at a first rate;
• a hanger supply member on which said plurality of hangers may be disposed;
• and
• a hanger feed apparatus adapted to periodically feed one of said hangers from said hanger supply member to a hanger pickup position, said hanger feed apparatus comprising means for causing one of said hangers to be fed from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position based exclusively on physical contact between said hook transport system and said hanger feed apparatus without the transmission of any electrical control signal between said hook transport system and said hanger feed apparatus, and being adapted to cause said hooks of said hook transport system to periodically pick up said hangers from said hanger pickup position.

A system for transporting a plurality of hangers on which a plurality of garments may be hung, said system comprising:

• a hook transport system having at least a hook conveyor and a plurality of hooks disposed along said hook conveyor, said hooks being moved by said hook conveyor long a conveyance direction at a first rate;
• a hanger supply member on which said plurality of hangers maybe disposed;
• and
• a hanger feed apparatus adapted to periodically feed one of said hangers from said hanger supply member to a hanger pickup position, said hanger feed apparatus being adapted to cause a plurality of physical contacts to be made between said hook transport system and said hanger feed apparatus, said physical contacts occurring at a second rate substantially equal to said first rate, each of said physical contacts causing one of said hangers to be fed from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position, and being adapted to cause said hooks of said hook transport system to periodically pick up said hangers from said hanger pickup position wherein said hanger feed apparatus comprises:
• a hanger holding member coupled to said hanger supply member, said hanger pickup position being located on said hanger holding member;
• a feed member coupled to said hanger holding member;
• and
• an actuator mechanically coupled to said feed member and disposed to periodically make contact with said hooks, said actuator causing said feed member to transfer one of said hangers from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position on said hanger holding member when one of said hooks makes contact with said actuator.

A hanger feed system adapted to be coupled to a hook transport system in which a plurality of hooks are moved along a conveyance direction at a first rate, said hanger feed system comprising:

• a hanger supply member on which said plurality of hangers may be disposed;
• and
• a hanger feed apparatus adapted to periodically feed one of said hangers from said hanger supply member to a hanger pickup position, said hanger feed apparatus being adapted to cause a plurality of physical contacts to be made between said hook transport system and said hanger feed apparatus, said physical contacts occurring at a second rate substantially equal to said first rate, each of said physical contacts causing one of said hangers to be fed from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position, and being adapted to cause said hooks of said hook transport system to periodically pick up said hangers from said hanger pickup position wherein said hanger feed apparatus comprises:
• a hanger holding member coupled to said hanger supply member, said hanger pickup position being located on said hanger holding member;
• a feed member coupled to said hanger holding member;
• and
• an actuator mechanically coupled to said feed member and disposed to periodically make contact with said hooks, said actuator causing said feed member to transfer one said hangers from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position on said hanger holding member when one of said hooks makes contact with said actuator.

A system for transporting a plurality of hangers on which a plurality of garments may be hung, said system comprising:

• a hook transport system having at least a hook conveyor and a plurality of hooks disposed along said hook conveyor, said hooks being moved by said hook conveyor along a conveyance direction at a first rate;
• a hanger supply member on which said plurality of hangers may be disposed;
• and
• means for automatically feeding said hangers from said hanger supply member to said hanger pickup position at a second rate based exclusively on physical contact with said hook transport system and without the transmission of any electrical control signal from said hook transport system, said second rate being substantially equal to said first rate, said feeding means being adapted to cause said hooks of said hook transport system to periodically pick up said hangers from said hanger pickup position.

A method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a plurality of hangers to a hanger supply member;
• (b) providing a hook transport system in which a plurality of hooks are conveyed in a conveyance direction at a first rate;
• (c) automatically causing said hangers to be transferred from said hanger supply member to a hanger pickup position at a second rate based exclusively on physical contact with said hook transport system and without the transmission of any electrical control signal from said hook transport system, said second rate being substantially equal to said first rate;
• and
• (d) causing said hooks of said transport system to periodically pickup said hangers from said hanger pickup position.