GB1583721A

GB1583721A - Suspension device

Info

Publication number: GB1583721A
Application number: GB1655/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-01-17
Filing date: 1978-01-16
Publication date: 1981-01-28
Also published as: ATA29778A; NL7700442A; IT1103463B; NO780147L; FR2377309B1; SE7800415L; BE862925A; NL164734C; NL164734B; DE7801147U1; DK16078A; DE2801745A1; FR2377309A1; IT7847653A0

Description

(54) SUSPENSION DEVICE (71) I, ALLE HEIDA, a Dutch citizen of Steenwijkerweg 36, Wolvega, The Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement::- The invention relates to a suspension device suitable for suspending a slaughtered animal or part thereof, comprising a running rail adapted to be mounted horizontally in a vehicle or a building, the rail having a central web and two supporting flanges connected to an end of the web and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a suspension hook secured to a Cshaped suspension member which is movable along the rail, the C-shaped suspension member having legs facing each other and adapted to be supported symmetrically by the rail flanges.

Such a device is known from the Dutch Patent Application 7500059, in particular the embodiment according to Figures 6, 7 and 8. In this case the supporting surfaces of both the flanges of the rail extend horizontally and the free ends of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member end at a distance from the central web of the rail.

Such a suspension device e.g. is used in refrigerated freight cars, intended for transport of meat.

When such a freight car is being driven it is possible for the suspension hooks to move along the rail, which of course is undesirable.

With the known meat hook this is prevented by means of a plate spring provided in the C-shaped suspension member and pressing against the lower side of the rail. It is obvious that this plate spring gives an additional resistance when the loaded hook has to be moved along the rail by hand when loading or unloading the freight car. Further this plate spring forms an additional cause for deterioration of the meat, because it is difficult to clean the means for mounting the plate spring.

The invention aims to provide a suspension device of the above mentioned type, whereby a load suspended from the hook is automatically retained in position with the hook maintained substantially stationary with respect to the rail and at the same time it being possible when it is desired to shift the hook with respect to the rail by hand and indeed without much resistance.

According to the invention I provide a suspension device suitable for suspending a slaughtered animal or part thereof, comprising a running rail adapted to be mounted horizontally in a vehicle or a building, the rail having a central web and two supporting flanges connected to an end of the web and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a suspension hook secured to a C-shaped suspension member which is movable along the rail, the C-shaped suspension member having legs facing each other and adapted to be supported symmetrically by the rail flanges, wherein the support ing surfaces of both flanges of the rail form acute angles with the web of the rail, and wherein the supporting surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the said flange supporting surfaces, and the free surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the surface of the web. Preferably the said acute angles are approximately 800 each.

The higher the weight suspended from the hook the stronger the free ends of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member press against the central web of the rail. This is caused by the upward slope of the supporting surfaces of the flanges of the rail and by the fact that the free ends of the legs of the Cshaped suspension member will normally lie against the central web in the unloaded condition too.

With the device of the invention undesired movement of the hook along the rail is avoided or minimised and also undesired movement of the hook transversely of the rail as a consequence of sudden movements when the car is being driven is also avoided or minimised.

When the car has to be loaded or unloaded the hook may be drawn in the longitudinal direction of the rail by hand. This is a natural movement. By doing this at first the load of the C-shaped suspension device on the rail is decreased in a vertical direction because the load is resolved in horizontal and vertical components. However, the clamping action between the free ends of the legs and the central web decreases because by the convexly curved shape of the free ends of the legs the distance between the free end of each leg and the central web increases when the inclination is increased. To allow for the inclination also the supporting surfaces of the legs co-operating with the supporting surfaces of both flanges of the rail are convexly curved.

By the above mentioned features normally the meat hook is immovably connected to the rail during transport but yet when desired, can be easily shifted along the rail when the hook is pulled by hand.

In one desirable embodiment of the invention the generating lines of the convexly curved free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member and the co-operating surfaces of the central web of the rail converge in a direction away from the flanges.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the C-shaped suspension member is made of synthetic material. By this the manufacturing operation is facilitated and corrosion is prevented and the C-shaped suspension member can be cleaned easily.

The C-shaped suspension member may, however, be made of metal. According to a preferred embodiment the C-shaped member is made of metal and the said convexly curved supporting surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member and the convexly curved free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are provided by blocks of synthetic material connected to the C-shaped suspension member on opposite sides of the central web of the rail.

By way of example preferred embodiments of the suspension device according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a suspension device according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a C-shaped suspension member of the suspension device according to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a top view of the bow according to Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a sectional view corresponding with Figure 1 of a second embodiment of the suspension device according to the invention.

The embodiment according to Figures 1 to 4 will be discussed first.

A carrier rail 1 of metal is generally Ishaped. The carrier rail 1 comprises in a known way connecting flanges 2, a central web 3 and supporting flanges 4.

As distinct from the known carrier rail the supporting flanges are upwardly inclined with respect to the central web 3.

A suspension hook 5 is connected in a central opening in a C-shaped suspension member 6. The hook 5 is connected to the suspension member 6 by means of a nut 7.

In the embodiment according to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 the suspension member 6 consists of a rigid synthetic material such as nylon.

In accordance with the inclination of the supporting flanges 4 legs 8 of the suspension member 6 have a downward slope. In both cases the angle of inclination is about 10 .

The free ends 10 of the legs 8 extend to the central web 3. Preferably the central web 3 is thickened directly above the supporting flanges 4. This thickening is indicated by 3'.

The supporting surfaces 9 of the legs 8 are convexly curved as appears from Figures 2 and 3. The same holds for the free ends 10 of the legs 8 as appears from Figures 2 and 4.

In the known way the rail 1 is connected by means of bolts 11 to the roof of e.g. a freight car with refrigerated cargo space (not shown). It is obvious that the suspension device according to the invention also can be used in buildings such as slaughter-houses and such like; then, however, the advantages obtainable by means of the suspension device according to the invention will be less apparent.

Especially in the case of transport of meat in freight cars or in other transport devices the known suspension devices have the disadvantage that the meat hook is not sufficiently firmly locked in view of the supporting rail. In case of the known devices it is possible that during transport the meat will itself move along the rail and besides this is possible that the meat will swing transversely of the rail such that it will contact the walls of the vehicle or other pieces of meat lying adjacent to supporting rails. Generally speaking such movements will not contribute to the quality of the meat.

It is true that the invention aims to establish a substantially immovable connection between the meat hook and the supporting rail but on the other hand it has to be possible for the meat hook to be moved along the rail without much effort such as during loading and unloading of the vehicle. When a meat hook embodying the invention is moved along the rail the hook 5 is pulled in the longitudinal direction of the rail. By this the hook 5, 6 will incline with respect to a vertical line. This is possible because the supporting surfaces 9 of the legs 8 are convexly curved. These convexly curved supporting surfaces 9 so to speak can unroll themselves over the supporting surfaces of the supporting flanges 4. During this unrolling the cylindrically shaped ends 10 also move along the central web 3 of the supporting rail 1.From Figure 4 it is seen that with this unrolling the distance between each cylindrical free end 10 and the respective facing surface of the central web 3 will increase. This means that the clamping force of the free ends 10 against the central web 3 is smaller in the inclined position of the meat hook 5, 6 than in the vertical position. This movement of the meat hook along the rail is rather easily achieved but when the meat hook is released and so is no longer subjected to a horizontal force it will return to its original vertical position and by this is again substantially immovably connected to the supporting rail 1. By moving the meat hook 5, 6 along the rail in an inclined position moreover the load acting on the rail in vertical direction is decreased, because the weight of the load is resolved into a vertical and a horizontal component of force.

By the shape of the suspension member 6 with the inwardly and downwardly sloping legs 8 the clamping force of the free ends 10 against the central web 3 of the supporting rail 1 will be greater with increase of loading of the hook 5.

It is obvious that the suspension member 6 is advantageously manufactured in a synthetic plastics material with good sliding properties.

A suitable material is nylon which may be covered with polytetrafluoroethylene.

As appears from Figures 1 and 2 the generating lines of the cylindrically shaped free ends 10 of the legs 8 of the suspension member 6 do not extend vertically but converge upwardly.

The same holds for the flat surfaces of the thickened part 3' of the central web 3 of the supporting rail 1 co-operating with them.

By this arrangement movement of the hook 5 in an inclined position becomes even easier, the clamping action in a vertical position nct being adversely influenced.

The embodiment according to Figure 5 corresponds mainly to the embodiment according to Figure 1. Here the suspension member 6 consists of metal and is provided with separate blocks indicated by 12. These blocks also are fitted with convexly cylindrical surfaces 13 and 14 respectively. The blocks 12 are fixedly connected to the metal suspension member 6 e.g.

by pins 15. However this suspension device functions completely in the same way as the suspension device according to Figures 1 to 4.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A suspension device suitable for suspending a slaughtered animal or part thereof, comprising a running rail adapted to be mounted horizontally in a vehicle or a building, the rail having a central web and two supporting flanges connected to an end of the web and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a suspension hook secured to a C-shaped suspension member which is movable along the rail, the C-shaped suspension member having legs facing each other and adapted to be supported symmetrically by the rail flanges, wherein the supporting surfaces of both flanges of the rail form acute angles with the web of the rail, and wherein the supporting surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the said flange supporting surfaces, and the free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the surface of the web.

2. A suspension device according to Claim 1, wherein the said acute angles are approximately 800 each.

3. A suspension device according to Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein the C-shaped member is made of synthetic material.

4. A suspension device according to Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein the C-shaped member is made of metal.

5. A suspension device according to Claim 4, wherein the said convexly curved supporting surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member and the convexly curved free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are provided by blocks of synthetic material connected to the C-shaped suspension member on opposite sides of the central web of the rail.

6. A suspension device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the generating lines of the convexly curved free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member and the co-operating surfaces of the central web of the rail converge in a direction away from the flanges.

7. A suspension device substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. that with this unrolling the distance between each cylindrical free end 10 and the respective facing surface of the central web 3 will increase. This means that the clamping force of the free ends 10 against the central web 3 is smaller in the inclined position of the meat hook 5, 6 than in the vertical position. This movement of the meat hook along the rail is rather easily achieved but when the meat hook is released and so is no longer subjected to a horizontal force it will return to its original vertical position and by this is again substantially immovably connected to the supporting rail 1.By moving the meat hook 5, 6 along the rail in an inclined position moreover the load acting on the rail in vertical direction is decreased, because the weight of the load is resolved into a vertical and a horizontal component of force. By the shape of the suspension member 6 with the inwardly and downwardly sloping legs 8 the clamping force of the free ends 10 against the central web 3 of the supporting rail 1 will be greater with increase of loading of the hook 5. It is obvious that the suspension member 6 is advantageously manufactured in a synthetic plastics material with good sliding properties. A suitable material is nylon which may be covered with polytetrafluoroethylene. As appears from Figures 1 and 2 the generating lines of the cylindrically shaped free ends 10 of the legs 8 of the suspension member 6 do not extend vertically but converge upwardly. The same holds for the flat surfaces of the thickened part 3' of the central web 3 of the supporting rail 1 co-operating with them. By this arrangement movement of the hook 5 in an inclined position becomes even easier, the clamping action in a vertical position nct being adversely influenced. The embodiment according to Figure 5 corresponds mainly to the embodiment according to Figure 1. Here the suspension member 6 consists of metal and is provided with separate blocks indicated by 12. These blocks also are fitted with convexly cylindrical surfaces 13 and 14 respectively. The blocks 12 are fixedly connected to the metal suspension member 6 e.g. by pins 15. However this suspension device functions completely in the same way as the suspension device according to Figures 1 to 4. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A suspension device suitable for suspending a slaughtered animal or part thereof, comprising a running rail adapted to be mounted horizontally in a vehicle or a building, the rail having a central web and two supporting flanges connected to an end of the web and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a suspension hook secured to a C-shaped suspension member which is movable along the rail, the C-shaped suspension member having legs facing each other and adapted to be supported symmetrically by the rail flanges, wherein the supporting surfaces of both flanges of the rail form acute angles with the web of the rail, and wherein the supporting surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the said flange supporting surfaces, and the free end surfaces of the legs of the C-shaped suspension member are convexly curved in a direction parallel to the rail and are arranged to co-operate symmetrically with the surface of the web.