GB2574063A - Display marker remover apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A display marker remover apparatus (100,fig.1) is provided for the removal of display markers / cube sizers from hook portions 54 of clothes hangers 50. The removal apparatus comprises a feed member 300, a hanger separation station 400, a display marker lifter station 500, and a display marker removal station 600. The feed member may comprise a screw conveyer (304,fig.5a) configured to feed a garment hanger to the display marker removal station 600 past the separation station 400 and display marker lifter station 500. At the separation station (400,fig.5a) hangers are separated onto adjacent pitches of screw thread (306,fig.5a). At the display marker lifter station (500,fig.7a), a lifter member, which may be a jet of air, raises the display marker (60,fig.7b) at least partially up the hook portion (54,fig.7a). With the display marker (60,fig.7b) lifted away from a shoulder portion (52,fig.7b) of the garment hanger, a remover member (602,fig.7b) at the remover station (600,fig.7a) is able to receive the raised display marker (60,fig.7b) on the hook portion (54,fig.7b), and to urge the display marker around the hook portion to separate the display marker from a free end of the hook portion.

Description

DISPLAY MARKER REMOVER APPARATUS [0001] This invention relates to a display marker remover apparatus for the removal of display markers from garment hangers. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a mechanised apparatus for the automated removal of cube sizers from the hook portions of clothes hangers on which they have been mounted. Associated methods are also disclosed.

BACKGROUND [0002] For purposes of displaying garments suspended on hangers in an orderly and attractive manner to the retail customer, it is often desired to affix a display marker on the hanger in a position visible to the retail customer while the hanger is suspended on a rack. The display marker identifies some attribute of the garment suspended from the hanger, such as size, quality, colour, manufacturing data, or pattern. The provision of a readily visible display marker on a garment hanger is accepted by retailers as a desirable addition to a garment hanger. To accommodate the various types of hangers available in the industry, numerous display markers have been developed in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Similarly, hangers have been developed to accommodate a variety of different indicating means.

[0003] Garment hangers with removable display markers are known and enable re-use of either or both of the garment hanger and the display marker. This therefore avoids hangers and indicia being shipped to a landfill as waste, or plastic hangers being granulated into pellets (for subsequent re-sale) at a recycling centre. However, landfills are taking up more and more space and recycling is often an expensive venture which renders such an option cost inefficient despite the need to conserve our environment's resources. Furthermore, many companies do not want to purchase recycled-content plastic products for either safety (i.e., food containers) or aesthetic purposes.

[0004] Re-use has, to date, been carried out by a process such as that described in US 6484390, in which used hangers, with their display markers attached, are sent to a re-use centre where the markers are stripped from the hangers. Hangers may be loaded on to a conveyor system, such as a rotating helical screw (or a series thereof) to be fed from a loading station to a display marker removal station. The type of display marker handled by the system of US 6484390 is an index cap - a display marker secured to a top part of a plastic moulded hook portion of a plastic moulded hanger by a laterally displaceable projection on the hook portion received in a corresponding aperture in the marker.

[0005] To date, removal of display markers from hangers of a different common style, i.e. those having a bent metal wire hook portion, has been carried out manually, by gripping the display marker and pulling it up and around the hook portion to be removed from the free end thereof.

[0006] Such a manual process has limited throughput per operator. An objective of the present invention is to improve on the efficiency of the removal of such display markers from hangers having bent metal hook portions. By providing a mechanised, automated removal apparatus, much greater throughput can be achieved leading to increased overall efficiency of the process. This is better for the environment because re-used articles become more viable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE [0007] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a display marker remover apparatus for the removal of a display marker from a hook portion of a garment hanger. The apparatus comprises: a feed member; a display marker lifter station; and a display marker removal station. The feed member is configured to feed a garment hanger with a display marker attached to the hook portion thereof to the display marker removal station past the display marker lifter station. The display marker lifter station comprises a lifter member to raise the display marker at least partially up the hook portion, lifting the display marker away from a shoulder portion of the garment hanger. The display marker remover station comprises a remover member that is configured to receive the raised display marker on the hook portion, and to urge the display marker around the hook portion to separate the display marker from a free end of the hook portion.

[0008] The apparatus provides an automated way to quickly and efficiently remove display markers from garment hangers, enabling the hangers and, additionally or alternatively, the markers, to be reused for a further cycle. The lifter station temporarily raises the display marker from a rest position on the hook portion of the hanger to facilitate the engagement of the display marker by a remover member from beneath.

[0009] In some embodiments, the display marker comprises a hollow-bodied member having a wall with a substantially central hole for removably mounting the display marker to the hook portion of the associated hanger. Such display markers are standard in the industry and accordingly no special adaptations are required to institute a reuse program using these markers. The hole may be in the range of 3.0 to 3.7 mm in diameter, preferably 3.1 to 3.7 mm in diameter, which corresponds to being about 10% or 0.3 mm greater in diameter than standard sizes of wire that are typically used to form the hook portion (2.8 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.2 mm and 3.4 mm). The display marker may comprise a substantially open bottom end, which may help to entrain a jet of air to lift the marker at the lifter station. The display marker may be substantially cuboid.

[0010] The lifter member may comprise an air jet directed towards the underside of the display marker. Air is readily available and readily compressible and sources of compressed air are often already present in a hanger processing facility. Moreover, air can simply be released to the atmosphere after jetting without deleterious effects on the environment. This therefore provides an inexpensive and simple means for lifting the display marker.

[0011] The feed member may comprise a helical screw, wherein hook portions of respective hangers can be received in adjacent pitches of the screw thread such that rotation of the helical screw translates the hangers in an axial direction. The screw thread pitch can be selected to conveniently receive the hook portions, separate from one another. Simple rotary motion of the screw is thus converted into translation of the hangers, over significant distances within the facility. The display marker remover apparatus may further comprise a hanger separator member fixed on the helical screw and rotating therewith. The separator member comprises a separator finger configured to separate bunched hangers by inserting between the hook portions of adjacent hangers on the feed member as the feed member rotates and to allow a single hook portion to progress per revolution whilst blocking the downstream passage of subsequent hangers on the feed member. Hangers can be bunched on the screw member, for example by being loaded upstream in a haphazard manner, and hook portions can be entangled with one another and not initially neatly arranged in discrete pitches of the screw thread. The separator member provides a convenient automated way to separate those entangled hangers to separate thread pitches. This helps to avoid jamming of the apparatus downstream and helps to avoid damage to the hangers. By having the separator member rotate with the screw thread, the feed and the separation processes can both be powered from a common source. The separator member may further comprise a substantially helical member having the same pitch as the helical screw, but having a varying outer diameter that includes at least one portion having a larger diameter than the underlying helical screw and which is configured to separate bunched hangers by defining a path for just a single hook portion to progress per revolution.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the separator member comprises an outer surface having an upstream portion with a substantially constant radius for approximately one pitch and which tapers in the longitudinal direction from a narrow input end edge to a maximum width at a trailing end, wherein a leading edge at said trailing end is chamfered, defining an opening between the input end edge and the trailing end, thereby providing a passageway for the hook portions to pass through into the separator member, and wherein a trailing side of the outer surface of the upstream portion has an inwardly tapering profile, with a radius that narrows from the maximum to a minimum which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying helical screw. The outer surface of the separator member may further comprise a downstream portion with a helical ridge that tapers radially inwardly from a maximum radius where it meets the trailing end of the upstream portion, to a minimum radius at an output end edge which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying helical screw. The display marker remover apparatus may further comprise an arcuate slot formed through the upstream portion from a leading side to the trailing side, sized and shaped to allow passage of a tip of a hook portion therethrough as the separator member is rotated, thereby allowing a hanger to pass downstream through the separator member. These topological features combine to provide a smooth and reliable passage of a single hanger through the separator member, guiding one hook portion through at a time whilst resisting downstream passage of a subsequent hook portion until the first hook portion has progressed sufficiently for the next pitch of the helical screw to be clear.

[0013] In some embodiments, the remover member is rotatable and includes a surface for engaging a bottom end of the display marker, such that rotation of the remover member causes the display marker to slide along said surface and to be lifted up and around the associated hook portion until ejection from a free end thereof. The remover member may comprise a slot having a first upstream end for receiving the raised display marker on the hook portion, and a second downstream end where the display marker is removed from the free end of the hook portion and ejected, wherein the slot is defined between upstream and downstream fingers, wherein said surface comprises an inner surface of each finger and wherein the slot is substantially helical and tapers radially inwardly from the first end to the second end, such that rotation of the remover member causes the display marker to slide along the slot and to be lifted up and around the hook portion until ejection at the second end. The fingers and slot thus together form a claw-like member that is able to be slid under the bottom surface of the raised display marker with a contact surface that is effectively raised as it rotates, due to the helical shape, and which thus causes the display marker to be further lifted and progressively slid around the hook portion towards the free end.

[0014] In certain embodiments, where the display marker remover apparatus comprises a helical screw, the remover member may be fixed on the helical screw and rotate therewith. By having the remover member rotate with the screw thread, the feed and the removal processes can both be powered from a common source; rotation of the feed screw both feeds the hangers downstream within the apparatus and turns the remover member to engage with and move the display marker around and off the hook portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] Embodiments of the invention are further described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective overview of display marker remover apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, including a detail view of a hanger input section;

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the apparatus of the preceding figures, viewed from the input end;

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of the preceding figures, including a detail view of the hanger input section;

Figures 5a to 5I show perspective views of different respective stages of progress of hangers through a separator member;

Figures 6a to 6I correspond to Figures 5a to 5I, but additionally showing the respective stages from each of: plan; first side elevation; end elevation; reverse side elevation; and longitudinal cross-sectional views;

Figures 7a to 7h show perspective views of different respective stages of progress of hangers through a display marker remover station and associated display marker lifter station;

Figures 8a to 8h correspond to Figures 7a to 7h, but additionally showing the respective stages from each of: plan; first side elevation; end elevation; reverse side elevation; and longitudinal cross-sectional views; and

Figures 9a to 9d show examples of display markers for use with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a display marker removal apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus 100 comprises an enclosure 102 having a feed end 104 and a discharge end 106. The enclosure 102 is raised from the ground 10 by a support frame 108. A first end wall 110 of the housing is located at the feed end 104 and includes a pair of vertically aligned windows 112a, 112b. A corresponding second end wall 114 is located at the discharge end 106, with corresponding windows (not shown). Access doors 120 are provided in at least on side wall 122 to allow an operator to access the interior of the enclosure 102. A hopper 200 is positioned beneath the enclosure 102; more specifically beneath a central hole 126 in a base 124 thereof, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The base 124 is angled downwardly towards the hole 126 so that display markers 60 removed from hangers 50 within the enclosure, as described below, will fall into the hopper 200 for collection.

[0017] Hangers 50 with respective display markers 60 attached are fed to the apparatus 100 by a conveyor system in the form of a screw conveyor 300. In the apparatus as illustrated, there is a pair of screw conveyors 300 located one above the other, but for simplicity only the upper screw conveyor and its operation will be described; operation of the lower screw conveyor is substantially identical to that of the upper screw conveyor. Providing two screw conveyors 300 can double the potential throughput for the apparatus in comparison to a single screw conveyor. It will be understood that just a single screw conveyor or more than two screw conveyors may be provided instead. Moreover, it will be understood that the feed mechanism may comprise other forms too, either alone or in combination with other feed members, such as a feed rail on which hangers move downwardly towards the apparatus by gravity, or a belt conveyor, or any other appropriate means to carry the hangers 50 towards the apparatus 100. To initiate the process, hangers 50 may be loaded on to the feed mechanism 300 by being placed on to an upstream portion 302 of the screw conveyor 300, on the feed end 104 of the apparatus. This may occur at an initial loading station (not shown) further upstream of the apparatus 100 and may take place manually or automatically.

[0018] The feed mechanism may form part of a larger conveyor system for conveying hangers around a hanger processing plant, for example carrying hangers 50 from an upstream sorting station, where hangers of different styles may be sorted for allocation to different processing streams.

[0019] Each hanger 50 comprises a shoulder portion 52 and a hook portion 54 attached centrally thereto. Loading of the hangers 50 on to the feed mechanism 300 comprises placing the hook portion 54 over the screw conveyor 300 to be supported on its surface. The screw conveyor 300 comprises a substantially horizontal rod-like elongate member 304 which has an outer surface defining a continuous helical screw thread 306 along its length, defined by a continuous groove and corresponding adjacent ridge. The hook portions 54 of individual hangers are intended to be received in adjacent pitches of the screw thread 306 such that rotation of the screw conveyor 300 translates the hangers 50 in an axial direction downstream of the upstream portion 302; one full rotation of the elongate member 304 resulting in a single pitch of axial translation. The hangers 50 are thus conveyed in to the apparatus 100 towards a separation station 600 for separation of the display markers 60, passing through the window 112a as they enter the apparatus 100. However, placing individual hangers 50 in adjacent pitches of the screw thread 306 is difficult to achieve and often two hangers 50 may be bunched (their respective hook portions 54 being received in the same pitch), or a pitch may be left empty. If two hangers 50 are both received in the same pitch of the screw thread 306, then they will travel downstream together towards the separation station 600, which might cause problems at the separation stage. If, in contrast, pitches are left empty between individual hangers, then the apparatus is not being used at full capacity.

[0020] To this end, a hanger separator member 400 is fixed on the screw conveyor 300 and rotates therewith. The separator member 400 comprises a substantially helical member having the same pitch as the helical screw thread 306, but having a varying outer diameter that includes at least one portion having a larger diameter than the underlying helical screw thread 306 and which is configured to separate bunched hangers by defining a path for just a single hook portion 54 to progress per revolution, as described more fully by reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0021] The outer surface of the separator member 400 has a complex topology: an upstream portion 402 has a substantially constant radius (providing a larger diameter than the underlying helical screw) for approximately one pitch, but tapers in the longitudinal direction from a narrow input end edge 404 to a trailing end 413 approximately centrally of the separator member 400, where the outer surface of the upstream portion 402 has a maximum width (in the longitudinal direction) 406. At that trailing end 413 of the outer surface of the upstream portion of the separator member, a leading edge 407 is chamfered, defining an opening 409 between the input end edge 404 and the trailing end 413, thereby providing a passageway for the hook portions 54 of the hangers to pass through into the separator member. A trailing side 411 of the outer surface of the upstream portion 402 has an inwardly tapering profile, with a radius that narrows from the maximum to a minimum which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying screw thread 306.

[0022] A downstream portion 408 of the outer surface of the separator member 400 comprises a helical ridge 420 that tapers radially inwardly from a maximum radius where it meets the trailing end 413 of the upstream portion 402, forming a contiguous surface therewith, to a minimum radius at an output end edge 418 which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying screw thread 306.

[0023] The outer surface of the separator member 400 may include a ridged outer profile, whereby respective hook members 54 are urged, under force of gravity, to slide to one side of the ridge or the other, assisting in their separation.

[0024] The separator member 400 includes an arcuate slot 414 formed through the upstream portion 402 from a leading side 410 to the trailing side 411, sized and shaped to allow passage of a tip 55 of a hook portion 54 therethrough as the separator member is rotated, thereby allowing a hanger 50 to pass downstream through the separator member 400. The hook portion 54 is typically in the form of a bent metal wire. The tip, or free end, 55 is typically formed as a ball end, having a slightly larger diameter than the wire forming the rest of the hook portion 54.

[0025] A separator finger 424 is attached to (or forms an integral part of) the input end edge 404 of the separator member 400 with at least a free end portion 425 projecting circumferentially beyond that input end edge 404 in the direction of rotation. The finger 424 may be formed of a resilient material so as to have some flex and may be adjustably mounted so that the free end 425 can be positioned to reliably insert between the hook portions 54 of bunched hangers, as explained below.

[0026] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate, in stages, the separation at the separator member 400 of a pair of hangers 50a, 50b initially bunched together at a single pitch of the screw thread 306 to separate, adjacent pitches of the screw thread. As the elongate member 304 is rotated in the clockwise direction 303 as viewed, the hangers are urged axially downstream 305 (Fig. 5a). On reaching the separator member 400, rotation of the separator member 400 brings the separator finger 424, and in particular the free end 425 thereof, to a position between the hook portions 54 of the respective first and second hangers 50a, 50b (Fig. 5b). The hook portion 54 of the first hanger 50a is located within the groove of the screw thread 306. As illustrated, the hook portion 54 of the second hanger 50b is positioned on the adjacent ridge of the rod-like member 304, but it could initially be located within the same portion of the groove as that of the first hanger 50a. Continued rotation of the screw conveyor 300 and, accordingly, the separator member 400, brings an outer face of the separator finger 424 into contact with the hook portion 54 of the second hanger 50b, thereby preventing the second hanger 50b from progressing further downstream (Figs. 5c, 5d). If the second hanger 50b was initially within the groove along with the first hanger 50a, this contact with the separator finger 424 would dislodge the second hanger 50b out of the groove to be positioned on the adjacent upstream ridge. Meanwhile, the first hanger 50a, by virtue of the location of the hook portion 54 thereof within the groove of the helical screw 306, does progress downstream, with a tip 55 of its hook portion 54 passing into a first end of the slot 414 and with the other end of the hook portion near the body portion 52 passing beyond the end edge 404 and through the opening 409. By the time the separator member 400 has turned through approximately half a rotation since the position of Fig. 5a, the separator finger 424 has urged the hook portion 54 of the second hanger 50b into the next pitch of the groove of the screw thread 306 (Fig. 5e). There is now a clear separation 430 between the respective body portions 52 of the first and second hangers 50a, 50b. By Fig. 5f, continued rotation of the screw conveyor 300 brings the second hanger 50b towards a position occupied by the first hanger in Fig. 5a, ready for passage downstream through the separator member 400. The separator finger 424 passes on the upstream side of the hook portion 54 and the hook portion thus passes beyond the end edge 404 (Fig. 5g). Meanwhile, the hook portion 54 of the first hanger 50a has passed through the slot 414 and, urged on by the tapering profile of the trailing side 411, has almost cleared the downstream end of the separator member 400. The hook portion 54 is prevented from prematurely exiting the downstream end by abutment against the maximum radius part of the downstream portion 408. The radially tapering profile of the ridge 420 of the separator member at the downstream end thereof allows the hook portion 54 to pass out of the separator member 400 at the output end edge 418 whilst still remaining within the groove of the screw thread 306 (Figs. 5h, 5i). By the time the screw conveyor 300 has turned to the position shown in Fig. 5i, the second hanger 50b has reached the position occupied previously by the first hanger 50a in Fig. 5f. Figures 5j, 5k and 5I show further downstream progress of the separated hangers 50a, 50b within their respective adjacent pitches of the screw thread 306.

[0027] A path for a single hook portion 54 at a time is thus defined through the separator member 400 from an initial passage past the end 425 of the finger 424, through an inlet at the opening 409, along the helical path defined by the slot 414 and the trailing side 411, and onwards to the downstream portion 408 until release past the output end edge 418. It will be appreciated that other such separation paths could be created by other means. At its most basic, however, separation of adjacent hangers could be achieved by a suitably positioned, oriented and sized rotating separator finger alone.

[0028] Downstream of the separator member 400, the now separated hangers 50 progress further downstream towards a display marker lifter station 500 and associated display marker removal station 600. At the lifter station 500, a lifter member raises the display marker 60 at least partially up the hook portion 54, thereby lifting the display marker 60 away from a shoulder portion 52 of the garment hanger 50. The lifter member comprises an apparatus 502 to direct a jet of air 504 from below towards the underside of the display marker 60 to raise the marker by air pressure. There could be a continuous stream of air emitted from the apparatus 502, but preferably a series of puffs of air is emitted, each timed to coincide with the arrival of a hanger 50 and attached display marker at the lifter station 500. Timing of the puffs may be linked to a sensor detecting the presence of a hanger or be based on the rotation of the screw conveyor 300.

[0029] The jet of air 504 is strong enough to raise the display marker 60 by enough vertical distance and for a sufficient time for a remover member of the removal station 600 to be inserted beneath the now raised display marker 60, between the top surface of the shoulder portion 52 of the hanger and a bottom edge of the display marker for removal of the display marker 60 from the hook portion 54, as described in greater detail below.

[0030] The display marker 60 typically comprises a hollow-bodied member having a top wall 61 with a substantially central hole 62 for removably mounting the display marker to the hook portion 54 of the associated hanger 50. The display marker 60 typically comprises a substantially open bottom end 63. Many kinds of such display makers 60 are known. Figures 9a to 9d show some common variants 60, 60’, 60”, 60’”, each of which would be suitable for use with the present invention. The display marker 60 (Fig. 9a) is substantially cuboid and has a square open bottom end 63 and a similarly sized top wall with a simple central hole 62 passing centrally therethrough. In the first variant 60’ (Fig. 9b), the open bottom end 63’ is also square, but larger than the top wall 6T, resulting in a truncated pyramidal form. The central hole 62’ in this first variant includes slots 64 to provide some flexibility in the top wall 61’ and the hole 62’, allowing for slightly differently sized hook portions 54 to be accommodated. This type of hole could be incorporated into any of the display markers. The second variant 60” (Fig. 9c) is substantially cylindrical, having a circular top wall 61” and a corresponding circular open bottom end 63”. The third variant 60’” (Fig. 9d) is a frustroconical shape, with a larger circular bottom end 63’” than the top wall 6T”. In certain other variants (not shown), the air puff may act against a more centrally positioned cross wall than the top walls of these illustrated display markers to urge the display marker upwards on the hook portion 54. Although typically hollow-bodied, it will be appreciated that non-hollow markers may also be used, provided they include a passage for sliding the marker onto (and off) the hook portion; the air puff would act on a bottom surface of such a marker to lift it at the lifter station.

[0031] The central hole 62, 62’, 62”, 62’” is sized to have a slightly larger diameter than the wire of the associated hook portion 54 on which it is designed to fit. By way of example, standard diameters for the wire comprising the hook portion 54 include: 2.8 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.2 mm and 3.4 mm. For a 3.2 mm diameter wire, a hole 62 of 3.5 mm diameter may be used. The slightly larger size of the hole 62 (in this example approximately 10% or 0.3 mm larger) allows the display marker 60 some freedom of movement on the hook portion 54. When shipped and sometimes in store, the garments are packed tightly together and if the display markers 60 were all in the same place on the hook 54 they could get squashed and damaged. The freedom of movement afforded by the larger diameter hole also allows the display marker 60 to be raised relatively freely at the lifter station 500. Moreover, the larger size hole 62 enables the display marker 60 to be removed from the ball end 55 of the hook portion 54, as described below.

[0032] It will be appreciated that another fluid other than air could be used for the jet, such as an inert gas or water, but air is readily available and can simply be released to the atmosphere after jetting without deleterious effects on the environment. A mechanical lifter mechanism can also be envisaged, but might be more complicated to set up with enough precision to repeatedly and reliably function as required.

[0033] With reference to Figures 7 and 8 especially, the display marker removal station 600 comprises a remover member 602 that is fixedly mounted on the screw conveyor 300 and rotates therewith. The remover member 602 comprises a substantially helical claw member defining a helical slot 604 between an upstream finger 606 and a downstream finger 608. The fingers each include a respective inner surface 610a, 610b, along which the bottom edge of a display marker 60 slides to be removed from its associated hook portion 54, as explained below. The inner surfaces 610a, 610b taper radially inwardly from a maximum radius at an upstream input end 612 of the helical slot 604 to a minimum radius at a downstream output end 614, where the display marker 60 is ejected. The fingers 606, 608 each include a chamfered edge at the input end 612 thereby defining a relatively wide tapering mouth 613. The wide mouth 613 facilitates ease of passage of the remover member 602 past the hook portions 54 of the hangers 50, in turn, as the apparatus rotates and helps to guide the display markers 60 into the helical slot 604 for engagement with the inner surfaces 610a, 610b. The maximum radius of the slot 604 corresponds to a position in which the input ends of the respective fingers 606, 608 can pass between the bottom edge 63 of a display marker 60 that has been temporarily raised by the lifter member 502, and the shoulder portion 52 of the associated hanger 50. The minimum radius of the slot substantially matches the radius of the groove of the underlying helical screw thread 306. The longitudinal width of at least the upstream finger 606 is selected to be no greater than the separation between adjacent hangers 50 (i.e. less than a single pitch of the screw thread 306) to ensure that the remover member 602 can rotate between a first hanger 50a and an adjacent second hanger 50b without knocking the second hanger 50b. Thus, the remover member 602 does not interfere with the operation of the lifter station 500, in particular ensuring that a display marker 60 on the hook portion 54 of the second hanger 50b is not prevented from being raised or is not knocked down from the raised position.

[0034] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate, in stages, the removal at the removal station 600 of a display marker 60 from an associated hanger 50. As the elongate member 304 is rotated in the clockwise direction 303 as viewed, the separated hangers 50 from the upstream separator station 400 are urged axially downstream 305 (Figs. 7a, 7b; 8a, 8b). Simultaneously, the lifter station 500 is operating to raise the display marker 60 up the hook portion 54 of the first hanger 50a so as to be in a raised position when reaching the remover member 602. On reaching the remover member 602, rotation of the remover member 602 brings the upstream finger 606 to a position between the hook portions 54 of the respective first and second hangers 50a, 50b (Figs. 7c; 8c), both the upstream finger 606 and the downstream finger 608 being brought into a position between the top of the shoulder portion 52 of the first hanger 50a and the bottom end 63 of the display marker 60 and with the display marker 60 in line with the mouth 613 of the slot 604. Continued rotation of the remover member 602 brings the inner surfaces 610a, 610b into engagement with the bottom end 63 of the display marker 60 (Figs. 7d; 8d). The display marker 60 is thus supported within the slot 604 and no longer needs to be under the influence of the lifting station 500 to be raised off the shoulder portion 52. Further continued rotation of the remover member 602 causes the display marker to be slid along the inner surfaces 610a 610b towards the output end 614 of the slot 604, being urged around the hook portion 54 towards the free end 55 by virtue of the narrowing radius of the slot 604 (Figs. 7e, 7f; 8e, 8f). Once the remover member 602 reaches the stage illustrated in Figs. 7g; 8g, the display marker 60 is ejected from the output end 614 of the slot 604 and off the free end 55 of the hook portion 54. In effect, the claw formed by the upstream and downstream fingers 606, 608 ‘pulls’ the display marker 60 up and around the hook portion 54 until the display marker is ejected, to fall into the hopper 200 under the force of gravity. The ball 55 at the free end 55 is slightly larger than the hole 62 to prevent inadvertent removal of the marker 60. However, the size of the hole 62 and the thickness of the surrounding material in the top wall 61, as well the length of any slots 64, if present, are selected so that there is sufficient flex in the arrangement to allow the display marker 60 to pass over the ball end 55 when sufficient force is applied.

[0035] Meanwhile, the display marker 60 of the second hanger 50b has been brought into initial engagement with the input end 612 of the slot 604 - the stage reached at Fig 7g; 8g in respect of the second hanger 50b being the same as that reached in respect of the first hanger 50a at Figs. 7c; 8c. Thus, the display markers 60 can be removed rapidly, in turn, from their respective hangers 50.

[0036] The remover member 602 is thus configured to receive the raised display marker 60 on the hook portion 54, and to urge the display marker 60 around the hook portion 54 to separate the display marker from a free end 55 of the hook portion.

[0037] The twin-fingered claw arrangement is beneficial in that it engages both upstream and downstream sides of the display markers 60 either side of the associated hook portion 54, but in a simpler form the remover member 602 could omit one or other of the fingers 606, 608, thereby engaging the display marker on just a single side.

[0038] Where, in embodiments in which the feed mechanism takes a different form to the screw conveyor, it will be understood that the separator member 400 and the remover member 602 may be rotated by independent drive means, as would be appreciated by the skilled person.

[0039] The enclosure 102 will help to prevent noise emanating from the enclosed apparatus within - e.g. the separator member 400, the lifter station 500 and the display marker removal station 600, as well as the noise of the hangers 50 on the conveyor system 300 - from being emitted to the environment, and for safety purposes to provide a shield to the moving parts within. However, it will be appreciated that in some circumstances some or all of the enclosure may be omitted to provide freer access to the separator, lifter and removal stations.

[0040] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean “including but not limited to”, and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

[0041] Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0042] The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and 5 which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (15)

1. A display marker remover apparatus for the removal of a display marker from a hook portion of a garment hanger, the apparatus comprising:

a feed member;

a display marker lifter station; and a display marker removal station;

wherein the feed member is configured to feed a garment hanger with a display marker attached to the hook portion thereof to the display marker removal station past the display marker lifter station;

wherein the display marker lifter station comprises a lifter member to raise the display marker at least partially up the hook portion, lifting the display marker away from a shoulder portion of the garment hanger; and wherein the display marker remover station comprises a remover member that is configured to receive the raised display marker on the hook portion, and to urge the display marker around the hook portion to separate the display marker from a free end of the hook portion.

2. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display marker comprises a hollow-bodied member having a wall with a substantially central hole for removably mounting the display marker to the hook portion of the associated hanger.

3. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hole is in the range of 2.8 to 4.0 mm in diameter, preferably 3.0 to 3.7 mm in diameter.

4. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the display marker comprises a substantially open bottom end.

5. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 4, wherein the display marker is substantially cuboid.

6. The display marker remover apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the lifter member comprises an air jet directed towards the underside of the display marker.

7. The display marker remover apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the feed member comprises a helical screw, wherein hook portions of respective hangers can be received in adjacent pitches of the screw thread such that rotation of the helical screw translates the hangers in an axial direction.

8. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a hanger separator member fixed on the helical screw and rotating therewith, the separator member comprising a separator finger configured to separate bunched hangers by inserting between the hook portions of adjacent hangers on the feed member as the feed member rotates and to allow a single hook portion to progress per revolution whilst blocking the downstream passage of subsequent hangers on the feed member.

9. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 8, wherein the separator member further comprises a substantially helical member having the same pitch as the helical screw, but having a varying outer diameter that includes at least one portion having a larger diameter than the underlying helical screw and which is configured to separate bunched hangers by defining a path for just a single hook portion to progress per revolution.

10. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 9, wherein the separator member comprises an outer surface having an upstream portion with a substantially constant radius for approximately one pitch and which tapers in the longitudinal direction from a narrow input end edge to a maximum width at a trailing end, wherein a leading edge at said trailing end is chamfered, defining an opening between the input end edge and the trailing end, thereby providing a passageway for the hook portions to pass through into the separator member, and wherein a trailing side of the outer surface of the upstream portion has an inwardly tapering profile, with a radius that narrows from the maximum to a minimum which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying helical screw.

11. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the separator member further comprises a downstream portion with a helical ridge that tapers radially inwardly from a maximum radius where it meets the trailing end of the upstream portion, to a minimum radius at an output end edge which is substantially equal to that of the ridge of the underlying helical screw.

12. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 10 or claim 11, further comprising an arcuate slot formed through the upstream portion from a leading side to the trailing side, sized and shaped to allow passage of a tip of a hook portion therethrough as the separator member is rotated, thereby allowing a hanger to pass downstream through the separator member.

13. The display marker remover apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the remover member is rotatable and includes a surface for engaging a bottom end of the display marker, such that rotation of the remover member causes the display marker to slide along said surface and to be lifted up and around the associated hook portion until ejection from a free end thereof.

14. The display marker remover apparatus of claim 13, wherein the remover member comprises a slot having a first upstream end for receiving the raised display marker on the hook portion, and a second downstream end where the display marker is removed from the free end of the hook portion and ejected, wherein the slot is defined between upstream 5 and downstream fingers, wherein said surface comprises an inner surface of each finger and wherein the slot is substantially helical and tapers radially inwardly from the first end to the second end, such that rotation of the remover member causes the display marker to slide along the slot and to be lifted up and around the hook portion until ejection at the second end.

10

15. The display marker remover apparatus of either of claim 13 or claim 14 when dependant on claim 7, wherein the remover member is fixed on the helical screw and rotates therewith.