US2492448A - Bag spreader and holder - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1949 N. SIEGMAN ETAL BAG SPREADER AND HOLDER Filed May 14, 1946 I INVENTORS.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 BAG SPREADER AND HOLDER Nicholas Siegman and Ivar Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio; said Johnson assignor to said Siegman Application May 14, 1946, Serial No. 669,646

Claims.

This invention rel-ates to devices for spreading and holding bags. While, as will appear hereinafter, the invention is applicable to many and varied uses in connection with bags, it is particularly useful in connection with the filling of open mesh bags, such as are used by laundries.

It is conventional in laundries to put a number of articles belonging to an individual customer into a single open mesh bag for Washing. The bag is closed and appropriately tagged with the customers number or other indici-a, and then the entire bag is placed in the laundry machine and washed.

The open mesh bags which are used for the above purpose in laundries are extremely flexible and must be supported adjacent the top and held open in some manner so that they may be filled. A great deal of time is lost in the bag filling operation.

With the above considerations in mind, it is an object of our invention to provide a device which will, with a minimum of efiort on the part of the operator, spread and hold open a laundry bag so that it may be filled. It is another object of our invention toprovide a device as outlined, in which the laundry bag can easily be removed from the holding means. It is a further object of our invention to provide a device as outlined abovewhich is portable so that it may be moved about from work station to work station. Other ob- Jects of our invention include the provision of a device of this character which will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which will be durable in use, and simple in operation.

These and other objects of our invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter, or which will appear to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference may be had to the drawings which form a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away of a device according to our invention.

, Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken along the line 2, 2, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial cross sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the device in another stage of operation.

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view showing the device in use.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention, we provide what might be termed an open-sided bin structure mounted upon casters so that it may be wheeled about at will. On the level with the top of said bin-like structure, we provide a shelf-like extension and we provide a series of pairs of hook elements on each side of said bin-like structure, one of said sets of hooks being movable with respect to the other by means of a foot pedal.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we have shown an open sided bin-like structure composed of a series of angle members constituting a framework, indicated generally at II]. This framework is preferably mounted upon caster wheels II in any desired manner. The framework It] is provided with smooth surfaces on the inner side which may be formed from sheets of any suitable material I2. These bin faces I2 may be of galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel, plastic, or other suitable material. Thus, in the region to be occupied by the bag there will be no projecting corners which might catch on and tear the material being loaded into the bag.

One one side of the structure Ill at the top thereof, we provide a framework extension I3 which is provided with a suitable surfacing I4 which may be made from the same material as. the bin faces I2. The member I4 thus consti-- tutes a shelf upon which the material to be loaded into the bag may be placed for sorting, counting. or checking.

At the top of one of the bin walls as indicated in Figure 2 at I5, we provide a series of pairs of fixed hook members indicated at I6 in Figure 4. It will be clear that any suitable number of pairs of hook members may be used, and for purposes of illustration, we have shown three such pairs. The pairs of hook members are pointed in opposite directions as clearly shown in Figure 4. With three pairs of hooks, it will be convenient to use the inner pair for small bags, the middle pair for intermediate size bags, and the outer pair for large-bags.

At the top of the other bin face, as at H in Figure 2, we provide a series of pairs of hooks I8 similar in all respects to the hooks I6 and similarly arranged. The hooks I8 are, however, mounted on a separate angle member I9. Fastened to the angle I9 in any suitable manner are the guide rods 20, which are supported in holes in the framework member l0 and in another transverse angle member I2I. The angle member I9 carrying the hook member I! is thus free to move toward the right in Figures 1, 2, and 3 to bring the hooks I8 closer to the hooks I6.

The members 20 are connected by a bar 22 to which they are securely fastened in any suit- 3 able manner, and compression springs 23 surrounding the members 20 between the framework In and the transverse member 22 tend to urge the member 22 together with the rods 20 and the angle 19 and the hooks l8 toward the left of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive. A chain or other suitable flexible connection indicated at 23 is fastened to the member 22 in any suitable manner, such. as indicated at 242 The chain 23. passes over a pulley 25'; suitably fastened to the frame In or as by means of brackets or the like 26. The chain 23 is fastened at its lower end at 21 to a lever 28 which is pivoted toanlextension 29 of the frame, as at 30. A treadle member 3| connected to the lever 28, as at- 34. end, the lever 3| carries a pedal 35.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the device will be clear. When the operator desires. to; fill a laundry bag,- .he will. depressmhe.

35".. to swing; upwardly; causing; the lever 28: to. pivot in; acounterclockwise.manner, and causing the mintsll-tomovedownwardly. Downward motion of, the-point 2T-will, .by means of-the chain 23. produce motiomto-the right .of the member 22, and-"its. associatedparts, and will cause the hook. members l8to approach thehookmernbers 16;, as-seen inEi-gure 3'. The operator will then, while. continuing, to depress the pedal 35; turn" theupper edge. of the laundry .bag; overthe appropriate. pair of hooks; l3 1 and a corresponding. pair of hOOkSi'lfi. Then the: operator will remove foot from'the'pedal. 35,- whereupon the assembly; carryingrthehooks l8-will. move toward the lei-t of- Figures 1 to 3-, inclusive, under theinLfl-uence ofthe-.-compressiorr springs 23'. The."

bagwill then. be heldfirml-y; in opened condition,

as bestsseen i-neFigurelr After the bag is filled; pressure on the pedal 35 will again causethe hook members ill-to. approach. the hookmembers 46,. and; the-operator can simply lift the bag off the hooks.

Although we have desi-gneds.this-specific em"- bodimentior use -in laundries for the.-pu1poses described; it will be clear: that, either without modification; or, with minor modifications, this device will be of utility for spreadingandf holding .bagsforfilli-ngin avarietyof fields. It will also.- be. clear that.numerousmodifications. can;

be made withoutdepartingfrom the spiritof our invention, and. we thereforev do-not intendto limit. ourselyes,-, except. as pointed.- out-inthe claims which follow.

Havingnow fully described our invention=;;. whatlwerelaim as. new.and-..-desire to. secure by Letters Patent is;.

1'. Adevice of,..the. character. described, comprising. an open-sidedbin-like structure, a pair.

of bag-engaging hooks mounted at-the. tops otone side of said structure, a bag carryinga pair of bag-engaging .hooksreciprocably mounted at the. toprof the other side. of. said..structure,. springv means for yieldingly holding said bar against sa-i.d side, a pedal,..and. means comprisinga linkage between s.aid..bar and said pedal for moving.

said bar towardsaidfirst. mentionedside.

is pivoted to another extension 32' of the frame at 33 and is pivotallyanld slidably At its. outer- This action will. cause the point. 34-;

2. A device of the character described, comprising an open-sided bin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, a pair of bag-engaging hooks mounted at the top of one side of said structure, a bar carrying a pair of bag-engaging hooks reciprocably mounted at the top of the other side of said structure, spring means for yieldably holding said bar against said side, a pedal, and'means comprising a linkage between saidbar and said'pedalior' moving said bar toward said first mentioned side.

3. A device of the character described, comprising. an-open-sided bin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, a shelf extending substantially horizontally from one side of said spring, means, and fixedhooks at the top of' the other side of saidstructure;

4. A device of the character: described, comprising an open-sided bin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, said structure being mountedupon casters, a shelf: extending substantiall horizontallyfrom. one side of said structure adjacent the topv thereof, ahook carrying barhaving guide rods slidably supported under said shelf whereby said bar can be moved toward or away from saidside, spring means for urging said. bar toward said: side; a pedal, and means com-prising a linkage between the bar and said. pedal for moving said bar awa 'fromsaid. side against-the. compression of said springmeans, and fixed hooks at the top of the other side of said structure.

5-. A; device of the character described, com-- prising an open-sidedvbin-like structure, bagengaging. elements mounted at the top of one side. of said structure, a bar carrying'bag-engag ing:elementsreciprocably mounted at the-top of the: other side of said" structure, springmeans:

for yieldi-nglyholding said bar against said side,

a. pedal and Imeans com-prising: a linkage between said. bar and saidv pedal. for moving said bar toward said first mentioned side.

NICHOLAS SIEGMAN; IVAR'JOHNSON.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are'of recoi'd in the file of-this' patent:

UNITED STATES. 'P'ATENT'S Number Name Date 1,175. ;9822 Parent Mar; 21, I916 1,431,726 Cupples o'er. 10, 1922*- 581,048: Foster Apr. 13,1926 1,603,151 Rothbord Oct; 12,1926 1,73'1g3 i 1" Laniz 0011515, 1929 1,781,164 Constable Nov; I1, 1930' 2,363,699" Smith' Nov 28; I944

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