Flexible strap hanger

Abstract

A strap hanger device for use in hanging fresh meats such as beef and other types of products that lend themselves to being suspended from an overhead support. The unit is characterized in loops 13 formed at each end and a sliding bar fastener 14 adapted to slide along the strap to receive the upper loop and allow the strap to be secured around an overhead bar.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a strap hanger particularly useful for hanging large objects such as sides of beef or other fresh meats on the existing overhead beams of meat carriers such as truck trailers.

Presently, most meats, such as beef sides, are hung in trucks and the like on "S"-like steel hooks which are heavy and expensive, adding to the cost of transportation. One end of these hooks is stuck into the meat and the other end is slung over the overhead beams in the truck to suspend the meat during transit.

Attempts to replace steel hooks with straps of woven or non-woven construction or plastic materials have met with resistance due to the necessity of installing "conversion hooks" in the trucks. Such hardware is required to accomodate the hanging of straps from the existing overhead rails. These adaptors are expensive, difficult and costly to install and restrict the usable cargo area of the vehicle. Vehicles so adapted, moreover, can no longer readily be utilized in carrying fresh meats suspended by the conventional steel hook system. Other objections encountered include strength loss of certain materials when subjected to extreme cold temperatures; undesirable elongation characteristics causing possible contact of the meat with the floor of the vehicles; and possibilities of strap breakage due to impaling of the strap when suspended from the above-mentioned conversion hooks.

It is the object of this invention to provide a sanitary, low cost strap hanger device which, in itself, is adaptable to being secured to existing overhead rails or beams, in trucks or rail cars, without the need for present steel hooks or conversion hooks or other adaptor hardware. The said strap hanger also provides secure support to the meat against falling or lateral sliding motion while in transit; minimum elongation under load; minimal strength loss under extreme cold; complete utilization of the cargo area without space losses at the ceiling due to adaptor hardware, and flexibility for the carrier to haul meats suspended from steel hooks when necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a strap hanger for hanging articles comprising: (a) strapping means having a flexible loop on at least one end thereof; (b) a sliding bar having a slot therein; (c) said strapping means extending through said slot whereby one end of said strap can be secured to said object and the other end, having the loop, can be slung over an overhead support looped around both ends of said sliding bar and secured on said overhead support by sliding said bar upwardly along said strapping.

In a presently preferred embodiment, there is provided a strap hanger for hanging fresh meats such as sides of beef, comprising a flat webbing woven from polyester yarn, said webbing having a thickness from 1/32 to 3/16 inch and a width ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches and being folded over on itself and stitched or mechanically fastened at both ends to form substantially identical loops at each of said ends, said loops having a length between 3 and 10 inches; a sliding bar in the form of an elongated rod of a length at least three times the width of said webbing but not exceeding four times the width of said web and a diameter ranging from 3/8 to 1 inch; said sliding bar having a slot extending along the axis thereof; said slot having a length exceeding the webbing width by 1/32 to 1/8 inch and a height approximately equal to the webbing thickness; said webbing extending through said slot whereby said sliding bar is constrained from sliding off either end of said strap, whereby one end of said strap can be forced through a piece of meat, the second end is fed through the loop in said one end, draped over an overhead beam, looped around both ends of said sliding bar and secured to said overhead beam by sliding said bar upwardly along said webbing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the strap hanger of the invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views showing the lower portion of the strap hanger being secured to a beef side.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a beef side suspended from an overhead beam using the strap hanger of the invention.

The strap hanger 11 of this invention comprises a strapping 12, preferably a webbing woven from polyethylene terephthalate polyester continuous multifilament fiber having a denier from 500 to 1300 in the warp direction, zero twist, and a strength of at least 8 grams per denier, preferably at least 8.3 grams per denier. This fiber has the characteristics of having high strength, low elongation under load, high impact strength at low temperatures, and being safe for food contact uses.

The strapping 12 is preferably flat having a width of 1/2 to 2 inches, preferably 5/8 to 7/8 inch and a thickness of about 1/32 to 3/16 inch, preferably 1/32 to 1/8 inch. Webbing woven to this width and thickness using the yarn specified above provides strapping which can be threaded through beef sides and handled without excess twisting, but not so bulky and stiff as to make the strapping hard to handle when manipulating loop 13 onto fastener bar 14.

The loop 13 is formed by folding the webbing over on itself and stitching same or mechanically fastening in place to provide adequate joint strength, preferably at least 60% of the tensile strength of the strap, so that substantially identical loop 13 is formed at each end of the strapping 12. The loop 13 has a length "L" ranging from 3 to 10 inches. Smaller loops are difficult to secure to fastener bar 14, and larger loops will not allow the fastener bar to slide far enough up the webbing to securely cinch it to the overhead beam found in most carriers.

A sliding bar fastener 14 having a slot 15 therein is provided to slide along the strapping 12 and act as a fastener for the loop 13 slung over beam 16 in a carrier. This bar 14 preferably takes the form of an elongated cylindrical rod of a length at least three times the width of the strapping 12 and not exceeding four times the width of strapping 12. If the bar 14 is too short, the ends 18 thereof will not provide sufficient surface to adequately secure the loop 13. If the bar 14 is too long, the worker will have trouble securing the upper loop 13 about it. The optimum length of 3-4 times the strapping width provides adequate surface to ensure that loop 13 is properly secured as shown in FIG. 4.

Slot 15 has a length exceeding the webbing width by 1/32 to 1/8 inch and a height of less than twice the strapping thickness, preferably approximately equal to but slightly less than the webbing thickness. Slot 15 is rectangular in form and extends axially and radially in substantially the middle of the bar 14. The slot location specified assures that the bar ends 18 extend beyond the strapping edges by an equal distance; the slot height of less than twice the strapping thickness assures that the bar will not slip off the strap because it will stop when it strikes the double thickness portion 19 of the strapping doubled back on itself. Most preferably, the slot height is approximately equal to but slightly less than the uncompressed web thickness whereby the friction between the slot 15 and strapping 12 is sufficient to preclude the bar 14 from sliding down the strapping 12 by gravity alone so that the bar will remain in place along the length of the strap until moved by a worker or the force of the beef 21 pulling upwardly on the strap to secure it to beam 16 as in FIG. 4. The bar 14 can be formed from a suitable strong material such as wood, metal, or plastic and is from a diameter ranging from 3/8 to 1 inch.

In practice, an article, such as a side of beef 21 to be suspended, is pierced by a piercing tool commercially available, and the strapping 12 is threaded through the meat and then through the opposite loop 13 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and with bar 14 positioned on the upper end of the strapping 12. The strap hanger 11 is secured to the overhead beam 16 by draping the free end of the strapping 12 over the beam 16 (FIG. 4) and securing the free loop 13 about the ends 18 of fastener bar 14. The meat is then lowered and the weight of same on the strap causes the loop 13 to pull upwardly on bar 14 causing strapping 12 to cinch up against the beam 16. In this manner, the beef is secured against falling to the floor or from any sliding movement horizontally due to quick stops, etc. occasioned in transit.

To release the strap hanger 11, the meat is lifted slightly and upper loop 13 is quickly released by hand from around the fastener bar 14 so that the meat 21 can be removed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A strap hanger for hanging fresh meats such as sides of beef comprising a flat webbing woven from polyester yarn,

said webbing having a thickness from 1/32 to 3/16 inch and a width ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches and being folded over on itself and stitched or mechanically fastened at both ends to form substantially identical loops at each of said ends, said loops having a length between 3 and 10 inches;

a sliding bar in the form of an elongated rod of a length at least three times the width of said webbing but not exceeding four times the width of said web and a diameter ranging from 3/8 to 1 inch;

said sliding bar having a slot extending along the axis thereof; said slot having a length exceeding the webbing width by 1/32 to 1/8 inch and a height approximately equal to the webbing thickness;

said webbing extending through said slot whereby said sliding bar is constrained from sliding off either end of said strap;

whereby one end of said strap can be forced through a piece of meat, the second end is fed through the loop in said one end, draped over an overhead beam, looped around both ends of said sliding bar and secured to said overhead beam by sliding said bar upwardly along said webbing.

2. The strap hanger of claim 1 wherein the slot height is slightly less than the webbing thickness.

3. The strap hanger of claim 2 wherein the polyester yarn has a denier of from 500-1300 in the warp direction, zero twist and a strength of at least 8 grams per denier.

4. The hanger of claim 3 wherein the slot length exceeds the width of the webbing by 1/32 to 1/8 inch.

5. A strap hanger for hanging articles comprising:

a. strapping means having a flexible loop on at least one end thereof;

b. a sliding bar having a slot therein, said slot in said bar having a height approximately equal to the webbing thickness such that the friction between said slot and said webbing is sufficient to preclude said bar from sliding down the webbing by gravity alone;

c. said strapping means extending through said slot whereby one end of said strap can be secured to said object and the other end, having the loop, can be slung over an overhead support looped around both ends of said sliding bar and secured on said overhead support by sliding said bar upwardly along said strapping.

6. The strap hanger of claim 5 wherein said webbing has a thickness from 1/32 to 3/16 inch and a width ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches and being folded over on itself and stitched at both ends to form substantially identical loops at each of said ends, said loops having a length between 3 and 10 inches.

7. The strap hanger of claim 6 wherein the sliding bar is in the form of an elongated rod of a length of from 3 to 4 times the width of said webbing and a diameter ranging from 3/8 to 1 inch.