Collapsible hangers

• US 20050087662A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boone Supply Company, Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boone Supply Company
• Inventors: Jacobs, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/339
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/00 Hooks; Eyes if the attaching parts or means are concerned, groups F16B13/00, F16B15/00, F16B19/00, F16B25/00, F16B35/00, F16B47/00 take precedence; for hanging pictures or the like A47G1/16; towing hooks for ships B63B21/58; for hoisting or hauling purposes B66C; hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point F16G11/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/012 wire
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/14 Hangers in the form of bands or chains
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/30 Installations of cables or lines on walls, floors or ceilings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 with other than ancillary treating or assembling

Abstract

The present invention comprises a collapsible hanger and a method for using the same for supporting, among other things, cables from the ceiling of mines. The collapsible hangers of the present invention allow the cables to fall to the floor when tension, pressure, and/or weight is applied to the hangers, either directly or indirectly.

Claims

1. A collapsible hanger for use in mining comprising:

an upper hook;

at least one lower hook; and

a connecting member, which connects said upper hook to said at least one lower hook, wherein said at least one lower hook is constructed such that when tension is applied to a cable supported by said at least one lower hook, said hanger releases said cable.

2. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook releases said cable by bending.

3. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook releases said cable by breaking.

4. The collapsible hanger of claim 2, wherein said connecting member is constructed to remain securely connected to said upper hook and to said at least one lower hook when tension is applied to said cable.

5. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are manufactured from a single piece of material.

6. The collapsible hanger of claim 5, wherein said single piece of material is a galvanized metal.

7. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook and said connecting member are manufactured from a single piece of material.

8. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook is manufactured from a single piece of material.

9. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook and said connecting member are made from a single piece of material.

10. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are at least one bright color.

11. The collapsible hanger of claim 10, wherein said bright color is selected from the group consisting of pink, yellow, orange, red, and green.

12. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook remains in a roof plate when tension is applied to said cable.

13. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said connecting member is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, chain, wire, cable, plastic, and rope.

14. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook comprises an “

S”

hook, one end of which is attached to said connecting member.

15. The collapsible hanger of claim 14, wherein said “

S”

hook is 2.125 inches in length.

16. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are comprised of metal wire.

17. The collapsible hanger of claim 16, wherein said wire is galvanized.

18. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said upper hook comprises metal wire that measures from 0.207 to 0.250 inches in diameter.

19. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook is comprised of 0.125 inch diameter metal wire.

20. The collapsible hanger of claim 7, wherein:

said material is a metal wire; and

the combined length of said connecting member and said at least one lower hook, from the uppermost end of said connecting member to the lowermost end of said at least one lower hook is 3.125 inches.

21. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said hanger is coated with a polyethylene copolymer-based thermoplastic powder coating.

22. The collapsible hanger of claim 21, wherein said coating is Polyarmor®

G17.

23. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook is comprised of wire having a diameter in the range of 0.091 to 0.187 inches.

24. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said hanger is flame-retardant.

25. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said hanger has anti-static properties.

26. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said hanger is nonconductive.

27. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said hanger is comprised of two or more thicknesses of gauged wire.

28. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein:

said upper hook comprises 0.250 inch diameter metal wire and remains in a roof plate when said cable is released;

said connecting member is comprised of metal wire having a diameter of 0.125 to 0.312 inches; and

said at least one lower hook is comprised of metal wire having a diameter of 0.125 to 0.312 inches.

29. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said connecting member is comprised of wire that is cut in half to form said two lower hooks.

30. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein the diameter of said connecting member is 0.125 inches.

31. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein the diameter of said at least one lower hook does not exceed the diameter of said connecting member.

32. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein said at least one lower hook collapses under a weight in the range of 50 to 100 pounds.

33. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein the length of said hanger, from the top of said upper hook to the lowest part of each of said at least one lower hooks measures 5.536 inches in length.

34. The collapsible hanger of claim 1, wherein:

said upper hook comprises an “

S”

hook of metal wire having a diameter in the range of 0.207 to 0.256 inches;

the length from the point where said at least one lower hook connects to said connecting member to the lowest point of said at least one lower hook is 3.125 inches;

the radius of said upper hook is in the range of 0.125 to 0.437-inches;

the length of said “

S”

hook is 2.125 inches;

the radius of said at least one lower hook at the point where said at least one lower hook connects to said connecting member is 0.1875 inches; and

the distance between said connecting member and the end of each of said at least one lower hook is 3 inches, making the radius of a circle formed by said connecting member and each of said at least one lower hook 1.5 inches.

35. A method of working with cables in a mine comprising:

installing a collapsible hanger comprised of;

an upper hook;

at least one lower hook; and

a connecting member, which connects said upper hook to said at least one lower hook, wherein said at least one lower hook is constructed such that when tension is applied to a cable supported by said at least one lower hook, said hanger releases said cable;

releasing said cable from said hanger by applying tension to said cable.

36. The method of claim 35, also comprising winding up said released cable.

37. The method of claim 35, also comprising leaving said hangers in the ceiling of said mine after said cable is released.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook releases said cable by bending.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook releases said cable by breaking.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said connecting member is constructed to remain securely connected to said upper hook and to said at least one lower hook when tension is applied to said cable.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are manufactured from a single piece of material.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said single piece of material is a galvanized metal.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook and said connecting member are manufactured from a single piece of material.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook is manufactured from a single piece of material.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook and said connecting member are made from a single piece of material.

46. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are at least one bright color.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said bright color is selected from the group consisting of pink, yellow, orange, red, and green.

48. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook remains in a roof plate when tension is applied to said cable.

49. The method of claim 35, wherein said connecting member is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, chain, wire, cable, plastic, and rope.

50. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook comprises an “

S”

hook, one end of which is attached to said connecting member.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said “

S”

hook is 2.125 inches in length.

52. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook, said at least one lower hook, and said connecting member are comprised of galvanized metal wire.

53. The method of claim 35, wherein said upper hook comprises metal wire that measures from 0.207 to 0.250 inches in diameter.

54. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook is comprised of 0.125 inch diameter metal wire.

55. The method of claim 41, wherein:

said material is a metal wire; and

the combined length of said connecting member and said at least one lower hook, from the uppermost end of said connecting member to the lowermost end of said at least one lower hook is 3.125 inches.

56. The method of claim 35, wherein said hanger is coated with a polyethylene copolymer-based thermoplastic powder coating.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said coating is Polyarmor®

G17.

58. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook is comprised of wire having a diameter in the range of 0.091 to 0.187 inches.

59. The method of claim 35, wherein said hanger is flame-retardant.

60. The method of claim 35, wherein said hanger has anti-static properties.

61. The method of claim 35, wherein said hanger is nonconductive.

62. The method of claim 35, wherein said hanger is comprised of two or more thicknesses of gauged wire.

63. The method of claim 35, wherein:

said upper hook comprises 0.250 inch diameter metal wire and remains in a roof plate when said cable is released;

said connecting member is comprised of metal wire having a diameter of 0.125 to 0.312 inches; and

said at least one lower hook is comprised of metal wire having a diameter of 0.125 to 0.312 inches.

64. The method of claim 35, wherein said connecting member is comprised of wire that is cut in half to form said two lower hooks.

65. The method of claim 35, wherein the diameter of said connecting member is 0.125 inches.

66. The method of claim 35, wherein the diameter of said at least one lower hook does not exceed the diameter of said connecting member.

67. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one lower hook collapses under a weight in the range of 50 to 100 pounds.

68. The method of claim 35, wherein the length of said hanger, from the top of said upper hook to the lowest part of each of said at least one lower hooks measures 5.536 inches in length.

69. The method of claim 35, wherein:

said upper hook comprises an “

S”

hook of metal wire having a diameter in the range of 0.207 to 0.256 inches;

the length from the point where said at least one lower hook connects to said connecting member to the lowest point of said at least one lower hook is 3.125 inches;

the radius of said upper hook is in the range of 0.125 to 0.437 inches;

the length of said “

S”

hook is 2.125 inches;

the radius of said at least one lower hook at the point where said at least one lower hook connects to said connecting member is 0.1875 inches; and

the distance between said connecting member and the end of each of said at least one lower hook is 3 inches, making the radius of a circle formed by said connecting member and each of said at least one lower hook 1.5 inches.