Abstract: A bicycle includes a first gear provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel, a second gear provided on the rear wheel, a shaft having a third gear meshing with the first gear and a fourth gear meshing with the second gear, a coupling part for detachably coupling a gear crank for rotating the first gear and transmitting a driving force of the gear crank to the first gear, and a frame provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel, the frame having a right frame fixed to a right side of the rear wheel and a left frame fixed to a left side of the rear wheel, wherein the shaft has an area provided between the right frame and the left frame.

Abstract: A garment hanger is provided which has a wire hook with an indicator device attached thereto. The indicator device includes a base secured to a portion of the wire hook and a removable indicia header including a connector for connecting the indicia header to the base. The connector is located within, and detachably connected to, a receiving portion of the base.

Abstract: The present invention provides a material handling system and method for a product to be manually processed by an operator (O) at a work-station (10). The material handling system (100) includes: batch delivery means (20) for automatically delivering batches of the product to the work-station (10) on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by the operator; and packing container delivery means (60) for automatically delivering individual packing containers (61) to the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processing by the operator. Each batch of product is typically supplied in a batch container (21) and the system may further include batch container dispatch means (40) for automatically dispatching the batch containers (21) from the work-station (10) on an “as required” or “on demand” basis after the operator has finished manually processing the product it contained.

Abstract: This invention relates to a garment hanger 10 having an elongate hanger bar 20 and a centrally positioned hook member 12. Garment holding means are located at opposed ends 14, 16 of the hanger bar 20. Each garment holding means includes a first jaw 30 and a second jaw 40, the second jaw 40 being moveable relative to the first jaw 30. Each garment holding means also including locking means 50 for selectively holding the second jaw 40 in a position adjacent the first jaw 30. The ability of the garment hanger 10 to selectively clamp the second jaw 40 in a position so as to hold a garment between the first and second jaws 30, 40 is a particular advantage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a material handling system and method for a product to be manually processed by an operator (O) at a work-station (10). The material handling system (100) includes: batch delivery means (20) for automatically delivering batches of the product to the work-station (10) on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by the operator; and packing container delivery means (60) for automatically delivering individual packing containers (61) to the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processing by the operator.

Abstract: An article which includes identifying means which incorporates information wherein said identifying means and the information incorporated therein is capable of being detected and recorded by a recognition unit in order that one or more characteristics of the article can be determined by correlating the information obtained from the identifying means with pre-recorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the article.

Abstract: This invention relates to a garment hanger 10 having an elongate hanger bar 20 and a centrally positioned hook member 12. Garment holding means are located at opposed ends 14, 16 of the hanger bar 20. Each garment holding means includes a first jaw 30 and a second jaw 40, the second jaw 40 being moveable relative to the first jaw 30. Each garment holding means also including locking means 50 for selectively holding the second jaw 40 in a position adjacent the first jaw 30. The ability of the garment hanger 10 to selectively clamp the second jaw 40 in a position so as to hold a garment between the first and second jaws 30, 40 is a particular advantage.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus (10) for separating a jumbled collection of articles, such as clothing or garment hangers (23), into a plurality of separate and discrete hangers. The apparatus includes conveyor means (12, 26, 32) adapted to transport a plurality of hangers (23) in succession along a process path; separation means, such as barrier gate members (20, 21), adapted to permit the hangers to proceed along the process path one at a time, sensing means (19, 38) adapted to detect when a hanger is entangled or interconnected with one or more other hangers; and removal means (30) adapted to remove any such entangled or interconnected hangers from the process path. The invention also provides a method for separating the hangers (23).

Abstract: Apparatus of the tributary garment hangers on to the moving carrier include a conveyor for transporting the garment hangers, a drive for moving the carrier, and a coordinating mechanism cable controlling the relative movements of the conveyor and the drive such that a carrier being moved by the drive and a garment hanger being transported by the conveyor can be separately moved to a contact location in which the carrier will contact the garment hanger although the carrier and garment hanger are moving. The conveyor and the carrier configured such that the garment hanger is caused to be transferred onto the carrier following the carrier's initial contact with the garment hanger. The garment hangers are suspended from a rotatable shaft having an external helical thread to convey the articles.

Abstract: A sharps container for receiving and storing medical sharps and waste materials which prevents hand access to within the container and has a wide access opening. The container (10) comprises a receptacle (11) having an opening which is closable toy a hinged lid (24) which is movable between opened and closed positions. A pivotal tray (16) is mounted at the opening wherein for the opened position of the lid (24) the tray (16) has a rest position at which it is accessible for medical sharps and waste materials to be placed thereon. The tray (16) is then pivotally moveable for disposal of the medical sharps and waste materials therefrom into the receptacle.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for loading articles (2) onto a moving conveyor, the apparatus including (a) transport means (3a, 3 b, 3c) on the conveyor which includes holding means (5) adapted to engage at least a portion of an article (2) so as to hold the article (2) in connected relation with the conveyor, and (b) locating means (6) operable to cause an article (2) positioned thereon to move into a position in which it cant thereafter be engaged by the holding means (5); wherein the transport means (3a, 3b, 3c) and the locating means (6) are co-operable such that the article (2) can be caused to be moved on the locating means (6) with the transport means (3a, 3b, 3c to being engaged by the holding means (5).

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same of have some unifying visual characteristic, said apparatus including: (a) a conveying means for transporting the articles along a predetermined path; (b) at least one vision recognition unit; (c) removal means for selectively removing those articles from the conveying means which have been recognised by the vision recognition unit as having the one or more predetermined visual characteristics.