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An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members has a conveying shaft including a helical groove formed within the shaft. The helical groove is adapted to receive the hooked members and to convey the hooked members upon rotation of the shaft. A helical member is coupled on one end to

An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members has a conveying shaft including a helical groove formed within the shaft. The helical groove is adapted to receive the hooked members and to convey the hooked members upon rotation of the shaft. A helical member is coupled on one end to the conveying shaft, and is adapted to receive the hooked members from the conveying shaft and to convey the hooked members upon rotation thereof. The helical member is supported within a support tube which includes an entrance portion formed on the end adjacent to the conveying shaft. The entrance portion is shaped to rotate the hooked members from a first position into a second position by contact therewith, upon the hooked members being conveyed through the entrance portion by the helical member. A slot is formed within the support tube and is adapted to receive the hooked member from the entrance portion. The slot maintains the hooked members in the second position upon being conveyed by the helical member.

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1. An apparatus for conveying hooked members for supporting articles, comprising: a conveying member adapted to support and convey the hooked members; and a positioning member adapted to rotate each hooked member from a first position into a second position oriented at an angle relative to the f

1. An apparatus for conveying hooked members for supporting articles, comprising: a conveying member adapted to support and convey the hooked members; and a positioning member adapted to rotate each hooked member from a first position into a second position oriented at an angle relative to the first position upon conveyance by the conveying member, wherein the positioning member defines a slot extending therethrough and adapted to receive each hooked member and to maintain each hooked member in the second position upon being conveyed therethrough by the conveying member. 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the positioning member further defines a second surface located on an opposite side of the slot relative to the first surface, the second surface being shaped to facilitate the rotation of each hooked member from the first position for insertion into the slot in the second position upon being conveyed by the conveying member. 3. An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members, comprising: a rotatably mounted conveying member adapted to convey the hooked members upon rotation thereof; and means for rotating each hooked member from a first position into a second position oriented at an angle relative to the first position; and a positioning surface supported adjacent to the conveying member for contacting and maintaining the hooked members in the second position during conveyance of the hooked members along at least a portion of the conveying member. 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising: a support member adapted to support the conveying member, wherein the means for rotating includes an entrance portion within the support member and shaped to rotate each hooked member from the first position into the second position upon the hooked member being conveyed therethrough by the conveying member. 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the positioning surface defines a slot formed through the support member and extending from the entrance portion in a direction substantially parallel to the conveying member, the slot being adapted to receive each hooked member upon being rotated into the second position, and to maintain each hooked member in the second position upon being conveyed through the slot by the conveying member. 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising: a rotatably mounted conveying shaft coupled to the conveying member to receive the hooked members in the first position, whereupon rotation of the conveying shaft causes rotation of the conveying member. 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the conveying shaft includes a helical groove adapted to receive the hooked members and to convey the hooked members upon rotation of the conveying shaft. 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising: a helical coil having substantially the same pitch as the helical groove and coupled to the conveying shaft adjacent to the helical groove, the helical coil being adapted to prevent the hooked members from being forced from the helical groove upon rotation of the conveying shaft. 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each hooked member is a hanger, and in the first position, each hanger is oriented at an angle relative to an axis of the conveying member, and in the second position, each hanger is oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the conveying member. 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the conveying member is a rotatably mounted helical member. 11. An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members, comprising: a conveying member adapted to support the hooked members; first means for rotating the conveying member to convey the hooked members supported on the conveying member; and second means for rotating each hooked member from a first position into a second position and including a positioning surface for contacting and maintaining the hooked members in the second position for conveyance by the conveying member in the second position along at least a portion of length of the conveying member. 12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising: a helical member having substantially the same pitch as the helical groove and coupled to the shaft adjacent to the helical groove, the helical member being adapted to prevent the hooked member the hooked members from being forced from being forced from the helical groove upon rotation of the shaft. 13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein each hooked member is a hanger, and in the first position, each hanger is oriented at an angle relative to an axis of the conveying member, and in the second position, each hanger is oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the conveying member. 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the conveying member is a helical member. 15. An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members, comprising: a helical member adapted to support the hooked members; first means for rotating the helical member to convey the hooked members supported on the helical member, wherein the first means includes a rotatably supported shaft coupled on one end to the helical member and including a helical groove adapted to receive the hooked members, whereupon rotation of the shaft, the hooked members are conveyed within the helical groove and, in turn, onto the helical second means for rotation each hooked member from a first position into a second position for conveyance by the helical member in the second position. 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the first means further includes a helical coil coupled to the shaft and located adjacent to the helical groove, the helical coil being adapted to prevent the hooked members from being released from the helical groove upon rotation of the shaft. 17. An apparatus for conveying articles supported on hooked members, comprising: a helical member adapted to support the hooked members; first means for rotating the helical member to convey the hooked members supported on the helical member; and second means for rotating each hooked member from a first position into a second position for conveyance by the helical member in the second position wherein the second means includes a support tube to receive the helical member and defining an entrance portion shaped to rotate each hooked member from the first position into the second position, upon being conveyed therethrough by the helical member. 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the support tube includes a slot formed therethrough and extending from the entrance portion in a direction substantially parallel to the helical member, the slot being adapted to receive the hooked members and to maintain the hooked members in the second position upon conveyance therethrough by the helical member. 19. A method for conveying hooked member supporting articles, comprising the steps of: conveying the hooked members on a conveyor in a first position, wherein the conveyor includes a rotatably mounted conveying member adapted to convey the hooked members upon rotation thereof; and rotating the hooked members from the first position into a second position oriented at an angle relative to the first position while the hooked members are being conveyed on the conveyor and maintaining the hooked members in the second position while being conveyed by the conveyor along at least a portion of the length of the conveyor, wherein the hooked members are rotated into and maintained in the second position during conveyance of the hooked members along at least a portion of the conveying member by means of a positioning surface supported adjacent to the conveying member. 20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein each hooked member is a hanger is oriented at an angle position, each hanger is oriented at an angle relative to the axis of the conveyor, and in the second position, each hanger is oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the conveyor. 21. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising the step of: conveying each hooked member along a rotating helical surface in the first and second positions. 22. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising the step of: conveying each hooked member into sliding contact with a positioning surface to rotate each hooked member from the first position into the second position. 23. An apparatus for conveying hooked members for supporting articles of clothing, comprising: a rotatably mounted helical member for supporting and conveying the hooked members upon rotation thereof; and a positioning member supported adjacent to the helical member for rotating each hooked member relative to an axis of the helical member from a first position into a scanning position while being conveyed by the helical member and to maintain each hooked member and, thus, an article of clothing supported thereon in the scanning position while being conveyed by the helical member along at least a portion of the length of the helical member for permitting an identifying member on each article of clothing to be scanned while being conveyed. 24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the positioning member defines a tubular portion for receiving the helical member. 25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the tubular portion defines a slot adapted to permit the hooked members to pass therethrough and to maintain the hooked members in the scanning position while being conveyed.