Shipping assembly for hammermill hammers

Abstract

A shipping assembly to transport various components of a hammer mill including a hammer, a spacer, and/or a lock collar. The shipping assembly may hold a hammer in a pair of jaws that aligns an opening in the hammer with a spacer held in a collar or a lock collar held in a pair of exterior prongs so that a rod can be inserted through the components. A handle may be received through a stop arm to further secure the hammer mill components and simplify install into the hammer mill.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shipping assembly comprising:
 a body;   a pair of jaws extending from a bottom of the body; and   a stop arm extending from a top of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The shipping assembly of  claim 1  further comprising the pair of jaws having a first jaw arm and a second jaw arm. 
     
     
         3 . The shipping assembly of  claim 2  wherein the first jaw arm is longer than the second jaw arm. 
     
     
         4 . The shipping assembly of  claim 2  wherein the first jaw arm and the second jaw arm are angled towards one another in a direction away from the bottom of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The shipping assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first jaw arm and the second jaw arm have equal spring tension such that when a hammer is received in the pair of jaws, the first jaw arm and the second jaw arm extend parallel with one another. 
     
     
         6 . The shipping assembly of  claim 5  wherein the bottom of the body has an angled portion that extends from a midpoint of the bottom to an end of the body. 
     
     
         7 . The shipping assembly of  claim 2  further comprising a first hammer bracket extending outwardly from the first jaw arm in relation to a front surface of the body and a second hammer bracket extending outwardly from the second jaw arm in relation to the front surface of the body. 
     
     
         8 . The shipping assembly of  claim 7  further comprising a third hammer bracket extending outwardly from the first jaw arm in relation to the front surface of the body and positioned away from the first hammer bracket such that a gap is positioned between the first hammer bracket and the third hammer bracket, and wherein the second hammer bracket on the second jaw arm is positioned in alignment with the gap on the first jaw arm. 
     
     
         9 . The shipping assembly of  claim 2  further comprising the first jaw arm having a first recess, wherein a thickness the first recess is less than the rest of the first jaw arm, and the second jaw arm having a second recess, wherein a thickness of the second recess is less than the rest of the second jaw arm. 
     
     
         10 . The shipping assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a stop extending outwardly from the stop arm in relation to a front surface of the body. 
     
     
         11 . The shipping assembly of  claim 10  further comprising the stop having a vertical projection and a horizontal projection that extend outwardly in relation to the front surface of the body and intersect at a peak. 
     
     
         12 . The shipping assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a handle opening positioned through the stop arm above the stop. 
     
     
         13 . The shipping assembly of  claim 12  further comprising a handle extending through the handle opening, wherein the handle is a zip-tie. 
     
     
         14 . The shipping assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a collar extending from the bottom of the body between the pair of jaws. 
     
     
         15 . The shipping assembly of  claim 14  further comprising the collar having a first collar arm and a second collar arm that extends outwardly and outwardly in an arcuate fashion in relation to the bottom of the body, wherein the first collar arm and the second collar arm terminate leaving a gap. 
     
     
         16 . The shipping assembly of  claim 15  further comprising the first collar arm having a first protrusion at an end. 
     
     
         17 . The shipping assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a first exterior prong and a second exterior prong extending from the bottom of the body between the pair of jaws. 
     
     
         18 . The shipping assembly of  claim 17  wherein the first exterior prong and the second exterior prong are angled towards one another in a direction away from the bottom of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The shipping assembly of  claim 17  further comprising the first exterior prong having a trapezoidal portion and a conical portion, wherein the trapezoidal portion is positioned between the bottom of the body and the conical portion. 
     
     
         20 . The shipping assembly of  claim 19  further comprising the conical portion having a ribbing on an interior surface of the conical portion. 
     
     
         21 . The shipping assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a first interior stop and a second interior stop extending from the bottom of the body between the pair of jaws, wherein the first interior stop terminates in an end that is arcuate.