Equipment for continually charging an edgewise conveying system

Claim 1

EQUIPMENT FOR CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING FLAT ARTICLES TO AN EDGEWISE CONVEYING SYSTEM WHICH IS DISPOSED BELOW THE FEEDING POINT OF THE EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A RAMP HAVING A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FIRST PORTION AND A HORIZONTAL SECOND PORTION DISPOSED ADJACENT THE CHARGING POINT OF THE SYSTEM TO BE CHARGED, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID RAMP FURTHER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PLATES DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY SUPPORT ARTICLES TO BE CHARGED TO THE CONVEYING SYSTEM, A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL FINGERS DISPOSED IN THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID PLATES, SAID FINGERS BEING PERMANENTLY MOUNTED IN COOPERATING PAIRS TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF THE FLAT ARTICLES AND SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF SAID FINGERS BEING SPACED APART IN THE DIRECTION OF FEED, MEANS TO MOVE SAID FINGERS SLANTINGLY DOWNWARD THROUGH SAID SPACES IN THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF THE CHARGING ARTICLES WHEREBY CHARGING ARTICLES PLACED ADJACENT SAID FINGERS ARE CONVEYED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID SYSTEM TO BE CHARGED AND EACH OF SAID FINGERS EXERTS A CONSTANT PRESSURE AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AGAINST SAID SYSTEM TO BE CHARGED, SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION BEING OF SUCH LENGTH AND THE ANGLE BETWEEN SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION AND SAID DOWNWARDLY INCLINED PORTION BEING SUCH THAT SAID FINGERS PASS THROUGH SAID SPACES BETWEEN SAID PLATES IN SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION WHEN PASSING OUT FROM BETWEEN SAID SPACES AND BENEATH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION OF SAID SYSTEM.