palmer

Claim 1

LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR A WORK SUPPORT COMPRISING MEANS FOR UNLOADING WORK FROM SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING AN UNLOADER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID UNLOADER TO AND FROM A WORK TRANSFER POSITION ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, MEANS FOR LOADING WORK ON SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A LOADER MOVABLE TO AND FROM SAID TRANSFER POSITION, MEANS OPERATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID UNLOADER FOR INITIATING MOVEMENT OF SAID LOADER TOWARD SAID TRANSFER POSITION PRIOR TO FULL WITHDRAWAL OF SAID UNLOADER FROM SAID TRANSFER POSITION SO THAT SAID LOADER WILL ARRIVE AT SAID TRANSFER POSITION AFTER FULL WITHDRAWAL OF SAID UNLOADER FROM SAID TRANSFER POSITION, CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING SAID LOADER AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT IN ITS MOVEMENT TOWARD SAID TRANSFER POSITION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE WITHDRAWAL OF SAID UNLOADER FOR ENOUGH TO CLEAR SAID TRANSFER POSITION BEFORE SAID LOADER REACHES SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT FOR RENDERING SAID CONTROL MEANS INOPERATIVE SO THAT SAID LOADER CAN MOVE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION TO SAID TRANSFER POSITION.