Sheet handling apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GLASS SHEETS FROM A STACK WHICH COMPRISES A FIRST CONVEYOR TO MOVE A GLASS SHEET IN A HORIZONTAL PATH, ACTUATED FIRST POWER MEANS TO OPERATE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, A PALLET HAVING A SIDE INCLINED REARWARDLY TO SUPPORT THE STACK IN FRONT OF THE SIDE IN AN INCLINED POSITION, A SECOND CONVEYOR TO SUPPORT THE PALLET AT A HORIZONTAL PLANE LOWER THAN AND TO MOVE SAID PALLET IN A HORIZONTAL PATH PARALLEL TO THE HORIZONTAL PATH PROVIDED TO A SHEET BY SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, ACTUATED SECOND POWER MEANS FOR SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A CARRIAGE, MEANS ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOUNTING THE CARRIAGE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT ABOVE SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS AND NORMAL TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PALLET, ACTUATED THIRD POWER MEANS TO PROVIDE THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, A VACUUM FRAME INCLUDING VACUUM CUPS WITH SHEETENGAGING SURFACES IN A COMMON PLANE, MEANS TO SUPPORT SAID VACUUM FRAME FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN A RAISED HORIZONTAL POSITION AND A LOWERED INCLINED POSITION, SAID AXIS BEING PARALLEL TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, ACTUATED FOURTH POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID VACUUM FRAME BETWEEN THE RAISED POSITION AND THE LOWERED POSITION, ACTUATED MEANS TO COMMUNICATE SAID VACUUM CUPS TO A VACUUM SOURCE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAME FROM THE RAISED POSITION TO THE INCLINED LOWERED POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ACTUATION OF SAID FIRST POWER MEANS FOR ACTUATION OF SAID FOURTH POWER MEANS TO RAISE SAID VACUUM FRAME AND FOR ACTUATION OF SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID RAISED VACUUM FRAME FROM A POSITION ABOVE SAID SECOND CONVEYOR TO A POSITION ABOVE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE TO A POSITION ABOVE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR TO RELEASE VACUUM IN SAID CUPS, TO ACTUATE SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID VACUUM FRAME TO A POSITION OVER SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AND TO ACTUATE SAID FOURTH POWER MEANS TO LOWER SAID VACUUM FRAME TO AN INCLINED POSITION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A LEADING SURFACE OF A STACK OF GLASS SHEETS ON SAID PALLET TO ACTUATE SAID SECOND POWER MEANS TO MOVE THE STACK FOR PLACEMENT OF THE NEXT SHEET AT A POSITION TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID VACUUM CUPS AFTER EACH TIME A SHEET OF THE STACK IS REMOVED.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GLASS SHEETS FROM A STACK WHICH COMPRISES A FIRST CONVEYOR TO MOVE A GLASS SHEET IN A HORIZONTAL PATH, ACTUATED FIRST POWER MEANS TO OPERATE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, A PALLET HAVING A SIDE INCLINED REARWARDLY TO SUPPORT THE STACK IN FRONT OF THE SIDE IN AN INCLINED POSITION, A SECOND CONVEYOR TO SUPPORT THE PALLET AT A HORIZONTAL PLANE LOWER THAN AND TO MOVE SAID PALLET IN A HORIZONTAL PATH PARALLEL TO THE HORIZONTAL PATH PROVIDED TO A SHEET BY SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, ACTUATED SECOND POWER MEANS FOR SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A CARRIAGE, MEANS ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOUNTING THE CARRIAGE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT ABOVE SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS AND NORMAL TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PALLET, ACTUATED THIRD POWER MEANS TO PROVIDE THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, A VACUUM FRAME INCLUDING VACUUM CUPS WITH SHEETENGAGING SURFACES IN A COMMON PLANE, MEANS TO SUPPORT SAID VACUUM FRAME FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN A RAISED HORIZONTAL POSITION AND A LOWERED INCLINED POSITION, SAID AXIS BEING PARALLEL TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, ACTUATED FOURTH POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID VACUUM FRAME BETWEEN THE RAISED POSITION AND THE LOWERED POSITION, ACTUATED MEANS TO COMMUNICATE SAID VACUUM CUPS TO A VACUUM SOURCE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAME FROM THE RAISED POSITION TO THE INCLINED LOWERED POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ACTUATION OF SAID FIRST POWER MEANS FOR ACTUATION OF SAID FOURTH POWER MEANS TO RAISE SAID VACUUM FRAME AND FOR ACTUATION OF SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID RAISED VACUUM FRAME FROM A POSITION ABOVE SAID SECOND CONVEYOR TO A POSITION ABOVE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE TO A POSITION ABOVE SAID FIRST CONVEYOR TO RELEASE VACUUM IN SAID CUPS, TO ACTUATE SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID VACUUM FRAME TO A POSITION OVER SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AND TO ACTUATE SAID FOURTH POWER MEANS TO LOWER SAID VACUUM FRAME TO AN INCLINED POSITION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A LEADING SURFACE OF A STACK OF GLASS SHEETS ON SAID PALLET TO ACTUATE SAID SECOND POWER MEANS TO MOVE THE STACK FOR PLACEMENT OF THE NEXT SHEET AT A POSITION TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID VACUUM CUPS AFTER EACH TIME A SHEET OF THE STACK IS REMOVED.