Device for collecting and stacking masonry reinforcements and the like

Claim 1

IN A COLLECTING AND STACKING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR FABRICATED ARTICLES AS DELIVERED SEPARATELY FROM A FABRICATING MACHINE, AN UPPER RECEIVING DECK, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID DECK FOR GUIDING ONE SIDE OF THE ARTICLE AS DELIVERED ONTO SAID DECK, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, TRANSVERSELY MOVABLE SLIDES IN SAID DECK, AN ENGAGING MEMBER ON EACH SLIDE FOR ENGAGING THE SIDE OF THE ARTICLE POSITIONED ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS, MEANS FOR MOVING EACH SLIDE AND THEREWITH THE ARTICLE ON SAID SLIDE TO EXTENDED POSITION BEYOND THE SIDE OF SAID DECK OPPOSITE SAID GUIDE MEANS AND FOR SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNING EACH SIDE TO NORMAL RETRACTED POSITION, A FLIPPER ASSEMBLY LOCATED AT THE FAR END OF SAID DEVICE, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OF FLIPPER FRAMES EXTENDING IN A SINGLE TRANSVERSE VERTICAL PLANE WHEN IN NORMAL INOPERATIVE POSITION, SAID FRAME MOUNTED ON A SUPPORTING HEAD ON HORIZONTAL HINGE AXES, SAID HEAD ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ARTICLE ON THE DEVICE WHEN SAID ARTICLE HAS BEEN MOVED LATERALLY BEYOND SAID DECK BY SAID SLIDES, MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID FLIPPER FRAMES FORWARDLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARDS EACH OTHER SO AS TO CAUSE SAID FLIPPER FRAMES TO ENGAGE UPPER AND LOWER FACES RESPECTIVELY OF THE ARTICLE ON SAID SLIDES, RELATED MEANS FOR CAUSING 180* ROTATION OF SAID HEAD AND THEREWITH OF SAID FLIPPER FRAMES WHEN SAID FLIPPER FRAMES ARE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ARTICLE MOVED LATERALLY FROM SAID DECK, CONTROL MEANS OPERATING SAID FLIPPER ASSEMBLY WITH THE BRINGING OF EACH ALTERNATE ARTICLE INTO EXTENDED POSITION BY SAID SLIDES, A LOWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY MOVABLE IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE AND POSITIONED TO RECEIVE EACH ARTICLE DROPPED FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED SLIDES AND FROM SAID FLIPPER FRAMES, GUIDES FOR CAUSING THE ARTICLES DROPPED ONTO SAID LOWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY TO BE POSITIONED IN STACK FORMATION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LOWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY AND THEREWITH THE STACK OF ARTICLES ON SAID LOWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY INTO OUTER POSITION WHEN A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ARTICLES HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATED IN THE STACK AND FOR SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNING SAID SLIDE ASSEMBLY TO NORMAL RETRACTED POSITION, STACK HOLDING ELEMENTS FOR TEMPORARILY HOLDING SAID STACK STATIONARY IN SAID OUTER POSITION WHILE SAID LOWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY RETURNS TO RETRACTED POSITION, AND OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID STACK HOLDING ELEMENTS.