Corner transfer unit for conveyor systems

Claim 1

A CORNER TRANSFER UNIT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE CONVEYED ARTICLES FROM ONE CONVEYOR AND DELIVER SAME TO A SECOND CONVEYOR DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST WHICH COMPRISES, A BELT CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BELTS ARRANGED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER DEFINING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND PLANAR CONVEYING SURFACE, A ROLLER ASSEMBLY HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATE ROLLERS JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN THE SPACES BETWEEN THE BELTS IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER DEFINING A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND PLANAR CONVEYING SURFACE, ELEVATING MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID BELT AND ROLLER ASSEMBLIES OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION TO INTERCHANGE THE FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYING SURFACES BY LIFTING ONE INTO A RAISED OPERATIVE POSITION OVERRIDING THE OTHER FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION THEREBENEATH, INSTANTLY REVERSIBLE DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO BOTH THE ROLLER AND BELT CONVEYOR ASSEMBLIES, SAID DRIVE MEANS TURNING ALL THE ROLLERS IN THE SAME DIRECTION SO AS TO TRANSFER ARTICLES SUPPORTED THEREON TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE BELTS, AND SAID DRIVE MEANS TURNING ALL OF THE BELTS IN THE SAME DIRECTION SO AS TO CONVEY AN ARTICLE SUPPORTED THEREBY IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION SUCH ARTICLE IS CONVEYED WHEN SUPPORTED ON THE ROLLERS, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF A CONVEYED ARTICLE ONTO ONE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYING SURFACES OPERATIVE TO ACTUATE THE ELEVATING MEANS.