Transfer apparatus for coil conveyors and the like

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS FROM THE BED OF A DRAG CONVEYOR TO AN OVERHEAD CONVEYOR INCLUDING A TILT TABLE POSITIONED AT THE HEAD END OF THE DRAG CONVEYOR AND PUSHER MEANS OPERABLE TO ADVANCE AN ARTICLE FROM THE DRAG CONVEYOR TO THE TILT TABLE CHARACTERIZED BY SAID PUSHER MEANS COMPRISING AN ARM PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED AT ITS LOWER END BENEATH THE HEAD END OF THE DRAG CONVEYOR WITH THE UPPER END OF THE ARM TERMINATING BELOW THE DRAG CONVEYOR BED, DRIVE MEANS FOR OSCILLATING THE ARM ON TRANSFER AND RETURN STROKES IN SYCHRONISM WITH MOVEMENT OF THE DRAG CONVEYOR, A PUSHER MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF THE ARM, FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING THE PUSHER MEMBER BETWEEN A DRIVING POSITION IN WHICH IT PROJECTS ABOVE THE DRAG CONVEYOR BED AND A NON-DRIVING POSITION IN WHICH IT IS RETRACTED BELOW THE DRAG CONVEYOR BED, INDEPENDENT DRIVING MEANS FOR MOVING THE TILT TABLE BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE HEAD END OF THE DRAG CONVEYOR BED AND AN INCLINED POSITION, AND MEANS FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE OPERATION OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATING MEANS AND SAID TILT TABLE DRIVE MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIRST CONTROL DEVICE, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE FIRST CONTROL DEVICE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH OSCILLATING MOVEMENT OF THE TRANSFER ARM, A SECOND CONTROL DEVICE, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SECOND CONTROL DEVICE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE TILT TABLE DRIVE MECHANISM, THE FIRST CONTROL DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS FOR REGULATING THE OPERATION OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE THE PUSHER MEMBER BETWEEN DRIVING AND NON-DRIVING POSITIONS AND MEANS FOR STARTING THE TILT TABLE DRIVE MECHANISM, SAID SECOND CONTROL DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS FOR STOPPING THE TILT TABLE DRIVING MECHANISM EACH TIME THE TABLE IS MOVED THEREBY FROM ONE TABLE POSITION TO THE OTHER TABLE POSITION.