Transfer device

Claim 1

A TRANSFER DEVICE FOR INDEXING A WORKPIECE PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF STATIONS, COMPRISING A SUPPORT, A CARRIAGE REPIROCABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, AN ACTUATOR SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR RECIPROCATION IN A PATH PARALLEL TO THE PATH OF RECIPROCATION OF THE CARRIAGE, SAID ACTUATOR HAVING A PAIR OF ABUTMENTS ADJUSTABLY FIXED THEREON, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING A PAIR OF BEARINGS FACES ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID ABUTMENTS WHEN THE ACTUATOR IS RECIPROCATED TO RECIPROCATE THE CARRIAGE, THE ABUTMENTS AND BEARING FACES BEING RELATED SUCH THAT WHEN ONE OF THE ABUTMENTS MOVES TOWARD ONE OF THE BEARING FACES IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATOR IN ONE DIRECTION THE OTHER ABUTMENT MOVES AXIALLY AWAY FROM THE OTHER BEARING FACE WHEREBY TO FORM A LOST MOTION, UNI-DIRECTIONAL DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH ABUTMENT ON THE ACTUATOR AND THE CARRIAGE, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING MEANS MOVABLE THEREON TO GRIP THE ACTUATOR AND THEREBY INTERLOCK THE CARRIAGE AND THE ACTUATOR FOR MOVEMENT IN UNISON WHEN EITHER ABUTMENT MOVES INTO CONTACT WITH ITS RESPECTIVE BEARING FACE ON THE CARRIAGE, SAID SUPPORT HAVING MEANS THEREON ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID INTERLOCK MEANS WHEN THE CARRIAGE REACHES EITHER END OF ITS STROKE TO THEREBY PERMIT THE ACTUATOR TO SHIFT RELATIVE TO THE CARRIAGE AT THE INITIATION OF THE NEXT SUCCESSIVE STROKE OF THE ACTUATOR, SAID SUPPORT ALSO HAVING SOCKET MEANS THEREON AND THE CARRIAGE HAVING DETENT MEANS THEREON ADAPTED TO ENGAGEIN SAID SOCKET MEANS TO LOCK THE CARRIAGE RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT WHEN THE CARRIAGE REACHES EITHER END OF ITS STROKE, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ACTUATOR AN SAID DETENT MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID DETENT MEANS FROM THE SOCKET MEANS AS EITHER ABUTMENT COMES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS RESPECTIVE BEARING FACE ON THE CARRIAGE.