Pallet feeding apparatus

Claim 1

EQUIPMENT FOR DELIVERING EMPTY PALLETS TO A POSITION FOR RECEIVING LOADS, COMPRISING PALLLET STORAGE MEANS FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF PALLETS PILED IN A STACK, POWER OPERATED DISCHARGE MEANS POSITIONED BELOW SAID STACK ARRANGED TO REMOVE A PALLET FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK AND TO DISCHARGE IT GENERALLY LATERALLY, A POWER DRIVEN CONVEYOR POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE MEANS AND EXTENDING AWAY THEREFROM FOR RECEIVING THE DISCHARGE PALLETS, A BACKSTOP POSITIONED BESIDE SAID CONVEYOR, AND ESTABLISH ING, WITH A PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR, A LOADING STATION, A POWER OPERATED DISPLACEABLE GATE MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF A PALLET RESTRAINING POSITION AT THE END OF THE LOADING STATION REMOTE FROM SAID DISCHARGE MEANS, SENSING MEANS AT A POINT BEYOND SAID GATE FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A LOADED PALLET, SAID SENSING MEANS BEING INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID GATE TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF THE GATE INTO ITS PALLET RESTRAINING POSITION, POWER MEANS FOR SAID CONVEYOR, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR TURNING SAID CONVEYOR POWER MEANS OFF AT A PRESELECTED TIME AFTER SAID GATE MOVES TO ITS RESTRAINING POSITION IN RESPONSE TO SAID SENSING MEANS.