Article transfer and stacking device for power-driven conveyors

Claim 1

IN A STACKING MACHINE HAVING A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVEYOR AND A SERIES OF SUCCESSIVE STATIONS ON SAID CONVEYOR, AND SPACED FEEDING MEANS ARRANGED ALONGSIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR FOR SUCCESSIVELY DISCHARGING PANELS TO WARD SAID CONVEYOR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY POSITIONED, ELONGATED BODY PART AND PANEL GRASPING MEANS CARRIED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY PART FOR TRANSFERRING SAID PANELS FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS TO SAID CONVEYOR; THE UPPER END OF SAID TRANSFER BODY PART HAVING TWO VERTICALLY SPACED PIVOT POINTS THEREON; A GUIDE ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTED TO THE FIRST OF SAID PIVOT POINTS AND ITS OTHER END PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON THE FRAME OF SAID MACHINE; A DRIVE ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SECOND OF SAID PIVOT POINTS AND ITS OTHER END MOUNTED FOR RECEIVING AN OSCILLTORY DRIVING MOVEMENT AND MEANS APPLYING SUCH OSCILLATORY DRIVING MOVEMENT THERETO, SAID GUIDE ARM AND SAID DRIVE ARM BEING NORMALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE DESIRED DIRECTION OF SAID TRANSFER SO THAT SAID FIRST END OF SAID GUIDE ARM IS ARRANGED FOR SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID DIRECTION OF DESIRED TRANSFER AND SAID DRIVE ARM BEING POSITIONED SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND PIVOT POINT WILL HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL COMPONENT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID DESIRED DIRECTION OF SAID TRANSFER; WHEREBY AN ARCUATE DRIVING MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVE ARM WILL MOVE SAID TRANSFER BODY PART BOTH IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID DESIRED DIRECTION OF TRANSFER AND WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVE IT SUFFICIENTLY PERPENDICULARLY THERETO TO COMPENSATE FOR NORMAL ARCUATE MOVEMENT AROUND SAID FIRST PIVOT POINT AND THEREBY EFFECT A SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS ACROSS SAID CONVEYOR.