Workpiece loading and unloading apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING UPON THE SURFACE OF A WORKPIECE, THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED BED HAVING A HEADSTOCK AT ONE END AND A TAILSTOCK AT THE OTHER END, A PAIR OF CRADLE STRUCTURES BETWEEN THE HEADSTOCK AND TAILSTOCK FOR SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF A WORKPIECE TO BE WORKED UPON, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CRADLE STRUCTURES FOR MOVEMENT AXIALLY ALONG SAID BED WHEREBY THE WORKPIECE ON THE CRADLE STRUCTURES MAY BE SHIFTED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE HEADSTOCK AND TAILSTOCK, SINGLE ROTATING DRIVE MOTOR MEANS LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE HEADSTOCK AND TAILSTOCK FOR MOVING SAID CRADLE STRUCTURES AXIALLY ALONG SAID BED, FIRST ROTATING MECHANICAL DRIVE MEANS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SINGLE MOTOR MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING DRIVING POWER FROM THE SINGLE MOTOR MEANS TO ONE OF SAID CRADLE STRUCTURES, SECOND ROTATING MECHANICAL DRIVE MEANS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SINGLE MOTOR MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING DRIVING POWER FROM THE SINGLE MOTOR MEANS TO THE OTHER OF SAID CRADLE STRUCTURE, CLUTCH MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY COUPLING SAID DRIVE MOTOR MEANS TO EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND MECHANICAL DRIVE MEANS, SINGLE DRIVE MOTOR MEANS FOR ELEVATING BOTH OF SAID CRADLE STRUCTURES AND A WORKPIECE CARRIED THEREBY, AND MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM SAID LAST-MENTIONED DRIVE MOTOR MEANS TO SAID CRADLE STRUCTURES TO ELEVATE THE SAME.