Can-handling apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A STATIONARY SUPPORT, A SUPPORTING FRAME ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, TWO ELONGATED UPRIGHT SPACED-APART AND PARALLEL GUIDE MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, EACH GUIDE MEMBER HAVING TWO PARALLEL SPACED-APART AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRACKS, A LIFTING-POWER CYLINDER HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS AND A RECIPROCABLE PISTON ROD, SAID CYLINDER BEING UPRIGHT AND INTERMEDIATE SAID GUIDE MEMBERS, THE LOWER END OF SAID CYLINDER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING FRAME, SAID PISTON ROD PROJECTING THROUGH AND SUPPORTING FRAME, THE UPPER END OF SAID CYLINDER, A HORIZONTAL CROSSDBAR PIVOTALLY SDECURED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO THE UPPER END OF SAID PISTON ROD FOR MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID CROSSBAR BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN AND EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION FROM ONE GUIDE MEMBER TOWARD THE OTHER, TWO PULLEYS MOUNTED ON THE OUTER ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID CROSSBAR FOR ROTATION ABOUT HORIZONTAL AXES; AN ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY COMPRIISNG TWO SPACED-APART PARALLEL FLAT SUPPORTING PLATES WHICH ARE VERTICALLY ARRANGED AND DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID TWO GUIDE MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, A HORIZONTAL BAR SECURED TO ITS OPPOSITE END PORTIONS TO SAID TWO SUPPORTING PLATES, RESPECTIVELY, A HORIZONTAL BAR SECURED TO ITS OPPOSITE END PORTIONS TO SAID TWO SUPPORTING PLATES, RESPECTIVELY, SAID SUPPORTING PLATES EACH HAVING TWO VERTICALLY SPACED PAIRS OF ROLLERS, THE ROLLERS OF EACH PAIR BEING HORIZONTALLY SPACED AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE AFORESAID TWO TRACKS, RESPECTIVELY, TWO CABLES PASSED OVER SAID TWO PULLEYS RESPECTIVELY AND CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO ONE OF SAID MOUNTING PLATES AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE LAST-MENTIONED HORIZONTAL BAR, TWO FLAT HORIZQNTAL SPACED-APART AND PARALLEL LIFT PLATES SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING PLATES, A VACUUM-SEALING MEMBER ENGAGED BY AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID LIFT PLATES AROUND THE MARGINAL EDGES OF THE LATTER FOR PROVIDING A SEALED VACUUM CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED RESILIENT SUCTION CUPS SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LOWER LIFT PLATE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID VACUUM CHAMBER WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID SUCTION CUPS, AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND ONES OF SAID SUCTION CUPS WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE INTERIORS THEREOF SEALED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.