Cross feed conveying and positioning apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND CONVEYING EGG-SHAPED ARTICLES FROM A SOURCE OF SUCH ARTICLES FROM WHICH THE ARTICLES ARE FED IN SUCCESSIVE ROWS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATE TROUGH HAVING AN ARTICLE RECEIVING SECTION POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE ROWS OF ARTICLES WITH EACH SAID ROW ALIGNED WITH THE LONG AXIS OF SAID SECTION, PUSHER MEANS IN SAID TROUGH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PUSHER ELEMENTS SPACED TO RECEIVE SAID ARTICLES THEREBETWEEN AS THEY ARE DEPOSITED IN SAID SECTION, CARRIER MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID PUSHER ELEMENTS LENGTWISE OF THE TROUGH TO PROPEL SAID ARTICLES FROM SAID SECTION AND ALONG THE TROUGH, SAID TROUGH BEING UPWARDLY INCLINED IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE, EACH OF SAID PUSHER ELEMENTS HAVING THE FORM OF A CURVED ROD-LIKE MEMBER ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY OF THE TROUGH WITH THE CONCAVE SIDE OF THE CURVE TOWARD THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE, SAID CURVED FORLIKE MEMBER HAVING MOUNTED THEREON AT A SPACED LOCATIONS RESILIENT ELEMENTS PRESENTING ARTICLE CONTACTING THE SURFACES SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER TRANSVERSELY OF THE TROUGH AND OPERABLE TO COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH THE SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE TO ORIENT AND MAINTAIN SAID ARTICLE IN A STABLE ROLLING POSITION ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH WITH THE LONG AXIS OF EACH TRANVERSE TO THE LONG AXIS OF THE TROUGH.