Automatic case stacker

Claim 1

BOX STACKER MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A PAIR OF FRAME MEMBERS DEFINING A STACKING WELL, A THROUGH-FEEDING CONVEYOR HAVING A LOAD TRANSPORTING BELT MOVING THROUGH SAID WELL FROM AN INFEED STATION TO A LOADING STATION THEREBEYOND, MEANS AT SAID INFEED STATION PREVENTING BOXES TRANSPORTED BY SAID BELT FROM ENTERING SAID WELL UNTIL INDIVIDUALLY RELEASED, RECIPROCATINGLY CYCLED MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME MEMBERS FOR ELEVATING EACH BOX ENTERING SAID WELL SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR THE NEXT ENTERING BOX, PAIRED FINGER MEANS ONE IN EACH SAID MEMBER CONTROLLABLY INSERTABLE IN SAID WELL TO RESTRAIN DOWNWARD MOTION OF ELEVATED BOXES, CONTROL MEANS ACTUATED BY THE LIFT MEANS TO POSITIVELY RETRACT SAID FINGER MEANS DURING ELEVATION OF BOXES AND TO REINSERT SAID FINGER MEANS PRIOR TO A RETURN STROKE THEREOF FOR CAUSING SUCCESSIVELY ELEVATED BOXES TO BE BOTTOM-STACKED ON THE FINGER MEANS, SECOND CONTROL MEANS ACTUATED BY A PREDETERMINED STACK ELEVATION TO PREVENT THE NEXT SUCCEEDING SAID REINSERTION OF THE FINERS FOR CAUSING STACKED BOXED IN SAID WELL TO BE RETURNED TO SAID BELT FOR MOVEMENT TO SAID LOADING STATION, THIRD CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO COMPLETION OF EACH RECIPROCATING CYCLE FOR RELEASING A BOX IN SAID INFEED STATION, FOURTH CONTROL MEANS DELAYING COMPLETION OF A CYCLE DURING WHICH SAID SECOND CONTROL MENS IS ACTUATED UNTIL SAID STACKED BOXES HAVE REACHED SAID LOADING STATION, AND STOP MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID ELEVATING MEANS FOR ARRESTING BOXES ON SAID CONVEYOR BELT WHEN SAID CYCLE IS COMPLETED, SAID STOP MEANS BEING RETRACTED BELOW SAID CONVEYOR DURING SAID DELAY OF A CYCLE.