Means for transporting workpieces to and from a work station

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING WORKPIECES TO AND FROM A WORK STATION, A FEED STATION, MEANS AT SAID FEED STATION FOR STATIONARY SUPPORTING SEVERAL WORKPIECES IN EVENLY SPACED RELATION, MEANS AT SAID FEED STATION FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY INDEXING SAID WORKPIECES IN ONE DIRECTION A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THAT BETWEEN ADJACENT WORKPIECES A TRANSFER SHUTTLE HAVING REAR AND FORWARD SECTIONS FOR SUPPORTING TWO WORKPIECES IN TENDEM, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS AT THE FEED STATION COACTING WITH SAID TRANSFER SHUTTLER WHEREBY THE FORWARDMOST WORKPIECE WILL BE PLACED ON THE REAR SECTION THEREOF, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TRANSFER SHUTTLE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST-MENTIONED DIRECTION, A LOADINGUNLOADING STATION HAVING A SHUTTLE ENGAGEABLE WITH A WORKPIECE ON THE REAR SECTION OF SAID ADVANCED TRANSFER SHUTTLE FOR TRANSPORTING SAID WORKPIECE TO AND FROM THE WORK STATION IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE TRANSFER SHUTTLE MOVEMENT DIRECTION, MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID TRANSFER SHUTTLE AFTER THE WORKPIECE HAS BEEN REMOVED THEREFROM BY THE LOADING-UNLOADING SHUTTLE WHEREBY THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE TRANSFER SHUTTLE IS AT THE LOADINGUNLOADING STATION AND THE REAR SECTION IS ALIGNED WITH THE FEED STATION, SAID INDEXING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO AGAIN ADVANCE SAID FEED STATION WORKPIECES A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THAT BETWEEN ADJACENT WORKPIECES SO THAT THE FORWARDMOST WORKPIECE IS AGAIN PLACED ON THE REAR SECTION OF THE TRANSFER SHUTTLE, MEANS AT THE LOADING-UNLOADING STATION FOR RETURNING THE FINISHED WORKPIECE FROM THE WORK STATION TO THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE TRANSFER SHUTTLE, SAID TRANSFER SHUTTLE MOVING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO AGAIN ADVANCE THE TRANSFER SHUTTLE WHEREBY THE NEW WORKPIECE ON THE REAR SECTION THEREOF IS ALIGNED WITH THE LOADING-UNLOADING STATION, A DISCHARGE STATION ALIGNED WITH THE FINISHED WORKPIECE ON THE FORWARD TRANSFER SHUTTLE SECTION WHEN THE TRANSFER SHUTTLER IS ADVANCED, AND MEANS AT SAID DISCHARGE STATION FOR REMOVING THE FINISHED WORKPIECE FROM SAID TRANSFER SHUTTLE.