Automatic feeder system for mold shake-out

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC CONVEYOR FEEDER SYSTEM FOR A MOLD HAKE-OUT APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING A CONVEYOR BELT FOR CONVEYANCE OF OPEN-BOTTOMED FLASKS EACH CONTAINING A MOLD AND CASTING THEREIN, (B) DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR BELT, (C) AN UPWARDLY INCLINED RAMP HAVING THE LOWER END ADJACENT SAID CONVEYOR BELT FOR RECEIVING MOLD FLASKS FROM SAID CONVEYOR BELT AND ON WHICH RAMP THE FLASKS ARE MOVED UPWARDLY IN STACKED SUCCESSION, (D) A HORIZONTAL PLATFORM AT THE UPPER END OF SAID RAMP ONTO WHICH FLASKS ARE MOVED FROM SAID RAMP, SAID PLATFORM HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN THROUGH WHICH THE MOLDS AND CASTINGS CONTAINED IN THE FLASKS MAY FALL TO THE SHAKE-OUT APPARATUS, (E) A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED CHUTE FOR RECEVING FLASKS MOVED FROM SAID PLAFTFORM AND BY WHICH THE FLASKS ARE RETURNED SLIDABLY BY GRAVITY TO SAID CONVEYOR BELT, (F) A FIRST POWER CYLINDER HAVING A PISTON MEMBER OPERABLE TO AN EXTENDED POSITION FOR PUSHING FLASKS IN STACKED SUCCESION FROM SAID CONVEYOR BELT ONTO SAID RAMP AND TO A RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID PISTON MEMBER IS CLEAR OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE FLASKS ON THE CONVEYOR BELT, (G) A SECOND POWER CYLINDER HAVING A PISTION MEMBER OPERABLE TO AN EXTENDED POSITION FOR PUSHING THE MOLD AND CASTING OUT OF ITS FLASK AND THROUGH THE CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID PLATFORM AND BEING OPERABLE TO A RETRACTED POSITION CLEAR OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE FLASK MOVING ONTO SAID HORIZONTAL PLATFORM, (H) A THIRD POWER CYLINDER HAVING A PISTON MEMBER OPERABLE TO AN EXTENDED POSITION FOR PUSHING THE FLASK, IN SUCCESSIVE ORDER, FROM SAID HORIZONTAL PLAT-