Apparatus for transferring palletized loads

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR EXCHANGING PALLETS WHEREBY AN EXCHANGE PALLET IS SUBSTITUTED FOR AN INCOMING LOADED PALLET, THE PALLETS BEING CHARACTERIZED BY OPENINGS EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGH THE SAME CONVEYING MEANS FORMING THREE ALIGNED CONVEYOR SECTIONS, EACH ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A LOADED PALLET FOR MOVEMENT OVER THE SAME, A FIRST ONE OF SAID SECTIONS SERVING AS AN INCOMING CONVEYOR FOR A LOADED INCOMING PALLET AND ALSO AS AN INCOMING CONVEYOR FOR AN EXCHANGE PALLET, THE SECOND ONE OF SAID SECTIONS FORMING A PALLET EXCHANGE STATION, AND THE THIRD ONE OF SAID SECTIONS FORMING AN OUTGOING CONVEYOR FOR AN OUTGOING LOADED PALLET AND ALSO AS AN OUTGOING CONVEYOR FOR AN INCOMING PALLET, LOAD-ELEVATING MEANS AT THE EXCHANGE STATION OPERABLE THROUGH SAID OPENINGS TO ELEVATE THE LOAD TO A POSITION SPACED ABOVE AN INCOMING PALLET BELOW THE SAME, MEANS OPERABLE TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT AND LOAD IN SUCH ELEVATED POSITION WHILE THE ELEVATING MEANS RETURNS TO A LOWERED POSITION WHILE THE ELEVATING MEANS RETURNS TO A PALLET FROM A POSITION UNDERLYING THE LOAD TO THE OUTGOING CONVEYOR SECTION, MEANS OPERABLE TO SHIFT AN EXCHANGE PALLET ONTO THE INCOMING CONVEYOR SECTION, MEANS FOR SHIFTING SUCH EXCHANGE PALLET FROM THE INCOMING CONVEYOR SECTION TO SAID EXCHANGE STATION, SAID ELEVATING MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO TAKE THE LOAD FROM SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS AND TO LOWER THE SAME UPON THE EXCHANGE PALLET, AND MEANS THEREAFTER OPERABLE TO DISCHAGER THE EXCHANGE PALLET WITH THE LOAD THEREON FROM THE MACHINE.