Processing machine feeding means

Claim 1

A FEEDING MEANS FOR A PROCESSING MACHINE INCLUDING A TRANSFER MECHANISM OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO CARRY UNITS TO BE PROCESSED THROUGH THE MACHINE ON A CONVEYOR MEANS HOLDING THE UNITS TO BE PROCESSED IN A PREDETERMINED SPACED REALTION TO EACH OTHER INCIDENT TO THE PASSAGE THEREOF THROUGH THE MACHINE; SAID FEEDING MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORTING FRAME MEANS, A UNIDIRECTIONALLY MOVING FEEDING CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING SPACED HORIZONTAL UPPER AND LOWER FLIGHTS CARRIED BY THE FRAME STRUCTURE EXTENDING FROM A POINT OF RECEPTION OF UNITS TO BE PROCESSED TO A POINT OF DELIVERY OF RECEIVED UNITS TO THE PROCESSING MACHINE CONVEYOR MEANS, POWER MEANS OPERATIVE TO CAUSE SAID FEEDING CONVEYOR MEANS TO MOVE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE PROCESSING MACHINE CONVEYOR MEANS, A CHUTE FOR DELIVERING UNITS TO THE RECEPTION POINT OF SAID FEEDING CONVEYOR MEANS IN RANDOM QUANTITIES AND AT RANDOM TIME INTERVALS, AND UNIT SEPACING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESPECTIVE SPACED HORIZONTAL FLIGHTS OF SAID FEEDING CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING DRIVABLE MEANS THEREON SPACED APART AT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES FROM EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS AND COPLANAR POWR MEANS TO CONSTANTLY DRIVE IN A REVERSE DIRECTION SAID DRIVABLE MEANS TO EXERT A FORCE ON ANY UNIT CONTACTED BY SAID DRIVABLE MEANS TENDING TO MOVE THE CONTACTED UNIT IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID FEEDING CONVEYOR MEANS SO THAT ONLY ONE UNIT IS POSITIONED BETWEEN ADJACENT DRIVABLE MEANS PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF THE UNITS THROUGH THE TRANSFER MECHANISM.