Apparatus for unstacking a plurality of platelike elements from different supplies in a predetermined sequence

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING A PLURALITY OF PLATELIKE ELEMENTS FROM DIFFERENT SUPPLIES A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE, WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF MAGAZINES WHICH ARE HORIZONTALLY SPACED APART AND HAVE OPEN BOTTOM ENDS, EACH OF SAID MAGAZINES BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A VERTICAL STACK OF PLATELIKE ELEMENTS AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE, SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID MAGAZINES HAVING A ASSOCIATED WITH IT BOTTOM SUPPORTING MEANS EXTENDABLE TO A POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE UNDER SUCH STACK OF PLATELIKE ELEMENTS IN SAID MAGAZINE, AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE UNDERSIDE OF SUCH STACK, AND RETAINING MEANS DISPOSED OPPOSITE TO SAID VERTICAL SIDE WALL CLOSELY ABOVE SAID BOTTOM SUPPORTING MEANS AND EXTENDABLE TO ENGAGE THE SIDE OF SAID STACK OPPOSITE TO SAID SIDE WALL CLOSELY ABOVE SAID LOWERMOST PLATE LIKE ELEMET WHEREBY THE SECOND PLATELIKE ELEMENT FROM BELOW IS FORCED AGAINST SAID SIDE WALL WHEREAS SAID LOWERMOST PLATELIKE ELEMENT IS FREE TO DROP VERTICALLY FROM SAID STACK UNLESS ITS UNDERSIDE ENGAGES SAID BOTTOM SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID BOTTOM SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID RETAINING MEANS BEING MUTUALLY INDEPENDENTLY AND SELECTIVELY EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID STACK, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING FURTHER A CARRIER WHICH IS DISPOSED BELOW AND MOVABLE UNDER EACH OF SAID STACKS AND ADAPTED TO COLLECT SAID PLATELIKE ELEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN DROPPED FROM SAID STACKS.