Stacking apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR ACCUMULATING STACKS OF GENERALLY FLAT OBJECTS WHICH ARE SERIALLY DELIVERED BY A FIRST CONVEYOR AND DEPOSITING SUCH STACKS UPON A SECOND CONVEYOR, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (1) AN ELEVATOR ADJACENT THE DELIVERY END OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SUCH FIRST CONVEYOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS AT AN UPPER POSITION, SAID ELEVATOR MOVABLE THROUGH A RECEIVING ZONE TO AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION AND THENCE TO A LOWER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID UPPER POSITION, (2) A FIRST MOTOR MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ELEVATOR, (3) A TRANSFER CARRIAGE COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF SPACED APART MEMBERS HAVING (B) A FIRST PAIR OF SPACED APART HORIZONTAL ARMS FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID ELEVATOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS IN ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A FIRST POSITION AND FOR PLACING A STACK OF SUCH OBJECTS UPON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BELT WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A THIRD POSITION, (C) AND A SECOND PAIR OF SPACED APART HORIZONTAL ARMS FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS IN SUCH LOWER POSITION WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A SECOND POSITION, (4) A SECOND MOTOR MEANS FOR SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE, (5) AN ELONGATE BRIDLE MEMBER HAVING ONE END ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO THE TRANSFER CARRIAGE AND THE OTHER END FIXED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF SAID SECOND MOTOR MEANS, (6) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE RELATIVE TO SAID BRIDLE MEMBER SUCH THAT THE ROTATION OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND BRIDLE MEMBER TRANSLATES SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE THROUGH A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND SAID DRIVE SHAFT WHILE SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIR OF ARMS OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE ARE MAINTAINED IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, (7) AND MEANS CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR AND SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE, COMPRISING (A) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE DELIVERY OF SUCH FLAT OBJECTS BY SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR MOVING THE ELEVATOR DOWNWARDLY IN INCREMENTS EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF SUCH OBJECTS THROUGH SAID RECEIVING ZONE TO ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOR ACCUMULATING A STACK OF OBJECTS ON SAID ELEVATOR, (B) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID ELEVATOR AT ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID ELEVATOR TO MOVE TO ITS LOWER POSITION AND TO DEPOSIT SUCH STACK UPON SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A FIRST POSITION, (C) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID ELEVATOR AT ITS LOWER POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO MOVE FROM ITS FIRST POSITION TO ITS SECOND POSITION WHERE SAID SECOND PAIR OF ARMS IS AT THE DELIVERY END OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR WHILE SAID ELEVATOR IS IN ITS LOWER POSITION, (D) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE AT ITS SECOND POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID ELEVATOR TO RETURN TO ITS UPPER POSITION TO REMOVE SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID SECOND PAIR OF ARMS AND TO RECEIVE SUBSEQUENT FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, (E) AND MEANS CONDITIONED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR FROM ITS LOWER POSITION TO ITS UPPER POSITION AND RESPONSIVE TO THE RECEIPT OF A SUBSEQUENT FLAT OBJECT THEREON FOR CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO ADVANCE TO ITS THIRD POSITION WHERE SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS DELIVERS A PREVIOUSLY ACCUMULATED STACK TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AND CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO CONTINUE ON ITS CIRCULAR PATH AND TO RETURN TO ITS FIRST POSITION WHERE SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS IS AGAIN READY TO RECEIVE A SUBSEQUENT STACK OF OBJECTS FROM SAID ELEVATOR.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR ACCUMULATING STACKS OF GENERALLY FLAT OBJECTS WHICH ARE SERIALLY DELIVERED BY A FIRST CONVEYOR AND DEPOSITING SUCH STACKS UPON A SECOND CONVEYOR, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (1) AN ELEVATOR ADJACENT THE DELIVERY END OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SUCH FIRST CONVEYOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS AT AN UPPER POSITION, SAID ELEVATOR MOVABLE THROUGH A RECEIVING ZONE TO AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION AND THENCE TO A LOWER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID UPPER POSITION, (2) A FIRST MOTOR MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ELEVATOR, (3) A TRANSFER CARRIAGE COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF SPACED APART MEMBERS HAVING (B) A FIRST PAIR OF SPACED APART HORIZONTAL ARMS FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID ELEVATOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS IN ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A FIRST POSITION AND FOR PLACING A STACK OF SUCH OBJECTS UPON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BELT WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A THIRD POSITION, (C) AND A SECOND PAIR OF SPACED APART HORIZONTAL ARMS FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR WHEN SAID ELEVATOR IS IN SUCH LOWER POSITION WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A SECOND POSITION, (4) A SECOND MOTOR MEANS FOR SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE, (5) AN ELONGATE BRIDLE MEMBER HAVING ONE END ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO THE TRANSFER CARRIAGE AND THE OTHER END FIXED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF SAID SECOND MOTOR MEANS, (6) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE RELATIVE TO SAID BRIDLE MEMBER SUCH THAT THE ROTATION OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND BRIDLE MEMBER TRANSLATES SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE THROUGH A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND SAID DRIVE SHAFT WHILE SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIR OF ARMS OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE ARE MAINTAINED IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, (7) AND MEANS CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR AND SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE, COMPRISING (A) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE DELIVERY OF SUCH FLAT OBJECTS BY SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR MOVING THE ELEVATOR DOWNWARDLY IN INCREMENTS EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF SUCH OBJECTS THROUGH SAID RECEIVING ZONE TO ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOR ACCUMULATING A STACK OF OBJECTS ON SAID ELEVATOR, (B) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID ELEVATOR AT ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID ELEVATOR TO MOVE TO ITS LOWER POSITION AND TO DEPOSIT SUCH STACK UPON SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS WHEN SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE IS IN A FIRST POSITION, (C) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID ELEVATOR AT ITS LOWER POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO MOVE FROM ITS FIRST POSITION TO ITS SECOND POSITION WHERE SAID SECOND PAIR OF ARMS IS AT THE DELIVERY END OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR WHILE SAID ELEVATOR IS IN ITS LOWER POSITION, (D) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE AT ITS SECOND POSITION FOR CAUSING SAID ELEVATOR TO RETURN TO ITS UPPER POSITION TO REMOVE SUCH FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID SECOND PAIR OF ARMS AND TO RECEIVE SUBSEQUENT FLAT OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, (E) AND MEANS CONDITIONED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR FROM ITS LOWER POSITION TO ITS UPPER POSITION AND RESPONSIVE TO THE RECEIPT OF A SUBSEQUENT FLAT OBJECT THEREON FOR CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO ADVANCE TO ITS THIRD POSITION WHERE SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS DELIVERS A PREVIOUSLY ACCUMULATED STACK TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AND CAUSING SAID TRANSFER CARRIAGE TO CONTINUE ON ITS CIRCULAR PATH AND TO RETURN TO ITS FIRST POSITION WHERE SAID FIRST PAIR OF ARMS IS AGAIN READY TO RECEIVE A SUBSEQUENT STACK OF OBJECTS FROM SAID ELEVATOR.