Uncaser

Claim 1

AN OPENING AND DUMPING APPARATUS FOR RECTANGULAR PAPERBOARD CASES, BOXES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING CASES AND MOVING THEM IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT ALONG A FIXED PATH, PLOW MEANS FOR OPENING THE SIDE FLAPS OF A CASE MOVED THROUGH SAID PATH BY SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND OPENING THE TRAILING FLAP OF A SAID CASE, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR ENGAGING A SAID CASE AND TURNING IT END FOR END AFTER SAID TRAILING FLAP IS OPENED, MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND OPENING THE TRAILING END FLAP OF THE TURNED CASE, A MEMBER OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS TO ENGAGE THE OPENED LEADING END FLAP OF THE TURNED CASE AND RETAIN IT OPEN TO PREVENT ENGAGEMENT OF SUCH FLAP BY SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS, MEANS FOR INVERTING AN OPENED CASE, A SUPPORT PLATE TO RECEIVE THE INVERTED OPENED CASE AND HAVING A DISCHARGE EDGE, MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE CONTENTS OF THE INVERTED CASE POSITIONED ADJACENT BUT BELOW THE DISCHARGE EDGE OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE, AND A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL WIRES SECURED IN POSITION ABOVE SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS AND EXTENDING DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID DISCHARGE EDGE TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT THE CASE NEST AND THE OPENED END FLAPS THEREON, SAID WIRES PERMITTING THE CONTENTS OF A CASE TO DROP THERETHROUGH.