Machine for unloading rows of piles of articles standing on a pallet

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR HANDLING ROWS OF PILES OF ARTICLES COMPRISING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CARRY SAID ROWS OF PILES OF SAID ARTICLES, A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONVEYOR AT AN ANGLE TO SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A ROW OF PILES OF ARTICLES TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, A CARRIAGE BELOW SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND MOVABLE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF, MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR GRIPPING A ROW OF PILES OF ARTICLES ON SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND DEPOSITING SAID ROW OF PILES OF ARTICLES ON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, SAID GRIPPING MEANS COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CARRIAGE ADJACENT TO AN EDGE OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR, SAID UPRIGHTS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID UPRIGHTS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, AN ARTICLE CLAMPING PLATE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH UPRIGHT, EACH ARTICLE CLAMPING PLATE BEING MOVABLE FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE UPRIGHT TO WHICH IT IS PIVOTED, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID CLAMPING PLATES FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY.