Sheet handling apparatus for glass plates, etc.

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRING INDIVIDUAL SHEETS BETWEEN A FIRST SUPPORT APPARATUS LOCATED IN ONE PLANE AND SECOND SUPPORT APPARATUS LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT PLANE, A TRANSFER ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING (A) A FLOOR-SUPPORTED FRAMEWORK STATIONARILY MOUNTED ADJACENT TO AND IN THE PLANE OF THE FIRST SUPPORT APPARATUS, (B) HORIZONTAL SUPPORT TRACKS MOUNTED ON THE FRAMEWORK IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION AND TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST SUPPORT APPARATUS, (C) A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON SAID TRACKS, (D) MEANS FOR MOVING THE CARRIAGE ALONG SAID TRACKS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SECOND SUPPORT APPARATUS, (E) MEANS FOR STOPPING MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE WHEN IT REACHES THE LIMITS OF ITS FORWARD AND REARWARD MOVEMENTS, (F) A VACUUM FRAME PIVOTALLY CARIED BY SAID CARRIAGE FOR TRANSFERRING SUCCESSIVE SHEETS FROM ONE SUPPORT APPARATUS TO THE OTHER SUPPORT APPARATUS, (G) VACUUM CUP SUPPORT ARMS PIVTOALLY CARRIED BY THE VACUUM FRAME TO SWING ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, (H) VACUUM SUPS ON SAID SUPPORT ARMS FOR SUPPORTING A SHEET WHILE BEING TRANSFERRED, (I) MEANS FOR SWINGING THE VACUUM FRAME RELATIVE TO THE CARRIAGE INTO AND OUT OF THE PLANE OF THE FIRST SUPPORT APPARATUS AND THE PLANE OF THE SECOND SUPPORT APPARATUS, (J) MEANS FOR STOPPING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID VACUUM FRAME WHEN IT REACHES THE LIMITS OF ITS SWINGING MOVEMENTS, (K) A CYLINDER MOUNTED ON THE VACUUM FRAME, (L) BELL-CRANK LEVERS PIVTOALLY CARRIED BY THE VACUUM FRAME AND CONNECTED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS TO THE VACUUM CUP SUPPORT ARMS (M) A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE VACUUM FRAME, (N) LINKAGE MEANS OPERATED BY SAID SHAFT AND CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BELL-CRANK LEVERS, (O) A LEVER FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID SHAFT AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO SAID CYLINDER FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT AND ACTUATING SAID BELL-CRANK LEVERS, (P) ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE MEANS ON SAID VACUUM FRAME FOR STOPPING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE VACUUM CUP SUPPORT ARMS, (Q) SECOND ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE MEANS ON SAID VACUUM FRAME FOR STOPPING REARWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID VACUUM SUP SUPPORT ARMS, (R) MEANS FOR CREATING A VACUUM AT SAID VACUUM CUPS TO SUPPORT A SHEET, (S) MEANS FOR RELIEVING THE VACUUM AT SAID VACUUM CUPS TO RELEASE THE SHEETS, AND (T) ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY INITIATING THE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE VACUUM FRAME, THE MOVEMENT OF THE VACUUM CUP SUPPORT ARMS RELATIVE TO THE VACUUM FRAME, AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE ALONG SAID TRACKS.