Loading and unloading apparatus for dumb waiters and the like

Claim 1

TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR A CAR ADAPTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN A HATCHWAY AND HAVING SPACED HORIZONTAL TRACKS FOR SUPPORTING A VEHICLE TO BE TRANSFERRED COMPRISING A SUPPORTING FRAME BETWEEN SAID TRACKS, A CARRIAGE HAVING SIDE BARS, MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME IN SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID SIDE BARS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CARRIAGE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT IN PROJECTING RELATION BEYOND THE CAR, SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING LONGITUDINALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENSIBLE ROLLER ELEMENTS ENGAGING SAID SUPPORTING FRAME AND SAID SIDE BARS, MEANS FOR IMPELLING SAID CARRIAGE IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE MOTOR ON SAID FRAME, A RACK ON SAID CARRIAGE, A GEAR ENGAGING SAID RACK, AND DRIVING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID MOTOR AND SAID GEAR, A VEHICLE IMPELLING ASSEMBLY MOUNTED FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT ALONG SAID CARRIAGE, SAID IMPELLING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A RELEASABLE VEHICLE COUPLER CENTRALLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SIDE BARS AND INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID SIDE BARS AND MOVABLE IN A SELECTED DIRECTION FROM A CENTRAL LOCATION TO A POSITION BEYOND THE CAR, MEMBERS FOR ADVANCING SAID VEHICLE IMPELLING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLING ASSEMBLY AND INTERENGAGING MEMBERS ON SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID SUPPORTING FRAME FOR ACTUATING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORTING FRAME.