Devices for accelerating and timing articles

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR ACCELERATING RECTANGULAR ARTICLES, SUCH AS FOLDING BOXES SUPPLIED TO IT, TO A PREDETERMINED VELOCITY AND FOR DELIVERING SUCH ARTICLES AT SUCH VELOCITY IN TIMED AND SPACED ORDER, THE DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BOTTOM CONVEYOR FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING AND ADVANCING SAID ARTICLES; A PAIR OF LATERAL BELTS BORDERING SAID BOTTOM COVEYOR ON OPPOSITE SIDES, SAID BELTS DEFINING BETWEEN THEM A TRACK WITHIN WHICH ARTICLES ON SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR ARE ADVANCED; A PAIR OF ENDLESS TIMING CONVEYORS COMPRISING LUGS EXTENDING INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BELTS ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER, RESPECTIVELY, WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACK CENTER, THE LUGS OF EACH TIMING CONVEYOR BEING UNIFORMLY SPACED BY LESS THAN DOUBLE THE LENGTH OF THE ARTICLES TO BE HANDLED AND MORE THAN THE SINGLE LENGTH OF SAID ARTICLES, THE LUGS OF ONE TIMING CONVEYOR BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO THE LUGS OF THE OTHER TIMING CONVEYOR, AS A RESULT OF WHICH ONE LUG ON ONE SIDE LIES IN ADVANCE OF A CERTAIN ARTICLE AND THE NEXT LUG ON THE OTHER SIDE BEARS AGAINST THE SIDE OF SAID CERTAIN ARRTICLE, THE WIDTH OF THE TRACK BEING SUCH THAT SAID NEXT LUG PRESSES THE ARTICLES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE BELT; AN OUTFEED CONVEYOR IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK AND OVERLAPPING THE TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR, SAID OUTFEED CONVEYOR COMPRISING LUGS EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF BOXES FOR RECEIVING AND FURTHER ADVANCING ARTICLES RELEASED BY THE LUGS OF SAID TIMING CONVEYORS; AND DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR AT A LINEAR RATE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE TIMING CONVEYORS FOR DRIVING SAID BELTS AT A LINEAR RATE NOT LESS THAN THAT OF THE TIMING CONVEYORS, AND FOR DRIVING SAID OUTFEED CONVEYOR AT A RATE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE BOTTOM CONVEYOR.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR ACCELERATING RECTANGULAR ARTICLES, SUCH AS FOLDING BOXES SUPPLIED TO IT, TO A PREDETERMINED VELOCITY AND FOR DELIVERING SUCH ARTICLES AT SUCH VELOCITY IN TIMED AND SPACED ORDER, THE DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BOTTOM CONVEYOR FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING AND ADVANCING SAID ARTICLES; A PAIR OF LATERAL BELTS BORDERING SAID BOTTOM COVEYOR ON OPPOSITE SIDES, SAID BELTS DEFINING BETWEEN THEM A TRACK WITHIN WHICH ARTICLES ON SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR ARE ADVANCED; A PAIR OF ENDLESS TIMING CONVEYORS COMPRISING LUGS EXTENDING INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BELTS ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER, RESPECTIVELY, WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACK CENTER, THE LUGS OF EACH TIMING CONVEYOR BEING UNIFORMLY SPACED BY LESS THAN DOUBLE THE LENGTH OF THE ARTICLES TO BE HANDLED AND MORE THAN THE SINGLE LENGTH OF SAID ARTICLES, THE LUGS OF ONE TIMING CONVEYOR BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO THE LUGS OF THE OTHER TIMING CONVEYOR, AS A RESULT OF WHICH ONE LUG ON ONE SIDE LIES IN ADVANCE OF A CERTAIN ARTICLE AND THE NEXT LUG ON THE OTHER SIDE BEARS AGAINST THE SIDE OF SAID CERTAIN ARRTICLE, THE WIDTH OF THE TRACK BEING SUCH THAT SAID NEXT LUG PRESSES THE ARTICLES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE BELT; AN OUTFEED CONVEYOR IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK AND OVERLAPPING THE TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR, SAID OUTFEED CONVEYOR COMPRISING LUGS EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF BOXES FOR RECEIVING AND FURTHER ADVANCING ARTICLES RELEASED BY THE LUGS OF SAID TIMING CONVEYORS; AND DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID BOTTOM CONVEYOR AT A LINEAR RATE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE TIMING CONVEYORS FOR DRIVING SAID BELTS AT A LINEAR RATE NOT LESS THAN THAT OF THE TIMING CONVEYORS, AND FOR DRIVING SAID OUTFEED CONVEYOR AT A RATE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE BOTTOM CONVEYOR.