Feeding and indexing device for package handling apparatus

Claim 1

A PACKAGE INDEXING DEVICE COMPRISING: A FRAME; AN INCLINED CONVEYOR MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE FRAME; A BELT-TYPE CONVEYOR MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AT THE LOWER END OF THE INCLINED CONVEYOR TO FORM A CONTINUATION THEREOF; SAID BELT-TYPE CONVEYOR HAVING ONE END MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION ABOVE SAID INCLINED CONVEYOR TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID INCLINED CONVEYOR; CAM MEANS FOR MOVING THE END OF OF THE MOVING CONVEYOR ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE INCLINED CONVEYOR FROM THE INOPERATIVE POSITION TO THE OPERATIVE POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE END OF THE INCLINED CONVEYOR TO THEREBY REMOVE ONE PACKAGE AT A TIME FROM THE INCLINED CONVEYOR; STOP MEANS SECURED TO THE END OF THE MOVING CONVEYOR ADJACENT THE INCLINED CONVEYOR TO PREVENT THE PACKAGE ON THE INCLINED CONVEYOR FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE MOVING CONVEYOR WHEN IN THE INOPERATIVE POSITION; A DRIVE ROLLER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A DRIVE ROLLER POSITIONED AT THE LOWER END OF THE INCLINED CONVEYOR, SAID ASSEMBLY BEING MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOTION TO MOVE THE DRIVE ROLLER FROM A POSITION BELOW THE PLANE OF THE CONVEYOR TO A POSITION ABOVE THE PLANE OF THE CONVEYOR TO IMPART AN INITIAL MOTION OF THE LOWEST PACKAGES ON THE INCLINED CONVEYOR WHEN THE BELT TYPE CONVEYOR IS MOVED TO THE OPERATIVE POSITION; AND DRIVE MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DIRVING THE CAM MEANS AND THE DRIVE ROLLER; SAID STOP MEANS OPERATIVELY ENGAGING THE DRIVE ROLLER ASSEMBLY TO MOVE THE DRIVE ROLLER TO THE POSITION ABOVE THE PLANE OF THE INCLINED CONVEYOR WHEN THE STOP MEANS MOVES TO THE INOPERATIVE POSITION.