Dual bar transfer device

Claim 1

A WORKPIECE TRANSFER MECHANISM COMPRISING A SERIES OF STATIONS DIVIDED INTO AT LEAST THREE GROUPS, THE FIRST GROUP OF STATIONS COMPRISING AT LEST ONE STATION AT WHICH WORKPIECES ARE ADAPTED TO REMAIN FOR A PREDETERMINED UNIT OF TIME, THE SECOND GROUP OF STATIONS COMPRISING A SERIES OF STATIONS AT WHICH THE WORKPIECES ARE ADAPTED TO REMAIN AT EACH STATION THEREIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME EQUAL TO A MULTIPLE (GREATER THAN 1) OF SAID UNIT OF TIME, THE NUMBER OF STATIONS IN SAID SECOND GROUP BEING EQUAL TO SAID MULTIPLE, THE THIRD GROUP OF STATIONS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STATIONS EQUAL IN NUMBER TO SAID MULTIPLE, SAID THIRD GROUP OF STATIONS BEING LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GROUP, MEANS AT EACH STATION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND GROUP FOR PERFORMING AN OPERATION ON THE WORKPIECES AT SAID STATIONS, THE SECOND GROUP OF STATIONS COMPRISING IDLE STATIONS, A PAIR OF RECIPROCAL TRANSFER MEMBERS EXTENDING ALONG SAID GROUPS OF STATIONS, EACH TRANSFER MEMBER HAVING MEANS THEREON ACTUATABLE TO ENGAGE WORKPIECES AT THE STATIONS TO ADVANCE THEM TO SUCCESSIVE STATIONS, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE TWO TRANSFER MEMBERS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND SUCH THAT THE STROKE OF ONE TRANSFER MEMBER IS EQUAL TO SAID MULTIPLE OF THE STROKE OF THE OTHER TRANSFER MEMBER, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OTHER TRANSFER MEMBER FOR ADVANCING WORKPIECES UPON EACH STROKE THEREOF IN THE WORK ADVANCING DIRECTION, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ONE TRANSFER MEMBER FOR ADVANCING WORKPIECES UPON EACH STROKE THEREOF IN THE WORK ADVANCING DIRECTION WHICH IS SAID MULTIPLE OF THE STROKE OF THE OTHER TRANSFER MEMBER, SAID ONE TRANSFER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ADVANCE WORKPIECES BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD GROUP OF STATIONS AND THE OTHER TRANSFER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO TRANSFER WORKPIECES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THIRD GROUP OF STATIONS.