Turnover apparatus

Claim 2

In a plate rollover having a first plate location zone, a second plate location zone and an intermediate zone therebetween, and elongated plate support means extending outwardly substantially horizontally from said intermediate zone across at least a portion of said first zone to provide a coplanar plate support surface, the improvement comprising inboard tipping means connected with an inner portion of said support means adjacent said intermediate zone to provide transverse inward and downward displacement of the inner end of said support means, and outboard tipping means connected with said support means at a position located outwardly of said first tipping means, to provide transverse inward and upward displacement of the outer end of said support means, whereby in operation a plate located on said support means may be moved from a starting datum in said first zone towards said second zone, into an inclined attitude extending as far as the vertical while maintaining the center of gravity of said plate at a height above said datum less than half the width of the plate.

Claim 3

The plate rollover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tipping means includes an inboard radius arm and an outboard radius arm each pivotally attached to said plate support means, said outboard radius arm being of greater length than said inboard arm, and shaft means rotatably supporting said arms for rotational displacement about a common axis.

Claim 4

The plate rollover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tipping means includes at least one curved track, and means connecting said track with said plate support means to provide predetermined changes in elevation of a portion of said plate support means on operation of said tipping means.

Claim 5

The plate rollover as claimed in claim l in combination with a plurality of table rolls for transporting said plate, the upper plate support plane defined by said rolls lying above said plate support means when in a lowered condition.

Claim 6

The plate rollover as claimed in claim l including second elongated plate support means extending outwardly from said intermediate zone across at least a portion of said second plate location zone, having inboard tipping means and outboard tipping means to provide lowering of the inner end of said plate support means and raising of the outer end of said plate support means on movement thereof towards said intermediate zone, and plate support control means whereby said first zone support means and said second support means may be raised into adjacent plate transfer relationship, whereby a said plate may be transferred from a faceup condition in one said zone to a facedown condition in the other said zone.

Claim 7

The plate rollover as claimed in claim 5 including first plate-shuffling means in said first zone and second plate-shuffling means in said second zone, and means to traverse said shuffling means substantially parallel with said plate support means to provide substantially horizontal displacement of a said plate relative to said intermediate zone.

Claim 8

The plate rollover as claimed in claim l including a plurality of plate-shuffling means located between adjacent ones of said elongated plate support means, and means to traverse said shuffling means substantially parallel with said support means in nonjamming plate shuffling relation.

Claim 9

The plate rollover as claimed in claim 7 wherein said plate-shuffling means each includes a substantially horizontal plate-lifting bar, inboard and outboard support means connected thereto, and shuffler driving means to provide vertical and horizontal displacement to said support means to drive the top surface of said lifting bar in a path having horizontal and vertical components of reciprocating motion, whereby in operation an upper portion of said bar is raised from beneath into lifting and nonjamming transverse engaging relation with a said plate located in said zone.

Claim 10

The plate rollover as claimed in claim 8 wherein said support means includes an inboard and an outboard connecting rod each extending downwardly from said lifting bar, and reversible crank means connected in driving relation with the connecting rods, whereby said lifting bar may be selectively operated in plate-traversing relation towards or away from said intermediate zone. l0. A plate rollover for transferring a plate from a first roll table to a second roll table, comprising; plate-shuffling means having a plurality of plate-lifting bars extending between alternate adjacent ones of the rolls of a said table and means to traverse said bar substantially parallel with the rolls in plate-raising and frictional positioning relation relative to a zone intermediate said first and second tables; and plate support means extending from said intermediate zone across said first and said second tables, each having a plurality of individual arms extending between alternate adjacent ones of said rolls in alternating relation with said lifting bars, and located below the top surface of said table rolls when in the lowered condition; arm-tipping means including an inboard radius arm and an outboard radius arm of greater length attached to each said tipping arm and a pair of tipping shafts located in said intermediate zone in substantially parallel relation having the radius arm of the respective said first and second table-tipping means attached thereto to provide synchronized operation for each said plate support means; and control means for operating said tipping shafts whereby a plate on one table may be raised in a faceup condition to a position tilted towards said intermediate zone, secured in a vertical position between the two said plate support means, and lowered in a facedown condition to the other said table.