Article transfer means

Claim 2

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articles, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing said plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adjacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, sensing means mounted on said delivery table for detecting the relative positions of said stacks on said surface, means responsive to said sensing means for causing advancement of said stacks towards said second device when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device.

Claim 3

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articleS, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing said plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adjacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, sensing means mounted on said delivery table for detecting the relative positions of said stacks on said surface, means responsive to said sensing means for causing advancement of said stacks towards said second device when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device, wherein said receiving means comprises in addition a plurality of defined paths for receiving said plurality of streams and a platform within each of said defined paths for supporting said streams of articles on their edges, wherein said separating means comprises pins carried on a first transverse bar beneath said platform for penetrating said streams and separating stacks therefrom, wherein said tumbling means are attached to said first transverse bar for pivoting each stack about its lower rear edge so that each stack is tumbled onto its rear article, and where said advancement means comprises a pusher mechanism travelling beneath said platform carried on a second transverse bar for engaging the rear of each stack and advancing it onto said orienting table.

Claim 4

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articleS, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing said plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adjacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, sensing means mounted on said delivery table for detecting the relative positions of said stacks on said surface, means responsive to said sensing means for causing advancement of said stacks towards said second device when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device, wherein said receiving means comprises in addition a plurality of defined paths for receiving said plurality of streams and a platform within each of said defined paths for supporting said streams of articles on their edges, wherein said separating means comprises pins carried on a first transverse bar beneath said platform for penetrating said streams and separating stacks therefrom, wherein said tumbling means are attached to said first transverse bar for pivoting each stack about its lower rear edge so that each stack is tumbled onto its rear article, and where said advancement means comprises a pusher mechanism travelling beneath said platform carried on a second transverse bar for engaging the rear of each stack and advancing it onto said orienting table.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first transverse bar carrying said pins is caused to travel about an endless path so that said pins are caused to penetrate said streams at predetermined intervals for separating therefrom said stacks.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said pusher mechanism is caused to engage the rear of said stack after said stack is tumbled for advancing said stack onto said orienting table.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for pivoting said stacks comprises a pair of arms attached to said first bar and extending away therefrom in the direction of its travel for supporting said stack.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first transverse bar is pivotally carried between a pair of endless chains and is caused to pivot about its transverse axis so that said arms also pivot about said axis for tumbling said stacks, and guide means for causing said first bar and said arms to pivot about said axis.

Claim 9

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articles, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing saId plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adjacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, sensing means mounted on said delivery table for detecting the relative positions of said stacks on said surface, means responsive to said sensing means for causing advancement of said stacks towards said second device when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device, and wherein said orienting table further comprises a first station, a second station and a discharge station, means for advancing said stacks from said first station to said second station, pusher means for advancing said stacks from said second station of said orienting table onto said delivery table when said delivery table has unoccupied spaces thereon, means for causing said pusher means to be inactive when said delivery table is fully occupied so that no stacks are advanced from said second station to said delivery table, means for pushing the nonadvanced stacks at said first station into a path behind said advanced stacks so that the nonadvanced stacks may be advanced toward said second station and towards said delivery table, and means for clearing said second station of nonadvanced stacks onto said discharge station when said delivery table has no unoccupied spaces so that said second station is always free to receive stacks being advanced from said first station.

Claim 10

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articles, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing saId plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adjacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, sensing means mounted on said delivery table for detecting the relative positions of said stacks on said surface, means responsive to said sensing means for causing advancement of said stacks towards said second device when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device, and wherein said orienting table further comprises a first station, a second station and a discharge station, means for advancing said stacks from said first station to said second station, pusher means for advancing said stacks from said second station of said orienting table onto said delivery table when said delivery table has unoccupied spaces thereon, means for causing said pusher means to be inactive when said delivery table is fully occupied so that no stacks are advanced from said second station to said delivery table, means for pushing the nonadvanced stacks at said first station into a path behind said advanced stacks so that the nonadvanced stacks may be advanced toward said second station and towards said delivery table, and means for clearing said second station of nonadvanced stacks onto said discharge station when said delivery table has no unoccupied spaces so that said second station is always free to receive stacks being advanced from said first station.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means for advancing said stacks comprises a plurality of pushers pivotally mounted on a chain carried beneath said table for engaging the rear of said stacks and carrying said stacks forward as said chain is advanced.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means for pushing said nonadvanced stacks at said first station into a path behind the advanced stacks comprises a pair of pusher plates mounted on a pair of transversely extended rails for riding thereon and a pair of air cylinders mounted on the side frames of said orienting table having their plungers attached to said mover plates so that when said air cylinders are deactuated said plates will move towards said cylinder and push said stacks into the path.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for moving said stacks from said second station to said discharge station comprises a pusher plate mounted on a pair of transversely extended rails for riding thereon and an air cylinder having its plunger attached to said mover plate for causing movement thereof.

Claim 14

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articles, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing said plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adJacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks having a pair of channels therein with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means travelling within said channels for carrying a plurality of pusher mechanisms for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, means mounted beneath said supporting surface for causing said pusher mechanisms to become erect so as to advance said stacks along said table towards said second operating device, a plurality of sensing means for determining the relative position of said stacks on said delivery table, means responsive to said sensing means for causing actuation of a mechanism for causing said pushers to become activated when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for causing said pusher mechanism carrying means to travel in a forward direction, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device.

Claim 15

Apparatus for transferring articles from a first device for operating thereon to a receiving station of a second device for operating on the articles, said apparatus comprising a receiving and tumbling section having a receiving means for receiving a plurality of streams of articles in a vertically oriented nested relationship from said first device, separating means for separating said streams into stacks of predetermined number of articles, and a tumbling means for tumbling said separated stacks so that said articles are nested in horizontally oriented stacks; an orienting table adjacent at one end thereof to said receiving and tumbling section comprising means for narrowing said plurality of streams into two separate delivery paths, advancement means for advancing said separated stacks of articles from said receiving and tumbling section onto said orienting table; and a delivery table adJacent the other end of said orienting table comprising a supporting surface for said stacks having a pair of channels therein with a plurality of stations for each path of stacked articles, means travelling within said channels for carrying a plurality of pusher mechanisms for advancing said separated stacks from one station to the next toward the receiving station of said second device, means mounted beneath said supporting surface for causing said pusher mechanisms to become erect so as to advance said stacks along said table towards said second operating device, a plurality of sensing means for determining the relative position of said stacks on said delivery table, means responsive to said sensing means for causing actuation of a mechanism for causing said pushers to become activated when the next forward station is unoccupied, means for causing said pusher mechanism carrying means to travel in a forward direction, means for transferring said stacks from said orienting table to said delivery table when the first station is unoccupied, and means for delivering said stacks of horizontally oriented nested articles from said delivery table to the said receiving station of said second device.