Device for stacking egg-trays

Claim 2

Apparatus for at least substantially inverting generally flat traylike articles comprising:

Claim 3

A delivery conveyor 1 advancing said articles 4 in succession one by one along a predetermined path to a predetermined transfer point at the end of said conveyor;

Claim 4

A delivery conveyor 1 advancing said articles 4 in succession one by one along a predetermined path to a predetermined transfer point at the end of said conveyor;

Claim 5

A receiving conveyor 25 disposed generally parallel to and below said delivery conveyor for receiving the articles from said delivery conveyor, said receiving conveyor beginning at least adjacent said transfer point; and

Claim 6

A receiving conveyor 25 disposed generally parallel to and below said delivery conveyor for receiving the articles from said delivery conveyor, said receiving conveyor beginning at least adjacent said transfer point; and

Claim 7

A mechanism for transferring said articles from said first to said second conveyors while simultaneously substantially inverting the same, which comprises: a. a front end support arm 5,6 for engaging the leading end of said each article in turn as the same leaves the end of said delivery conveyor at said tRansfer point, said arm being movable from a position proximate said transfer point to a position sufficiently spaced therefrom generally in the direction of advance of said articles that the trailing end of the article clears the delivery conveyor while the leading end is supported by said support arm; b. Means 8,9 for moving said support arm 5,6 to and fro between said positions in timed relation to the arrival of said articles at said transfer point, and c. A guide flap (12) disposed generally obliquely between the two conveyors at said transfer point with the lower end thereof extending adjacent said second conveyor, said guide flap directing the initially trailing end of the article, upon release thereof from said first conveyor, onto said second conveyor while the initially leading end remains supported by said support arm (5,6) until said ends are substantially reversed, whereby said articles are received on said second conveyor in reversed endwise relation.

Claim 8

A mechanism for transferring said articles from said first to said second conveyors while simultaneously substantially inverting the same, which comprises: a. a front end support arm 5,6 for engaging the leading end of said each article in turn as the same leaves the end of said delivery conveyor at said tRansfer point, said arm being movable from a position proximate said transfer point to a position sufficiently spaced therefrom generally in the direction of advance of said articles that the trailing end of the article clears the delivery conveyor while the leading end is supported by said support arm; b. Means 8,9 for moving said support arm 5,6 to and fro between said positions in timed relation to the arrival of said articles at said transfer point, and c. A guide flap (12) disposed generally obliquely between the two conveyors at said transfer point with the lower end thereof extending adjacent said second conveyor, said guide flap directing the initially trailing end of the article, upon release thereof from said first conveyor, onto said second conveyor while the initially leading end remains supported by said support arm (5,6) until said ends are substantially reversed, whereby said articles are received on said second conveyor in reversed endwise relation.

Claim 9

A receiving conveyor 25 disposed generally parallel to and below said delivery conveyor for receiving the articles from said delivery conveyor, said receiving conveyor beginning at least adjacent said transfer point; and

Claim 10

A receiving conveyor 25 disposed generally parallel to and below said delivery conveyor for receiving the articles from said delivery conveyor, said receiving conveyor beginning at least adjacent said transfer point; and

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said delivery conveyor comprises an endless belt having cleats at spaced points therealong for engaging each of said article intermediate its ends and the second position of said support arm is also spaced above the path of said first conveyor to disengage said articles from the corresponding cleat.

Claim 12

A mechanism for transferring said articles from said first to said second conveyors while simultaneously substantially inverting the same, which comprises: a. a front end support arm 5,6 for engaging the leading end of said each article in turn as the same leaves the end of said delivery conveyor at said tRansfer point, said arm being movable from a position proximate said transfer point to a position sufficiently spaced therefrom generally in the direction of advance of said articles that the trailing end of the article clears the delivery conveyor while the leading end is supported by said support arm; b. Means 8,9 for moving said support arm 5,6 to and fro between said positions in timed relation to the arrival of said articles at said transfer point, and c. A guide flap (12) disposed generally obliquely between the two conveyors at said transfer point with the lower end thereof extending adjacent said second conveyor, said guide flap directing the initially trailing end of the article, upon release thereof from said first conveyor, onto said second conveyor while the initially leading end remains supported by said support arm (5,6) until said ends are substantially reversed, whereby said articles are received on said second conveyor in reversed endwise relation.

Claim 13

A mechanism for transferring said articles from said first to said second conveyors while simultaneously substantially inverting the same, which comprises: a. a front end support arm 5,6 for engaging the leading end of said each article in turn as the same leaves the end of said delivery conveyor at said tRansfer point, said arm being movable from a position proximate said transfer point to a position sufficiently spaced therefrom generally in the direction of advance of said articles that the trailing end of the article clears the delivery conveyor while the leading end is supported by said support arm; b. Means 8,9 for moving said support arm 5,6 to and fro between said positions in timed relation to the arrival of said articles at said transfer point, and c. A guide flap (12) disposed generally obliquely between the two conveyors at said transfer point with the lower end thereof extending adjacent said second conveyor, said guide flap directing the initially trailing end of the article, upon release thereof from said first conveyor, onto said second conveyor while the initially leading end remains supported by said support arm (5,6) until said ends are substantially reversed, whereby said articles are received on said second conveyor in reversed endwise relation.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said articles are stacked in generally angular relation on said second conveyor and said guide flap is pivotable about its lower end, and including means for swinging said guide flap about the lower end thereof upwardly to orient in said angular relation to said second conveyor the new trailing end of the article after release thereof from said support arm 5,6.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said receiving conveyor is an endless conveyor and includes at spaced points therealong upstanding props 26 to maintain groups of said articles in said stacked angular relation.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 4 including intermittently operating drive means 27,28,29 for said receiving conveyor, and counting means 33,34,35,37 associated with said delivery conveyor for counting the number of articles delivered thereby, said counting means actuating said intermittent drive means to advance said receiving conveyor to receive a fresh group of said articles after a predetermined number of articles constituting one group has been counted by said counting means.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 3 including a stabilizing backstop 24 movable between an operative position supporting the upper end of an article after delivery thereof in angular relation on said receiving conveyor by said guide flap to an inoperative position spaced clear of said article upper end to permit a further article to be delivered into place, and a drive for moving said backstop 24 between said positions in timed relation to the swinging movement of said guide flap.