Lift and carry accumulator

Claim 1

An accumulating conveyor comprising an elongated stationary support having work support stations spaced therealong, a transfer bar mounted for reciprocation parallel to said elongated support, and for vertical movement relative thereto, a plurality of work supports on said bar independently movable thereon between idle and work carrying positions, said work supports having end portions arranged to abut end portions of adjacent work supports so that movement of any one work support in either direction is operable to assure that all work supports located in the direction of movement of said one work support occupy the same relative position as that to which said one work support is moved, work sensors at each station, feed means connected to said bar to move said bar horizontally from a rest position in an initial movement of a part advancing cycle, means operable between the sensor at any empty station and the work support next in rear of such empty station and operable as a consequence of initial movement of said bar from a rest position to shift the last mentioned work support from idle to work carrying position and to locate each work support in work carrying position beneath one of said stations, movement of said one work support from idle to work carrying position being operable as a consequence thereof to move all work supports in rear of said one work support to work carrying positions, lift means operable thereafter to elevate said bar to cause all work supports in work carrying position to lift workpieces from the stations above said work supports in work carrying position, said feed means being operable thereafter to advance said bar to position each work support in work carrying position and the workpiece carried thereby over the next forward station, said lift means being then operable to lower said bar to deposit the workpieces at stations along said stationary support, said feed means being then operable to return said bar rearwardly.