Method and apparatus for turning over a plate

Claim 1

A plate turnover device for flat plates having a uniform rectilinear edge comprising: A. a feeding conveyor supporting a plurality of sequential horizontally aligned plates; B. a turnover station extending inwardly of the sides of said feeding conveyor and including: i. first and second plate turnover heads rotatably mounted at opposite sides of said conveyor; ii. said heads having each at least one radial plate-receiving slot with a plate leading edge engaging face therein, said slots being alignable with the leading edge of an advancing plate; iii. at least one said head including a hollow cylinder and a reciprocable piston mounted therein inwardly of said slot resilient means normally retracting said piston within said cylinder and away from said conveyor to open a said slot therein for reception of a plate therein and fluid pressure means for moving said piston in said cylinder toward said conveyor to extend through said slot and into edge engagement with a plate in said slot and to laterally pressure plate between said piston and the other said head within its slot; C. rotating means connected to said heads, so as to rotate said heads 180* as the leading edge of a plate engages in said slots and the plate is laterally pressure engaged and supported by and between said heads with said leading edge engaged and supported by said engaging face; and D. a discharge conveyor aligned with said slots so as to remove the plate from said slots, as rotation of said heads is completed, said fluid pressure means selectively operable for engaging said piston for movement against pressure of said resilient means into plate edge pressure engagement as the heads are rotated and release thereof for removal of the plate following turnover.