Separator for nested articles

Claim 1

An apparatus for separating nested articles comprising a vertically extending open frame forming a hopper for a stack of nested articles, first article support members mounted on opposite sides of said open frame and including swing arms pivoted for movement about parallel horizontal axes on opposite sides of said frame and having support feet extending inwardly of the lower ends of said swing arms, first cam means for moving said swing arms and support feet inwardly to engage beneath the bottom article of the stack of articles, spring means maintaining said swing arms in operative association with the respective cam means and biasing said arms and support feet out of supporting engagement with the bottom article of the stack of articles, second article support members movable inwardly into the space between two nested articles, for supporting all but the bottom article of the stack of articles, and including swing arms movable about horizontal axes perpendicular to the axes of swinging movement of said first swing arms and having support fingers extending inwardly of the bottoms of said swing arms to come into the space between two nested articles and support the articles above the bottom article of the stack of articles, second cam means for moving said second swing arms into the space between two articles of the stack of articles, article separating means mounted on opposite sides of said open frame for movement into the space between two nested articles, and including third swing arms pivoted for movement about the axes of pivotal movement of said second swing arms and having individual slides, slidably supported on each second swing arm for movement along the longitudinal axis of the respective swing arm, separator fingers extending inwardly of said slides, third cam means coaxial with said second cam means for moving said third swing arms and separator fingers inwardly into the space between two articles of the stack of articles, said slides each having an abutment member thereon, and said third cam means having camming means thereon for engaging the associated abutment member and moving said slides and separator fingers downwardly to separate the bottom article from the stack of articles, and spring means retractably moving said separator fingers along said slides, spring means biasing said second and third swing arms outwardly relative to said frame into engagement with respective cam means, a motor and means driven from said motor for driving all of said cam means at the same rates of speed, and said first, second and third cam means being so arranged as to hold the article support feet in engagement with the bottom article of a stack of nested articles until said second article support fingers and said separating fingers come into the space between two articles of the stack of nested articles, and to then bring said article support feet into supporting engagement with the bottom article of the stack of articles prior to movement of said second support and separating fingers outwardly relative to the bottom article of the stack of articles.

Claim 2

An apparatus for separating nested articles comprising a vertically extending open frame forming a hopper for a stack of nested articles, first article support members mounted on opposite sides of said open frame and including swing arms pivoted for movement about parallel horizontal axes on opposite sides of said frame and having support feet extending inwardly of the lower ends of said swing arms, first cam means for moving said swing arms and support feet inwardly to engage beneath the bottom article of the stack of articles, spring means maintaining said swing arms in operative association with the respective cam means and biasing said arms and support feet out of supporting engagement with the bottom article of the stack of articles, second article support members movable inwardly into the space between two nested articles, for supporting all but the bottom article of the stack of articles, and including swing arms movable about horizontal axes perpendicular to the axes of swinging movement of said first swing arms and having support fingers extending inwardly of the bottoms of said swing arms to come into the space between two nested articles and support the articles above the bottom article of the stack of articles, second cam means for moving said second swing arms into the space between two articles of the stack of articles, article separating means mounted on opposite sides of said open frame for movement into the space between two nested articles, and including third swing arms pivoted for movement about the axes of pivotal movement of said second swing arms and having individual slides, slidably supported on each second swing arm for movement along the longitudinal axis of the respective swing arm, separator fingers extending inwardly of said slides, third cam means coaxial with said second cam means for moving said third swing arms and separator fingers inwardly into the space between two articles of the stack of articles, said slides each having an abutment member thereon, and said third cam means having camming means thereon for engaging the associated abutment member and moving said slides and separator fingers downwardly to separate the bottom article from the stack of articles, and spring means retractably moving said separator fingers along said slides, spring means biasing said second and third swing arms outwardly relative to said frame into engagement with respective cam means, a motor and means driven from said motor for driving all of said cam means at the same rates of speed, and said first, second and third cam means being so arranged as to hold the article support feet in engagement with the bottom article of a stack of nested articles until said second article support fingers and said separating fingers come into the space between two articles of the stack of nested articles, and to then bring said article support feet into supporting engagement with the bottom article of the stack of articles prior to movement of said second support and separating fingers outwardly relative to the bottom article of the stack of articles.