Bakery products handling apparatus

Claim 2

In farinaceous product treating apparatus: a plurality of rack carriers, each having vertically spaced surfaces for supporting farinaceous products; means forming a conveyor circuit for said carriers including longitudinally spaced, generally vertically extending run portions connected by upper and lower run portions; said means including a first series of vertically spaced support stations having support surfaces forming a vertically extending lowerator run portion and means forming a vertically extending elevator run portion; means mounting said support stations for movement between extended and withdrawn positions; means on said carriers by which said carriers are supported at successive support stations; transfer means, including carrier support means in up position generally longitudinally aligned with said upper run portion to receive a carrier therefrom, having a down stroke for moving the carriers downwardly to a support station surface so that said carriers are lowered along said lowerator run portion and an up stroke for returning to up position; and means operated by said transfer means for moving a carrier longitudinally from said upper run portion onto said carrier support means at the end of the up stroke of said transfer means.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 in which said upper run portion of the circuit includes support rail means; said means on said carriers for supporting them include laterally extending supports engaged with said rail means; and said means operated by said transfer means includes arm means swingable from an up position out of the path of said supports down to a position to engage and move said supports longitudinally; said arm means having a portion engaged by said transfer means on its upward stroke to cause the arm means to swing downwardly.

Claim 4

In product treating apparatus: a plurality of rack carriers, each having vertically spaced surfaces for supporting the products; means forming a conveyor circuit for said carriers, including longitudinally spaced, generally vertically extending run portions connected by longitudinally extending upper and lower run portions for supporting a plurality of consecutive carriers; said means including a first series of vertically spaced support stations having support surfaces, spaced to substantially correspond to the vertical spacing of the said surfaces of the rack carriers, forming a vertically extending run; means on said carriers by which said carriers are supported at successive support stations; transfer means, including carrier support means in one position generally longitudinally aligned with one of said longitudinally extending run portions to receive a carrier therefrom and having a vertical stroke for moving the carriers vertically from support station to support station so that said carriers are moved vertically in increments along said run portion having support stations; and pivotal arm means, mounted at the terminal portion of one of said longitudinal run portions, operated in timed relation with said transfer means for moving an endmost carrier longitudinally from a longitudinal run portion on which a plurality of carriers are supported onto said carrier support means at the end of the stroke of said carrier support means.

Claim 5

In product treating apparatus: a plurality of rack carriers, each having vertically spaced surfaces for supporting the products; means forming a conveyor circuit for said carriers, including longitudinally spaced, generally vertically extending run portions connected by longitudinally extending upper and lower run portions for supporting a plurality of consecutive carriers; said means including a first series of vertically spaced support stations having support surfaces, spaced to substantially correspond to the vertical spacing of the said surfaces of the rack carriers, forming a vertically extending run; means on said carriers by which said carriers are supported at successive support stations; transfer means, including carrier support means in one position generally longitudinally aligned with one of said longitudinally extending run portions to receive a carrier therefrom and having a vertical stroke for moving the carriers vertically from support station to support station so that said carriers are moved vertically in increments along said run portion having support stations; and pivotal arm means, mounted at the terminal portion of one of said longitudinal run portions, operated in timed relation with said transfer means for moving an endmost carrier longitudinally from a longitudinal run portion on which a plurality of carriers are supported onto said carrier support means at the end of the stroke of said carrier support means.