Article timing and feeding mechanism

Claim 2

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for moving a file of abutting articles along a predetermined linear path, means for upwardly displacing the trailing end of the leading moving article from said path to expose its trailing end surface, and means for engaging said trailing end surface and moving the article along said path forwardly away from the next succeeding article.

Claim 3

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for conveying a file of abutting articles along a predetermined linear path at a given velocity, means adjacent said path for upwardly displacing the trailing end of each moving article at a given point along said path to move the article out of abutting engagement with the next adjacent article and expose its trailing end surface, and means adjacent said displacing means for engaging said trailing end surface of the article and moving the article along said path at a higher velocity to increase the spacing of the articles in said file.

Claim 4

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for conveying a file of abutting articles along a predetermined linear path at a given velocity, means adjacent said path for upwardly displacing the trailing end of each moving article at a given point along said path to move the article out of abutting engagement with the next adjacent article and expose its trailing end surface, and means adjacent said displacing means for engaging said trailing end surface of the article and moving the article along said path at a higher velocity to increase the spacing of the articles in said file.

Claim 5

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for continuously moving a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means for preventing upward displacement of the leading portion of the leading article, reorienting means for upwardly displacing the trailing end of said article to expose its trailing end surface, and means for engaging said trailing end surface of the reoriented article and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article.

Claim 6

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for continuously moving a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means for preventing upward displacement of the leading portion of the leading article, reorienting means for upwardly displacing the trailing end of said article to expose its trailing end surface, and means for engaging said trailing end surface of the reoriented article and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article.

Claim 7

Apparatus for feeding articles into a processing machine comprising means for conveying a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means beneath said path for displacing the trailing end of each moving article upward at a given point along said path so that the formerly abutting trailing end surface of the article is now exposed, pushing means above said path for engaging said trailing end surface and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article, and means driving said displacing and pushing means in timed relation with said processing machine.

Claim 8

Apparatus for feeding articles into a processing machine comprising means for conveying a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means beneath said path for displacing the trailing end of each moving article upward at a given point along said path so that the formerly abutting trailing end surface of the article is now exposed, pushing means above said path for engaging said trailing end surface and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article, and means driving said displacing and pushing means in timed relation with said processing machine.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said driving means is provided by a driving connection between said processing machine and said feeding apparatus to both time and space the articles into said processing machine.

Claim 10

Article feeding apparatus comprising a stationary frame, means mounted in said frame for conveyIng a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means for upwardly displacing the trailing end of each article at a given point along said path, a pivot frame overlying said stationary frame, hold down means mounted in said pivot frame for preventing upward displacement of the leading ends of the articles, a rotary drive train interconnecting said displacing means and said hold down means, and a pivot hinge interconnecting said pivot frame and said stationary frame for upward swinging movement of said pivot frame about an axis of said rotary drive train, said displacing means thus being readily accessible without interrupting the timing of said hold down means and said displacing means.

Claim 11

Article feeding apparatus comprising a stationary frame, means mounted in said frame for conveyIng a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, means for upwardly displacing the trailing end of each article at a given point along said path, a pivot frame overlying said stationary frame, hold down means mounted in said pivot frame for preventing upward displacement of the leading ends of the articles, a rotary drive train interconnecting said displacing means and said hold down means, and a pivot hinge interconnecting said pivot frame and said stationary frame for upward swinging movement of said pivot frame about an axis of said rotary drive train, said displacing means thus being readily accessible without interrupting the timing of said hold down means and said displacing means.

Claim 12

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for conveying a single file of articles along a linear path, superposed hold down means for preventing upward displacement of the leading ends of said articles, subposed lifting means for upwardly displacing the trailing ends of said articles while said leading ends are restrained, said hold down means terminating before the end of said lifting means so that the trailing ends of the now reoriented articles are accessible, superposed pusher means for engaging the trailing end of the leading article and accelerating the article to a first increased velocity away from the succeeding article, and subposed pusher means for engaging the trailing end of the leading article and accelerating the article to a second increased velocity in order to achieve gentle handling of the articles simultaneously with a high output rate.

Claim 13

Article feeding apparatus comprising means for conveying a single file of articles along a linear path, superposed hold down means for preventing upward displacement of the leading ends of said articles, subposed lifting means for upwardly displacing the trailing ends of said articles while said leading ends are restrained, said hold down means terminating before the end of said lifting means so that the trailing ends of the now reoriented articles are accessible, superposed pusher means for engaging the trailing end of the leading article and accelerating the article to a first increased velocity away from the succeeding article, and subposed pusher means for engaging the trailing end of the leading article and accelerating the article to a second increased velocity in order to achieve gentle handling of the articles simultaneously with a high output rate.

Claim 14

Article feeding apparatus according to claim 7 and a first gear driven by said lifting means, a second gear meshed therewith for driving said hold down means, a substantially horizontal stationary frame supporting said lifting means, a pivot frame overlying said main frame and supporting said hold down means, and a pivot hinge interconnecting said frames for swinging movement of said pivot frame about the axis of one of said gears between substantially horizontal and vertical positions.

Claim 15

An article handling method comprising the steps of moving a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, preventing upward movement of the leading portion of the leading article, raising the trailing end of said article to tilt the article and expose its trailing end surface, and engaging said trailing end surface of the tilted article and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article.

Claim 16

An article handling method comprising the steps of moving a file of abutting articles along a predetermined path, preventing upward movement of the leading portion of the leading article, raising the trailing end of said article to tilt the article and expose its trailing end surface, and engaging said trailing end surface of the tilted article and moving the article forwardly away from the next succeeding article.