Magnetic transfer apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for successively transferring stackable magnetic articles, such as bun pans and the like, between a lifting station and a depositing station, said apparatus comprising: frame support means for supporting articles at a lifting station; pickup means, including magnetic field producing means vertIcally movable on said frame support means between raised and lowered positions at said lifting station, for gripping a magnetic article in said lowered position and lifting it to said raised position; means for moving said magnetic field producing means between said raised and lowered positions to move an article at said lifting station to said raised position; horizontally movable pusher means movable in a lateral path of travel for stripping the lifted articles from the pickup means and moving them horizontally forwardly to said depositing station; additional magnetic field producing means at said depositing station for receiving and magnetically holding said transferred article; and operating means for moving said first-mentioned magnetic field producing means toward an article on said support means to pick up an article supported thereon while simultaneously separating said additional magnetic field producing means and said transferred article held thereby to permit said article to free-fall.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pusher means comprises endless means movable in an endless path of travel and includes pusher members thereon for engaging the lifted article and moving it forwardly; said receiving means including hold magnet means for holding the lifted products transferred to said depositing station and being connected to said pickup means for upward movement to deposit the transferred pan simultaneously with the movement of the pickup means to the lowered position to pickup a successive pan.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnetic field producing means includes a pair of transversely extending magnetic rails supporting a plurality of transversely spaced permanent magnets, the rails being movable into engagement with an article at said lifting station to magnetically attract and lift the article.

Claim 5

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said pusher means comprises first and second endless means on opposite sides of said magnetic field producing means, and means spanning said endless means and straddling said magnetic field producing means for engaging the raised article to strip it from the magnetic field producing means.

Claim 6

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said operating means includes additional stripping means and means for moving one of said additional stripping means and said additional magnetic field producing means away from the other to strip the transferred article from said additional magnetic field producing means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for transferring stackable magnetic articles, such as bun pans, between a lifting station and a depositing station comprising: frame structure including support means for supporting articles at said lifting station; first and second laterally spaced magnetic field producing means; means mounting said first and second means for vertical movement in opposite directions; said first means being supported for vertical movement between a lowered position in which it magnetically attracts an article at the lifting station and a raised position in which it magnetically holds the article above the station; means on said frame structure for laterally transferring said raised, magnetically held article to said depositing station; said second magnetic field producing means being supported for vertical movement in a path of travel opposite the path of travel of said first magnetic field producing means between a lowered position in which it receives and holds articles laterally transferred to said depositing station and a raised position; operating means for moving said first and second magnetic field producing means in timed relation in opposite paths of travel between their respective raised and lowered positions, in timed relation with operation of said transferring means, to dispose said second magnetic field producing means in said lowered position to receive an article when said first magnetic field producing means iS in said raised position and said article is transferred to said depositing station; and stripper means on said frame structure at a level for stripping said articles from said second magnetic field producing means when said second magnetic field producing means moves vertically to raised positon to permit said transferred articles to free-fall.

Claim 8

Apparatus for transferring stackable magnetic articles, such as bun pans, between a lifting station and a depositing station comprising: frame structure including support means for supporting articles at said lifting station; first and second laterally spaced magnetic field producing means; means mounting said first and second means for vertical movement in opposite directions; said first means being supported for vertical movement between a lowered position in which it magnetically attracts an article at the lifting station and a raised position in which it magnetically holds the article above the station; means on said frame structure for laterally transferring said raised, magnetically held article to said depositing station; said second magnetic field producing means being supported for vertical movement in a path of travel opposite the path of travel of said first magnetic field producing means between a lowered position in which it receives and holds articles laterally transferred to said depositing station and a raised position; operating means for moving said first and second magnetic field producing means in timed relation in opposite paths of travel between their respective raised and lowered positions, in timed relation with operation of said transferring means, to dispose said second magnetic field producing means in said lowered position to receive an article when said first magnetic field producing means iS in said raised position and said article is transferred to said depositing station; and stripper means on said frame structure at a level for stripping said articles from said second magnetic field producing means when said second magnetic field producing means moves vertically to raised positon to permit said transferred articles to free-fall.

Claim 9

The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first and second magnetic field producing means respectively include first and second longitudinal, magnetic rail means which are substantially longitudinally aligned when said first and second magnetic field producing means are in said raised and lowered positions, respectively, said first and second rail means being at different vertical levels when said first and second magnetic field producing means are in said lowered and raised positions, respectively.

Claim 10

The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said stripping means includes additional longitudinal rail means positioned such that the undersides of said first magnetic rail means and said additional rail means are substantially flush with each other when said first magnetic field producing means is in said raised position and the articles can be smoothly transferred by said stripping means from said first magnetic rail means to said additional magnetic rail means to a position underlying said second magnetic rail means.

Claim 11

The apparatus set forth in claim 8 wherein said lateral transfer means includes pusher means for stripping said articles from said first magnetic field producing means and moving them forwardly to a position underlying said second magnetic field producing means.

Claim 12

The apparatus set forth in claim 9 wherein said pusher means comprises endless means having a plurality of spaced pusher plates thereon for successively engaging behind articles supported by said first magnetic field producing means and pushing them forwardly toward said second magnetic field producing means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one of said magnetic field producing means comprises a pair of longitudinally extending magnetic rails and a plurality of horizontally spaced permanent magnets having opposite magnetic poles thereof adjacent opposite ones of said rails.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first and second magnetic field producing means are movable in opposite directions between their respective raised positions and lowered positions, and operating means is provided for moving said first magnetic field producing means from a lowered position engaging an article to a raised position while moving said second magnetic field producing means between its raised and lowered positions respectively.

Claim 15

The apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first and second magnetic field producing means in said raised and lowered positions respectively are in longitudinal alignment substantially flush with each other so that articles may be smoothly transferred therebetween.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 which includes elongate mount means swingable about a pivot interjacent said first and second magnetic field producing means and mounting them at opposite ends thereof, and operating means for swinging said first and second magnetic field producing means in a to-and-fro path about said pivot means.

Claim 17

Transfer mechanism for successively transferring magnetic articles, such as bun pans, between laterally spaced pickup and despositing stations, said mechanism comprising: means including vertically movable magnetic field producing mechanism for successively lifting said articles at said pickup station and transferring them laterally to said depositing station; vertically movable magnetic field producing means for receiving and holding the lifted and transferred articles at said depositing station; means for simultaneously moving said magnetic field producing mechanism downwardly to attract one of said articles at said pickup station while simultaneouSly raising said magnetic field producing means at said depositing station; and means for interrupting upward movement of an article held by said magnetic field producing means so that the article and said magnetic field producing means are relatively moved to positions such that the article is no longer supported by the magnetic field of said magnetic field producing means and the article is released.

Claim 18

Transfer mechanism for successively transferring magnetic articles, such as bun pans, between laterally spaced pickup and despositing stations, said mechanism comprising: means including vertically movable magnetic field producing mechanism for successively lifting said articles at said pickup station and transferring them laterally to said depositing station; vertically movable magnetic field producing means for receiving and holding the lifted and transferred articles at said depositing station; means for simultaneously moving said magnetic field producing mechanism downwardly to attract one of said articles at said pickup station while simultaneouSly raising said magnetic field producing means at said depositing station; and means for interrupting upward movement of an article held by said magnetic field producing means so that the article and said magnetic field producing means are relatively moved to positions such that the article is no longer supported by the magnetic field of said magnetic field producing means and the article is released.

Claim 19

Apparatus for successively transferring stackable magnetic articles, such as bun pans and the like, between a lifting station and a depositing station, said apparatus comprising: frame support means for supporting articles at a lifting station; magnetic field producing pickup means at said lifting station for gripping a magnetic article and lifting it to a raised position; horizontally movable pusher means movable in a lateral path of travel for stripping the lifted article from the pickup means and moving it horizontally forwardly to said depositing station; additional magnetic field producing means vertically movable on said frame support means between a lowered position and a raised position at said depositing station for receiving and magnetically holding said transferred article when said magnetic field producing means is in said lowered position; and operating means for operating said magnetic field producing pickup means to pick up an article at said lifting station while concurrently moving said additional magnetic field producing means between said lowered and raised positions to separate said additional magnetic field producing means and said transferred article held thereby to permit said article to free-fall.

Claim 20

Apparatus for successively transferring stackable magnetic articles, such as bun pans and the like, between a lifting station and a depositing station, said apparatus comprising: frame support means for supporting articles at a lifting station; magnetic field producing pickup means at said lifting station for gripping a magnetic article and lifting it to a raised position; horizontally movable pusher means movable in a lateral path of travel for stripping the lifted article from the pickup means and moving it horizontally forwardly to said depositing station; additional magnetic field producing means vertically movable on said frame support means between a lowered position and a raised position at said depositing station for receiving and magnetically holding said transferred article when said magnetic field producing means is in said lowered position; and operating means for operating said magnetic field producing pickup means to pick up an article at said lifting station while concurrently moving said additional magnetic field producing means between said lowered and raised positions to separate said additional magnetic field producing means and said transferred article held thereby to permit said article to free-fall.