Magazine for stackable trays

Claim 2

a first stationary cam face so arranged that it locks said second member in its said first position when said first member is in said highest position, whereby said tray stack is supported by said support surface of said second member vertically above and out of engagement with a tray supported on said removing means, said first stationary cam face lying in a vertical plane and extending below the height of said first position of said first member;

Claim 3

A magazine for stackable trays having a storage means for receiving the trays in a vertically stacked condition; stack support means for engaging the lowermost tray of the stack and for vertically moving the latter; means for moving said stack support means in a vertical direction; means for moving said stack support means out of and into the vertical path of travel of the tray stack, whereby in one cycle of operation in succession the tray stack is lowered by the stack support means engaging the lowermost tray, the lowermost tray is released and the next to the lowermost tray is engaged by the stack support means and the tray stack is raised for separating the lowermost tray from the tray stack; and removing means for moving the lowermost tray away from below the tray stack subsequent to its separation from the tray stack; the improvement comprising in combination: a. a first member arranged solely for vertical linear reciprocation, said first member having a first or highest position, successively lower second and third positions and a fourth or lowest position; b. a guide means affixed to said first member for movement therewith as a unit; c. a second member arranged solely for horizontal linear reciprocation and supported by said guide means, said second member having a support surface for engagement with the lowermost tray of said stack for supporting the latter, said first and second members and said guide means forming said stack support means; d. drive means coupled to said first member for moving the same, said drive means forming said means for moving said stack support means in a vertical direction; e. a follower roller connected to said second member; and f. cam means engaged by said follower roller for linearly moving said second member into a first position and a second position, in said first position of said second member the said support face thereof is disposed below the lowermost tray of said stack in the travelling path thereof, in said second position of said second member the said support face thereof is laterally withdrawn from said travelling path, said cam means having

Claim 4

A magazine for stackable trays having a storage means for receiving the trays in a vertically stacked condition; stack support means for engaging the lowermost tray of the stack and for vertically moving the latter; means for moving said stack support means in a vertical direction; means for moving said stack support means out of and into the vertical path of travel of the tray stack, whereby in one cycle of operation in succession the tray stack is lowered by the stack support means engaging the lowermost tray, the lowermost tray is released and the next to the lowermost tray is engaged by the stack support means and the tray stack is raised for separating the lowermost tray from the tray stack; and removing means for moving the lowermost tray away from below the tray stack subsequent to its separation from the tray stack; the improvement comprising in combination: a. a first member arranged solely for vertical linear reciprocation, said first member having a first or highest position, successively lower second and third positions and a fourth or lowest position; b. a guide means affixed to said first member for movement therewith as a unit; c. a second member arranged solely for horizontal linear reciprocation and supported by said guide means, said second member having a support surface for engagement with the lowermost tray of said stack for supporting the latter, said first and second members and said guide means forming said stack support means; d. drive means coupled to said first member for moving the same, said drive means forming said means for moving said stack support means in a vertical direction; e. a follower roller connected to said second member; and f. cam means engaged by said follower roller for linearly moving said second member into a first position and a second position, in said first position of said second member the said support face thereof is disposed below the lowermost tray of said stack in the travelling path thereof, in said second position of said second member the said support face thereof is laterally withdrawn from said travelling path, said cam means having

Claim 5

a second stationary cam face so arranged that it moves said second member from its said first position to its said second position as said first member moves downward from its said third position to its said fourth position, said second stationary cam face extending from the height of said third position of said first member in a direction downward and away from the travelling path of said first member at least until the height of said fourth position of said first member, said second stationary cam face being intersected at the approximate height of said third position of said first member by the vertical Plane containing said first stationary cam face;

Claim 6

a second stationary cam face so arranged that it moves said second member from its said first position to its said second position as said first member moves downward from its said third position to its said fourth position, said second stationary cam face extending from the height of said third position of said first member in a direction downward and away from the travelling path of said first member at least until the height of said fourth position of said first member, said second stationary cam face being intersected at the approximate height of said third position of said first member by the vertical Plane containing said first stationary cam face;

Claim 7

A magazine as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means coupled to said first member includes a driven disc having an eccentric edge face; a follower affixed to said first member and in engagement with said eccentric edge face, whereby the vertical reciprocating motion of said first member is effected by the cooperation between said driven disc and said follower.

Claim 8

A magazine as defined in claim 2, further comprising means connecting said disc operatively to said removing means, a switch controlled by said cam and a motor for driving said stack support means and actuated by said switch.

Claim 9

a third stationary cam face so arranged that it moves said second member from its said second position to its said first position as said first member moves upward from its said second position to its said first position, said third stationary cam face adjoining said first stationary cam face and extending in a direction downward and away from the travelling path of said first member at least until the height of the second position of said first member; whereby any selected point on said second member describes a closed path enclosing an area lying in a vertical plane, as said first member moves from its said first position to its said fourth position and back into its said first position during one cycle of operation.

Claim 10

a third stationary cam face so arranged that it moves said second member from its said second position to its said first position as said first member moves upward from its said second position to its said first position, said third stationary cam face adjoining said first stationary cam face and extending in a direction downward and away from the travelling path of said first member at least until the height of the second position of said first member; whereby any selected point on said second member describes a closed path enclosing an area lying in a vertical plane, as said first member moves from its said first position to its said fourth position and back into its said first position during one cycle of operation.

Claim 11

A magazine as defined in claim 3, further comprising a safety switch operable by a tray when in a position ready to be moved by said removing means for switching off said motor.

Claim 12

A magazine as defined in claim 1, wherein said removing means comprises a transport device to which said trays are fed by said stack support means.

Claim 13

A magazine as defined in claim 1, wherein said closed path comprises a parallelogram path with an upward extension for raising the next to the lowermost tray out of contact with the lowermost tray.

Claim 14

A magazine as defined in claim 2, wherein said first member is a vertically extending bolt; the improvement further comprising an additional guide means for and in engagement with said bolt and means for preventing rotation of said bolt about its axis.

Claim 15

A magazine as defined in claim 2, wherein said follower is a roller secured to said first member and in engagement with said eccentric edge face of said driven disc.

Claim 16

A magazine as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive means connected to said first member further includes a motor coupled to said driven disc for driving the same; the improvement further comprising an actuating switch means connected to said drive means for causing said motor to rotate said driven disc in synchronism with said removing means.

Claim 17

A magazine as defined in claim 9, wherein said drive means connected to said first member further comprises a shaft driving said disc from said motor and a switch off element associated with said shaft for switching off said motor when said first member is in said relatively high position.

Claim 18

A magazine as defined in claim 2, including spring means for urging the follower of said first member into continuous contact with said driven disc.