Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
In article handling apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloadin positions and including a pair of opposed, spacedapart, inclinable retainers defining confines of the receiver for disposition of a load of articles therebetween; mechanism for canting said receiver by inclining said retainers for reducing the effective height of the receiver during tilting thereof between said positions; elevated article holding structure; and a pusher for raising successive tiers of articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the receiver is in its unloading position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
100 words
In article handling apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloadin positions and including a pair of opposed, spacedapart, inclinable retainers defining confines of the receiver for disposition of a load of articles therebetween; mechanism for canting said receiver by inclining said retainers for reducing the effective height of the receiver during tilting thereof between said positions; elevated article holding structure; and a pusher for raising successive tiers of articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the receiver is in its unloading position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism is operable to incline said retainers in unison and in substantially parallel relationship with one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retainers are mounted for inclination toward and away from one another for clamping the articles of the load therebetween.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said retainers is mounted for inclination independently of the other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said retainers is provided with a retractable tine for impaling a proximal article, and wherein is provided means for operating said tine in response to inclining of its retainer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereIn said receiver is provided with article holding structure extending between said retainers and being movable relative to the latter to accommodate shifting of the articles during tilting and canting of the receiver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
In article handling apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said structure is provided with means yieldably biasing the same against such movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
162 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloading positions; structure in said receiver for supporting in tiered relationship articles successively presented to the structure; a stack building and delivering pusher for raising articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is tilted to its unloading position; and means dividing said receiver into a pair of adjacent sections for the reception of a row of articles in each section on opposite sides of the dividing means, said structure including, for each of said sections an inner set of article-impaling spikes associated with said dividing means and an outer set of spikes in spaced opposition to said inner set, said spikes of each inner and outer set being swingably mounted in a manner to allow movement of an article in one direction only from the control of a cooperating pair of opposed spikes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
162 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloading positions; structure in said receiver for supporting in tiered relationship articles successively presented to the structure; a stack building and delivering pusher for raising articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is tilted to its unloading position; and means dividing said receiver into a pair of adjacent sections for the reception of a row of articles in each section on opposite sides of the dividing means, said structure including, for each of said sections an inner set of article-impaling spikes associated with said dividing means and an outer set of spikes in spaced opposition to said inner set, said spikes of each inner and outer set being swingably mounted in a manner to allow movement of an article in one direction only from the control of a cooperating pair of opposed spikes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
In article stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spikes of each outer set are provided with means yieldably biasing the same and hence proximal articles toward spikes of the opposed inner set.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloading positions; structure in said receiver for supporting in tiered relationship articles successively presented to the structure; a stack building and delivering pusher for raising articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is tilted to its unloading position, said receiver including a pair of opposed spaced apart, inclinable retainers for a load of articles contained by the receiver; and mechanism for canting said receiver by inclining said retainers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
97 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver tiltable between loading and unloading positions; structure in said receiver for supporting in tiered relationship articles successively presented to the structure; a stack building and delivering pusher for raising articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for displacing articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is tilted to its unloading position, said receiver including a pair of opposed spaced apart, inclinable retainers for a load of articles contained by the receiver; and mechanism for canting said receiver by inclining said retainers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
116 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver having a load-carrying bed and a pair of opposed, spaced apart uprights at opposite ends of said bed for confining articles placed in the receiver; holding structure above said bed for supporting tiers of articles successively raised to the structure; means mounting said receiver for rotation between a normally upright loading position and a horizontal unloading position; and power means coupled with the bed for reciprocating the latter relative to said uprights for raising a tier of articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for pushing the articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is rotated to its unloading position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
116 words
In article stacking apparatus: an article receiver having a load-carrying bed and a pair of opposed, spaced apart uprights at opposite ends of said bed for confining articles placed in the receiver; holding structure above said bed for supporting tiers of articles successively raised to the structure; means mounting said receiver for rotation between a normally upright loading position and a horizontal unloading position; and power means coupled with the bed for reciprocating the latter relative to said uprights for raising a tier of articles to said structure when the receiver is in its loading position and for pushing the articles as a stack from the receiver when the latter is rotated to its unloading position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
In article stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said receiver further includes a pair of opposed sides and a central divider all extending between said uprights to divide the receiver into a pair of adjacent sections, said holding structure including cooperating means on said sides and said divider for supporting a horizontal row of articles in each section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
In article stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said bed is divided into a pair of side-by-side assemblies, one for each of said sections.