Gum slab feed apparatus

Claim 1

A gum slab feeding apparatus comprising a frame including means defining a substantially horizontal gum slab feed path having an upwardly facing slab support surface, a magazine feed mechanism including a magazine for containing a supply of gum slabs, means supporting said magazine on said frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said path and longitudinally spaced from said magazine between an active position wherein said magazine extends upwardly from said path to maintain a supply of gum slabs in vertically stacked relation to said path and an inactive position wherein said magazine is vertically displaced a substantial distance above said path and longitudinally spaced a substantial distance from its active position, and a pusher mechanism for successively feeding gum slabs from the bottom of said magazine and along said path, a plurality of transversely spaced and longitudinally extending guide plates mounted on said frame and defining another horizontal surface above said support surface and a forwardly facing front surface extending transversely of said path, said pusher mechanism having at least one pusher finger supported for reciprocal forward and rearward movement in a space between a pair of adjacent guide plates between an advanced position and a retracted position, said one pusher finger having a forward end portion including a horizontally disposed first upper surface below the elevation of said another surface and a forwardly facing first abutment surface at its forward end, said one finger having a rear portion including a horizontally disposed second upper surface above the elevation of said other surface and a second forwardly facing abutment surface defining a junction between said forward end portion and said rear portion, and drive means for imparting reciprocal forward and rearward movement to said pusher mechanism, said magazine having a pair of transversely spaced end brackets and means providing transverse connection between said end brackets and defining front and rear walls of said magazine, said front and rear walls being generally vertically disposed and having lower edges spaced above said other surface a distance slightly greater than the vertical dimension of a slab contained within said magazine when said magazine is in its active position, said other surface defining the bottom of said magazine when said magazine is in its active position.