Lehr loader

Claim 1

In apparatus for pushing a row of glassware from a transversely moving cross-conveyor onto the forward end of a lehr mat wherein a pusher bar is brought into contact with the ware at or below its center of mass and pushes the ware from the transversely moving conveyor over a dead plate onto the lehr mat and shifts upward and over the next developing row of ware on said conveyor and then down to a position behind the row of ware, the improvement comprising: a stabilizing bar positioned slightly in advance of the finishes of the row of ware for preventing the forward tipping of the ware while being pushed laterally from the conveyor onto the lehr mat; a pair of horizontal shafts, said stabilizing bar being mounted to the forward end of said horizontal shafts; cam means mounted on the pusher bar support; a roller on the rearward ends of said shafts; means biasing said rollers into contact with said cams when the pusher bar is in its retracted position; and means on said pusher bar moving apparatus for drivingly engaging stop means on said shafts after forward movement of said pusher bar of a preselected extent, whereby said stabilizing bar and pusher bar move together during movement of the ware from the conveyor onto the lehr mat.