Apparatus for toppling conveyed articles

Claim 1

In an apparatus for toppling stacks of conveyed articles of rectangular outline having opposite long sides and opposite short sides; the apparatus having a travel surface; a discontinuity in the travel surface; a first carrier means including article-engaging first carrier rods traveling at a distance above and along the travel surface and extending generally parallel to the travel surface and transversely to the direction of travel for advancing the article stacks by sliding the articles, on one of their short sides, on the travel surface up to the discontinuity and for advancing the articles by sliding them, on one of their long sides, on the travel surface from a point downstream of the discontinuity; the improvement comprising a second carrer means having (a) at least one second carrier rod extending generally parallel to said first carrier rods above said travel surface; (b) means for moving said second carrier rod in an endless path having an effective path portion extending in a zone above said discontinuity; said second carrier rod engaging each article of successive article stacks as said second carrier rod moves in said effective path portion; said second carrier rod, at least during its motion along said effective path portion, being located at a greater distance above said travel surface than said first carrier rods; and (c) means for moving said second carrier rod, at least along said effective path portion, at a greater speed than the speed of said first carrier rods for effecting a takeover of article advance by said second carrier rod from the respective first carrier rod in the zone of said discontinuity for effecting, in cooperation with said discontinuity, a simultaneous toppling of the articles of the respective stacks on said travel surface to assume a lying position in which the articles engage said travel surface with one of the long sides thereof.