Apparatus and method for transferring articles to and from carriers moving in a vertical path

Claim 1

Apparatus for transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising: a mobile article carrier, means for selectively alternatively moving said carrier upwardly and downwardly in a defined generally vertical path proximate a transfer station, an article support moving with said carrier for supporting an article engaged therewith, said article support being configured to engage and disengage an unsupported and supported article, respectively, when said article support moves vertically upwardly and vertically downwardly, respectively, relative to said unsupported and supported article, respectively, a pair of projections extending generally horizontally from opposite sides of said article, a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at said transfer station proximate said vertical path and selectively movable toward and away from each other between an inner transfer orientation in vertical alignment with said pair of projections and an outer bypass orientation disposed outwardly of said projections in vertical misalignment therewith, and means for alternatively moving said article transfer members between said inner transfer orientation and said outer bypass orientation, said article transfer means when in said inner transfer orientation alternatively (a) underlying said projections to transfer an article engaged on a vertically downwardly moving support to said transfer members, or (b) transferring an article whose projections are supportingly engaged by said transfer members to an underlying vertically upwardly moving article support, said article transfer means when in said outer bypass orientation providing clearance between said article transfer members and the projections of an article to preclude transfer of an article between said article support and said transfer members.

Claim 23

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising the steps of: moving a mobile article support vertically downwardly in a defined generally vertical path through a transfer station with an article supported thereon, and moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at the transfer station proximate the vertical path toward each other from (a) an outer bypass orientation in which the transfer members are located outboard of, and in vertical misalignment with, a pair of projections which extend generally horizontally from opposite sides of the article to (b) an inner transfer orientation in vertical alignment with the pair of projections to transfer an article engaged on the vertically downwardly moving support to the transfer members as said article support moves vertically downwardly between said transfer members and said projections abut said underlying transfer members.

Claim 24

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising the steps of: moving a mobile article support vertically downwardly in a defined generally vertical path through a transfer station with an article supported thereon, and moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at the transfer station proximate the vertical path toward each other from (a) an outer bypass orientation in which the transfer members are located outboard of, and in vertical misalignment with, a pair of projections which extend generally horizontally from opposite sides of the article to (b) an inner transfer orientation in vertical alignment with the pair of projections to transfer an article engaged on the vertically downwardly moving support to the transfer members as said article support moves vertically downwardly between said transfer members and said projections abut said underlying transfer members.

Claim 26

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising the steps of: moving a mobile article support vertically upwardly in a defined generally vertical path through a transfer station with an article supported thereon, and moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at a transfer station proximate the vertical path toward each other from (a) an outer bypass orientation in which the transfer members are located outboard of, and in vertical misalignment with, a pair of projections which extend generally horizontally from opposite sides of the article to (b) an inner transfer orientation in vertical alignment with the pair of projections to transfer an article having its projections engaged on the transfer members to the vertically upwardly moving underlying support as the support passes between the transfer members.

Claim 27

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising the steps of: moving a mobile article support vertically upwardly in a defined generally vertical path through a transfer station with an article supported thereon, and moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at a transfer station proximate the vertical path toward each other from (a) an outer bypass orientation in which the transfer members are located outboard of, and in vertical misalignment with, a pair of projections which extend generally horizontally from opposite sides of the article to (b) an inner transfer orientation in vertical alignment with the pair of projections to transfer an article having its projections engaged on the transfer members to the vertically upwardly moving underlying support as the support passes between the transfer members.

Claim 29

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising: selectively alternatively moving a mobile article support upwardly and downwardly in a defined generally vertical path, and selectively alternatively moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at the transfer station proximate the vertical path between (a) an inner transfer orientation and (b) an outer bypass orientation, the article transfer means when in its inner transfer orientation alternatively (i) underlying a pair of projections which extend horizontally from opposite sides of the article to transfer an article supported by the vertically downwardly moving support to the transfer member as the support passes therebetween, or (ii) transferring an article whose projections are supported by the transfer members to the underlying vertically upwardly moving article support as the support passes therebetween, the article transfer means when in its outer bypass position providing clearance between the article transfer members and the projections of an article to preclude transfer of an article between a vertically moving article support and the transfer members.

Claim 30

A method of transferring an article at a transfer station, comprising: selectively alternatively moving a mobile article support upwardly and downwardly in a defined generally vertical path, and selectively alternatively moving a pair of generally horizontally disposed article transfer members located at the transfer station proximate the vertical path between (a) an inner transfer orientation and (b) an outer bypass orientation, the article transfer means when in its inner transfer orientation alternatively (i) underlying a pair of projections which extend horizontally from opposite sides of the article to transfer an article supported by the vertically downwardly moving support to the transfer member as the support passes therebetween, or (ii) transferring an article whose projections are supported by the transfer members to the underlying vertically upwardly moving article support as the support passes therebetween, the article transfer means when in its outer bypass position providing clearance between the article transfer members and the projections of an article to preclude transfer of an article between a vertically moving article support and the transfer members.