Abstract: A method and an apparatus for conveying articles from at least one magazine to several depositing areas includes a continuous, endless conveyor by which the articles are transported from the magazine to predetermined positions which extends on the conveyor below the depositing areas at equal distance b to each other. The number of positions corresponds to the number of depositing areas. Moreover lifting units are provided of a number corresponding to the number of predetermined positions for transporting the articles from the positions to the depositing areas. The conveyor is moved step-by-step at a step length s=b/(n-1) wherein b is the distance between two adjacent positions and n is the number of positions or the number of steps. The magazine has a distance a=s.multidot.x from the one position closest in conveying direction wherein x is an integer.

Abstract: An article transfer apparatus for loading rows of hot glass articles such as bottles, from a cross conveyor, through dead plates, to a linear conveyor of a lehr, utilizes a pusher bar mounted on a system of a horizontal parallelogram frame and two pairs of serially coupled vertically oriented parallelogram frames, articulated at their corners and drivingly interconnected in order to impart bilateral, advance and backward, upward and downward movements to said bar--maintaining always its vertical position and perpendicular orientation regarding the rows of bottles advancing on the cross conveyor while sweeping out said rows of bottles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of stacking rectangular products, particularly printed matter such as books, book blocks or magazines and the like, whereby the products are stacked against a stop to form a row of packed material on a moving conveyor belt, the row of packed material subsequently is pushed laterally by a slider onto a horizontal intermediate plate, which is arranged immediately below the upper span and can reciprocate between the upper and lower spans, the intermediate plate is retracted and the row of packed material is thereby swept off by the stationary slider.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for accumulating reams of paper sheets into stacks. A file of reams is fed by the upper reach of a belt conveyor which is flanked by a shifting arm and an elevator platform. The arm is caused to move transversely of the conveyor and the delivery of succeeding reams can continue without awaiting retraction of the shifting mechanism. The reams are accumulated in the stacking region on an elevator mechanism and are raised by the elevator mechanism to a delivery position above the receiving position after a desired number of reams have been accumulated on the elevator mechanism. The accumulated reams are removed from the elevator mechanism at the delivery position and the elevator mechanism is lowered back to the receiving position after the accumulated reams have been removed, without awaiting retraction of the removing mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for arranging cross-wound packages, wound on a spinning machine, upon an auxiliary transport belt which is aligned with a main transport belt extending longitudinally of the spinning machine and serving for carrying away the cross-wound packages. One end of the auxiliary transport belt adjoins one neighboring confronting end of the main transport belt. A detector is actuated by the cross-wound packages moved by the transport belt and initiates starting of the auxiliary transport belt upon the arrival of a cross-wound package. Also, there is provided a stopping device for the auxiliary transport belt, whereby the latter is stopped after it has moved through a distance at least approximately equal to the bobbin length. The currently known continuous sliding of the transport belt under the full cross-wound packages is thus avoided.

Abstract: A device for forming rows of products includes a photoelectric cell that is positioned in proximity of an element, downstream of the said supply line, against which the first infed parcel abuts, and upon being tripped actuates product blocking means located upstream of the said abutting element, at a predetermined distance greater than the dimension, or greater than a whole multiple of the dimension, of the parcel measured along the infeed direction. Placed above the terminal part of the supply line is a thrust element designed to displace horizontally the parcel, or row of parcels, to a waiting station where the batch is gradually formed. The said thrust element is constituted by a pair of arms supported cantilever fashion at the extremity of a lever rotatable around a horizontal axis parallel to the infeed direction, each arm extending vertically and resting at the rear of the said parcel at the time of its bottom horizontal travel, and rotating backwards at the time the parcel is released.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lehr loader apparatus generally of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,434. The improvement here lies in a mechanical coupling between the prime mover and the pusher bar cam which permits the total time of the forward pushing stroke to be greater than the time of the return stroke for any given speed of operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: Rows of springs are periodically supplied to a mattress spring core assembly machine 7 by a transfer system 6. The springs are taken, in turn, from one of two conveyor belt pairs 4, 5 by the transfer system. The individual springs are produced by spring coiling machines 1, 2 with each machine feeding one conveyor belt pair. By periodically shifting the transfer system 6 its gripping arms 20 can alternately take a row of springs from one or the other conveyor belt pair, thus doubling the overall production rate.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for alternately forming a predetermined stack of articles such as disposable diapers in vertically spaced ways, and then forwarding the stack as a unit from between the ways to ancillary downstream apparatus: for instance, packaging apparatus. The apparatus comprises an endless flight of nestable ways which flight is preferably continuously driven through an infeed station, and which flight has cyclical spatial dwell-and-go motion at an outfeed station. Each stack of articles is removed from between the ways at the outfeed station during such a spatial dwell of the portion of the flight of ways then disposed at the outfeed station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a deck board feeder which is adapted to be mounted over a conveyor conveying stringer boards to a nailing head of a pallet making machine. The deck board feeder includes a plurality of elongated spaced hoppers arranged in parallel and in a direction perpendicular to the conveyed stringers. Each hopper is adapted to receive a respective stack of deck boards and includes a board restraining device at one end thereof defining an adjustable area permitting passage of one deck board from the stack endwise out of the hopper. Each hopper also includes a driving member for pushing a deck board from the stack a predetermined distance endwise out of the hopper to a position where the end of the deck board may be nailed to an underlying stringer by the nailing head. The driving member is adjustable in position along the length of the hopper to thus accommodate boards of different lengths and the spacing of the hoppers is likewise adjustable.

Abstract: Apparatus for modifying a drive system for a lehr loader in which a rotating cam functions to raise and lower a pusher bar for moving ware from a cross-conveyor onto a lehr belt, with a crank arm being connected to the rotating cam and the pusher bar to effect forward and reverse movement of the loader bar. In this arrangement, the effective length of the crank arm which is moving the loader bar forward and backward in response to rotation of the rotating cam, is changed by having its connection to the rotating cam shiftable in response to the rotational position of the rotating cam. This changing position is accomplished by having the crank connected to the rotating cam through a radially extending slot, with the position of the crank connection in the slot being regulated by a stationary box cam that circumscribes the path of rotation of the rotating cam.

Abstract: A succession of channel bars having widths that lie within a range below a predetermined maximum bar width is fed to a pickup station with the bars generally coplanar, parallel, and in edge contact. In the station a group of the bars is picked up by a pair of pivotal combs which are then pivoted about axes perpendicular to the group of bars to space the bars apart on centers that themselves are spaced apart substantially by the maximum bar width. Then the picked-up and arrayed bars are deposited in a stacking station substantially without changing the spacing between them. Another group of such bars which, however, numbers one less than the preceding group, is similarly picked up and arrayed at the maximum-width spacing, then is inverted and deposited between the previously deposited bars. These steps are repeated to form a neat stack.

Abstract: A pusher bar transfer mechanism supporting the pusher bar on a suspension capable of oscillation in mutually perpendicular planes and guided to move the pusher bar in a transfer of a row of articles with a component of motion parallel to the row and a component transverse thereto in the transfer direction.

Abstract: Lengths of material are collected in side-by-side relation in a group and delivered as a group to a receiving station by an apparatus which includes a support table constituted by a number of spaced parallel arms pivoted coaxially with each other about one end. Each arm has a finger which projects upward above the arm and which can be moved toward the pivot for moving the lengths laterally of themselves towards a stop adjacent the pivoted ends of the arms, and during this movement the arms are inclined downward towards their pivot at such an angle that the fingers need exert only a small force to move the lengths towards the stop.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring parts moving serially along a first conveyor to parallel ranks on a second conveyor comprising a push bar for contacting and transferring the parts, a carriage for supporting the bar and a base for movably supporting the carriage. A first drive apparatus moves the bar from a starting position adjacent the first conveyor toward the second conveyor. A lifting apparatus raises the bar after the articles have been transferred from the first conveyor onto the second conveyor and maintains the bar in a raised position for at least a portion of its return to its starting position. The bar is mounted on a movable mounting apparatus so that the bar can move with respect to the carriage. A second drive apparatus is provided for moving the bar with respect to the carriage, the second drive apparatus including at least one drive arm for moving the bar mounting apparatus.

Abstract: A tray filling unit in which batches of cigarettes, for plunging into a tray, are formed on a conveyor by inserting divider plates into a stream of cigarettes while it is conveyed down an inclined path leading to the conveyor. Successive batches formed on the conveyor are moved transversely off the conveyor onto a movable transfer plate which supports the batch while it is pushed into a tray by the plunger. Trays are moved stepwise downwards to receive successive batches. The basic unit is capable of use in reverse as a tray unloader.

Abstract: Apparatus for pushing a row of glass containers from a cross-conveyor onto a lehr mat in which containers being pushed have their finish portions stabilized by both a forward and rearward positioned angle iron movable with the pushing member and mounted to the pusher mechanism that reciprocates during operation.A cam member contacts the rear portion of the spring-biased stabilizing member-mounting arms causing the bar to stop moving rearwardly as the pushing member is retracted so that the stabilizing member does not enter or cross the path of the next row of containers.

Abstract: A device for pushing onto a take-away conveyor or the like a succession of row groups of articles by displacing the articles laterally from a conveyor on which the articles are continuously advanced seriatim, and comprising a push bar of a length to engage an entire row group of the articles, driving arms attached adjacent to opposite ends of the bar, means for actuating the arms oscillatingly and reciprocatingly, and means for guiding the oscillating arms reciprocatingly, the arms as actuated and guided by the actuating and guiding means moving the bar in an orbital cycle to meet and engage an advancing row group and advance with the group while applying a push laterally of the conveyor across the line of travel of the articles until the engaged row group is pushed from the conveyor, and then returning the bar to meet and engage a succeeding row group of articles to repeat the cycle.

Abstract: A lehr loader or stacker for use with a conveyor for moving ware serially past the moving apron of a lehr, the loader comprising a frame adjacent the conveyor, and a pair of pusher bars on the frame alongside the conveyor and opposite the lehr apron. The bars are movable alternately transversely across the conveyor to sweep ranks of ware transversely from the conveyor onto the lehr apron for movement thereon through the lehr. The bars are mounted upon the frame for movement through the same general path, each bar being provided by a pair of longitudinally extending bar sections providing a longitudinal space therebetween. The mounting system for each bar includes arms supporting, respectively, the bar sections, one of the arms for each said bar being movable through the space between the bar sections of the other said bar as the bars move through the path.

Abstract: A lehr loader for use with a conveyor for moving ware serially past the moving apron of a lehr, the loader comprising a frame adapted to be adjacent the conveyor, and a pusher bar mounted on the frame to be alongside the conveyor and opposite the lehr apron, the bar being movable transversely across the conveyor to sweep ranks of ware transversely from the conveyor onto the lehr apron for movement thereon through the lehr. The improvement comprises the mechanism by which the bar is mounted for such movement and the drive mechanism for the bar, the mounting mechanism including a pair of arm structures supporting the bar at longitudinally spaced apart points along its length, a pair of carriages, and guides supporting each carriage for reciprocation in the direction of such sweeping movement of the bar. Each arm structure is mounted upon its carriage for movement upwardly and downwardly. The drive mechanism includes a mechanism for reciprocating the carriages and raising and lowering the arm structures thereon.