935,767. Biscuit conveying machines. FORGROVE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. Jan. 24, 1962 [Oct. 27, 1960], No. 36963/60. Class 78 (1). Biscuits are fed by a conveyer 20 from a baking plant (not shown) through a series of grippers which periodically in successive cycles of action of the conveyer, move into gripping engagement with the biscuits, to feed forward and compress or decompress the column so as to adjust the space taken up by the whole column in accordance with the periodic removal at the forward end of the column, of a predetermined number of biscuits by a transfer device 24 leading to a packing machine (not shown). Pre-loading grippers 35 moving into gripping engagement with the biscuits and make a forward stroke to impart a compressive force of 3-4 1b. to the column. Transfer grippers 29 then move into gripping engagement and commence a forward stroke to transfer the head of the column on a reciprocating carriage 27 (which moves forward with the movement of the grippers 29 to the transfer device 24 at position X (Fig. 2A)). The transfer device 24 comprises stepped members which will move a predetermined number of biscuits by timed periodic upward movements as described in Specification 873,337. Prior to engagement with the biscuits to be transferred by the device 24, a pair of grippers 26 engage the column and pull back the main part of the column a little way to remove pressure on the biscuits to be transferred. During the transfer action of the device 24 the carriage 27 is held in position by a stop 28 which engages an adjustment pin 45 on the carriage 27. The position of the pin 45 may be adjusted in holes 49 according to the number of biscuits to be transferred. When the stop 28 is retracted the carriage 27 is returned into engagement with the column by the action of a cable 38 connected to a slide 39 which is loaded by a spring 40 connected to the grippers 29. When the slide 39 reaches a stop 41 a pawl 44 reengages the slide 39 to prevent forward movement of the slide 39 and carriage 27 until a determined point in the cycle. The cycle recommences when the grippers 29 again close into engagement with the column to initiate a further forward feeding movement of biscuits to the transfer device 24. The pawl 44 is released from the slide 39 by the closing action of the jaws 29. In order to take up the void in the rear of the grippers 29, as the latter move forward, the biscuits to the rear of the grippers 29 are lifted upwardly and forwardly by a supporting surface 142 (Fig. 13, but this surface is not visible in Fig. 2B) disposed between rails 156, 156 which form the normal support of the biscuits along the conveyer. The platform 142 carries pins 31 which coact on the forward movement of the platform 142 with a cam surface beneath members 32 (Fig. 2) which are thereby lifted up between the surface 142 and the rails 156, 156, to lift the biscuits still further. The forwards movement of the surface 142 gives a forwards movement to the bottoms of the biscuits at 33 to produce a penny-stacked configuration, as shown in Fig. 2B. Operating in conjunction with the grippers 29 are preloading grippers 35 which move into gripping engagement with the column and move forward to bring the penny-stacked biscuits to the rear of the grippers 29 back into vertical position. A similar system of forwardly moving platform and cam-raised rails 32A similar to the rails 32 is provided to the rear of the grippers 35 and a pair of infeed grippers 30 operates in conjunction with these. The transfer grippers 29 deal with biscuits at a slightly greater rate than their output from the baking machine. This results in biscuits from the output at 21B being pennystacked. As the penny-stacked zone tends to move forwardly due to the slower output of the baking machine, they come eventually under a switch Dl which halts the transfer grippers and associated mechanism until the penny-stacked zone moves back again clear of the switch D1. The grippers 29 comprise carriages 65 (Figs. 7, 9), which carry gripper pads 68 and are mounted to run by means of wheels 67 on rails carried by transversely swingable members 62, 62. The members 62 are swung into gripping position through linkage 71, 78 (Fig. 9), 78B, rod 79, crank 95A, rod 96, to a cam lever 72 operating in association with a cam-shaft 75 (Fig. 7). Cam levers operate from respective further cams on the shaft 75 to operate through a similar linkage in each ease, similar inwardly swingable members associated with the grippers 34 and 35 (Fig. 7). The grippers 29 are traversed in the longitudinal direction by the action of a link 159 (Fig. 7), a lever 43, link 47, and camoperated arm 101 associated with a cam-shaft 94. The grippers 35 are moved in the longitudinal direction by movement derived from the cam-shaft 94 via a cam follower 106 carried by a lever 105 connected by link 104 to a lever 103. The latter carries a stop which normally engages a stop member 108 connected between levers 36 connected by by rod 110 to the gripper carriage of the grippers 35. The levers 36 are urged forwardly by a spring 107 the pawl of which is adjustable at 37. Thus when the lever 103 moves forwardly according to the phasing of the cam on the shaft 94, the spring 107 urges the grippers 35 forwardly. The return of the grippers 35 is effected by the action of a rack 137 (Fig. 16) which is slidable under the action of a cable 139 connected via a drum 140 to the lever 103 (Fig. 7). The rack 137 cannot become effective until the grippers 35 have opened due to the action of a pawl 134 which transmits the movement from the rack 137 to the gripper carriage. In the closed position of the grippers a tail on the pawl engages a fixed member 136 to hold the pawl in a position retracted from the rack 37. The forwards travel of the grippers 35 cannot take place until the inward gripping movement of the gripper carriage carrying frame members 61 has taken place due to the action of a pawl 130 (Fig. 16). When the members 61 are in their open position a tail of the pawl 130 is disengaged by the action of a spring 131 from a fixed member 132 so that the pawl 130 is thrust into engagement with the teeth of a fixed rack 133. The carriage 64 carrying the grippers 35 is connected to a rod 111 which passes through an aperture in part of the mounting of the carriage 66 which carries the compression grippers 34, there being a stop 112 on the end of the rod 111. Forward movement of the carriage 66 takes place when the grippers 35 move forwardly under the action of a spring- loaded lever 113 bearing on the carriage 66. Return movement of the carriage 66 is derived from the direct engagement with it by the stop 112 on the rod 11. Forwards movement of the carriage 65 carrying the grippers 29 is prevented when the gripper carriage carrying members 62 are in open position by the action of a stop 44 (Fig. 2). Mechanism is provided (Figs. 10, 11, not shown) which causes the stop 44 to be disengaged by the inward movement of the members 62. When the switch D1 (Fig. 2) detects penny-stacked biscuits 21B as above described, it causes a system of relays to operate (Fig. 6, not shown) which result in stops being placed in the path of the respective cam followers associated with the cams on the cam-shaft 75 (Fig. 7), which cause the inward gripping action movement of the grippers 29, 34, and 35. In a simpler construction of conveyer (Fig. 3, not shown), the stepped transfer members 24 and carriage 27 are replaced by a simpler arrangement. In a further construction (Fig. 4, not shown), the input from the baking machine to the conveyer takes place along a downwardly curved shoot and an additional switch D2 is provided with a view to obviating the presence of an operative who is necessary with the first described machine in order to divert biscuits when the rate of supply from the baking machine overtakes the action of the conveyer. A modified construction of transfer device 24 is described which obviates the need for traversing movement of the grippers 34 (Fig. 5, not shown). Specifications 801,564, 829,313, and 876,878 also are referred to.