US1978780A - Leer loader - Google Patents

Description

L. BEON LEER LOADBR Oct. 30, 1934.

Filed Nov. 2 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 30, 1934. BEQN 1,978,780

LEER LOADER Filed Nov. 25, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 16216 ATTORNEY-5 Oct. 30, 1934. L. BEON 1,978,780 LEER LOADER Filed Nov. 25, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOR [M1, .8

ATTORNEYS Oct. '30, 1934. L. BEON 1,978,780

LEER LOADER Filed NOV. 25. 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 zlfif fal mfkgi wmt l ATTORNEYS 7 Oct. 30, 1934. I BEQN- 1,978,780

LEER LOADER Filed Nov. 25, 1932 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 NVENTOR 229 13 ATTORN EYS Oct. 30, 1934. L. BEON 1,978,780

LEER LOADER Filed Nov. 25, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I INVENTOR B r/ m? ATTOR N EY5 L. BEON LEER LOADER Oct. 30, 1934.

Filed Nov. 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 ATTORNEY$ V Patented .Oct. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Works, Salem, N. J.

Application November 25, 1932, Serial No. 644,236

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to loaders or feeders for leers. An object of the invention is to provide an eiiicient loading mechanism for cooperation with a leer for annealing glassware, and particularly for cooperation with leers of the type in which a 'leer conveyor. carries the ware through the leer for the annealing operation.

A further object of the invention is the pro- 10 vision of a leer loader capable of transferring,

for example from a bringing-up or delivery conveyor, glassware, for example bottles, jars, etc.,

of diflerent sizes and particularly of different heights, the loader for this purpose being so constructed that the loading member may have .a rectilinear, or substantially rectilinear, infeed motion for pushing the ware onto the leer conveyor, such motion allowing the loader to be used with ware of very small height and with smoothness and steadiness and reliability so that the ware is transferred to the leer conveyor in desired position thereon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a loader having a loading member or pusher operable through a cycle, and called into operation by the arrival of an article to be annealed in a predetermined position with respect to the leer conveyor.

7 Another object is the provision of a loader so constructed that the progress of fresh ware, for example, carried by the bringing-up conveyor, is not delayed during the infeeding operation, but the bringing-up conveyor may be constantly in motion.

Another object is to provide such a loader which operates through a cycle, including a ware infeed motion for depositing ware upon the leer conveyor, which cycle ends with the parts in position to deposit further ware upon the leer 40 conveyor, but which parts, having come to a stop in such position, will be set in motion to operate through another cycle only when fresh ware has been brought up in position to be transferred to the leer conveyor, the construction be- 'ing such, however, that, if desired, the mechanism may be kept in continuous operation, being actuated continuously through a series of cycles.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such mechanism in which the infeed or pusher member, having completed its infeed motion, travels through a path leading upwardly and over the tops of any fresh ware that maybe in the course of-being brought up 5-into position to be placed uponthe leer conveyor during the next cycle of operation of the pusher member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a loader so constructed that it may be placed in juxtaposition to and used with dif- 6-3 ferent kinds of annealing leers of the conveyor type.

A still further object is the provision of a loading mechanism that can be set in motion by the arrival of very small, lightweight glass articles, such for example as very small bottles, in position with respect to the leer conveyor to be placed thereon by the loading mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not herein specifically referred to, will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a leer loader 2'5 constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2 and 2A are complementary views showing the loader of Fig. 1 in end elevation, with certain parts in section; I

Figure 3 is a side elevation on a slightly en- 30 larged scale, looking at Fig. 2A from the right, and showing the upper portion of the mecha- Figure 3A is a view similar to Fig. 3 and complementary thereto, showing in elevation the low- 35 er portion of the same side of the loader;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing one form of mounting support for the loader;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on a somewhat enlarged scale andtaken on the line 55 of Fig. 2A;

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevational fragmentary view showing part of the mechanism of Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a preferred form of circuit and mechanism associated therewith for controlling the operation of the loader.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the invention as here illustrated includes a frame comprising four corner uprights 11, connected by upper and'lower side and end members 13.

The loader is shown, by way of illustration, as being placed adjacent and in operative relation 105 to the entrance end of a leer, only the forward part of the leer being shown, the leer itself forming no part of the present invention but being described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 580,080, -now Patent No., 1,919,923. 110

The leer has a travelling conveyor passing through it, which is herein shown as being in the form of a chain link conveyor belt 15 passing over an upper guide roller 17, the horizontal ware-carrying portion of which, in operation, moves away from the observer, looking at Figures 2 and 2A. Closely adjacent the entering portion of the horizontal conveyor belt of the leer, and preferably extending the full width of said conveyor, is one edge of a stationary platform 19 along whose opposite edge moves a constantly travelling, relatively narrow, endless conveyor 23, travelling horizontally in a direction at right angles to the direction of travel of the leer conveyor belt 15. The conveyor 23 has bottles or other ware to be annealed delivered to it by any meanssuch, for example, as the constantly rotating turntable 25 and its fixed guide arm 27.

The invention includes mechanism for shifting a row of bottles, in alignment and travelling on conveyor 23, from said conveyor, and at right angles to its direction of travel, across the stationary platform 19 and upon the leer conveyor 15,

-which carries the ware, hereinafter and by way of illustration referred to as bottles, through the leer for annealing.

As herein shown, the bottles are transferred to the leer conveyor 15 from their aligned position on conveyor 23 by means of a pusher bar 29 adapted to travel from a relatively low position near conveyor 23 horizontally to the left, as viewed in Figure 5; thence, when the bottles have been deposited on the leer conveyor, travelling upwardly and rearwardly high enough for the pusher to clear, in its backward travel, the tops of fresh ware being brought along by conveyor 23; as shown in full position in Figure 5; thencetravelling downwardly to right hand dotted line position of Figure 5, until the arrival of a bottle on conveyor 23 in predeterminedposition with respect to the leer conveyor causes the pusher bar actuator mechanism to be set in motion, whereupon the pusher bar starts again on the initial horizontal travel of its circuit, moving from the right hand dotted line position of Fig. 5 to the left hand dotted line position in said figure.

As illustrated in the drawings, the pusher bar 29 is carried by the lower end of a pair of vertically extending carrier rods 33, each of which is vertically movable in a guide 35. These guides are mounted on a horizontal support 37 connecting the two substantially parallel sides 39 of a horizontally reciprocable carriage formed by said sides and their horizontal connecting support 37. This carriage may be provided with wheels, as shown in the drawings, the right hand wheels 41 being flanged or beveled to travel in suitably shaped guide tracks 43, and the left hand wheels 45 being flat and travelling upon fiat tracks 47, the construction described allowing the fiat trimmed wheels 45 to shift transversely of their supporting tracks with expansion and contraction of the carriage, and particularly the connecting support 37, with changes of temperature, while, at the same time, insuring accurately guided travel of the carriage in operation.

Means are provided for giving the pusher bar carriage a horizontally reciprocating motion, such means cooperating with mechanism for raising and lowering the pusher bar rods 33, so that lifting of the pusher bar is completed before the pusher bar reaches its upper rear position due to the backstroke of the carriage, and so that the carriage remains stationary during the travel of the pusherbar from its upper rear position to its aevsnso lower rear position, or preparatory position, shown in the right hand dotted lines of Fig. 5.

As herein illustrated, links 51 connect the pusher bar carriage with the lower ends 53 of a pair of rocking cam frames 55, each of whose upper ends 57 is pivoted as at 53 to a stationary mounting member 61 fixed to the main frame of the mechanism. The upper end 57 of each frame 55 is rigidly connected to the lower end of the frame by cam actuated side bars 63 and 65. Each cam frame is adapted to rock about its pivot 59 from the full line position of Fig. 5 to the dotted line position of said figure, and thus, by means of links 51, the pusher bar carriage is shifted back and forth in its horizontal path of travel.

For the purpose of oscillating each rocker frame 55, in predetermined timed relation to means hereinafter described for raising and lowering the pusher bar, a horizontal cam shaft 71,

mounted in suitable fixed bearings 73 carried by the main frame, hasflxed thereon a cam 75 located within the carriage oscillator frame 55 and adapted alternately to act against the inner face of each of the oscillator frame side bars 63. The cam shaft 71 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5.

Cooperating in timed relation with the 'oscillator mechanism just described, the invention provides means for raising and lowering the pusher bar 29.by means of its supporting rods 33. As herein illustrated (Figs. 2, 2A and 5), the two pusher bar supporting 'rods 33 have their upper ends connected by a cross bar 77, which is adjustably secured to the upper threaded ends of said rods by securing nuts 79. The cross bar 77 has rotatably mounted on it a pair of spaced grooved rollers 81 and may also carry a certain part of the control mechanism hereinafter described.

The pusher bar, its supporting rods 33, and cross bar 77 form a relatively rigid unit supported by a pair of raising and lowering arms 83, each of which is pivoted, as at 85 to a stationary portion 87 of the main frame, and each of which bears against the underside of one of the grooved rollers 81, supporting the pusher bar unit. As herein shown, the raising and lowering arms 83 do not travel forwardly and rearwardly with the carriage but rock up and down in a vertical plane about their horizontal fixed pivots 85 to control the vertical position of the pusher bar.

Carried by the cam shaft 71, for each raising and lowering arm 83, is a cam 91 which bears upon the lower face portion of its raising and lowering arm, these cams 91, by their clockwise rotation (as viewed in Fig. 5) oscillating the raising and lowering arms in a vertical plane about their fixed pivots. Fig. 5 shows in full lines the raising and lowering arms in their uppermost position, and in dotted lines in intermediate and lowermost positions. The cams 75 and 91 are so arranged that the pusher bar moves rectilinearly from its upper rear to its lower rear position and rectilinearly horizontally during its advance or bottle-pushing stroke. its advance stroke, it starts upwardly, due to the action of cams 91 on raising and lowering arms 83, but before reaching the limit of its upward movement, cams 75, acting upon oscillator frames 55, beginthe withdrawing or return movement of the pusher bar carriage, so that the pusher bar begins rearward movement in its upper path before reaching its greatest height above the conveyor 23. It should, however, and in the present example of the invention does, reach its upper- At the end of I and worm wheel being enclosed in a suitable,-

most limit before its rearward stroke is completed, thereby insuring all available clearance height of the pusher bar over bottles being brought up by conveyer 23.

In accordance with the invention, the pusher bar, on'completion of its cycle, comes to rest in its lower right hand dotted line position of Pig. 5, and will advance in bottle-pushing movement, starting another cycle, only if a bottle on conveyor 23 has arrived upon said conveyor in a predetermined position. By arriving in this position the ,bottle sets in motion the actuating mechanism,

initiating an advance stroke of the pusher bar, and causing it to move again through one complete cycle and return to its starting position. A further cycle of movement of the pusher bar is commenced upon the arrival of another bottle in said predetermined position. Accordingly, the camshaft 71 does not rotate continuously, but only during operation of the pusher her through its cycle. w

The actuating mechanism for cam shaft 71-dncludes a motor 95 which is in continuous operationv during the time bottles are being fed into the leer. This motor, by a'belt 97, drives a pulley 99 which-through a Reeves trion 101,

drives a shaft 103 carrying a sprocket wheel connected-by a chain 105 with a sprocket wheel 107,

which drives a continuously rotating sleeve 109, within which" is located a rotatable shaft 111 mounted in bearings 113, the sleeve 109 being rotatable in fixed bearings 115. Through the mechanism about to be described, the shaft 111 remains stationary or is connected to rotate with the sleeve 109, depending upon whether a bottle is present to start another pusher-bar cycle, that is, has arrived in predetermined position to be transferred by the pushed bar 29 from conveyor 23 across the platform and onto the leer conveyor 15.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, one end of the sleeve 109 is formed as a clutch face with which may be engaged a cooperating clutch member 117 feathered on shaft 111 and moved into and out of clutching position by a yoke 119 pivoted so that shaft 111 comes to a stop. Current will flow in the magnet coil or not depending upon the action of the control mechanism hereinafter described.

Shaft 111 carries a sprocket wheel connected by a chain with a sprocket wheel 133 on horizontal shaft 135 and driving, through a worm 137, a worm wheel 139 fast on cam shaft 71, the worm housing 141.

Continuously rotating sleeve 109 has fixed thereon a sprocket 143 connected by a chain 145 to a cooperating sprocket 147 fast on an intermediate Shaft 149 rotatably mounted in-flxed bear ings 151 and also havLng fixed thereon a sprocket .wheel by means of which, through chain 153 (Figs. 3 and, 3A), it drives a sprocket wheel 155 on a horizontal shaft 157 carrying a gear 159 in .mesh with a. cooperating gear 181 on a horizontal conveyor drive shaft 183, which continuously rotates the driving drum 165 of conveyor 23. 'Ihe turntable 25 may be driven from shaft 163 by a sprocket wheel 167 on said shaft connected by a chain 169 to a cooperating sprocket on a short horizontal shaft 171 carrying a bevel gear 173 in mesh with a cooperating bevel gear 175 fast on the vertical turntable shaft 177.

Referring now to Figs. 2A and 3A, the invention includes means which detects the presence of a bottle and thus starts the pusher bar cycle. In practice, as here illustrated, this bottle is the leadbottle of a series whose length is substantially the same as the width of the leer conveyor. When the lead bottle of the oncoming series on conveyor 23 has advanced far'enough so that it will occupy a position near the far side edge of the leer conveyor when placed thereon, such lead bottle sets in motion the pusher bar, starting it on its cycle and causing the placing of the lead bottle and its series, up to the eifective length of the pusher bar, upon the leer conveyor belt.

In the present embodhnent of the invention this means includes a bottle strike 181 which, in the present instance, is a lightweight transverse bar carried at the end of a rod 183 supported on an idle rolkr 185 mounted on the main frame of the mechanism. At its other end, the rod 183 is pivoted to the lower end of a downwardly extending lever arm 187 carried by and in fixed relation with a tilting mercury switch support 189, which may be oscillated-vertically about its fixed horizontal pivot 191 to slope downwardly to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2A and 7, or downwardly to the left, as viewed in said figures. The parts are so arranged and so balanced that an extremely small force such as that exerted by a very small bottle carried on'conveyor 23, will move the rod 183 to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2A and 7, far enough to reverse the direction of slope of mercury switch support 189. For the purpose of etfectin'ga nice balance of the parts, so that the bottle strike may be easily moved and yet will normally occupy the position of Fig. 2A, a projection 193 on support 189-may carry adjustably thereon a small regulating weight 195. The support 189 has fixed thereon a mercury switch A (Figs; 2A and 7). Mercury switch A, when actuated. momentarily closes a circuit hereinafter described, maintaining it closed only until the bottle which tilted the 4 switch A is moved off conveyor 23 by the pusher bar, whereupon mercury switch A returns to the V posit on of Fig. 2A by gravity, in readiness to be operated by-the arrival of the lead bottle of the next oncoming series. This momentary actuation of mercury switch A, however, closes a holding circuit which, in turn, holds closed the circuit including the coil of magnetic switch 127, thereby clutching shaft 111 to continuously rotating sleeve 109 and starting and continuing the push bar upon its cycle, as hereinafter more fully described, until the cycle-is completed. The circuit holding closed the switch causing current to flow in the electromagnet 127 is brokenv at the proper time to bring thepusher bar to a stop in its lower right hand dotted line position of Fig. 5 and. as here shown, for this purpose, cross bar 7"! has fixed to it by a yoke clamp 197 a vertically extending push pin 199 (Figs. 2A and 6). Lying in the path of the push pin 199 as It travels rectilinearly downwardly during movement of the push bar from its upper full line, position of-Fig. 5 to its lower right hand dotted lineposition of that figure. are. successively and one at a time, a series of radial teeth or projections 201 on a toothed wheel 203, rotatable in a vertical plane on a horizontal shaft 205. In the present instance, the number ofprojections or teeth 201 is shown as,10. Fixed on shaft 205 and rotatable with it and toothed wheel 203 is a cam-wheel 207, having equally spaced raised cam portions 211, and between each two adjacent raised portionsalower cam portion 209, the sum of the raised cam portions 211 and lower cam portions 209 being ten, there being five of each, alternately arranged, and their sum being equal to the number of projecting teeth 201 a on toothed wheeizos.

succeeding lower cam portion 209, then upon the next raised portion 211, etc., as the cam wheel 207 is given intermittent rotational movement in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6. A movement of toothed wheel 203, due to one down stroke of push pin 199, is just suflicient to cause the roller 219to occupy a position on one cam portion, forexample, a raised cam portion 211, then to occupya position on the lower cam portion 209 upon the next succeeding down stroke of the push pin, thenv upon next raised cam portion, etc.

As a result, the lever arm 213 carrying mercury switch 8' occupies alternately two positions, one in which mercury switch B slopes downwardly to the left, uszviewed in Fig. 8, and the other a piisitionin whichsaid switch slopes downwardly to the right, as'vie'wed mm. 6.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 7, the mercuryswitch A is shown in the position it occupies before'it is actuated by the leading bottle of an oncoming series. When a bottle. moves the rod 183 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 7, over its supporting roller, the mercury switch A is tilted about its pivot in a counter-clockwise direction, so that its terminals "A1. and A2 are bridged by the mercin'y. Current; then flows from supply line L2, through conductors C1, C2, switch terminals A1, A2, conductor ;C3, through terminals B2, B1-, of mercury switch B, conductor C4, the coil of electromagnet switch .S,to supply line L1. The threepole switch is thereby closed, so that current from the main line flows from L2, through middle arm of switch 8, through conductor C7,- coil of electromagnet 127 through conductorC6, and left arm of switch Sto supply line L1. The clutch part 117 is thereby engaged with sleeve 109 and shaft 111 is rotated tov operate the cam shaft 71 and start thepusher-bar 29 on the way through its'cycle.

When the lead sbottlehas been pushed by the 29;,aiwayfrom the strike 181 of rod 183, the mercur switch A, by gravity, resumes the positionof Fig. 7', so that the circuit through its and A2 is broken. However, the switch '8 being closed, current from line L2 now flows theright hand or holding circuit arm'of the switch, through conductor C5, switch S2 (which is assumed to have been manually closed in preparation for commencing a series of tion through one cycle. When the cam wheel 207 is actuated (by the push pin 199, as hereinbefore described), at the close of the pusher bar cycle, the roller 219 of the supporting lever for switch B drops from the raised cam portion 211 down into the lower cam portion 209 of the cam wheel, so that the switch B is tilted in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7. This opens the circuit through switch terminals B1 and B2 momentarily and then, when the mercury reaches the right hand and of the tube, closes the switch terminals B3 and B4. The momentary breakingof the circuit through switchterminals Bland B2 breaksthe circuit through the coil of switch S, so that the switch is opened by its tension spring 126. Current therefore ceases to flow in the coil of electromagnet 127 so that clutch member 117 is disengaged from sleeve 109, and shaft 111 ceases to drive cam shaft 71, with the result that the pusher bar comes to a stop at the bottom of its down stroke, in starting position, ready for the lead bottle of the next series of oncoming bottles to cause rod 183 to move to the right, as viewed in Fig. 7. when it does so, switch A closes-as before described and current from line L2 flows through conductors C1, C2, momentarily through switch terminals A1 and A2, conductor C3, switch terminals B3, B4, conductor C4, and then through through the right hand closed arm of switchS,

conductor C5, closed switch S2, conductor C3, switch terminals B3, B4, conductor C4, and coil of switch S, thereby holding the switch S in closed position, so that the pusher bar continues its cycle until it is completed again, whereupon cam wheel 207 is moved as before-described to reverse the direction of tilt of mercury switch B and to turn it '1 to the positionof Fig. 7. The momentary breaking of the circuit through switch terminals B3 and A B4 allows switch S to open by means of its tension spring, so that electromagnet 127 no longer holds shaft 111 in driving engagement with sleeve 109. Upon the arrival of the mercury in switch B in position to close switch terminals B1 and B2, the parts are in position to operate through another cycle as soon as another oncoming lead bottle of a series momentarily closes the circuit through switch terminals A1 and A2, whereupon thepusher bar goes through another cycle as already described.

What is claimed is: I

1. A leer loader including a leer feeder member, feeder member moving means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path which includes an infeed stroke and a return stroke, means associated with said feeder member moving means for elevating said feeder member I.

on a return stroke, driving means for, said feeder member moving means, an electromagnetic clutch for bringing said feeder member moving means into and out of driven relation to said driving means, a circuit for said clutch, and aware actu ated switch for controlling said circuit. 2. A leer loader including a leer feederniem ber, feeder member moving means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path in-' eluding an infeed stroke and a return stroke,

driving means for said feeder member moving means, an electromagnetic clutch ,for bringing said feeder member moving means into and out of driven relation to said driving means, a circuit for said electromagnetic clutch, a ware actuated v out of driven relation to cause the feeder member actuated clutch for bringing said switch in said circuit for operating said clutch driven by said driving means, and a second switch in said circuit and controlled by movement of said feeder member for varying said circuit and thereby operating said clutch to bring the feeder member moving means out of driven relation to said driving. means.

3, A leer loader including a leer feeder member, means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path including an infeed stroke and a return stroke, driving means for said feeder member moving means, an electromagnetic clutch for bringing said feeder member moving means into and out of driven relation to said driving means, a clutch circuit, a clutch control switch therein, and a-holding circuit associated with said clutchcontrol switch and including a ware actuated starting switch for closing the holding circuit and thereby said clutch control switch, said holding circuit including also a stopping switch controlled by the return stroke of the feeder member for breaking the holding circuit and thereby opening the clutch control switch.

4. A leer loader including a leer feedermember, means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path including an infeed stroke and a return stroke, driving means for the-feeder member moving means, an electrically actuated clutch for bringing said feeder member moving means into and out of driven relation to said driving means, a clutch circuit including a clutch control switch, a holding circuit for said clutch control switch, a starting switch in theholding circuit and a ware actuated strike member for moving the starting switch and thereq .by moving the clutch control switch to bring the feeder member moving means into driven relation to said driving means.

5. A leer loader including a leer feeder member, means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path including an infeed stroke and a return stroke, driving means for the feeder member moving means, an electrically feeder member moving means into and out of driven relation to said driving means, a clutch circuit including a holding circuit for said starting switch in the clutch control switch, a clutch control switch, a holding circuit, a ware actuated strike member for moving the starting switch and thereby moving the clutch control switch to, bring the feeder member moving means into driven relation to said driving means, and a stopping switch in said holding circuit actuated by the return stroke of the feeder'member to break the holding circuit and thereby bring the feeder member moving means to said driving means.

6. A leer loader including a leer feeder member, means for moving said feeder member through a predetermined path including an infeed stroke and a return stroke, driving means for the feeder member moving means, an'electrically actuated I said feeder member moving I clutch for bringing moving means to be.

for intermediate the ends and thereby moving the bring the feeder memstrike member for movber moving means into and hold it in driven relation to said driving means, and a stopping switch in the holding circuit, said feeder member on its return stroke first opening the stopping switch in the holding circuit feeder member moving means out of driven relation to said driving means and then closing said stopping switch in preparation for another closing of the holding circuit by ware actuation of the strike member.

7. A leer loader including a bringing up conveyor, a leer feeder member associated therewith, means for moving said feeder ware feeding path which includes a substantially rectilinear infeed stroke close to said bringing up and thereby bringing the.

member through a conveyor and a higher ware-clearing return stroke above said conveyor, means controlled by the movement of the feeder member for bringing the feeder member to a stop at the end of its return stroke, and mechanism controlled by ware on said conveyor for setting in action the feeder member moving means.

8. A'leer loader for placing glassware upon a leer conveyor and including a platform for contiguous relation to such leer conveyor, a continuously operable bringing up conveyor associated with said platform, a leer feeder member for transferring ware from the bringing up conveyor and across the platform onto the leer conveyor, means for moving the feeder member through a ware feeding path which includes asubstantially rectilinear infeed stroke in the direction of travel of the leer conveyor and across the line of travel of the bringing up conveyor and a higher ware clearing return stroke above the bringing up conveyor, means controlled by movement of the feeder member for bringing it to a stop on completion of its return stroke, and mechanism controlled by ware on the bringing up conveyor for setting in action the feeder member moving means.

9. A leer loader including abringing up conveyor, a leer feeder member associated therewith, supporting means therefor, means for moving said feeder member forwardly on an infeed stroke and then rearwardly on a return stroke, mechanism for lowering the supporting means for the infeed stroke of the feeder member and raising the supporting means on the return stroke'of the feeder member, actuating mechanism for the supporting means and feeder member moving means, a substantially horizontally movable counterbala'nced ware strike movable by were on the bringing up conveyor for setting in motion said actuating mechanism, and a roller support there of said strike.

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