US2141212A

US2141212A - Package collector

Info

Publication number: US2141212A
Application number: US191196A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wallace D Kimball; Cornelius I Braren
Original assignee: STANDARD KNAPP CORP
Current assignee: STANDARD KNAPP CORP; STANDARD-KNAPP Corp
Priority date: 1938-02-18
Filing date: 1938-02-18
Publication date: 1938-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1955-12-27

Description

Dec. 27, 1938 w. D. KIM BALL ET Al- PACKAGE COLLECTOR Filed Feb. 18, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l Q 961, 6 I Y J 9 2'0 3 Dec. 27, 1938. w. D. KIMBALL 'ET AL PACKAGE COLLECTOR 4 Sheets-Shqet 5 Filed Feb. 18, 1938 n y m NmB Z Maw Z w wn Wm M THE/RATTORNEYJ Dec. 27, 1938. w. D. KIMVBALL ET AL I 4 Shee t-s-Sheet 4 Z a Z0 PACKAGE 'COLBECTOR Filed Feb. 18, 1938 l l u:

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THE/I? ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1938 menses councroa Wallace D. Kimball, Jackson Heights, and Cornelius I. Braren, Jamaica, N. Y.,

assignorsto Standard-Knapp Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 18, 1938, Serial No. 191,198

17 Claim. This invention relates to package collectors including automatic package-feeding and arranging apparatus such as used in. manufacturing establishments for handling manufactured articles such as packages of cereal, cakes of soap and the like. More particularly the invention has to dowith apparatus of this sort for receiving such v articles in a plurality of lines in which'the articles are notarranged in any particular order or spacing, and rearranging the articles in rows of uniform length and with the articles of each row uniformly spaced apart. Such rearrangement of articles is desirable or necessary in feeding the articles to certain kinds of automatic machinery such, for example, as automatic case packing machines for packing shipping cases with the articles. Such a machine is described and claimed in our 7 copendlng application Serial No. 710,084, filed February 7, 1934, (now Patent 2,109,294, dated February 22, 1938) of which the present application is a continuation in part.

Manufactured articles such as packages of cereahcakes of soap and the like are usually delivered from the wrapping or labelling machines,

26 presses, or whatever machine performs the last operation on the finished article, by belt conveyors which convey the articles to the department where they are to be packed in shipping containers such as cartons made of corrugated '30 board, fibre board or the like.

Although the articles may be delivered to the conveyor belts in closed ranks gaps are often made in the ranks due to the temporary stoppage of the wrapping or other machines, the removal of defective arti- 5 cles by inspectors, and various'other causes.

Where the goods are to be packed by hand in the packing cases these gaps in the ranks are of no significance, for in handpacking the articlesareremoved from the belts by hand. When, how- 40 ever, the articles are to be packed by automatic machinery it is desirable, if not essential, that the articles be delivered to the case packing machine with uniformity and regularity and at a speed which is adequate to supply the demands of the, packing machine.

Accordingly, the invention aims to Provide an automatic package-feeding and arranging mechanism for receiving the articles from a plurality of lines in which the articles are arranged in indeterminate spacing and rearranging the articles in rows of any desired length in which the articles are uniformly spaced. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and entirely automatic package-feeding 66 and arranging mechanism for controlling the feed of articles to a case-packing machine whereby the packing machine is enabled to receive articles from a number of diiferent chutes, conveyors or other lines leading from the'labelling and wrapping machine which periormed'the last opera tion in the actual manufacture of the articles to Further objects of the invention will appear' 1 from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein we have illustrated a preferred form of our invention which has been found to possess the advantages above enumerated. In these drawingsz,

- Fig. 1 is a plan view oi. our machine;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section on plane 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 3- -3 of Fig. 1 showing particularly the articlecontrol feed mechanism for insuring a full charge of articles;

Fig. 4 is an end view drawn to the same scale as Fig. 3 and looking from the right end of the machine as-viewedin Fig. 1, but with certain portions of the machine broken away or omitted for I the sake of clearness;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view at right similar to that shown in Fig. 1 but drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating a modified arrangement for separating the articles into rows;

Figs. 9 and 10 are vertical sections taken respectively on planes 9-9 and lll l0 of Fig. 8 and drawn to a still further enlarged scale; and r "i Fig. 11 is a vertical section, at right angles to Figs. 9 and 10 on. line ll--ll of Fig. 8.

Before describing our improved machine in detail we will describe with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 the general construction of the machine-and its mode of operation. In the machine selected for illustration, the articles to be packaged enter in four lines along a feed belt marked I in Fig. 1.

The feed belt operates continuously but the arti 5o port 2 slightly from support 2 the construction of which is shown in i veyors all articles which do not come up to standard. This examination has the eflect of placing gaps in the line of articles being fed to the packaging machine, which gaps vary in extent and frequency. Also of course some one or other of the wrapping machines will be temporarily shut down for repairs or other reason, thus producing a long gap or a complete discontinuance of articles in one row or another of the four rows on the feed belt. I

In advance of the feed belts and in position to receive the articles fed thereby are a series of article-supports, one for each belt, marked 2 in the drawings. These article supports are in line with the several lines of articles on the feed belt so that the continued movement of the feed belt- ,will eventually deliver sufiicient articles to each support to-form' a continuous row of articles in contact with each other. When sufllcient articles have been accumulated on any one of the several supportsfor the row to be filled as indicated, the continued movement of the feed belt causes the articles to exert sufficient pressure on the control trip 3, for that particular support, which trip, by mechanism to be later described causes that particular article support to be shifted into position for the articles thereon to be removed. In the machine shown the articlesupports' 2 are raised by the mechanism controlled through the trip 3,'into position to be engaged by a pusher mechanism 4 which shifts the row of articles transversely of the direction of feed of the belts l onto a feed belt 5 extending in a direction at right angles to the belt I. By means of the belt 5 the articles are advanced as a complete row, extending transversely of belt 5, to the next operation, or to "the casepacking machine 'of our hereinbefore copending application, when the present apparatus is used with such a machine.

Overlying the belt 5 as shown particularly in Fig. l are a series of separator guides indicated generally by numeral 6 which separate the articles of each compact row delivered from the supeach other, so that they may be carried by the between guide rods I overlying the belt but still in a complete transverse row as indicated in Fig. l. The belt 5 is operated continuously.

The mechanism for carrying out the operation as above described is shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 3, 4,5, 6 and 7, to which reference will now be particularly made.

The feed belt I is continuously driven and the articles advanced thereby are maintained in alignment by overlying guides ll providing in the present instance four lines of articles moving continuously into the machine, which lines, however, may contain gaps of greater or less extent? Each article path is defined by the overlying guides H and leads into a separate articledetail in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Each support comprises a platform 12 whose upper surface liesin the same plane as the feed .belt I. The platform I2 is of a width approximating the space between the guides II and lies in" direct line with the pathway defined by the guides so that the articles advanced by the belt will be fed directly onto the platform l2 over an intermediate fixed bridge L3.

The platform I2 is mounted on the top of a tubular column H which is mounted for vertical movement on a fixed vertical shaft 15, the colbelt 5 in .separate pathways 2,141,212 and labeling machines and remove from' the conumn and shaft constituting the sole support of the platform 12. Overlyingthe platform [2 and spaced therefrom by adistanoe slightly greater than the thickness of the article to be packed, is a cover plate l1. This cover plate is supported at its end away from the belt I bymeans of a block [8 fixed between the plate. Also fixed to the block 18 is a guide roller I9 working in a vertical channel guide 20 fixed to the machine frame, the roller serving to guide the article support in its up-and-down movement and maintain it in proper position to receive the articles from the feed belt.

A movable stop member 21 of trip 3 is mounted on the article-support adjacent the block l3 and in position to be engaged by the articles advanced by the belt I when sufficient articles have been delivered thereto to make a complete row. This stop member 2| is suspended from a suitable pivot 22 supported on the upper face of the cover plate 11. The member 21 extends through slots in the plate l1 and platform 12 and is spaced sufliciently from the block Hi to permit a slight rocking movement on its pivot under the pressure of the articles delivered to the platform by the belt I.

Suspended fromthe under side of the'plat form' 12 adjacent the which lever is connected to the member 2| by an adjustable link 24. A spring 25 is provided for holding the member 2| away from the block l8 to an extent permitted by a stop pin 26 carried by the fixed column 15 and cooperating with a stop projection on the trip arm 23. Cooperating with the trip arm 23 is an actuating bar 21, which bar extends across the machine underneath the four separate article-supports 2 whereby the single operating bar 21 will engage and operate any or all of the trip arms 23 projected into its path of movement by the pressure of the articles against the members 2|. The actu- =ating bar 21 is supported for vertical oscillation upon rock arms 28 mounted on fixed pivots carried by the frame members of themachine and is periodically elevated by means of a cam 29 continuously rotated from the driving motor 30 of the machine, the cam operating through a cam arm 3| and link 32 connected to one of the rock arms 28 supporting the actuating bar.

The position of the trip arm 23 is so adjusted by means of the link 24 and the adjustable stop carried by the trip arm as to just be clear of the operating bar 21 when elevated by the cam when the arm 23 is held inits position of rest against the stop 16. Until the member 21 is shifted by position to be engaged by the reciprocating arm 33 of pusher mechanism I (see Fig. 5) which reciprocates across the four article-supports 2 and thereby serves to deliver the row of articles which has been elevated, from its support onto the feed belt 5. It may be that two or more supports will be elevated at the same movement of the actuating bar 21. In such case the reciprocating arm platform and cover 25 bar 21 by means of a crank shaft 33 driven from the shaft,of the cam 23 through suitable bevel 33 will shift all therows so elevated onto the feed belt. 4 g The several article-supports are separated from each other by means of fixed guide-bars 34 which constitute in effect extensions of the guides ll. 7

7 These guides 34 are ilxed to the bridge l3 and'extend between the several cover plates I! as shown more particularlyin Fig. 5, the top edges of the guide bars being flush with the upper surface of the cover plates to thereby form a continuous surface over which the articles are shifted by the arm 33. When the supports 2 are elevated by the actuating bar 21 as described, the platforms I2 on which the articles rest are brought into line with the cover plates I! of the supports which are not elevated, whereby there will always -a position overlying the bridge l3; The-arm 33 is operated intimed sequence with the actuating gears, as shown, whereby the slide 'makes one complete reciprocation for each revolution of the cam shaft. The cam 23 is so shaped and so timed with respect to the crank 31- which operates the arm 33 that the supports 2*,will be elevated during the time that the arm 33 is in its position at the belt 5. The belt 5, whenever it receives articles. I

end of its stroke away-from the delivery belt 5, .and'will be held in elevated position throughout the movement of the arm. across the four supports and just clear of the cover plate I] nearest the belt 5. The supports are then lowered while the arm is completing its movement of delivering the articles to the belt 5. In other words the arm 33 has a movement sufllciently in excess of the combined width of the four supports for the supports tofbe raised and lowered while the arm is completing or reversingits movement. The arm will return to its initial position shown in Fig. 6 while the cam roller is on the low part of the Thus the reciprocating arm will deliver to the belt 6 on each reciprocation whatever rows of articles have been elevated by the actuating bar 21 and in the event none of the bars have been elevated, no articles will be delivered to the at all, thus receives articles in one or more complete rows and these rows are carried forward by the belt 5 in substantially transverse alignment but separated from each other by the overlying guide bars I, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. j

In order to space the articles from each other as they are advanced onto the belt 5 sothat the guide bars I may passbetween them, we provide the separator guides 6 mounted over the pulley 4i which supports the end of the belt 5 adjacent the supports 2. These separator guides comprise a series of guide plates 42 (Figs. 6 and '7) attached to the endsof the guide rods, I (Fig. I) and projecting toward the supports 2 and overlying the 'stationary bridge 43 lying between the adjacent support and the belt 5 forming a continuous surface for the articles thereover. The guides 42 are bifurcated at their free ends at a point corresponding with the thickness of the article and the tongues formed by this bifurcation are bent in opposite directions.

,The guides are arranged so that between one pair of guide rods the two lower tongues will be flared outwardly (Fig. 1) to guide the article advanced-by the reciprocating arm 33 into the space between the guide rods while the next two guide plates 42 will have their upper tongues bent outwardly to engage and guide the article into the space between the guiderods. As, stated above,

the upper tongues of the guide plates 42 are at an elevation from the belt greater than the thickness of the article and consequently the articles to be acted on by the upper tongues must be elevated abovethe plane of the belt as they are advanced by the arm 33. To this end between each alternate pair "01 guide rods, namely, those which have the upper tongues of the guide plates 42 flared outwardly, there is placed a bridge piece 44. These bridge-pieces extend beyond the ends of the guide plates 42 and the inclination of the bridge is such that every other article in the row advanced by the arm 33 will be elevated sumciently to clear the lower tongues of the guide plates and be engaged by the upper tongues and thus directed into the space between the adjacent guide rods. The intermediate articles, that is, those lying between the articles which ride up on .the bridge pieces 44, will .move along the surface of the bridge43 and thus pass under the upper I tongues of the guide plates and be engaged by the outwardly flaring lower tongues and thus guided into the channel between the guide rods.

In order that the articles may be further separated laterally from each other as they are advanced by belt 5 the guide rods 1 diverge slightly toward the delivery end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is believed the operation of the machine will be sufllciently understood from the foregoing description. It will be observed that no matter to what extent there may be gaps in the incoming lines of articles, even to the extent of one or more lines being completely stopped, the machine will automatically operate to advance complete transverse rows of articles on the delivery Referring now to Figs. 8 to ll'of the accompanying drawings, there is here illustrated a modified form of mechanism for eflecting the separation of the articles as they are swept in complete rows from the article supports 2 onto the belt 5 by means of the reciprocating arm 33 01 the pusher mechanism 4. In this modification the articles of the advancing complete row, or certain of these articles, are tilted transversely with respect to the direction of their travel in order to expose their side edges to the action of a laterally shifting guide. instead of tilting the articles longitudinally for this purpose, as inthe separat ng mechanism previously described and shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7.

For this purpose the articles, as they leave 'the left-hand support 7. of its cover plate i1, as shown 42 'to enter between the articles and of which they are transferred onto the surface of belt .5 and into the respective lanes 48 between guide rods 1. There is a pair of these rails for each article in the complete row and hence for each lane or pathway 48 except the center lane 49. The center article is carried into lane 49by means of a horizontal plate 56. As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the outside rail 41 of each pairis raised at its central portion, while the inside rail 46 of each pair is depressed.

This causes the articles while supported on the central portions of these rails to be tilted with respect to one another as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Thus the two articles adjacent each side of the center article have their inside edges dropped below the center article, and the two outermost articles of each row are similarly tilted with respect to their neighbors. This exposes the upper'side edges 51 of the center article and the lower side edges 52 of the two articles adjacent the center article. It also exposes similar edges 53 of the two outermost articles.

In order to guide the center article between the rails 1 which form the center lane-J49, a pair of guides 54 are arranged in alinement with these two guide bars 1 at a proper elevation to engage the exposed upper side edges of the center article or package. The right-hand ends of these guides 54 are flared outwardly, as shown in Fig. 8. These guides 54 are shown as upwardly offset extensions of guide rails 1, all of these rails being suspended by vertical rods 55 from a cross member (not shown).

The exposed lower side edges 52 and 53 of the remaining articles or packages of the row, two of which are on the left of the center package and two of which are on the right, are engaged by shifting

guides

56 and 51, respectively. These guides are angular shaped members in cross section having vertical guide faces and horizontal web portions by means of which they are mounted upon cross members 56 which also serve to support the

rails

46 and 41 which are mounted upon brackets. as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10.

Shifting guides 56 and'51 are arranged with their rear ends in alinement with. the ends of certain of guide rails 1 while their forward ends are preferably flared, as shown in Fig. 8, and are placed sufliciently out of alinement with these guide rails to engage the side edges 52 of the articles or packages when the forward ends of the articles first advance onto tilting

rails

46 and 41 and while the articles are still incontact with. one another. This angular position of shifting

guides

56 and 51 causes the two articles on each side of the center article to shift laterally and outwardly as they are pushed forward along the sloping

rails

46 and 41 toward belt 5 by the reciprocating arm 33. I

In this manner these articles are separated from the center article and from one another and directed into the lanes 46 between the respective pairs of guide rails 1. It will be noted that shifting guides 51 are placed at a somewhat greater angle than shifting guides 56 for the reason that the articles which are to enter the outermost lanes 48 must be shifted a greater distance laterally than the articles which enter the two lanes 48 which are adjacent center lane 49. In order to facilitate the proper positioning of these shifting guides they are preferably adjustably mounted upon the cross members 58, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 10. i

It will be observed that the lateral tilting of the articles by the

rails

46 and 41 enables the forward end of guides 56 to extend beneath the opposite sides of the center package, and the forward ends of guides 51 to extend beneath the,

outer sides of the packages which are to enter the lanes adjacent these shifting guides.

In the attached drawings and foregoing description we have disclosed embodiments of our invention which have been found in actual practice to be satisfactory and emcient. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the constructions specifically disclosed except insofar as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: v

1. In a machine of the class described, a supply conveyor for carrying articles in a plurality of lines in indeterminate spacing in each line. a receiving conveyor at right angles thereto and having its receiving end at a higher elevation than the adjacent end of the supply conveyor, a plurality of elevating devices arranged in alinement respectively with the lines of articles advanced by the supply conveyor, each of said devices being adapted to receive a single row of articles, said devices each having two superposed platforms, one normally at the level of said supply conveyor and the other normally at the level of said receiving conveyor, means under the con trol of the articles advanced onto each lower platform of said elevating devices for raising said lower platform to the elevation of said receiving conveyor, an arm adapted to move crosswise of said elevating devices to sweep the articles thereon onto said receiving conveyor, and means for actuating said arm in timed relation to the raisingof said elevating devices.

2. In a machine of the class described, a supply conveyor for carrying articles in a plurality of lines in indeterminate spacing in each of said lines, a table for receiving the articles from said conveyor and supporting them in end-to-end contact with one another, a second conveyor at right angles to said supply conveyor for receiving the articles from said table, guiding devices arranged over said second conveyor to guide the articles in a plurality of lines thereon, means for sweeping the articles from said table onto said second conveyor, and means for separating said closely spaced articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between said guiding devices comprising guide plates one in alinement with the end of each of said guiding devices, each of said plates having upper and lower tongues at its front end, the lower tongues of alternate pairsof guide plates being flared outwardly and the upper tongues of the intermediate pairs of guide plates being flared outwardly, and means for elevating the articles approaching the lines between said intermediate guide plates so as to raise the articles sufliciently to clear the lower tongues of the guide plates and be engaged by the upper tongues thereof and thus directed into the spaces between said guide plates.

3. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for moving articlesin a plurality of lines, the articles in each line being in indeterminate spacing, means for receiving the articles therefrom and arranging the articles in complete rows, comprising a plurality of elevating devices arranged in alinement respectively with the lines devices each having two superposed platforms,

the lower platforms being normally at the level of said conveyor, and the upper platforms being normally at a uniform level and providing a smooth table over which the articles will readily slide, means under the control of the articles advanced onto, each of said lower platforms for raising said elevating device to bring the lower ranged in alinement respectively with the lines of articles advanced by said conveyor and adapted to receive each a single row of articles, said devices having each two superposed platforms, the lower platform of each device being normally at the level of said conveyor and the upper platforms of said devices being at a common level and providing a smooth surface over which articles will readily slide-means for receiving the rows of articles from said elevating devices, means for sweeping said rows of articles from said ele- V vating devices onto said receiving'means, elevating mechanism operated in timed relation to said sweeping means, and means on each of said elevating devices actuated by the articles thereon for connecting said elevating device with said elevating mechanism .so as to cause the lower platform thereof to be elevated to the level of 'the upper platforms'of unraised elevating devices whereby the row of articles on said elevating device is supported on said upper platforms while sliding thereover under the action of said sweeping means.

5. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows and provided with guiding devices for causing said articles to be advanced by said conveyor in parallel paths, means for delivering suc cessive rows of articles thereto, the articles in each row being substantially in contact with one another, and means for separating said articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between said guiding devices comprising guide plates, one in alinement with the end of each of i said guiding devices,each of said plates having upper and lower tongues at its front end, the lower tongues of alternate pairs of guide plates being flared outwardly and the upper tongues of the intermediate pairs of guide plates being flared outwardly, and means for elevating the articles approaching the spaces between said intermediate guide plates so as to raise the articles sufliciently to clear the lower tongues of the guide plates and be engaged by the upper tongues thereof and thus directed into the spaces between said guide plates.

' 6. In an apparatus of the class described hay-- ing a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said artlclesso as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices comprising guiding projections in alinement with the ends of said guiding devices, certain of these projections being adapted to engage the articles at one level and others being adapted to engage the articles at a higher level, and means for elevating the articles approaching the latter guiding projections.

7. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said articles so as to deliver theminto the spaces between the guiding devices, comprising means for tilting the articles in certain lines with respect to the articles of other lines as they move toward the guiding devices so as to expose the forward side edges of the articles, and guiding means for engaging the exposed edges of these articles to cause them to advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

8. In an apparatusof the class described hay ing a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with'guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said a icles so as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices comprising means for tilting the articles of alternate'lines with respect to the articles of the intermediate lines as they move toward the guiding devices so as to expose the forward side edges of the articles, and guiding means for engaging the exposed edges to cause the articles to advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

9, In an apparatus of theclass described having a conveyor'for receiving articles arranged in ,rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices comprising means for selectively tilting the articles of certain lines with respect to the conveyor as the articles move toward the guiding' devices so as to separate the forward side edges of adjacent articles in a row, and'guidingmeans for engaging the said edges of the articles to iiver'them into the spaces between the guiding devices comprising means for tilting the articles of certain lines as they move toward the guiding devices so' as to "raise the forward ends of the articles in these lines above the articles in other lines, thereby separating the forward side edges of the articles in each transverse row, and guid- 7 5 rows extending ing means for engaging the said edges to cause the articles to advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

11. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to 'the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said article so as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices comprising means for tilting the articles of alternate lines as they move toward the guiding devices so as to raise the forward ends of the articles in these lines above the articles in the intermediate lines thereby exposing the forward side edges of the articles of a row, and guiding means for engaging the said edges to cause the articles to advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

12. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing .the

articles to be advanced by the'oonveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and

means for separating said articles so as to de-' liver them into the spaces between the guiding devices, comprising means for tilting adjacent articles of each transverse row transversely with respect to one another as they move towardthe guiding devices thereby exposing the side edges of such articles, and guiding means for engaging the exposed side edges of certain of the articles of each transverse row to shift them laterally as they advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

13. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices, comprising means for tilting adjacent articles of each transverse row transversely with respect to one another as they move toward the guiding devices thereby exposing the lower portion of the side of i said exposed lower portions and shifting such.

articles laterally as they,advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

14. In an apparatus of the class described having a conveyor for receiving articles arranged in transversely of the conveyor and provided with guiding devices for causing the articles-to be advanced by the conveyorin separated lines, means for delivering successive rows of articles to the conveyor the articles in each row being in contact with one another, and means for separating said articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between the guiding devices, comprising means for maintaining the center article of each row in level position, and means for tilting transversely with respect to one another the articles on each side of said center article thereby exposing the upper side edges of the center article and the lower side edges of the remaining articles of each row, means for engaging the exposed upper side edges of the center article for guiding the same into the space between the guiding devices therefor, and means for engaging the exposed lower side edges of the remaining articles to shift them laterally as they advance into their spaces between the guiding devices.

15. In a machine of the class described, a supply conveyor for carrying articles in a plurality of lines in indeterminate spacing in each of said lines, a table for receiving the articles from said conveyor and supporting them in end-to-end con- I tact with one another, a second conveyor at right angles to said supply conveyor for receiving the articles from said table, guiding devices arranged over said second conveyor to guide the articles in a plurality of lines thereon, means for sweeping the articles from said table onto said second conveyor, and means for separating said closely spaced articles so as to deliver them into the spaces between said guiding devices comprising means for tilting the articles of certain lines with respect to the articles of other lines as they move toward the guiding devices so as to expose the forward side edges of the articles, and guiding means for engaging the exposed edges of these articles to shift them laterally as they advance into the spaces between the guiding devices.

16. In a machine-of the class described, a conveyor for moving articles in a plurality of lines, the articles in each line being in indeterminate spacing, means for receiving the articles therefrom and arranging the articles in complete rows, comprising a plurality of elevating devices arranged in alinement respectively with the lines of articles advanced by said conveyor and adapted to receive each a single row or articles, said devices each having two superposed platforms, the lower platforms being normally at the level of said conveyor, and the upper platforms being normally at a uniform level and providing a smooth table over which the articles will readily slide, means under the control of the articles advanced onto each of said lower platforms for raising said elevating device to bring the lower platform thereof to the elevation of the upper platforms of the unraised elevating devices, means operating in timed relation with the raising of said elevating device for sweeping the articles articles to be advanced by the conveyor in separated lines, and means for separating the articles of each complete row as it is swept toward said conveyor by said sweeping means comprising means for tilting certain of the articles of each complete row with respect to adjacent articles so as to expose theiforward side edges of the articles, and guiding means for engaging the exposed edges of the articles to cause them to advance into the spaces between the guiding devices,

1'7. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for moving articles in a plurality of lines, the articles in each line being in indeterminate spacing, means for receiving the articles therefrom and arranging the articles in complete rows, comprising a plurality of elevating devices arranged in alinement respectively with the lines of articles advanced by said conveyor and adapted veyor, and the upper platforms being normally at a unifierm Revel and previding a smeoth table ever which we ertieies will meewififiy Slime, means under the central ef the ereieles advanced ante each at said lewer pietforms fez raising seam elevating device m mm the Kawer plefsform ishereefi fie the elevation m? the name? ame-farms ef the unmised elevating devices, means operating; in in med relaibion with we raising of mid elevetmg' device for e sweeping the articles thereon. ever the platforms 36 of the eievatzmg devices, a-ecmveyor for mcefiving semi articles and emrevmed with mem devicesfor causing the emeiee m be edvezmeefi the eenveyer in sepmratedi Mines, and means fer separating the articles of each cempiete mw as it is swept; inward said comveyer 123) said sweeping means eemprismg means fer timing edjaeem articles 018 each complete em? with respect to wine another as they are swept tewem we wmveyer by said sweeping means thereby ex esfing (the eide edges of the articles, and meme meme my new gaging the exposededges e1? @emm 0f the erfizieles Qf each transverse row to shifi them fietemmy as they advance into the spaces between the guiding m WALLAGE Du TE.

devices.