The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 16, 1977
Filed:
Jun. 02, 1975
William Perrin Bowdry, III, Dallas, TX (US);
Irwin Edward Wickam, Wayzata, MN (US);
Stewart Engineering & Equipment Co., Richardson, TX (US);
Abstract
In a pan unstacking and stacking system, stacks of pans are vertically positioned by pairs of spaced, parallel lift chains and pan engaging members mounted thereon. The lift chains are driven by drive shafts and drive sprockets which engage the upper and lower courses of a drive chain, respectively, thereby permitting adjustment of the spacing between the pan engaging members to accommodate pans of various sizes. The drive chain is in turn driven by a fluid powered cylinder operating through a clutch and brake apparatus to control the vertical positioning of the pan engaging members and pan stacks mounted thereon. Pans are transferred laterally relative to pan stacks supported on the pan engaging members by means of magnets positioned along a line in a horizontal plane situated above a stack and V-belts mounted for rotation around parallel courses situated on opposite sides of the line of magnets and including horizontal portions extending coincident therewith. To effect unstacking, magnets are lowered to engage the uppermost pan from a stack and then are raised to engage the pan with the belts, whereby the pan is transferred laterally. To effect stacking, the belts position a pan above the pan engaging members, after which the pan is pushed downwardly out of the field of the magnets and is dropped onto the stack.