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. 23, 1977
Filed:
Jan. 09, 1976
Bruce B Steele, Rochester, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for stacking or unstacking trays comprising a tray holding mechanism and a drive member for moving the tray holding mechanism from an initial position along a prescribed closed path. In the stacking mode of operation, upon movement along the path, the tray holding mechanism moves downwardly depositing a first tray held thereby onto a second tray previously supplied to a receiving station on a tray support platform such as a conveyor. Continued movement along the path causes the tray holding mechanism to engage the second tray and to raise the stacked first and second trays to permit a third tray to be supplied to the receiving station by the conveyor. This sequence is continued until as many trays as desired are stacked. Alternatively, the disclosed apparatus may be switched to an unstacking mode wherein trays are deposited in succession from a stack to the receiving station on the conveyor.