Article transfer apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for transferring articles such as glass containers from a first conveyor, on which the containers are travelling generally horizontally in line one after another, on to a second conveyor extending generally at right angles to the first conveyor from one side of the first conveyor. The apparatus is operable in cycles to transfer on each cycle a group of articles from the first to the second conveyor with the articles in the group extending in a row transversely of the second conveyor. The apparatus includes a support, a first carriage on the support movable generally parallel to the second conveyor, a second carriage on the first carriage movable with respect to the first carriage generally parallel to the first conveyor, and a third carriage on the second carriage movable vertically with respect to the first and second carriages. The third carriage carries a pusher bar. Each carriage is driven via an endless belt driven mechanism by a motor under the control of a programmable controller which operates the motors during each cycle of the machine to drive the carriages to cause the pusher bar to transfer a group of articles from the first conveyor on to the second conveyor.