Apparatus for handling and conveying work

Claim 1

WORK HOLDING AND CONVEYING MEANS COMPRISING A CARRIAGE ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO A ROW OF WORK PROCESSING STATIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID ROW AND INTERMITTENTLY MOVABLE BACK AND FORTH FOR A LIMITED DISTANCE, ELEVATORS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE OPPOSITE SAID STATIONS EACH INCLUDING A VERTICAL ROD MOVABLE UPWARD ABOVE SAID CARRIAGE, AN ARM PROJECTING FROM THE UPPER END OF EACH ROD LATERALLY OVER THE ADJACENT STATION, A PLURALITY OF WORK SUSPENSION HOLDERS, SUPPORTING MEANS AT SAID STATION FOR SAID HOLDERS, MEANS ON EACH ARM OF AUTOMATICALLY COUPLING WITH AND UNCOUPLING FROM A WORK HOLDER WHILE SAID WORK HOLDER IS RESTING UPON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS DURING PORTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, AND MECHANISM FOR INTERMITTENTLY AND ALTERNATELY ACTUATING SAID CARRIAGE AND ELEVATORS TIMED TO, FIRST, SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVE UPWARD ALL ELEVATORS WHICH ARE COUPLED TO WORK SUSPENSION HOLDERS, RAISING THE LATTER OFF FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, SECOND, TO ADVANCE SAID CARRIAGE THEREBY TRANSFERRING SAID RAISED HOLDERS FROM ONE STATION TO ANOTHER, THIRD, TO LOWER SAID RAISED ELEVATORS TO DEPOSIT SAID HOLDERS ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, AND FOURTH, TO RETURN THE CARRIAGE THEREBYUNCOUPLING SAID ARMS FROM SAID DEPOSITED HOLDERS AND CUPLING THEM TO OTHER HOLDERS RESPECTIVELY DURING THE INITIAL AND FINAL PORTIONS OF THE RETURN MOVEMENT.