Method of and apparatus for transferring articles between conveyors

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE DESCRIBED COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN ARTICLE TRANSFER AREA; ARTICLE TRANSFER MEANS MOVABLE THROUGH THE AREA TO SWEEP ARTICLES THEREFROM; A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE INFEED CONVEYORS DISPOSED IN ARTICLE DISCHARGE RELATION WITH SAID AREA AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE TRANSFER MEANS; ARTICLE WITHHOLDING MEANS ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE END OF EACH INFEED CONVEYOR; CONTROL MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID WITHHOLDING MEANS AND HAVING A PART ASSOCIATED WITH EACH INFEED CONVEYOR AND RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED ACCUMULATION OF ARTICLES THEREON AWAITING DISCHARGE TO THE TRANSFER AREA, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING ANOTHER PART RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE TRANSFER MEANS AT A DETERMINED POSITION, SAID CONTROL MEANS OPERABLE WHEN SAID PARTS SENSE THE SIMULTANEOUS PRESENCE OF THE TRANSFER DEVICE AT SAID DETERMINED POSITION AND THE PREDETERMINED ACCUMULATION OF ARTICLES ON ANY OF SAID INFEED CONVEYORS TO ACTUATE ONLY THE WITHHOLDING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH INFEED CONVEYORS AS INDIVIDUALLY CONTAIN SAID PREDETERMINED ACCUMULATION TO RELEASE THE ACCUMULATED ARTICLES FOR DISCHARGE TO THE AREA AND SUBSEQUENT TRANSFER FROM THE AREA BY THE TRANSFER MEANS.