Article handling mechanism

Claim 1

IN AN ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR SWEEPING AN ARTICLE ALONG A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE ON WHICH THE ARTICLE IS SUPPORTED, A FRAME, A PIVOT SHAFT MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SPACED ABOVE THE ARTICLE SUPPORT SURFACE, A CARRIAGE, AN ARTICLE PUSHER BLADE CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE, MEANS GUIDING SAID CARRIAGE ON SAID PIVOT SHAFT FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE SO AS TO PUSH AN ARTICLE ON THE SURFACE AND FOR SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE IN A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY RELATED TO SAID PIVOT SHAFT, AND CRANK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE AND MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS BETWEEN SAID PIVOT SHAFT AND SAID ARTICLE SUPPORT SURFACE WHEREBY THE PUSHER BLADE IS POWER DRIVEN TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PIVOT SHAFT AND IN AN ORBIT SUCCESSIVELY DOWNWARD TOWARD THE SUPPORT SURFACE, ACROSS THE SUPPORT SURFACE, AND THEN UPWARD TO ITS POINT OF BEGINNING.