Patent ID: 6524058
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
An assembly for stacking, aligning, conveying and feeding stacks of articles, comprising:a single conveyor having an input end and an oppositely disposed output end, said conveyor comprising a frame and an upper conveyor surface for conveying a plurality of said stacks of articles from said input end to said output end, each of said stacks comprising a plurality of articles; a first column positioned at the input end of said conveyor, said first column defined by a first set of guide rods for alignment of one of said stacks contained within said first column; a second column positioned at the output end of said conveyor, said second column defined by a second set of guide rods for alignment of one of said stacks contained within said second column; a vertical feed assembly disposed, below said second column for vertically advancing said stack of articles.contained in said second column for removal of a topmost article in said stack, said upper conveyor of surface indexing said plurality of stacks from said input end to said output end upon connection of article removed; wherein each said first and second set of guide rods includes at least two pivotable guide rods disposed on said conveyor and adapted to pivotably move out of a conveyance path of said stacks upon said upper conveyor surface as said stacks are conveyed from said input end to said output end, wherein said at least two guide rods are positioned to fit within notched corners of said articles.