Patent ID: 6550604
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A self-clearing article-transfer mechanism for transferring articles from an upstream article feeder to a downstream article receiver, the article-transfer mechanism comprising:a plate extending from a first end to a second end and disposed between the upstream article feeder and the downstream article receiver with the first end proximate the article feeder and the second end proximate the article receiver to receive articles pushed onto and across the plate from the first end toward the second end by the backpressure of a stream of articles fed by the upstream article feeder and to transfer the stream of articles across the second end to the downstream article receiver; and a vibrator coupled to the plate to urge articles at the end of the stream across the plate from the first end to the second end and onto the downstream article receiver in the absence of sufficient backpressure wherein during one mode of operation, the vibrator can be deactuated to not operate when sufficient backpressure is present to urge the articles across the plate.