Patent ID: 6976574

Claim:
An arrangement for transferring plates between a plate conveyor ( 1 ) and a holding structure ( 2 ) comprising: a support structure ( 3 ), a transport arm ( 4 ) pivotally supported with one end on said support structure ( 3 ) and carrying, at its free end remote from said support structure ( 3 ), a plate engagement device ( 5 ) for engaging and holding a plate P to be transferred between said plate conveyor and said holding structure ( 2 ), said plate engagement device ( 5 ) being pivotally supported on said transport arm ( 4 ) and having engagement devices selectively facing downwardly for engaging a plate (P) on said plate conveyor ( 1 ) from the top side thereof or facing upwardly so as to engage said plate (P) from the bottom side thereof, said plate conveyor ( 1 ) having recesses permitting the introduction of the plate engagement device ( 5 ) into the plate conveyor ( 1 ) below a plate disposed on the conveyor ( 1 ) to permit engagement of a plate P disposed on the conveyor ( 1 ) from the bottom of the plate P, and said arrangement including two separate linkages connected with one of their ends to said support structure ( 3 ) and being provided at their opposite ends with an engagement mechanism for operative connection to the plate engagement device ( 5 ) such that selectively either one of the two linkages is connected to the plate engagement device ( 5 ) while the other is idled, said linkages being so arranged that, upon pivoting of the transport arm ( 4 ) with the plate engagement device ( 5 ) disposed above or respectively below the plate (P) controls the pivot movement of the plate engagement device ( 5 ) such that in each case, the face of the plate P opposite the plate engagement device ( 5 ) is disposed adjacent the holding structure ( 2 ).