Patent ID: 8752466

Claim:
A modular articulated guide assembly, comprising: a series of guide lugs disposed transversely relative to a longitudinal axis of flexure of said guide assembly, said guide lugs having generally U-shaped bodies with laterally spaced side walls joined by bottom walls to define guide channels, said bottom walls having top surfaces interrupted by central recesses; centerline tabs projecting forwardly from said bottom walls, each centerline tab being slidably received in the central recess of an adjacent guide lug, said centerline tabs being in an abutting relationship when said chute is retracted on said axis of flexure, and being adapted to slide in their respective central recesses and to move apart when said feed chute is extended along or flexed from said axis of flexure; and means for interlocking said guide lugs in a manner permitting limited movement of said guide lugs to accommodate extension and flexure of said chute.