Patent ID: 7153086

Claim:
A turnover apparatus for turning over articles conveyed sideways on one or more recirculating conveyor loops by frictional engagement therewith, comprising: a series of spaced apart lugs attached along each of said conveyor loops and projecting above an upper surface of said conveyor loops to be able to be engaged by articles being advanced on said upper surface of said conveyor loops; one or more speed-up belts located adjacent to a turnover station located along said conveyor loops, said speed-up belts positioned and driven so as to frictionally engage said articles on said conveyor loops and advance said articles into contact with a next ahead lug attached to said conveyor loops; a series of flipper arms pivotally mounted to at least one of said one or more conveyor loops to be carried along with said recirculating conveyor loops, said flipper arms pivotably mounted at a pivot point adjacent a respective associated lug so that said pivot point has a fixed relative position with respect to said associated lug, said flipper arms each having a one portion able to engage and lift a portion of an article after being driven against an associated lug by said speed up belts when said flipper arm portion is pivoted up from a normally retracted position below said conveyor loop surface; a stationary cam ramp adjacent to each conveyor loop having said series of flipper arms mounted thereto and located at said turnover station to be positioned to engage another portion of each flipper arm as said conveyor loops carry each flipper arm past said stationary cam ramp to cause said one portion of each of said flipper arms to be successively pivoted up into engagement with an article located above said one portion to raise said article to on an edge position, each flipper arm pivoting back down to said normally retracted position after being carried past an associated cam ramp.