Patent ID: 6845860

Claim:
A conveyor transfer apparatus comprising: a first conveyor adapted to transport a plurality of stacks of flat product, the first conveyor having a plurality of spaced-apart, endless-loop belts defining a plurality of gaps therebetween; an elevator assembly including a plurality of elongate members, each elongate member having a horizontal portion positionable in one of the plurality of gaps defined by the first conveyor, wherein the horizontal portions of the plurality of elongate members cooperatively defines a lift platform, and a vertical actuator that is operable to move the lift platform from a down position, wherein the lift platform is disposed near the first conveyor, and an up position, wherein the lift platform is disposed above the first conveyor, whereby the elevator assembly is adapted to lift at least one of the stacks of flat product from the first conveyor; a second conveyor disposed at an elevation above the first conveyor and oriented transversely to the first conveyor, the second conveyor having an edge that is disposed near the lift platform when the lift platform is in the up position; and a pusher assembly having a pusher plate and a horizontal actuator that moves the pusher plate along a horizontal path; wherein the pusher assembly is positionable near the lift platform when the lift platform is in the up position, and further wherein the pusher plate adapted to push the at least one stack of flat product lifted by the lift platform from the lift platform onto the second conveyor.