Apparatus for and method of sequentially transporting, accumulating and stacking a predetermined number of groups of individual similar flat articles and thereafter depositing the entire stack on a conveyor

A device for sequentially accumulating in vertically stacked relationship and thereafter releasing the entire stack of a predetermined number of groups of individual flat articles, comprising:

• means accumulating and advancing a plurality of flat, similar articles in end-to-end coplanar abutting relationship;
• means successively subdividing a predetermined number of the foremost of said articles into individual groups;
• means advancing the articles of each individual group onto a movable carrier means for and which is unique to each individual group of articles;
• a vertically movable support means including a pair of complementary carrier member receptive platforms each of which are selectively movable from fully extended fully elevated positions to fully extended fully lowered positions, and thence from fully extended fully lowered positions to fully retracted fully lowered positions, and thence to fully retracted fully elevated positions in coplanar relationship with the other of said platforms when at a fully extended fully elevated position;
• means advancing said carrier means and the group of articles thereon to a position above and in vertical alignment with a fully extended platform of the vertically movable support means;
• means lowering each carrier means and the group of articles thereon onto a platform of said support means and the preceding groups of articles deposited thereon until a predetermined number of individual groups of articles have been stacked upon said support means;
• and
• means for removing, as a unit, the entire stack of groups of articles from said support means, while depositing said stack onto an output conveyor.