Walking beam drive apparatus

A walking beam drive apparatus comprising in combination:

• a cam-actuated single drive member including two drive cams affixed to a common cam shaft so as to constantly remain in timed relationship one with the other, and an output member operatively driven by said two drive cams and providing both rotary and lifting output motions;
• rotary motion transfer means carried by said output member;
• lift carriage assembly means supported upon said output member for linear reciprocation along a first direction;
• slide carriage assembly means supported upon said lift carriage assembly means for sliding movement relative thereto along a second direction which is normal to said first direction;
• bearing connection means operatively mounted between said output member and said lift carriage assembly means, whereby rotary motion of said output member is permitted without being transferred to said lift carriage assembly means;
• and
• means drivably interconnecting said rotary motion transfer means with said slide carriage assembly means, whereby rotary motion of said output member and said rotary motion transfer means carried thereby is converted into sliding motion of said slide carriage assembly means relative to said lift carriage assembly means.