System for upending and palletizing objects

Claim 2

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to be retracted from an object-supporting position by movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means; and means for displacing an upended object away from said bed section comprising a pusher rod slidably contained at the foot of said bed section adjacent to said support means, and actuating means to extend and retract said pusher rod.

Claim 3

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to be retracted from an object-supporting position by movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means; and wherein said palletizer means comprises a turntable, means for raising and lowering said turntable, and means for rotating said turntable.

Claim 4

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to be retracted from an object-supporting position by movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means; and wherein said palletizer means comprises a turntable, means for raising and lowering said turntable, and means for rotating said turntable.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said turntable is provided with a plurality of rolls rotatably journaled thereto; and includes a roll driving mechanism comprising an endless belt drivingly engaging said rolls below the top surface of said turntable, and means for driving said belt to rotate said rolls.

Claim 6

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to bE retracted from an object-supporting position by substantially horizontal movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be slid from said support member and lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; and positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means and for holding said platform while said support member is being retracted such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means and will be held while receiving the upended object, said positioning means comprising forward and rearward platform corner positioning members mounted on opposite sides of said palletizer means, said forward platform corner positioning member being positioned adjacent to said upender means, and said positioning members being adapted to engage and confine a platform therebetween and being adapted to release a platform to permit movement thereof relative to said positioning members.

Claim 7

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to bE retracted from an object-supporting position by substantially horizontal movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be slid from said support member and lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; and positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means and for holding said platform while said support member is being retracted such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means and will be held while receiving the upended object, said positioning means comprising forward and rearward platform corner positioning members mounted on opposite sides of said palletizer means, said forward platform corner positioning member being positioned adjacent to said upender means, and said positioning members being adapted to engage and confine a platform therebetween and being adapted to release a platform to permit movement thereof relative to said positioning members.

Claim 8

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means for mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to be retracted from an object-supporting position by movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means; said positioning means comprising forward and rearward platform corner positioning members mounted on opposite sides of said palletizer means, said forward platform corner positioning member being positioned adjacent to said upender means, said members being adapted to engage and confine a platform therebetween and being adapted to release a platform to permit movement thereof relative to said members; and wherein said forward platform corner positioning member comprises two pivotable feet adapted to pivot outward from one another to a platform releasing position and adapted to pivot inward toward one another to define a V-shaped platform engaging position, and means for pivoting said feet outward and inward in unison.

Claim 9

Apparatus which comprises upender means for receiving an object when in a lowered position including a bed section adapted to receive an object to be upended when in a lowered position and means for mounting said bed section for slewing from a relatively horizontal lowered position to a relatively upright raised position; means for swinging said upender means to a raised position to upend an object; support means carried by said upender means for supporting an object when said upender means is swung to its raised position, said support means comprising a support member retractably mounted and adapted to be retracted from an object-supporting position by movement relative to said bed section such that an upended object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said support member when said upender means is in its raised position; palletizer means for supporting a platform; positioning means for positioning a platform on said palletizer means such that a portion of the platform will underlay said support member when said upender means is in its raised position for receipt of an upended object from said upender means; said positioning means comprising forward and rearward platform corner positioning members mounted on opposite sides of said palletizer means, said forward platform corner positioning member being positioned adjacent to said upender means, said members being adapted to engage and confine a platform therebetween and being adapted to release a platform to permit movement thereof relative to said members; and wherein said forward platform corner positioning member comprises two pivotable feet adapted to pivot outward from one another to a platform releasing position and adapted to pivot inward toward one another to define a V-shaped platform engaging position, and means for pivoting said feet outward and inward in unison.

Claim 10

Apparatus which comprises a pivotally mounted frame adapted to receive an object when in a lowered position; means for pivotally swinging said upender frame to a raised position; a support assembly including a shoe retractably mounted on said upender frame and adapted to support an object when said receiving frame is swung to its raised position; means for retracting said shoe relative to said upender frame such that an object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said shoe with said upender frame in its raised position; a turntable for the platform; first means for positioning said turntable relative to said upender frame; second means for positioning the platform on said turntable; said first and second means being interrelated such that said shoe will overlay a predetermined section of the platform with said upender frame in a raised position when said turntable and platform are positioned by said first and second means.

Claim 11

Apparatus which comprises a pivotally mounted frame adapted to receive an object when in a lowered position; means for pivotally swinging said upender frame to a raised position; a support assembly including a shoe retractably mounted on said upender frame and adapted to support an object when said receiving frame is swung to its raised position; means for retracting said shoe relative to said upender frame such that an object can be lowered onto a platform responsive to the retraction of said shoe with said upender frame in its raised position; a turntable for the platform; first means for positioning said turntable relative to said upender frame; second means for positioning the platform on said turntable; said first and second means being interrelated such that said shoe will overlay a predetermined section of the platform with said upender frame in a raised position when said turntable and platform are positioned by said first and second means.

Claim 12

Apparatus accordiNg to claim 6 wherein said turntable is provided with a plurality of rolls rotatably journaled thereto; and includes a roll driving mechanism comprising an endless belt drivingly engaging said rolls below the top surface of said turntable, and means for driving said belt to rotate said rolls.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said positioning means comprises forward and rearward platform corner positioning members mounted independently of said turntable, on opposite sides thereof, said forward platform corner positioning member being positioned adjacent to said upender means, and said members being adapted to engage and confine a platform therebetween and being adapted to release a platform to permit movement thereof relative to said members.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said forward platform corner positioning member comprises two pivotable feet adapted to pivot outward from one another to a platform releasing position and adapted to pivot inward toward one another to define a V-shaped platform engaging position, and means for pivoting said feet outward and inward in unison.