Patent US3757966A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3757966A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Palletizing apparatus
Assignee: J&J Manufacturing Co
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Filing: 1971-03-12
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Granted: 1973-09-11
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Expires: 1991-03-12
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for palletizing elongated generally rectangular articles according to the present invention comprises a frame work disposed adjacent a powered feed conveyor provided for conveying articles serially in linear manner to a shuttle conveyor carried by the frame work. The shuttle conveyor is operative, responsive to a tier pattern being developed and also responsive to the presence of an article, to selectively shift the article laterally from a neutral position to locate selected ones of the articles laterally with respect to the original line of movement thereof. Apparatus is provided to lift and rotate selected ones of the articles and reposition the artcles on a transfer conveyor also carried within the frame work. The articles are transported by the transfer to a tier forming section where they are collected into a tier of selected pattern. The tier is then lifted and transferred to a loading section where they are stacked either upon a pallet or upon a mirror image tier of articles previously stacked onto a pallet. As the articles are engaged by vacuum heads carried by various article lifting rotating and transporting devices, plastic film from which the container is composed is pierced and the film container is evacuated to conform it to the article configuration and therefore facilitate neat and structurally secure palletizing of the tiers of articles.
Inventors
- 👤 T Cox
- 👤 D Rodriguez
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/02; B65G47/04; B65G47/06; B65G47/08; B65G47/084; B65G47/086; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/116
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
388 words
Apparatus for palletizing elongated generally rectangular articles into multi-article tiers of predetermined pattern comprising: a framework; a powered feed conveyor disposed adjacent said framework for conveying articles serially in linear manner from a production facility to said palletizing apparatus; a shuttle conveyor carried by said framework and being operative to transport articles serially in linear manner from said feed conveyor, said shuttle conveyor being normally disposed in a neutral position and being selectively movable laterally to either side of said neutral position to orient selected ones of said articles laterally with respect to the original line of movement thereof; means responsive to a tier pattern being formed and further responsive to the presence of one of said articles for selectively moving said shuttle conveyor; a transfer conveyor being carried by said framework and being operative to convey said articles linearly from said shuttle conveyor, one portion of said transfer conveyor defining a rotator station and another portion of said transfer conveyor defining a tier lifting station; article orienting means being carried by said framework above said transfer conveyor at said rotator station; pivot means being defined on said article orienting means and being disposed centrally of the linear path of said serially conveyed articles; article engaging and lifting means carried by said article orienting means and being offset upstream from said pivot and normally being disposed at a neutral position, said article engaging and lifting means being vertically reciprocatable to engage selected ones of said articles and to lift said articles from said transfer conveyor, said article engaging and lifting means being selectively rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise from said neutral position in an arc of 90* about said pivot inducing compound lateral and translational movement to said selected articles in accordance with the tier pattern being developed; tier lifting and transporting means carried by said framework in the vicinity of said tier lifting station and being operative in response to the presence of a completed tier to lift the tier from the transfer conveyor, move the tier linearly to clear said transfer conveyOr and lower the tier to stack the same onto a pallet; and means responsive to the tier pattern being developed and further responsive to the presence of an article in association therewith for selecting the particular arcuate movement of said article engaging and lifting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
388 words
Apparatus for palletizing elongated generally rectangular articles into multi-article tiers of predetermined pattern comprising: a framework; a powered feed conveyor disposed adjacent said framework for conveying articles serially in linear manner from a production facility to said palletizing apparatus; a shuttle conveyor carried by said framework and being operative to transport articles serially in linear manner from said feed conveyor, said shuttle conveyor being normally disposed in a neutral position and being selectively movable laterally to either side of said neutral position to orient selected ones of said articles laterally with respect to the original line of movement thereof; means responsive to a tier pattern being formed and further responsive to the presence of one of said articles for selectively moving said shuttle conveyor; a transfer conveyor being carried by said framework and being operative to convey said articles linearly from said shuttle conveyor, one portion of said transfer conveyor defining a rotator station and another portion of said transfer conveyor defining a tier lifting station; article orienting means being carried by said framework above said transfer conveyor at said rotator station; pivot means being defined on said article orienting means and being disposed centrally of the linear path of said serially conveyed articles; article engaging and lifting means carried by said article orienting means and being offset upstream from said pivot and normally being disposed at a neutral position, said article engaging and lifting means being vertically reciprocatable to engage selected ones of said articles and to lift said articles from said transfer conveyor, said article engaging and lifting means being selectively rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise from said neutral position in an arc of 90* about said pivot inducing compound lateral and translational movement to said selected articles in accordance with the tier pattern being developed; tier lifting and transporting means carried by said framework in the vicinity of said tier lifting station and being operative in response to the presence of a completed tier to lift the tier from the transfer conveyor, move the tier linearly to clear said transfer conveyOr and lower the tier to stack the same onto a pallet; and means responsive to the tier pattern being developed and further responsive to the presence of an article in association therewith for selecting the particular arcuate movement of said article engaging and lifting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus recited in claim 1 including: vacuum head means being carried by said article lifting means and being operative to secure said article to said article lifting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus recited in claim 2: said tier lifting apparatus comprising a movable carriage; a plurality of vacuum heads being carried by said carriage, part of said plurality of vacuum heads being employed to lift a tier of particular pattern, the remainder of said vacuum heads being employed to lift a tier of different pattern; and means for selectively activating said plurality of vacuum heads depending upon the tier pattern to be lifted and transported.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
104 words
The apparatus recited in claim 3: said means for selectively activating said plurality of vacuum heads comprising a source of sub-atmospheric pressure; a first vacuum system communicating said source of sub-atmospheric pressure to said part of said plurality of vacuum heads; a second vacuum system communicating said source of sub-atmospheric pressure with said remainder of said plurality of vacuum heads; vacuum valve means for each of said first and second vacuum systems and being operative responsive to a particular tier pattern for activating said part of said vacuum systems and responsive to a different tier pattern for activating said remainder of said vacuum systems.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-10 | 1977-03-12 | 1977-09-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-10 | 1981-03-12 | 1981-09-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-10 | 1985-03-12 | 1985-09-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |