Machine for removal of bottles from shipper bags and placement thereof on a conveyor

Claim 2

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor, means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said hopper being designed to receive a bag of the containers packed with a plurality of stacked layers, the hopper being open at its bottom, a stationary plate at the loading station providing a lower support for the containers in the hopper and located at the one side of the conveyor, and a stop structure at the loading station at one end of the hopper for engaging the adjacent end of the packed bag but having a space through which the bag may be pulled to remove it from the containers, said stop structure comprising vertically spaced rollers transverse of the hopper for engaging the respective layers of containers, said rollers being fixed so that they do not move with the hopper and being located to the one side of the conveyor.

Claim 3

A machine according to claim 1 in which a gate is pivotally connected at the other end of tHe hopper for permitting insertion of the bag and then engaging the bag at the adjacent end of the upper layer of the containers therein.

Claim 4

A machine according to claim 1 in which the means for mounting the hopper comprises a trunnion rod extending from the loading station over and across the unloader conveyor, said hopper being provided with trunnion bearings at one end slidably and rotatably mounted on the rod at an upper level, and bearing rollers at a lower level cooperating with a guide rod extending parallel to said rod to limit vertical swinging of the hopper about the rod.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 1 in which said unstacking unit comprises a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack.

Claim 6

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor, means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said container-engaging members being vacuum cups, and a vacuum-producing system connected to said cups.

Claim 7

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor, means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said container-engaging members being vacuum cups, and a vacuum-producing system connected to said cups.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 5 in which means is provided for controlling the vacuum in accordance with the position of the rack.

Claim 9

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor, means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said unloading conveyor comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending belts in laterally spaced relationship, said rack comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending arms carrying the container-engaging members at longitudinally spaced intervals, said arms in the lower horizontal position of said rack being disposed in said spaces between the belts with the article-engaging members below the top surfaces of the belts.

Claim 10

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor, means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said unloading conveyor comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending belts in laterally spaced relationship, said rack comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending arms carrying the container-engaging members at longitudinally spaced intervals, said arms in the lower horizontal position of said rack being disposed in said spaces between the belts with the article-engaging members below the top surfaces of the belts.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 7 in which said container-engaging members are yieldable vacuum cups which open upwardly when the rack is in its lower position and open downwardly when the rack is in its upper position over the stack so as to engage the containers, and a vacuum-producing system connected to said cups.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 8 in which the cups are normally extended but will fold inwardly under pressure.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 7 in which the unstacking conveyor has a discharge station and a feed conveyor disposed transversely of the first conveyor at said discharge station for receivinG containers therefrom and conducting them away.

Claim 14

A machine according to claim 10 in which the containers are received as a single transverse row from the unstacking conveyor and are conducted away in single file, and a stop rail movably mounted at the edge of the feed conveyor for engaging the said row as it is moved thereon, said stop rail being retractable from the conveyor out of engagement with the articles thereon.

Claim 15

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said unstacking conveyor having a discharge station and a feed conveyor disposed transversely of the first conveyor at said discharge station for receiving containers therefrom and conducting them away, the containers being received as a single transverse row from the unstacking conveyor and being conducted away in single file, a stop rail movably mounted at the edge of the feed conveyor for engaging the said row as it is moved thereon, said stop rail being retractable from the conveyor out of engagement with the articles thereon, and a photocell control unit located so that its light beam is broken by the containers of the row transferred thereto, said control unit being operatively connected to said unloading conveyor to control movement thereof and to said stop rail to control movement thereof.

Claim 16

A container unloading machine comprising a hopper for receiving a stack of the containers, an unloader conveyor means for mounting said hopper for movement from a loading station at one side of the conveyor to an unstacking station over the conveyor when the lower layer of the stack of containers is deposited on the conveyor and an unstacking unit mounted in cooperation with the conveyor for lifting the upper layer of the stack of containers and depositing it on the conveyor, said unstacking unit comprising a rack pivoted for vertical swinging in cooperation with the unstacking conveyor for movement between a lower horizontal unloading position in association with the conveyor to an upper horizontal position over the upper layer of the transferred stacked containers, said rack having members for engaging the containers to lift them with the rack, said unstacking conveyor having a discharge station and a feed conveyor disposed transversely of the first conveyor at said discharge station for receiving containers therefrom and conducting them away, the containers being received as a single transverse row from the unstacking conveyor and being conducted away in single file, a stop rail movably mounted at the edge of the feed conveyor for engaging the said row as it is moved thereon, said stop rail being retractable from the conveyor out of engagement with the articles thereon, and a photocell control unit located so that its light beam is broken by the containers of the row transferred thereto, said control unit being operatively connected to said unloading conveyor to control movement thereof and to said stop rail to control movement thereof.

Claim 17

A machine according to claim 12 in which said unstacking rack is pivoted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a cylinder and piston unit for swinging said rack about said axis, and control means for controlling said cylinder and piston unit.

Claim 18

A machine according to claim 13 in which said stop rail cooperating with the feed conveyor is mounted for swinging movement toward and from container-engaging position, a cylinder and piston unit for producing said swinging movement and control means for controlling said cylinder and piston unit.

Claim 19

A machine according to claim 14 including a control for starting the movement of the rack when the hopper is moved over the unstacking conveyor.

Claim 20

A machine according to claim 15 including a control for permitting movement of the unloader conveyor only when the rack has returned to horizontal position.