GB2249074A - Stacking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A palletizer contains a collator which causes a series of rows of packages to be formed into a layer 5 upon a roller equipped base permitting flexible lifting elements 9 to be extended between said rollers and come to rest upon and be locked into pan 11 of gripper/transport head 7 thus forming a series of bridges under the layer. The completed layer is caused to lift a distance "H" just sufficient to allow a second layer 5a to be formed below the first whereupon said first layer 5 is lowered to rest upon the second and the flexible lifting elements 9 recoiled/retracted and lowered to begin the cycle again thus enabling a stack to be formed from the top row downwards. <IMAGE>

Description

COMPACT PAILGIZING DEVICE Palletizers in their many forms are well known and usually consist (in various degrees of complexity) of a collator (producing rows of packages) a transporter (moving rows to form layers) and an elevator unit (placing layer upon layer to form stacks. Usually the bottom layer is first placed upon a pallet or stillage and subsequent layers built upwards from the first. In most packaging and handling functions pallets would have boundary dimensions of 10002000mm and carry 1 tonne or the "cubic" equivalent. In such cases it can be seen that these machines and their associated structures occupy considerable volume and of necessity normally "built in" to a packaging "line" and thus limited in their scope for dealing with various package sizes and various areas of a manufacturing plant.

From the foregoing it can be -seen that in most cases palletizers are very large, complex and thus costly devices needing controls, frame work and actuation to move either packages, rows, layers or complete stacks in all three mutually perpendicular planes X,Y and Z. One objective of this present invention is to overcome many of thse difficulties by providing a small, compact, lightweight and iexpensive, and possibly transportable palletizer based upon the principle of building a stack from the top layer first and able to construct palleted or pallet less stacks.

According to the present invention there is provided a roller equipped pallet stacking base, a recoilable flexible lifting element group, a gripper/transport system for said flexible lifting elements, an elevating retracting system and a collator all interacting and so arranged that a series of collated rows of packages is caused to move substantially horizontally across and come to rest upon a series of small diameter rollers spaced apart to (suit the size of package to be handled) enable said flexible lifting element (akin to at car seat belt) to be conveyed across the stack width by means of the gripper/transport system such that the belt like flexible lifting element lies joust below the base of the packages, such rows of packages are so moved until a complete layer is formed whereupon the flexible lifting elements are tensioned in the substantially horizontal plane and caused to travel perpendicularly to the said roller equipped stacking base a distance just sufficient to allow another layer of packages to be formed as previously described under the first, whereupon the first layer is lowered to rest upon the under layer and the said flexible lifting element ungripped and recoiled sliding between packages until it reaches a stowed position awaiting the next gripping cycle and so on until a stack is formed, as a final stage in stacking a pallet, skid sheet or interleafF may be inserted to assist transportation.

A specific embodiment of the invention is herein described by way of example with reference to the following drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the device.

Fig. 3 shows an end view of the device.

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Referring to the drawings and in operation the collating device 1 (not part of this invention) causes a series of rows 2 of packages 3 to be formed until the roller equipped base 4 has upon it a complete layer 5 - at this time or during the formation ; said layer a gripping head 6 of the gripper (transporter 7) is actuated to securely grip the buckle plate 8 of the car seat belt like flexible lifting element 9 between each row of rollers 10 and transport them across the width of device and releasably secure each of said buckle plates 8 into a receptacle 11 in the elevating/retracting system 13.

As the first layer 5 is completed it is caused to be lifted a sufficient height H to permit a second layer 5a to be formed as the first below it, upon completion of the second layer 5a the first 5 is lowered to rest upon the flexible lifting element 9 which in turn is thus resting upon the second layer of packages 5a from whence each element 9 can be released from its receptacle 11 and recoiled or otherwise stowed in its container 13 by being drawn in sliding manner between layers 5 and 5a whilst sideways movement of said packages is prevented by guards 14.::; When all such elements 9 are stowed and ready to be regripted at the beginning of the next layer cycle the elevating retracting system 12 is lowered to permit the flexible lifting elements 9 to be retransported across the width of device and under the second layer 5a of packages and so on continually until sufficient layers 5-5a are upon each other to form a stack 15 of required height. Finally as the last layer 5a is raised through height H (or less) a pallet 16 or interleaf 16a etc.

is inserted under said layer 5a and the said stack 15 lowered upon it with the said flexible lifting element 9 withdrawn and recoiled as described.

It is also possible for the device as described to be used in association with a shrink wrapping or other banding equipment to produce a readily and safely transportable stack.

Each of the functions and movements herein described must be interlocked for sequential and safe working and thus electric, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators may be employed and controlled via computer or other electronic devices.

Similarly, each of the motion actuators may be either mechanical, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic or any combination such as e.Z. hydraulic motor driven ball screws.

Claims (7)

1. A compact palletizing device to enable stacks of packages to be formed from the top row downwards comprising a roller equipped pallet stacking base, a retractable/recoilable flexible group, a gripper/transport system for said flexible lifting elements, an elevating retracting system and a collator all interacting and so arranged that a series of collated rows of packages is caused to move substantially horizontally across and come to rest upon a series of parallel rollers spaced apart to enable said flexible lifting elements (akin to a thin fork truck forks) to be conveyed across the stack width by means of the gripper/transport system such that the flexible lifting elements lie just below the base of the packages, such rows of packages are so moved until a complete layer is formed whereupon the flexible lifting elements supported in the substantially horizontal plane are caused to travel perpendicularly (carrying said package layers) to said roller equipped stacking base by means of said elevating/retracting system a distance just sufficient to allow another layer of packages to be formed as previously described under the first, whereupon the first layer is lowered to rest upon the under layer, said flexible lifting element being then caused to retract/recoil sliding between packages until it reaches a stowed position awaiting the next gripping cycle and so on until a stack is formed.

2. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the flexible lifting element is formed by a reinforced recoilable strap much like a car seat belt and capable of stowage by recoiling into a drum like holder.

3. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 wherein the flexible lifting element is formed by a thin strip containing "one way" hinges able to support a load in bridge like manner in the downward vertical sense but able to recoil and be stowed in small drum like volume.

4. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claims 1-3 wherein said elevating system may be caused to lift and lower by means of power operated screw jacks or the like.

5. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claims 1-4-wherein said elevating system may be caused to lift and lower by means of hydraulic cylinders acting directly.

6. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claims 1-5 wherein said elevating system may be caused to lift any lower by means of a modified scissors type mechanism powered by any appropriate means, screw, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders or hydraulic motor driven ball screws etc.

7. A compact palletizing device as claimed in Claims 1-6 substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.