Material or article handling – Self-loading or unloading vehicles – With load-receiving portion – or significant section thereof,...
Patent
1992-01-03
1995-02-21
Huppert, Michael S.
Material or article handling
Self-loading or unloading vehicles
With load-receiving portion, or significant section thereof,...
410 51, 206511, B65G 2102
Patent
active
053910400
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for handling boxes which are capable of being stacked one upon the other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many of the items produced in piecegoods manufacturing processes are placed in boxes, which are then stacked one on top of the other and transported to intermediate storage localities or to later process stages. Other products which are placed in boxes and the boxes then stacked for further transport include agricultural and garden products.
It is found that filling and emptying of these boxes can result in serious wear-and-tear on the body and in personal injury. For instance, subsequent to filling one box, or crate, the worker is required to turn and face a stack of empty boxes, to remove an empty box from the stack, and to turn back to the filled box and place the empty box thereon. The spine or back of the worker is placed under considerable strain as a result of the twisting and bending movements constantly performed by the worker to this end. The task of moving the boxes also involves unnecessary working steps, which detracts from optimum production efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus for handling stackable boxes or crates, which will enable a selected box in a box stack to be made available for the introduction of goods into the box or the removal of goods therefrom without needing to lift the boxes manually one from the other.
A further object of the invention is to provide boxes or crates which are particularly suited for use with the inventive apparatus. Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for use with said apparatus, such as to enable a selected box in a stack of boxes to be made accessible for filling or for emptying of the box selected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to non-limiting, exemplifying embodiments thereof, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention, incorporating a tipping arrangement;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a third embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates part of FIG. 3 in larger scale;
FIGS. 5-9 illustrate various examples of boxes or crates which are particularly suited for use with the invention; and
FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the invention comprising a down-tilting device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates an inventive apparatus comprising a base 10 and a tilting or tipping device 12 which is pivotally connected to said base. A stack 14 of boxes or crates 16 is placed on the base 10. The tilting device 12 comprises an element 18, in this case a rod, which is affixed to a pivot journal 20 at the base 10. Mounted on the upper end of the rod 18 is a gripping and holding device 22 having a claw or hook 24 which engages the upper edge 17 of the uppermost box 16. The other end of the gripping and holding device 22 is configured to form a bushing 28, which is slideable axially along the rod 18. It will be understood, however, that the element 18 may have a form different to that of a round rod, and, for instance, may comprise or include a profiled section on which the device 22 is slideably mounted, for instance with the aid of a slide shoe. The gripping and holding device 22 is pressed down against the upper edge 17 of the uppermost box 16 by means of a pressure spring 30, the other end of which is in abutment with an abutment means 32. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the abutment means 32 comprises the underside of a nut or knob 34 screwed onto a screw thread 36 on the upper part of the rod 18. The force exerted by the spring 30 can be varied or adjusted, by tightening or slackening the nut or knob 34, as will be described in more detail herebelow.
The base 10 is supported on wheels 38, to facilitate movement of the appar
REFERENCES:
patent: 738710 (1903-09-01), Whitlock
patent: 1085237 (1914-01-01), Bell
patent: 2281012 (1942-04-01), Sears
patent: 2620932 (1952-12-01), Alpine
patent: 3290051 (1966-12-01), O'Brien et al.
patent: 3355054 (1967-11-01), Wilson
patent: 3549018 (1970-12-01), Wilson
patent: 4756540 (1988-07-01), Crawford
patent: 4771531 (1988-09-01), Asher
Gordon Stephen
Huppert Michael S.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for handling boxes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for handling boxes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for handling boxes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1926336