Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into – within,... – Unstacking apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-05-22
Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...
Unstacking apparatus
C414S794500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234745
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to an apparatus for handling containers by removing the containers seriatim from a stack of containers and transferring the containers to a conveyor part of the apparatus.
BACKGROUND
Certain material or article handling operations require transferring articles, such as containers or trays, from a stack of such articles to further material handling equipment, such as conveyors and the like. Manually unstacking or destacking various kinds of containers, for example, and transferring them to a conveyor or the like can be an arduous task. In volume production of various articles, such as frozen foodstuffs, for example, the foodstuffs are moved from one phase of production to another in vertically stackable containers or trays and these trays must be unstacked and moved seriatim to another location for further processing of the foodstuffs contained in the trays. In order to increase the speed with which sets of vertically stacked trays may be unstacked and transferred to conveyor equipment, for example, it is desirable to alleviate the hazards and fatigue brought on by manual handling of such containers or trays. Accordingly, there has been a need to provide material handling apparatus which is particularly adapted to remove containers or trays from stacks of such trays and transfer the containers or trays to a substantially horizontal conveyor for further handling or transport. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for handling articles, such as containers or trays, for example, wherein the apparatus removes the containers or trays, seriatim from vertical stacks of same and transfers the containers or trays to a generally horizontal conveyor.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for destacking and transferring vertically stacked containers by gripping the containers, one at a time, moving the containers vertically upward to remove them from the stack and transferring the containers to a conveyor. The apparatus is adapted to adjust its working position to engage each container in the stack, one after the other, lift the containers seriatim from the stack and transfer the containers to a conveyor forming part of the apparatus.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided which automatically unstacks or destacks a vertically arranged set of containers and transfers the containers seriatim to a substantially horizontal conveyor automatically until the entire stack of trays or containers has been transferred. In particular, the apparatus includes a generally horizontally movable carriage having a gripper assembly with retractable gripping arms mounted thereon which are adapted to grip a tray or container, remove the tray or container from a stack of same, transfer the tray or container to a generally horizontal conveyor and release the tray or container for movement along the conveyor. The apparatus is particularly adapted to rapidly repeat the operating cycle until each tray or container in a stack has been transferred to a conveyor.
Still further, the present invention provides a tray or container handling apparatus which is operated by pressure fluid energized actuators for sequentially for gripping containers, transferring containers to a conveyor and conveying the containers along the conveyor. The apparatus may be controlled to automatically complete an operating cycle and repeat the operating cycle of transferring a container from a stack of same to a conveyor apparatus until the stack of trays or containers has been transferred
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the inventive features and important aspects of the present invention upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawing.
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Lewelling Lyn E.
McBride Brownie S.
Pierce Charles D.
Pugh Ronnie C.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld & LLP
Ergonomic Design Specialties, Inc.
Krizek Janice L.
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