Material or article handling – Process – Of moving intersupporting articles into – within – or from...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-10
2004-03-02
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Material or article handling
Process
Of moving intersupporting articles into, within, or from...
C414S021000, C414S902000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699007
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates in general to package handling, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for receiving packages of random size and stacking the packages in a stable configuration upon a pallet or other suitable location, such that the entire pallet and its contents thereon may be shipped to a remote destination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the prior art, it is generally known to provide methods and apparatuses for stacking individual packages (which may also be referred to as “boxes”) into one or more groups, in order that the groups of packages may be commonly transported to a remote location. Such prior art apparatuses tend to be grouped into “random” and “non-random” palletizing systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,692 to Mazouz, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Randomly Arriving Mixed Size and Content Parcels”, discloses a method and apparatus for stacking parcels with the use of a circular “carousel”-type conveyor
2
which accepts packages and stacks them upon pallets such as
6
. Certain “attribute factors” are used to select a parcel, such as toxicity, drop tests, crushability, fragility and content. An important part of the Mazouz disclosure appears to be the use of “voxels”, which are of “unit length”. The “largest common voxel” is determined for modeling purposes.
Although prior art such as Mazouz includes advantages, needs always exist for improvements over the prior art which provide improved accuracy and efficiency of pallet stacking, which is provided by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for measuring, accumulating, and palletizing packages which provides improved stacking efficiency in a time-efficient manner.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for handling packages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for stacking packages in a stable manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for stacking packages received in a random manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for stacking packages which is adaptable for a wide range of package dimensions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for stacking packages which is efficient in its use of time and space.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for identifying the “center position” of a package which is on an accumulator conveyor.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawing and the appended claims.
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Cai Christopher Chunsheng
Huang Pao-Ter
Jackson Peter Douglas
Janik Jaroslav
Lecko John H.
Alston & Bird LLP
Joerger Kaitlin
United Parcel Service of America Inc.
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
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