GB1357653A - De-palletisers - Google Patents

Abstract

1357653 Apparatus for removing layers of articles from a pallet BRITISH MATHEWS Ltd 25 Sept 1972 [25 June 1971] 29899/71 Heading B8C In a de-palletizer for removing layers of articles from a pallet, a loaded pallet 8, carrying a load of crates 12, is deposited on an infeed conveyer 2, Fig. 2, which carries the pallet 8 into a lift shaft 4 when a chain-operated pallet support frame 20 is in its lowermost position and the loaded pallet 8 is raised by the support frame 20 until the top layer of crates is located between opposed pairs of gripping members 30, 30 and 40, 42 of a gripping mechanism 10, as sensed by a photo-cell, not shown, whereupon the gripping members are moved into engagement with the outermost crates of the top layer and the support frame 20 is then indexed downwards a short distance. The latter distance is sufficient to allow one of the flexible platforms 66, 68 of a moving apron mechanism 14, Fig. 5, to be moved into the gap between the top layer of crates, gripped by the mechanism 10, and the layer next beneath it. After one of the platforms 66, or 68, has been moved from the vertical run 58 to the horizontal run 62 into the said gap the gripping members 30, 30 and 40, 42 are moved apart so that the top layer of crates is deposited upon the platform 66, or 68. The gripping member 42, which is pivotally mounted, is rotated upwards, and the apron mechanism 14 is rotated so that the platform 66, or 68, moves the top layer of crates, over a fast-revolving roller 82 and on to a conveyer 80 of a discharge mechanism 16, Fig. 4, after the previous layer of crates has been cleared from the conveyer 84. The cycle is repeated, until each layer of crates has been removed from the pallet 8 the support frame 20 then being lowered to the bottom of the lift shaft 4 to deposit the empty pallet 8 on a pallet discharge conveyer 18. Another loaded pallet can then be moved into the lift shaft 4. The support frame 22 is carried by two pairs 24, 26 of vertical, continuous, chains arranged at opposite sides of the lift shaft 4 and driven by an electric motor acting through gearing, not shown, the apron mechanism including a pair of parallel chains 52, 54 each having a run 56 beneath the infeed and pallet discharge conveyers 2, 18. The platforms 66, 68, formed of closely-spaced, metal slats, are located on the chains 52, 54 so that, when one extends along one chain run 58, the other extends along the other chain run 60 to enable the loaded pallet to be raised in the shaft between the platforms 66, 68. A photo-cell, not shown, located just below the upper chain runs 62, senses when an article, from the layer held by the gripping mechanism 10 has dropped on to the layer below and stops the movement of the apron mechanism 14. The conveyer 84 includes an article-turning post 90. In a modification, Figs. 6, 7, not shown, two separate load layer discharge mechanisms are arranged on opposite sides of the lift shaft, the fixed gripper 40 being replaced by a pivoted gripper (42).