GB2042458A

GB2042458A - Palletizing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2042458A
Application number: GB7906908A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-02-27
Filing date: 1979-02-27
Publication date: 1980-09-24

Abstract

An apparatus for loading pallets with goods, comprising a frame 1 provided with a goods supplying section 2, preferably provided with transporting rollers between which the bar- or rod-shaped supporting elements of a loading member 3 may be moved to lift a layer of goods to be loaded 5 from the goods supply section 2, moving this layer sideways to above a loading section 4 and lowering the layer upon a pallet placed upon the loading section 4, wherein the loading section 4 comprises a plurality of pallet receiving members, each of which may selectively be brought into the pallet loading position by moving and positioning the loading section 4. The loading section 4 may be formed by a table rotatable about a vertical axis 6, or by a linearly movable carriage or slide (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An apparatus for loading pallets The present invention relates to an apparatus for loading pallets with layers of goods, com- prising a frame having a goods supplying section, preferably provided with conveyor rollers between which the rod- or bar-shaped supporting elements of a loading member or fork are movable to repetitively lift a layer of goods to be loaded from the supplying section, displacing this layer sideways to above a loading section and lowering the layer upon a pallet placed upon this loading section.

Such an apparatus is known and may be applied at the end of a band- or roller-conveyor acting as a packaging-line and along which the packed products are supplied to be transferred on to pallets for further transport and/or storage. With such known apparatus for loading pallets, the supplied products are automatically arranged into loading layers and which, one by one, are brought over by the loading member on to a pallet placed upon an adjacent loading section and which pallet, after being provided with an adequate number of loading layers, is automatically carried off for further transport and/or storage.

For each alternate loading pattern, the known apparatus must be adapted to such alternate loading pattern so that it is not possible to supply known apparatus in a more or less continuous manner with arrays of different products, to be loaded on pallets.

For this reason the known apparatus is more intended for loading pallets with the same packed product, which, however on the smaller markets such as are present in Europe, with extensive assortments and smaller product-units, may not be sufficiently supplied to economically operate the apparatus. Accordingly, the capacity of automatic apparatus for loading pallets is a multiple of the need as arising from the supplied flow of the same product.

It is an object of the present invention to at least minimise said disadvantages of known apparatus by rendering same suitable for transferring to pallets, varying arrays of different products which, with different loading patterns and/or different carton- or box-sizes, come from different packaging lines.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for loading pallets with goods, comprising a frame having a goods supplying section means for transferring a layer of goods to be loaded from the goods supplying section to above a loading section and for lowering such layer on to a pallet placed upon the loading section, in which the loading section is provided with a plurality of pallet receiving members, and which members may selectively be brought into the pallet loading position by moving and positioning the loading section.

With the apparatus according to the invention, it is possible to load simultaneously, and also selectively, the pallets placed upon the loading section with different product arrays succeeding one another, by positioning the loading section at each product change, to bring the pallet intended to receive a certain product into the pallet loading position.

The loading section may be formed in various manners, e.g. as a carriage or slide which may be moved in a straight line through the pallet loading position and upon which the pallets may be placed adjacent to one another in a row.

Favourably, according to a feature of the apparatus of the invention, the loading section is in the form of a table rotatable around a vertical axis, and around which axis the pallet receiving members are situated.

In a favourable embodiment of the invention, the loading section comprising four pallet receiving members, each of which may be brought into the pallet loading position by rotating the loading section through 90 or a multiple of 90 .

In a favourable manner, one of the pallet receiving members away from the pallet loading position is located adjacent a conveying device, such as a roller conveyor, for transporting the loaded pallets away, whilst another, preferably adjoining pallet receiving member away from the pallet loading position is located adjacent a pallet device for the supply of empty pallets to be loaded.

Dependent on the supplied goods, one of the pallets placed on the loading section is brought into the pallet loading position for receiving a layer of goods to be loaded.

Arranging the loading layers also takes place in dependence of the supplied goods or products and may be carried out by hand on the supplying section of the apparatus.

In a favourable embodiment of the invention, an arranging platform is located between the supply section and means for transporting goods to be palletized such as a band conveyor and on which arranging platform the loading layers may be prepared for being moved into the supplying section.

According to a feature of the invention, an operating mechanism is provided preferably mounted before the arranging platform, and by means of which the goods supply and/or the loading section and/or the pallet supply to the loading section and/or the pallet loading member may be controlled.

The present invention will be further illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single Figure is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention.

As illustrated, the loading apparatus comprises a frame 1 having a goods supplying section 2 provided with transporting rollers, between which rollers, in known manner, rodor bar-shaped supporting elements of a loading fork 3 may be moved to transfer a layer 5 of goods to be loaded from the goods supplying section 2 to a pallet plalced on a loading section 4.

The loading section 4 is rotatable around axis 6 and is in the form of four pallet receiving members. In any particular location of the loading section 4, one of the pallet receiving members is located adjacent a roller track 7 over which a loaded pallet 8 may be carried off, whilst another member is located adjacent a pallet supplying device 9 for supply of empty pallets.

Between the end of the conveyor 10 for transporting the goods to be palletized and the goods supplying section 2, an arranging platform 11 is mounted and upon which the transported goods may be arranged into loading layers and which thereupon may be shifted on by means of a pushing member, not shown, to the goods supplying section 2, to be transferred from there, by means of the loading fork ' to a pallet 1 2 placed upon the loading section 4. Before the arranging platform 11, an operating mechanism, not shown, is mounted and by means of which the conveyor 10 transporting the goods, the pushing member, the loading fork 3, the loading section 4 and the pallet supplying device 9 may be controlled.

Claims

1. An apparatus for loading pallets with goods, comprising a frame having a goods supplying section means for transferring a layer of goods to be loaded from the goods supplying section to above a loading section and for lowering such layer on to a pallet placed upon the loading section, in which the loading section is provided with a plurality of pallet receiving members, and which members may selectively be brought into the pallet loading position by moving and positioning the loading section.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the goods transferring means includes transporting rollers, and between which rollers, rod- or bar-shaped supporting elements of a loading member may be moved to lift a layer of goods to be loaded.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the loading section is positionable by rotating same about a vertical axis, around which axis the pallet receiving members are distributed.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the loading section comprises four pallet receiving members and each of which may be separately brought into the pallet loading position by rotating the loading section through 90 or a multiple of 90 .

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which one of the pallet receiving members located away from the pallet loading position is located adjacent a conveying device for transporting the loaded pallets away.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one of the pallet receiving members away from the pallet loading position is located adjacent a pallet supplying device for supply of unloaded pallets.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which an arranging platform is located between the supplying section and the end of means for transporting goods to be palletized, and on which arranging platform the loading layers may be prepared for being moved on to the supplying section.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which adjacent the arranging platform an operating mechanism is provided by means of which the goods supply and/or the loading section and/or the pallet supply to the loading section and/or the pallet loading member may be controlled.

9. An apparatus for loading pallets with goods substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.