NL8900312A - ROBOTIC STRETCHING-EXECUTIVE PALLETIZER. - Google Patents

Description

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Robotic, stretch-wrapping palletiser.

The invention relates to a robotic articles to a stack unifying device capable of receiving individual articles from a supply source, transferring these articles to an article stacking station, where the 5 articles are stacked on a "pull sheet", a base sheet , in a box with low sides, on a pallet or directly on the surface of the article stacking station, and then providing a film wrapping around the stacked articles to "build" a stable unified or palletized load. For the sake of readability of this description, the terms "palletizer" and its derivatives such as "palletizing, palletized, pallet" and the like are used to denote any type of stacked article association, wherein the articles are stacked on a pallet, a blade surface, or, when no bottom blade or pallet 15 is used, on the surface of the turntable of the unifying device.

In known palletizing systems, it has been common practice to feed or administer a product to a pallet supported at a workplace. Each item, or 20 groups of items that form a palletized load, would be placed on the pallet in such a way that the number of elements that can be stacked on a pallet is maximized while also attempting to interlock the elements to provide some stability to the load when it is fully stacked on the pallet.

After stacking the articles or elements to form a full pallet, the full pallet is then removed from the workshop and delivered to a wrapping station with a wrapping machine, a shrink wrapping executing machine, a wrapping executing machine or a different type of wrapping equipment. At the location of this wrapping station, the palletized load is provided with a wrapper or tape, in order to provide continuity and stability to the load.

89003127 * 4 - 2 -

The device presented in this specification is an advanced robotic palletizer or stacking association device, which in itself is an advanced palletizing unit that includes a programmable material handling element that typically picks up a stackable item or items to be stacked from a supply conveyor or supply place and then place these articles on a pallet or on previously palletized articles. The programmed material handling element will stack the articles in a predetermined location on the pallet, which will provide a degree of load stabilization through the engagement, or the overlap or cross-stacking of the articles on the pallet. Such interlocking is not a real interlocking of stacked articles, but rather an overlap of boxes placed one on top of the other, so that straight columns are not formed of the boxes or articles being stacked. in many cases palletised loads are not significantly stable.

Of the advanced robotic palletizer, equipment that allows the robotic palletizer to wrap the stacked pallet in a film of plastic material that assists in stabilizing the palletized load is an essential part.

The robotic palletizer includes sensors or alternatively a preprogrammed sequence of operations that control the palletizer to initiate load wrapping at the most advantageous intermediate layers prior to final stack height and full winding of the load.

A film feed source is supported on the palletizer equipment and can move vertically when film is unwound, passing through several guide rollers, to wrap the stacked items on the pallet when the pallet is "being built".

One of the advantages of the invention is that column-shaped stacks of boxes or articles can be made, since the pallet load is wound at intervals during the construction of the palletized load, thereby increasing the completeness of the stack increases. By enabling columnar stacks instead of interlocking stacks of previously known palletizers, the inherent strength of the cartons or cartons can be used to achieve strong unified, bundled stacks of products. This, of course, allows for greater stack heights, as well as heavier loads and more dense loading on a pallet, resulting in better pallet utilization, with associated benefits such as reduced shipping costs and, most importantly, a reduction in damage to the contents of the cardboard resulting from the collapse of the boxes at the lower levels of the stack.

Many other advantages of this invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a simplified isometric view of the invention / Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1; Figures 2A through 2F are plan views of alternative arrangements of the feed and discharge conveyors / Figure 3 is a schematic of the film passage line through the device? Figure 4 is an illustrative top view of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an illustrative top view of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a timing table, with the timing elements in a turntable revolution; and Figure 7 is an alternative embodiment of a portion of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the general arrangement of the palletizer and will be described first. Equal signs is the other views indicate the same parts as in this view.

The palletizer, generally indicated

8900312 V.

- 4 - with 10 / is made up of three main components. The turntable, generally designated 12 and rotatable at any desired speed, the robotic palletizer, generally designated 14, and the film elevator, generally designated 16, are the main components. Several satellite components of a preferred embodiment of the palletizer are also shown. A pallet feed or feed conveyor 18 is located adjacent to the turntable and will deliver a pallet to the turntable on request. When a pallet is fully loaded and wrapped, the pallet will be suspended to the pallet discharge conveyor 20. Product input 22 is passed to the palletizer by means of the product conveyor 22.

As stated earlier in this description, the device is considered to be capable of stacking and wrapping articles on varying surfaces such as "pull blades", base blades, low sided boxes and the like or even directly on the turntable surface . A preferred embodiment may include stacking on a conventional pallet, but an equivalent degree of utility can be achieved when the device 20 is used for stacking and wrapping on alternatives, such as the turntable surface.

In case no conventional pallet is used, it would be sufficient to omit the pallet feed conveyor and, if desired, the pallet discharge conveyor, if desired.

Starting with the product conveyor 22, a matching infeed conveyor 24 will be the first element of the palletizer operation that faces an itemized package or package such as 25. The package, box member, or 30 items such as 25 could be any configuration stacked for shipping or storage on a pallet, a draw blade or the like or the surface of the turntable. Typically, the box member 25 could be a box, a carton, an open-top carton, a fabric tray, mating elements 35 such as buckets, or even fabric sacks or bags, containers or pouches 8900312. * - 5 - to be. The term "box member" is not intended to be limiting and is used as a general term for stackable materials that are stacked together. For readability of the description, "box member" will be referred to as "boxes" or derivatives thereof.

The matching infeed conveyor 24 may be equipped with a rough surface top belt to effect separation of cartons upon delivery of the cartons to the product conveyor 22. The cartons can be adjusted on one side of the matching conveyor by their adjustable rail guide 10 (not shown). in-feed conveyor. The product conveyor, also known as a station conveyor or input station member, is a driven roller assembly in a preferred embodiment. Two or more photosensitive eyepieces are used on this conveyor. Each set 26a and b and 28a and b consists of a source / receiver component, the "a * components, and a reflector, the" b "components, which reflect light from the source back to the receivers. This is common Technique Various types of sensors that may or may not require reflectors may be used in place of the photosensitive lenses discussed herein. This description discusses photosensitive eyes and reflectors, although it may constitute only one of the inventors contemplated by the inventor. 26 is used to count boxes entering the station conveyor The second light 25 sensitive eyepiece is used to detect when the last of a set of boxes 24 has been collected on the station conveyor.

The "set of doxes" 34 is that amount of cartons that must be collected before they are picked up by the robotic palletizer and transferred to the turntable 30, which is generally indicated by 12. For example, a set of boxes 34 could be formed by the four boxes in contact with each other on the station conveyor.

A stop, which stops the boxes on the conveyor, is indicated by 30. Other stops, not shown, can be arranged below the roller bed and operated as required 89 00 312.

-4 - 6 - to create gaps between the boxes to be collected.

When a set of boxes 34 has been collected, the robotic palletizer can transfer them to a waiting pallet on the turntable 12. Incoming upstream boxes that are not needed for complete proofing of a set of boxes will be stopped until the entire set of boxes has been picked up by the robotic palletiser and station conveyor are released.

During a regular cycle, a pallet 32, or the equivalent of a pallet such as a pallet, "draw blade", ground blade platform, holding member or the like, will be in position on the turntable. In the case where a unified load is to be built without a pallet or ground blade, of course no pallet 15 or the like need be in position. The set of boxes 34 will now be lifted by the gripping member 36, which may have one of a number of "hand" types. Figure 1 shows the use of "palms" 38, two of which, an inboard palm and an outboard palm, are marked with 38. One of the palms is stationary and the other 20 of the palms can be operated by an air cylinder (or a closing or actuator) to move toward the set of boxes 34 and clamp or grip them between the palms. "Hand" type is determined by application, and a variety of hand types, including multi-palm bottom support hands, vacuum, and top and bottom clamping, and the like, are known in the industry. The hand may also be pivotally connected or movable on its support on an axis perpendicular to the boom axis.

The construction of the gripping member 36 is supported by a cam 40 via cam rollers. The rollers of the gripping member 30 drive up, in the case of the top rail, rails 42 and 44, so that the gripping member 36 can transition laterally from a position above the station conveyor 22 to a specific delivery location on the pallet on the turntable 12.

The boom 40 is slidably mounted on the post 46 so that the boom can move vertically on the post 8300312. In a typical "pick and place" device, the two shafts provided by the pole and boom would be sufficient to transfer boxes or cartons from the station conveyor 22 to the pallet 32. Operation is as follows: hand 36, held ready above the set of boxes 34 / is lowered, the hand clamps causing the palms to grab the set of boxes, the boom rises on the pole, the gripper 36 moves along the boom 40, the boom 40 moves down the post 46, the hand opens while placing the set of boxes 34 on the pallet at a predetermined location. To return to the beginning, the palms of the gripper 36 are opened away from each other, the boom moves up from the pallet, the gripper 36 moves back along the boom 40, the boom moves down the pole 46, and gripper ready to grab another set of boxes. The palletizer is programmed to initiate movement, displacement, and speed change and to find the correct position for palletizing the sets of boxes in the predetermined desired stacking pattern.

After a palletized load is partially "I

20, ie stacked in a predetermined pattern, the partially palletized load can be partially wrapped with film to add stability to the partially palletized load. The stacking pattern has traditionally been such that maximization of the number of cartons on the receiving pallet was attempted while interlocking the boxes to promote palletized load stability and cohesion, often requiring that certain boxes be aligned along one line of the pallet and the other boxes aligned along a second line On the next layer of boxes, the boxes will line up in opposite directions so that some degree of interlocking will take place.Rarely, current palletizers stack boxes in vertical columns, although the column strength is much better when boxes are directly above each other stacked, as the boxes can be arranged so that the strongest parts of the do-35 zen, the corners, stacked one above the other from box to box, 8900312 / -βίε the resulting large column very unstable and anything but useful in practice. However, the invention provides an effective type of column stacking and therefore the device of the invention can provide a more stable and stronger palletized load than has been possible in the past.

Once a partial pallet load is stacked on a pallet, or pallet member, (in a preferred embodiment, a partial pallet load could be as small as two layers of cartons (wrapping can take place after only a single 10 layer of boxes are stacked on the pallet, but this would not be a preferred embodiment)) wrapping will be started by the palletizer controller.

Wrapper, usually a plastic film with a high hysteresis after initial stretch, commonly known as "stretch-wrap" film, is the preferred wrapper for accomplishing the intended purpose and operation of this equipment.

Other types of film can be used as wrapping means, such as shrink wrap film, polymer film, perforated film, net bag, coated or uncoated paper, ribbon, protective coatings such as bubble packs, and other cover materials and the like. For convenience, the wrapping means in the description is and will be referred to as "film".

The film, shown as a film roll 48, is carried by the film elevator, generally indicated at 16 (unit for unwinding agent or dispensing film), which is slidably mounted on a vertical web 50. A chain lifter is used to lift the film-30 elevator. The chain 42 is attached to the film elevator at both ends and bypasses a drive motor (not shown) located for convenience reasons within the vertical web support 54. The film is fed (see Figure 3) from the film roll 48 to a first main drive roller 56, then a second main drive roller 35 58. These two rollers cause significant stress on 8900312? .

-Side film ("pre-stretch"). The film then passes the dance roller 60, which is movably mounted to control the driving speed of the main driving rollers 56 and 58, thereby allowing the speed of the main driving rollers to increase as the film-5 consumption is increased, and decreases as the film consumption decreases. The film 62, after leaving the pre-stretching head generally indicated at 16, passes over a guide roller 64, a first guide arm roller 66, and a second guide arm 68, both of which are mounted on a film guide arm 70. The film is then guided to the wrapper clamp or film clamp 72 mounted on the turntable generally designated 12.

The film guide arm 70 serves to guide the film around the pole 46 and to the film clamp 72 mounted on the turntable generally indicated by 12. In a preferred embodiment 15, the film guide arm is held in a fixed position, but this arm may also be rotatably mounted for swinging movement at its mounting point on the film elevator generally designated 16. If the guide arm is rotatably mounted, resistance to swing by means of a spring, air cylinder or the like can be advantageous to maintain the film tension on the film clamp 72.

In an alternative embodiment, a pivotally mounted guide arm, operated by an engine of any type, by gravity or springs, would be programmed to be tensioned from a first position to a second position, especially when the film usually stretched and then should be relieved to maintain tension in the film. By providing a rotatably mounted guide arm, the degree of stretch and subsequent relaxation of the film could be controlled and minimized. Returning to the description of the preferred embodiment, the height of the guide arm and the length of the guide arm rolls is of sufficient length or height to accept the width of the film released by the film unwinder. Typically, the film may be approximately 51 centimeters (20 inches) wide, although wrapper wider 8900312.

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- 10 - or narrower than 51 centimeters (20 inches) is also commonly used. It would be unusual to use film as wide as (or wider than) about 102 centimeters (40 inches) or as narrow (or narrower than) about 25 centimeters (10 inches).

The views shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 are shown to aid in understanding the device.

For example, Figure 2 shows the turntable generally indicated by 12 with at least a partial load of boxes 25 already in place. The pole 46 / the boom 40, the gripper 36, the product conveyor 22 (for reasons of simplicity, the rollers have been omitted from these views), the film elevator generally indicated 16, are all illustrated. Also, the pallet infeed conveyor 18 and the pallet discharge conveyor 20 are shown, with an empty pallet and a fully palletized load 33 on the infeed conveyor and the discharge conveyor, respectively. The important aspects that are easier to see and understand in Figure 2 than in Figure 1 include the "line of sight" paths of the photosensitive eyepiece 74a and b and the pallet sensing photosensitive eyepiece 98a and b. Also, the preferred position is of the brush 92 shown in the drawn-line view of the fastener, while an alternate position 92A, in which the brush is located when rotatably mounted to move to and from the load, is shown in the broken- line display.

As stated elsewhere in this description, the pallet sensing photosensitive eyepiece 98 is a conventional photosensitive eye with an integral beam emitter and receiver, shown at 98a, and a reflector, shown at 98b, which will reflect the beam back to the receiver unless a pallet (or other object) blocks the light beam. When the beam is blocked, the palletizer controller knows that a pallet is in position and can start stacking boxes on the pallet. When a pull sheet or base sheet forms the surface on which the boxes will be stacked, the photosensitive eyepiece 98 can be replaced by a reflective 89 00312? - 11 - * photosensitive sensing system or a manual or automatic switch or the like, which provide a signal to the controller that can begin stacking boxes. It should also be understood that the boxes can be stacked directly on the surface of the turntable for transport by a "palm" truck if desired.

The third photosensitive eyepiece 74a and b can also be seen in this figure. This photosensitive eye perceives the top of a layer of boxes. This input is used by the controller to control the vertical upper limit of the film elevator generally designated 16.

Figures 2 and 3 also show the path of the film from the film elevator 16 to the film clamp 72. In Figure 3, the film roll 48, from which the film 62 unwinds, is shown in an illustrative plan view. The film 62 is passed around first and second main drive rollers 56 and 58, which in a preferred embodiment are driven at a speed difference to pre-stretch the film, then around a dance roll 60 and a guide roll 64.

The film then passes over first and second guide rollers 66 and 68 and 20 then to the film clamp 72, which is shown in the "home" position in all figures except for figures 4 and 5 (for the preferred embodiment).

Figures 4 and 5 show intermediate stages of a typical stacking and wrapping cycle. In Figure 4, a winding cycle has begun and the turntable has been rotated 90 ° clockwise, for example, during a first winding cycle. The film 62 is held in the film clamp 72 and the film can be seen as in contact with the corner of the stack of boxes on the turntable. Upon reaching the home position by the turntable, one wrap will be made around the stack of boxes. The cycle will proceed as set forth in this description.

Figure 5 shows the loading or placing of an empty pallet. Since the film clamp will usually stand upright at the completion of full load wrapping and will be in the "home" position shown in Figure 2, it is necessary to remove the film clamp (and film 62) from the path of the film. pal- 5900 3 12 * - 12 - make sure to get 32 when loaded. One way to do this is to turn the turntable 90 ° counterclockwise as shown in this figure. It will be noted that the film 62 is taut when the film clamp is in the position shown in the figure. The beam of the pallet sensing photosensitive eye 98a will be refracted as the pallet 32 moves further into position on the turntable.

A wrapping cycle of a preferred embodiment of a palletizer shown in Figure 1 will be started by the controller of the palletizer when a signal is received by the palletizer that the height of the boxes desired for the first wrapping cycle has been reached. High machine performance and stacking completeness are achieved if the first wrapping cycle is performed after two layers of boxes have been placed.

In the first wrapping cycle, the film is held clamped in the film clamp 72. The gripper 36 is moved away from the partially stacked pallet and continues the cycle to pick up the next set of boxes while the first wrapping cycle 20 is being performed. The turntable generally indicated by 12 is rotated clockwise from a home position (from above), mainly the 0 ° and 360 ° positions, in this preferred embodiment, whereby the film is subtracted from the film roll 48. Close to the time of the commencement of rotation of the turntable, ie either before, after or simultaneously, the film elevator generally indicated by 16 is provided by the palletizer controller with a signal to move vertically upward on the vertical web 50 to move. Such upward movement of the film elevator will open the lower switch 78. Upward movement of the film elevator causes the film to be spirally wound onto the stack of boxes on the pallet as the turntable continues to rotate. The film is wrapped tightly around the stack while the film is still held by the film clamp 72.

The first wrapping cycle will continue until the 8900 3 12 κ ft - 13 palletizer detects that the top of the topsheet boxes have been reached. Generally, the first winding cycle is completed in a rotation of the turntable through 360 °, however, in some applications, more than one rotation may be beneficial. The signal, meaning that the top layer of boxes has been reached, will come from the third photosensitive eye 74a which transmits a light beam to a reflector 74b mounted on a vertical support or reflector pole. The reflector 74b is a significant length continuous reflector mounted on the reflector post, the length of which is sufficient to match boxes of different heights. When the photosensitive eye sensor 72a senses the top of the boxes, it will provide a signal to the palletizer controller to signal the film elevator drive to stop the film elevator moving upward. At this point, the turntable will continue to rotate until it returns to its home position. The film clamp 72 holds the film in its clamped position.

While the film elevator will usually be set to stop its upward movement at a point where the film does not go above the top of the boxes on the pallet, in some cases it may be beneficial to allow the film elevator to be higher goes. For example, if the film elevator goes to such a point that the film is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) higher than the top surface of the boxes, then the film 25 will be stretched to be drawn within the outer edges of the boxes. This can be advantageous in stabilizing the stack if the next set of boxes is then placed on this inwardly facing portion of the film.

When the turntable returns to the home 30 position, the stacker will begin to stack more carton layers on the pallet. For example, this unit will stack the next two product layers and give a signal to start the wrapping cycle. In a preferred embodiment, the second and subsequent wrapping cycles will be repetitions of the first wrapping cycle, until the full height of the palletized load is reached - 8900312? <# - 14 - where the full height is the number of carton layers pre-programmed in the palletizer controller.

When a fully stacked load is united on the turntable, the top of the boxes of the top sheet 5 is sensed by the third photosensitive eyepiece 74 and the film elevator will stop raising the film roll to prevent the film from going off the top from the pile. This is the same as the observation in the earlier spiral winding cycles.

As previously explained in discussing the completion of the first wrapping cycles, it is possible to extend the film slightly higher than the top of the tops of the boxes, to provide further assistance in the association to the full load of stacked articles . The film-15 elevator can be programmed to go slightly higher than the top of the boxes, either directly or within any multiple wraps at the top of the stack.

Once the helical winding has been applied to the fully palletized load, a unified winding of the palletized load would be desirable to further unify, reinforce and integrate the palletized load. While the helical coil effected in the first and several subsequent winding cycles serves to assist the load as it is stacked in assisting in supporting it, meanwhile, among other advantages, allows building a load of boxes stacked in columns it may or may not be as complete wrapping as is desirable to ensure integration of the palletized load.

As an alternative, it may be desirable to perform all wrapping of the pallet load when the stack is being formed. In this case, instead of just spiral winding during the way up, the controller would aim the developing head to remain in a horizontal position while the turntable makes an 89 00 312: - 15 - several or several turns to stack the stack. wrap that level. This could be done at different heights on the stack when it is being built. This would reduce the time for wrapping after the load has been stacked, since some of this wrapping could be within the "packing" of the stacker.

Further winding according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, and if desired, could be completed as follows. With the film elevator high on the vertical path 50 and providing the photosensitive eyepiece 74 with a signal not to go higher, the palletizer controller provides a signal to the turntable to make at least one full revolution, three revolutions work well, while the film elevator is held in position relative to the top of the palletized load. After the desired number of revolutions has made an "upper winding", and if desired, the film elevator is signaled to cause the film elevator icings to descend the vertical path 50 at a controlled speed, while the palletized load continues to rotate. The 20 film elevator can be steered to maintain its horizontal position or fall back at a low speed to apply more film at designated heights of the palletized load or continue to descend and thus coil the palletized load during its movement.

A sensor or intermediate switch 76, typically a microswitch or the like, when the lower portion of the film elevator is just above the top of the film clamp 72 - which is still clamped to the front of the film at this point in the cycle - hand it over to the palletiser controller.

When this intermediate switch 76 is actuated, the palletizer controller signals the film clamp to retract and leave the leading edge of the film hanging free. With the film clamp retracted into a position typically 35 below the bottom of the first carton layer, the generally film elevator 16 designated * 16 - * may continue with its downward movement and the bottom portion of the multi-layer palletized load. wrapping film by several rotations of the turntable.

A variation of the first helical winding cycle or the first or second rotation of the full upper winding cycle would be formed by allowing the film winder to have a portion of the film, on the order of several centimeters (inches) more or less, depending on the stretch properties of the stretch wrap film, to be placed above the top of the top edge of the top layer of boxes. This would provide a degree of improved integration with some types of stacked products.

It would be possible to use this technique at the different stages of the helical winding operation, but this technique is not the most preferred embodiment.

In some situations it is desirable to allow the film to extend over the supporting pallet, low box, or the like on which the articles are stacked. This provides continuity between the supporting pallet and the articles, so that the articles and the pallet are somewhat packed together. This is not always necessary or desirable.

Returning to the completion of the cycle, the leading edge of the film is quickly covered, at least in part, by the film being wound onto the palletized load as the film elevator moves to the lower portion of the load. Although the leading edge of the film is quickly covered by rapid rotation of the turntable, a flow of air directed to the loose leading edge of the film has been found to be advantageous for holding the stock of the film against the load until the film can be covered with subsequent film windings. An air nozzle 76, which receives air from an air supply (not shown) provided at the turntable, is mounted on the turntable to perform this function. At the last turntable revolution, after 8900312. "- 17 - has made the desired number of turns or revolutions, it is necessary to place the film in the film clamp in preparation for the next palletizing operation. This is done in the last 180 ° of the rotation of the turntable The film clamps be-5 are in a retracted position at the start of the clamping cycle After the turntable is rotated 180 ° at its last rotation, a signal is sent to the controller of the palle display device for arranging the rear element of the film clamp It should be noted that the film clamp is composed of two clamping main elements, which are the front element 82 and the rear element 84. The front element is a construction part with a grip-increasing surface, such as a rubber coating, over its film-engaging surface The back element 84 is also a construction part with a grip-enhancing surface When the film is between the 15 front and rear elements are placed, it is held until the film clamp is opened (just before the film elevator 16 has an interface with the upright film clamp 72).

Once the rear element 84 is arranged in an upright position - the front element is still in a retracted or substantially horizontal position - the continued rotation of the turntable will cause the rear element 84 to contact the film between the palletized load and the film guide arm 70. The turntable continues to rotate and during this continued rotation, the front element of the film clamp is arranged in a position to clamp the film between the front element and the rear element of the film clamp.

At this point, the film is clamped in the film clamp, but the film is still attached in a continuous sheet to fully wrapped palletized load. In order to separate the film, it has been found that a heated rod, which is rotated over the film web, will cut the film neatly. One such heated rod-terminated film terminator or cutter is shown at 86 in a retracted position on the turntable. The heated rod is carried on a support which is rotatably mounted at one end and further operable by an air cylinder (not 8900312. * - ** - 18 - shown).

Once the film is separated by the heated rod or by another film-ending member such as a hot wire, a knife or the like, the palletized load 5 is completed and can be moved away from the turntable.

In a preferred embodiment, the turntable is provided with an energized roller deck surface 88, which can discharge the palletized load to a pallet discharge conveyor, which is generally indicated by 20.10 No matter how the palletized load is removed from the turntable, it has been found that in some applications it is desirable to "knock" or smooth the back of the film to remove trapped air for better adhesion of the tail to the load. This film back end is usually adhered to the film on the palletized load as it slightly "bounces" after being cut by the heated blade 86. Nevertheless, an optional step in the palletizing method discussed here is "knocking" the end of the film using a fastener 90. The fastener shown in Figure 1 is a brush 92 supported on a stand 94 and provided with a driver 96 for rotating the brush 92 when the pallet is off the turntable. moves to the pallet discharge transporter 20. The brush may be spring loaded to be forced against the palletized load in the vicinity of the back end of the film to thereby "knock" the back end of the film down there on the pallet. The fastener can be formed by one of several types of devices, such as a soft or hard surface roller, a film layer directed towards the back of the film, a stationary threshold that applies pressure to the film tail when it is supplied to the film tail. pallet discharge conveyor, or the like.

In situations such as shown in Figure 5, where the film 62 will "slacken" when the turntable is rotated counterclockwise and then tightens again when the film clamp 72 hits the 90 "position shown, it has been found advantageous to 003 U.

The degree of controlling the pre-stretch exerted on the film by the pre-stretch rollers, being the first 56 and the second 58 main drive rollers, so that unnecessary film is not dispensed.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing how rolls 56 and 58 are deposited and turned on to ensure that no excess film is fed. It should be noted that in case more film is needed, the drive rollers 56 and 58 are turned on, stripping film from the film roll 48 in response to the dancer roll 60, which is free to move inboard as shown by the arrow in Figure 3. This is contemporary film settlement practice. However, when using pre-stretched film, the film, after initially being pre-stretched between rollers 56 and 58, will "re-cover" thereby pulling dancer roll 60 inboard and start driving the feed through rollers 56 and 58.

This will occur to a controlled degree when the film is not wound on the boxes - typically when the turntable is in the home position.

The diagram of Figure 6 shows how the preform unit is turned off or turned on at the last revolution of the wrapping cycle and the turntable reversal to load the pallet. The controller receives signals from limit switches placed to pick up the position of the turntable.

Beginning at point A and continuing to B (arrowheads indicate the direction of the turntable movement), the film pre-stretching unit is "on", that is, operating to feed the film during this last revolution of the load and turntable.

At point B, about 330 ° rotation, the pre-stretching unit is turned off, ending the possibility of feeding film (B, to C). From C to D, the turntable moves counterclockwise to about 270 ° as shown in Figure 5 - the pre-stretching unit is out. After the pallet is loaded, the turntable rotates clockwise and at about 330 ° (D, to E, the pre-stretching unit is off), the pre-stretching unit is turned on to the end of the revolution (E, to F).

35 Figures 2A through 2F are provided to indicate 8300312? τ - 20 - display racks of additional services at the palletizer. The operating principles of these alternative arrangements will for the most part be the same as those shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2A is only the reversal of the construction of Figures 1 and 2, so that the product input is located on the left side of the turntable (reference point of the pole is towards the boom).

Figure 2B shows a pallet feed conveyor 104, 10 entering the turntable on the right side of the turntable. In this embodiment, the product conveyor can be lifted to allow pallets to be operated down there. In this arrangement, the turntable may need to be rotated counterclockwise / so that the film clamp 72 does not interfere with the loaded pallet 15 discharged from the turntable to the pallet discharge conveyor 20.

Figure 2C is only the inversion of the arrangement of Figure 2B.

Figure 2D is similar to Figure 2, except that the 20 positions of the pallet feed or feed conveyor 18 have replaced the pallet discharge conveyor 20 and vice versa.

Figure 2E is only the reversal of the arrangement of Figure 2D »

Figure 2F is a palletizer without pallet feed or pallet discharge conveyor. The turntable 12 of the palletizer will be operated by a transport member such as a forklift or a draw blade handling vehicle.

Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, particularly directed to the use of a short film clip 100. All other aspects of this embodiment are the same as shown in Figure 1, except for the short film clip 100, the added film control roller 102 and the relocation of the lower switch 78 to a lower position on its support than the position of the switch in the embodiment of Figure 35 1.

89 003 12. ' s> ft - 21 -

In this embodiment, the film clamp 100 is shorter than the width of the film 62. Thus, the film 62 is "bridled" as shown to fit into the jaws of the film clamp. Due to the low position of the limit switch 78, the film elevator 16 has fallen so low on the vertical path 50 that the film would collide with the top surface of the turntable. The restraining roller 102 guides the film above the surface of the turntable and tends to "constrict" the film. The advantage of the shorter film clamp 100 is that with the first turns of the lower box levels, the film elevator does not need to be lifted as high to release the short film clamp as would be necessary if a larger film clamp were used (Figure 1). This makes it possible to wrap more of the lower level of the stacked boxes, which can be advantageous for some loads.

88 Ö0311. "

Claims (13)

Device for making a unified stack of articles, characterized by a turntable for supporting the stack of articles; a palletizer for stacking the articles on the turntable; winding means administering means for applying winding means to the turntable; and cutting means for separating the wrapping agent. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by control means for initiating rotation of the turntable, the control means initiating stacking of the articles on the turntable, initiating application of the wrapping means by the wrapping means administering and separating the wrapping agent by starting the cutting members. 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the controller members can start each of their starting functions while starting each of their starting functions. 4. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the palletising device comprises an upright pile, as well as a cross beam arranged for vertical movement on the pile, a gripping member which is mounted for transverse movement on the boom, wherein the gripper above the turntable and above an area not occupied by the turntable. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the winding-agent administering elements are provided with a dispenser-unwinder, a first and a second main drive roller for unwinding wrapping agent 89 00312; 1 - 23 - of a film-guiding arm. to assist in administering the wrapping agent to the turntable. 6. Device for building a unified load of individual articles, characterized by a rotary member capable of rotation and having a floor surface equipped with transport members for supporting the unified load of individual articles, feed station members for collecting individual articles near the turntable members; pole members vertically supported adjacent to the turntable members; tree members carried on the pole members, the tree members movable vertically along the pole members; gripping members carried on the boom members for gripping articles, the gripping members being positioned above the input station members and the turntable members; a wrapping unwinder stand carried on the pole members and movable vertically along the pole members; a wrapping means clamp for controlling the wrapping means applied to the turntable members; and a wrapping means guide arm between the wrapping means unwinding set-up and the wrapping means clamp for guiding the wrapping means from the unwinding set to the rotary table members. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the wrapping agent guide arm is arranged on the wrapping agent unwinding set-up. 8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the turntable members support cutting members. 9. Device according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized by winding means rear edge control members adjacent to the turntable members. 10. A method of joining a stack of articles, characterized by feeding an empty pallet to a turntable; picking up a number of articles to be stacked from a stationary conveyor; transferring the 35 items to the pallet member; repeating the picking and 8900312. * - 24 - the transfer for a predetermined number of times; rotating the pallet member as the turntable rotates; feeding film from a film storage reel to the rotating turntable as the turntable rotates; and cutting the film after at least one turn of the turntable. 11. Method for stacking and wrapping a collection of articles on a pallet with a wrapping agent supplied from a wrapping unwinder rack, to improve the stability and integration of the collection of articles on the pallet, characterized by arranging the pallet on a rotating turntable; stacking the articles on the pallet; rotating the turntable, thereby unwinding the wrapping means from the wrapping means unwinding stand; applying the film around the collection of articles; and terminating the supply of wrapping agent from the wrapping agent unwinding arrangement. 12. A method of stabilizing a palletized collection of box members on a pallet member, characterized by collecting at least one box member on a station conveyor member; gripping the box member with a gripping member; lifting the gripping member and the box member; moving the gripping member to a position above a pallet member; placing the box member on the pallet member; repeating the previous steps until a predetermined number of carton members have been placed on the pallet member, thereby forming a palletized load; rotating the pallet member while pulling wrapping means from a wrapping unwinding set-up; ending the supply of wrapping agent; and attaching the wrapping means to the palletized load. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the pallet member is rotated by a turntable provided with wrapping means clamping means, which will keep the wrapping means adjacent to the pallet. -o-o-o-o-o-o 89 00 31 2.4