US3591020A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stacker for cases and the like
Assignee: HG Weber and Co Inc
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Filing: 1969-06-26
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Granted: 1971-07-06
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Expires: 1989-06-26
Abstract
Abstract Stacker for boxlike articles, such as shipping cases, operating on the principle of successively depositing a first case onto a platform and stacking the other cases on the first case one on top of the other, as the platform moves downwardly, to provide a vertical column of cases, in which the lowermost case of the column is deposited on a delivery station and the entire column is delivered from the stacker. The platform is guided for vertical movement in a plurality of horizontal planes and is carried by an endless chain, driven by power to move the platform from its loading to delivery stations. The loading station includes slide rails extending along opposite sides of the platform and a fluid pressure-operated motor for moving the slide rails outwardly of the platform to deposit a case on the platform. The delivery station may be a delivery conveyor extending within the platform to accommodate the platform to deliver a stack of cases thereto. An infeed conveyor is provided to deliver cases to the loading station. A stop gate is operable to prevent the delivery of a case to the loading station, while one case is on the loading station.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L Beninger
- 👤 Grant Hill Jr
- 👤 Lawrence C Oertle Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 17:31
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G57/00; B65G57/02; B65G57/03; B65G57/06; B65G57/035; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/102; Y10S414/103; Y10S414/105
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
342 words
In a stacker particularly adapted for boxlike articles, such as cases, cartons and the like, a base frame, a vertical guideway extending upwardly of said base frame, a pair of laterally spaced endless chains guided in said guideway for travel in laterally aligned vertically extending orbital paths, a platform including a support member extending horizontally from each of said chains, said support members being laterally aligned and moved by said chains in the same planes, means bracing said support members to extend horizontally of said chains, a motor, a drive connection from said motor to said chains to drive said chains and move said platform vertically along said guideway in reverse directions and in the same vertical paths, a delivery station extending along said base and including a horizontal conveyor narrower than the space between said support members to accommodate said support members to pass therebeneath and deposit a stack of articles thereon, means for driving said conveyor, an elevated loading station at the upper end of said guideway and including an infeed conveyor disposed between said endless chains and support members and spaced on the opposite side of said guideway from said delivery conveyor, and stop gate means controlling the supply of cartons along said infeed conveyor, and movable into position along each side of said infeed conveyor to intercept the cartons as traveling thereonto, said loading station also including a pair of laterally spaced slide rails on the opposite side of said guideway from said infeed conveyor in carton-receiving relation with respect thereto and in vertical alignment with said delivery conveyor, means driving said infeed conveyor, parallel horizontal shafts extending beneath said slides and outside of the paths of travel of said endless chains, arms extending vertically of said shafts and supporting said slides thereon for movement about the axes of said shafts, power means operatively connected with said arms for pivotally moving said arms about the axes of said shafts into cartonsupporting relation relative to said infeed conveyor and into position to deposite a carton on said support members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
342 words
In a stacker particularly adapted for boxlike articles, such as cases, cartons and the like, a base frame, a vertical guideway extending upwardly of said base frame, a pair of laterally spaced endless chains guided in said guideway for travel in laterally aligned vertically extending orbital paths, a platform including a support member extending horizontally from each of said chains, said support members being laterally aligned and moved by said chains in the same planes, means bracing said support members to extend horizontally of said chains, a motor, a drive connection from said motor to said chains to drive said chains and move said platform vertically along said guideway in reverse directions and in the same vertical paths, a delivery station extending along said base and including a horizontal conveyor narrower than the space between said support members to accommodate said support members to pass therebeneath and deposit a stack of articles thereon, means for driving said conveyor, an elevated loading station at the upper end of said guideway and including an infeed conveyor disposed between said endless chains and support members and spaced on the opposite side of said guideway from said delivery conveyor, and stop gate means controlling the supply of cartons along said infeed conveyor, and movable into position along each side of said infeed conveyor to intercept the cartons as traveling thereonto, said loading station also including a pair of laterally spaced slide rails on the opposite side of said guideway from said infeed conveyor in carton-receiving relation with respect thereto and in vertical alignment with said delivery conveyor, means driving said infeed conveyor, parallel horizontal shafts extending beneath said slides and outside of the paths of travel of said endless chains, arms extending vertically of said shafts and supporting said slides thereon for movement about the axes of said shafts, power means operatively connected with said arms for pivotally moving said arms about the axes of said shafts into cartonsupporting relation relative to said infeed conveyor and into position to deposite a carton on said support members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
108 words
The stacker of claim 1, wherein the stop gate means controls the supply of cartons along said infeed conveyor to said slides in accordance with the vertical position of said platform and comprises, a pair of arms having article-engaging means on the ends thereof adjacent the incoming end of said infeed conveyor, and pivoted for movement about a common axis spaced along said infeed conveyor towards the discharge end thereof, and extending along opposite sides of said infeed conveyor, and power means for moving said arms together into carton intercepting positions above thE plane of said conveyor and into carton release positions beneath the plane of said conveyor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
The stacker of claim 1, wherein control means are provided for said motor, driving said endless chains along said guideway, for elevating said platform to the upper end of said guideway in a continuous operation, and for lowering said platform step by step distances determined by the height of the individual cartons stacked thereon and the number of cartons on said platform.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
171 words
The stacker of claim 3, wherein means are provided for driving said infeed conveyor and said delivery conveyor continuously during operation of the stacker, and wherein the control means for said motor driving said endless chains and elevating and lowering said platform comprises a series of carton operated limit switches at said loading station controlling lowering of said platform and closing of said drop gate, a second series of cooperating limit switches spaced along said guideway controlling downward travel of said platform, stopping movement of said platform on its return travel at the upper end of said guideway and continuing movement of said platform beneath the surface of said delivery conveyor when all but the last carton of a stack of cartons have been deposited thereon, and a third set of limit switches spaced along said delivery conveyor stopping lowering movement of said platform and effecting reverse of said motor and upward travel of said platform to said loading station as the stack of cartons is delivered by said delivery conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The stacker of claim 3, wherein the means driving said delivery conveyor and said infeed conveyor includes a second motor and drive connections from said second motor to said infeed conveyor and said delivery conveyor for continuously driving said infeed conveyor and said delivery conveyor during operation of the stacker.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-05 | 1975-01-04 | 1975-07-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-05 | 1979-01-04 | 1979-07-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-05 | 1983-01-04 | 1983-07-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |