Block cubing apparatus

Claim 2

Block cubing apparatus for stacking tiers of blocks in cubes comprising: support frame means; support means on which tiers of blocks are to be stacked carried by said frame means; a transfer member disposable in a block-receiving position for receiving and supporting blockS and movable to a discharge position over said support means; means on said frame means for moving said transfer member between said block-receiving position and said discharge position including means for elevating said transfer member between said block receiving position and a raised position above the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; means on said frame means for removing said transfer member from the blocks supported thereby to release the blocks to be supported by said support means; and means for determining the position to which said transfer member is to be raised comprising: block height sensing means vertically movable independently of said elevating means between a raised position vertically removed from the blocks and a lowered block height sensing position; and locating means, including a part carried for movement with said elevating means for independent movement relative to said sensing means, operative according to the vertical position of said sensing means after a predetermined movement of said part relative to said sensing means and as said transfer member is moved upwardly, for interrupting further upward movement of said elevating means.

Claim 3

The block cubing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said block height sensing means in lowered position engages the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means to positively locate said sensing means and prevent its further downward movement; said locating means being engageable with said sensing means in the lowered block engaging position to interrupt further upward movement of said support means.

Claim 4

The block cubing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said elevating means includes motor means and said locating means includes means, for controlling energization of said motor means, which is movable into engagement with said sensing means when said elevating means is moving upwardly to disable said motor means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein means for moving said sensing means is provided and includes means for moving said sensing means upwardly to said raised position prior to said transfer member being moved to a position over said support means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elevating means includes means for initially moving said transfer member upwardly at a predetermined rate for a predetermined distance, and means operative according to the vertical position of said sensing means for moving said elevator upwardly through a second predetermined lesser distance at a second predetermined lesser rate.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for disabling operation of said elevating means and for disabling operation of said sensing means until after said transfer member moves a first tier of blocks to said support means.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a pallet and a conveyor for supporting and moving a block loaded pallet to a remote location.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein means for moving said sensing means between said raised and lowered positions is provided including means for moving said sensing means to said lowered position before said transfer member is moved to said raised position, and for moving said sensing means to said raised position before said transfer member is moved to discharge position over said support means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said sensing means in said lowered position physically engages the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means to positively interrupt downward movement thereof; and said responsive means includes means supported by said elevating means which is engageable with said sensing means in said lowered position to interrupt further upward movement of said elevating means.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for moving said sensing means comprises motor means which is disabled when said sensing means engages the uppermost tier of blocks.

Claim 12

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said locating meAns includes an actuator on one of said block height sensing means and said elevating means for movement therewith and control means on the other of said block height sensing means and said elevating means for movement therewith for controlling the vertical position of said elevating means in response to the relative vertical positions of said actuator and said control means.

Claim 13

Block cubing apparatus for stacking tiers of blocks in cubes comprising: support frame means; support means on which tiers of blocks are to be stacked carried by said frame means; block receiving means, including transfer means, for receiving blocks at a block-receiving station and moving them across to a discharge station over said support means; said transfer means being mounted for vertical movement on said frame means; means on said frame means for operating said transfer means to move said blocks between said block receiving and discharge stations including means for vertically moving said transfer means to position said transfer means vertically with respect to the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; and means for limiting said vertical movement of said transfer means including: block height sensing means vertically movable independently of said transfer means between an inoperative position vertically removed from the blocks on the support means and out of the path of blocks being transferred by said transfer means and an operative block height sensing position for sensing the height of the blocks on said support means; and means responsive to said block height sensing means for interrupting vertical movement of said transfer means.

Claim 14

Block cubing apparatus for stacking tiers of blocks in cubes comprising: support frame means; support means on which tiers of blocks are to be stacked carried by said frame means; block receiving means, including transfer means, for receiving blocks at a block-receiving station and moving them across to a discharge station over said support means; said transfer means being mounted for vertical movement on said frame means; means on said frame means for operating said transfer means to move said blocks between said block receiving and discharge stations including means for vertically moving said transfer means to position said transfer means vertically with respect to the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; and means for limiting said vertical movement of said transfer means including: block height sensing means vertically movable independently of said transfer means between an inoperative position vertically removed from the blocks on the support means and out of the path of blocks being transferred by said transfer means and an operative block height sensing position for sensing the height of the blocks on said support means; and means responsive to said block height sensing means for interrupting vertical movement of said transfer means.

Claim 15

The apparatus set forth in claim 12 including means for moving said block height sensing means to said vertically removed position prior to said transfer means moving blocks to said discharge station.

Claim 16

The apparatus set forth in claim 13 wherein said transfer means includes a transfer member disposable in a block-receiving position at said block-receiving station for supporting blocks, and movable to a discharge position at said discharge station over said support means; said operating means including means for moving said transfer member between said block-receiving and discharge stations including means for vertically moving said transfer member to position said transfer member above the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; and means is provided for moving said transfer member from the blocks supported thereby when said transfer member is over said support means to release the blocks to be supported by said support means.

Claim 17

Block cubing apparatus for stacking tiers of blocks in cubes comprising: support frame means; support means on which tiers of blocks are to be stacked carried by said frame means; block receiving means, including transfer means, for receiving blocks at a block-receiving station and moving them across to a discharge station over said support means; said transfer member being mounted for vertical movement on said frame means; means on said frame means for operating said transfer means to move said blocks between said block-receiving and discharge stations including means for vertically moving said transfer means to position said transfer means vertically with respect to the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; means for limiting said vertical movement of said transfer means including: block height sensing means vertically movable independently of said transfer means between an inoperative position out of the path of blocks being transferred by said transfer means and an operative block height sensing position for sensing the height of the blocks on said support means; means for moving said block height sensing means between said inoperative and operative block height sensing positions; and means responsive to said block height sensing means in said block height sensing position for interrupting said vertical movement Of said transfer means; and means for preventing said transfer means from moving blocks to said discharge position until after said sensing means has been moved to said inoperative position.

Claim 18

Block cubing apparatus for stacking tiers of blocks in cubes comprising: support frame means; support means on which tiers of blocks are to be stacked carried by said frame means; block receiving means, including transfer means, for receiving blocks at a block-receiving station and moving them across to a discharge station over said support means; said transfer member being mounted for vertical movement on said frame means; means on said frame means for operating said transfer means to move said blocks between said block-receiving and discharge stations including means for vertically moving said transfer means to position said transfer means vertically with respect to the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; means for limiting said vertical movement of said transfer means including: block height sensing means vertically movable independently of said transfer means between an inoperative position out of the path of blocks being transferred by said transfer means and an operative block height sensing position for sensing the height of the blocks on said support means; means for moving said block height sensing means between said inoperative and operative block height sensing positions; and means responsive to said block height sensing means in said block height sensing position for interrupting said vertical movement Of said transfer means; and means for preventing said transfer means from moving blocks to said discharge position until after said sensing means has been moved to said inoperative position.

Claim 19

The block cubing apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein said transfer means comprises a transfer member disposable in a block-receiving position at said receiving station for supporting blocks, and movable to a discharge position at said discharge station over said support means; said operating means including means for moving said transfer member between said block receiving and discharge positions; said means for relatively vertically moving said transfer member and said support means including means for relatively vertically moving said transfer member and said support member to position said transfer member above the uppermost tier of blocks on said support means; and means is provided for removing said transfer member from the blocks supported thereby when said transfer member is over said support means to release the blocks to be supported by said support means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said vertical moving means includes motor means and one of said sensing means and said vertical moving means supports motor control means for controlling the speed of said motor means, the other of said sensing means and said vertical moving means supports actuator means for actuating said motor control means during said relative vertical movement to control the speed of said motor means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said motor control means includes first and second vertically spaced actuable members successively engageable with said actuator means during said relative movement, said first actuable member being responsive to engagement with said actuating member for substantially reducing the speed of said motor means; said second actuable member being responsive to engagement with said actuating member to halt said relative movement.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said sensing means in said operative position is in physical engagement with the uppermost tier of blocks.