US3863781A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Article unloader
Assignee: FKI Industries Inc
•
Filing: 1973-04-06
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Granted: 1975-02-04
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Expires: 1993-04-06
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for unloading articles, such as luggage, from containers while the containers are being conveyed through an unloading station. The containers have one or more shelves on which the articles may be placed and also have a side which may be folded back over the top of the container and out of the way. These containers are carried on dollies which have upper surfaces which may be tilted transversely to their direction of motion as they pass through the unloading station, thereby tilting the containers and tending to cause the articles to slide from their shelves. The unloading station includes one or more pivotable retaining doors and means for causing the dollies to pass through the unloading station in close lateral register with the retaining doors, so that the retaining doors keep the articles from sliding from the containers before it is desired that they should. The unloading station also includes one or more downwardly sloping chutes positioned immediately downstream of the retaining doors so that the articles in the containers will slide into the chutes as the containers pass beyond the retaining doors.
Inventors
- 👤 Neil W Butzow
- 👤 Glenn J Eggert
- 👤 Bert Krivec
- 👤 Gary J Rollinger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 20:52
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61K; B61K1/00; B61K1/02; B61D; B61D9/00; B61D9/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
268 words
Apparatus for unloading articles from a container while the container is being conveyed through an unloading station, said apparatus comprising: 1. a first conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said container and b. adapted to tilt about a first axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station while said container is being conveyed through said unloading station; 2. a retaining surface comprising a plurality of doors pivotably mounted about a second axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station, said second axis being located at a height approximately equal to that of said first axis, said plurality of doors being adapted to bear against articles contained in said containers while said first conveyor is being tilted and being built in overlapping relationship so that the doors downstream of any given door will always be rotated by at least as much as that door, thereby ensuring a smooth transition from one door to the next as said container is conveyed through the unloading station; and 3. a second conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said articles and b. located in said unloading station immediately downstream of said retaining surface in a position to receive articles slid off said container, whereby articles may be unloaded from said container while it is being conveyed through said unloading station, said articles first being retained within said container by said retaining surface while said container is being tilted and then being deposited on said second conveyor when the tilting has been fully accomplished.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
268 words
Apparatus for unloading articles from a container while the container is being conveyed through an unloading station, said apparatus comprising: 1. a first conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said container and b. adapted to tilt about a first axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station while said container is being conveyed through said unloading station; 2. a retaining surface comprising a plurality of doors pivotably mounted about a second axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station, said second axis being located at a height approximately equal to that of said first axis, said plurality of doors being adapted to bear against articles contained in said containers while said first conveyor is being tilted and being built in overlapping relationship so that the doors downstream of any given door will always be rotated by at least as much as that door, thereby ensuring a smooth transition from one door to the next as said container is conveyed through the unloading station; and 3. a second conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said articles and b. located in said unloading station immediately downstream of said retaining surface in a position to receive articles slid off said container, whereby articles may be unloaded from said container while it is being conveyed through said unloading station, said articles first being retained within said container by said retaining surface while said container is being tilted and then being deposited on said second conveyor when the tilting has been fully accomplished.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
115 words
a retaining surface comprising a plurality of doors pivotably mounted about a second axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station, said second axis being located at a height approximately equal to that of said first axis, said plurality of doors being adapted to bear against articles contained in said containers while said first conveyor is being tilted and being built in overlapping relationship so that the doors downstream of any given door will always be rotated by at least as much as that door, thereby ensuring a smooth transition from one door to the next as said container is conveyed through the unloading station; and
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
115 words
a retaining surface comprising a plurality of doors pivotably mounted about a second axis parallel to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station, said second axis being located at a height approximately equal to that of said first axis, said plurality of doors being adapted to bear against articles contained in said containers while said first conveyor is being tilted and being built in overlapping relationship so that the doors downstream of any given door will always be rotated by at least as much as that door, thereby ensuring a smooth transition from one door to the next as said container is conveyed through the unloading station; and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a register adapted to ensure that said first conveyor passes through said unloading station in close register with said retaining surface, thereby ensuring that said articles will not slide from said container prematurely and fall between said retaining surface and said first conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
a second conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said articles and b. located in said unloading station immediately downstream of said retaining surface in a position to receive articles slid off said container, whereby articles may be unloaded from said container while it is being conveyed through said unloading station, said articles first being retained within said container by said retaining surface while said container is being tilted and then being deposited on said second conveyor when the tilting has been fully accomplished.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
a second conveyor which is a. adapted to carry said articles and b. located in said unloading station immediately downstream of said retaining surface in a position to receive articles slid off said container, whereby articles may be unloaded from said container while it is being conveyed through said unloading station, said articles first being retained within said container by said retaining surface while said container is being tilted and then being deposited on said second conveyor when the tilting has been fully accomplished.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a register adapted to ensure that said first conveyor passes through said unloading station in close register with said second conveyor, thereby ensuring that said articles will not slide from said container and fall between said first and second conveyor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first conveyor comprises a dolly.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said dolly comprises: a. a body and b. an upper surface adapted to tilt relative to said body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said dolly further comprises a cam roller and wherein said apparatus further comprises a cam surface adapted to cooperate with said cam roller to cause said tilt.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second conveyor is a downwardly sloping chute.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said chute slopes downwardly both in the direction in which said containers are to be conveyed through said unloading station and in the direction perpendicular to the first-named direction in the horizontal plane.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said chute slopes downwardly only in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which said container is to be conveyed through said unloading station.
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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) | 1978-02-03 | 1978-08-05 | 1979-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-03 | 1982-08-05 | 1983-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-03 | 1986-08-05 | 1987-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |