US3917080A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for forming brick packs with voids
Assignee: ARTECH A CORP OF
•
Filing: 1974-01-08
•
Granted: 1975-11-04
•
Expires: 1994-01-08
Abstract
Abstract Brick layers are taken from a kiln car and sequentially stacked on an elevator until a predetermined number of layers have been stacked on the elevator. A fluid actuated pusher then moves the bricks pack horizontally from the elevator onto a shuttle car which then is indexed to a strap feeding station where another fluid actuated pusher moves the stack horizontally from the shuttle car into the inlet of a strapping station where the stack is bundled with steel strapping in conventional fashion. After the stack is initially deposited at the inlet of the strapping station, a strap feed pusher vertically descends behind the stack and advances it further towards the strap station to clear the shuttle car which is then indexed back to its initial position adjacent the elevator for repeating the operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 12:29
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/82; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/11
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
290 words
A method of stacking bricks to form brick packs of predetermined layers, the steps comprising in combination: simultaneously taking from a source of at least two groups of bricks each group including at least one layer of bricks and placing the groups on a pair of elevators situated in side-byside relationship on one side of a conveyor path, successively taking additional groups of bricks from the source and directly stacking them on the elevators respectively, until a predetermined number of layers have been stacked on the elevators, transferring the stacked bricks from the elevators onto a pair of shuttle cars fixed to each other to be movable along the conveyor path, moving the shuttle cars together along the conveyor path until one shuttle car arrives at a discharge station for introducing the bricks into a further processing station such as a strapping station, transferring the bricks from the one shuttle car off the side of the conveyor path towards said steel strapping station, further moving The shuttle cars along said path until the other shuttle car is registered at said discharge station, removing the bricks from the other shuttle car off the side of the conveyor path towards said strapping station, returning the shuttle cars to their original positions adjacent said elevators, and repeating the above steps, and wherein there is further included the steps of taking certain brick layers from said two groups of bricks at said source and depositing them on horizontal plates situated on the side of the conveyor path opposite the elevators, removing certain bricks therefrom to form voids in said certain layers, moving said plates over said elevator and then withdrawing said plates to deposit said certain layers with the voids therein on the elevator.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
290 words
A method of stacking bricks to form brick packs of predetermined layers, the steps comprising in combination: simultaneously taking from a source of at least two groups of bricks each group including at least one layer of bricks and placing the groups on a pair of elevators situated in side-byside relationship on one side of a conveyor path, successively taking additional groups of bricks from the source and directly stacking them on the elevators respectively, until a predetermined number of layers have been stacked on the elevators, transferring the stacked bricks from the elevators onto a pair of shuttle cars fixed to each other to be movable along the conveyor path, moving the shuttle cars together along the conveyor path until one shuttle car arrives at a discharge station for introducing the bricks into a further processing station such as a strapping station, transferring the bricks from the one shuttle car off the side of the conveyor path towards said steel strapping station, further moving The shuttle cars along said path until the other shuttle car is registered at said discharge station, removing the bricks from the other shuttle car off the side of the conveyor path towards said strapping station, returning the shuttle cars to their original positions adjacent said elevators, and repeating the above steps, and wherein there is further included the steps of taking certain brick layers from said two groups of bricks at said source and depositing them on horizontal plates situated on the side of the conveyor path opposite the elevators, removing certain bricks therefrom to form voids in said certain layers, moving said plates over said elevator and then withdrawing said plates to deposit said certain layers with the voids therein on the elevator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the source of bricks is two groups of stacked bricks on a kiln car.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein after the bricks are removed from the conveyor path a vertical pusher member is lowered behind the bricks and moved horizontally to advance the bricks away from the conveyor path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein an overhead gripping mechanism containing two gripping heads is employed to transport the bricks from the source to the elevators.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein some of the layers of bricks are rotated 90* from their orientation at said source prior to depositing them on the elevators.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method defined in claim 1 further including the step of lowering vertical barrier members between the elevators and the conveyor path prior to removing the plates to deposit the layers of bricks with the voids therein on the elevators, the barrier plates serving to prevent movement of said certain layers of bricks with the voids therein in the direction of movement of the plates away from the elevators across the conveyor path.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of stacking bricks to form a multilayered pack of bricks containing voids in certain layers thereof to accommodate the tines of a fork lift truck, the method comprising in combination the steps of: sequentially removing layers of brick from a source and directly depositing the same on top of one another on an elevator to form a stack of bricks containing a predetermined number of layers and wherein one of said layers has a pair of voids formed therein for accommodating the forks of a tine lift truck, the voids in said one layer being formed by removing a layer of bricks from the source and depositing the same on a horizontal plate situated adjacent to said elevator, removing bricks from said one layer while on said plate to form said voids, moving said plate to overlie said elevator, and withdrawing said plate away from the elevator to deposit said one layer with the voids therein on the elevator.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of stacking bricks to form a multilayered pack of bricks containing voids in certain layers thereof to accommodate the tines of a fork lift truck, the method comprising in combination the steps of: sequentially removing layers of brick from a source and directly depositing the same on top of one another on an elevator to form a stack of bricks containing a predetermined number of layers and wherein one of said layers has a pair of voids formed therein for accommodating the forks of a tine lift truck, the voids in said one layer being formed by removing a layer of bricks from the source and depositing the same on a horizontal plate situated adjacent to said elevator, removing bricks from said one layer while on said plate to form said voids, moving said plate to overlie said elevator, and withdrawing said plate away from the elevator to deposit said one layer with the voids therein on the elevator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method defined in claim 7 wherein prior to withdrawing the plate away from the elevator to deposit said one layer of bricks with the voids therein, a barrier plate is lowered to one side of the elevator to prevent said one layer with the voids therein from moving in the direction of the plate when the plate moves away from the elevator to deposit said one layer with the voids therein on the elevator.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method defined in claim 7 wherein bricks are stacked on the elevator in two layers, wherein the voids are formed in one layer by removing two layers of brick from said source and depositing the lower of the two layers on the plate for forming voids therein and wherein after the layer with the voids therein is deposited on the elevator the remaining layer in said two layers is deposited on top of the layer with the voids.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
230 words
Apparatus for stacking bricks to form a pack of bricks having a predetermined number of layers therein, the apparatus comprising in combination: a conveyor path having an inlet station and a discharge station spaced from the inlet station along the conveyor path, a pair of shuttle cars movable along said conveyor path, said shuttle cars being fiXed to each other in predetermined spaced relationship to be movable in unison along said conveyor path, a pair of elevators situated generally at the inlet station on one side of the conveyor path to receive layers of bricks thereon successively until a predetermined number of layers is stacked thereon to form two brick packs, means for transferring stacks of bricks from said elevators onto said shuttle cars, means for moving said shuttle cars in unison along said conveyor path to successively align said brick packs at the discharge station, means at the discharge station for transferring the brick packs from the shuttle cars laterally of the conveyor path, and wherein there is further included a pair of horizontal plates situated on one side of said conveyor path opposite the elevators for receiving bricks thereon to form layers of bricks with voids therein, means for moving said plates in a horizontal plane to overlie said elevators, means for retracting said plates away from the elevators for depositing bricks on said elevators with voids therein.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
230 words
Apparatus for stacking bricks to form a pack of bricks having a predetermined number of layers therein, the apparatus comprising in combination: a conveyor path having an inlet station and a discharge station spaced from the inlet station along the conveyor path, a pair of shuttle cars movable along said conveyor path, said shuttle cars being fiXed to each other in predetermined spaced relationship to be movable in unison along said conveyor path, a pair of elevators situated generally at the inlet station on one side of the conveyor path to receive layers of bricks thereon successively until a predetermined number of layers is stacked thereon to form two brick packs, means for transferring stacks of bricks from said elevators onto said shuttle cars, means for moving said shuttle cars in unison along said conveyor path to successively align said brick packs at the discharge station, means at the discharge station for transferring the brick packs from the shuttle cars laterally of the conveyor path, and wherein there is further included a pair of horizontal plates situated on one side of said conveyor path opposite the elevators for receiving bricks thereon to form layers of bricks with voids therein, means for moving said plates in a horizontal plane to overlie said elevators, means for retracting said plates away from the elevators for depositing bricks on said elevators with voids therein.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus defined in claim 10 further including a pair of barrier plates movable in a vertical plane between the conveyor path and the elevators to contain bricks deposited on the elevator from said plates against movement horizontally off the elevators when the plates are retracted away from the elevators.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus defined in claim 10 further including a source of bricks including two groups of stacked bricks on a kiln car movable along a path parallel to said first conveyor path, and wherein there is further included brick gripping means for removing layers of bricks from the groups of the kiln car and depositing them directly on the elevators, said brick gripping means and said plates being aligned along the same path and said brick gripping means being movable over said plates to deposit certain layers of brick from said source on to the plates to have voids formed therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said means for transferring bricks from the elevators to the shuttle cars include a pair of horizontally movable pusher members and wherein said means at the discharge station for transferring bricks includes a third horizontally movable pusher member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
255 words
Apparatus for stacking bricks to form a multi-layered pack of bricks containing voids in certain layers thereof to accommodate the tines of a fork lift truck, the apparatus comprising in combination, an elevator having a horizontal platform, brick gripping means for sequentially removing layers of brick from a source and moving in a horizontal plane in one direction and then depositing the same on top of one another on the elevator platform to form a stack of bricks, a horizontal plate situated adjacent the elevator in alignment with said one direction for holding a layer of bricks thereon with said layer having voids formed in certain rows thereof, means mounting the horizontal plate for movement in a horizontal plane parallel to said one direction and overlying the elevator platform and the layers of bricks stacked on the elevator platform, and for retracting movement away from the elevator platform to deposit the layer of bricks with the voids therein on the previously stacked layer on the elevator, and a stop member adapted to overlie said plate when the plate overlies the elevator platform to prevent movement of the bricks on said plate in the direction of retraction of said plate when the plate is retracted to deposit the layer with the voids therein on the elevator and wherein said brick gripping means is also movable in said one direction over said plate when the plate is in retracted position for depositing a layer of bricks from said source on the plate to have voids formed therein.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
255 words
Apparatus for stacking bricks to form a multi-layered pack of bricks containing voids in certain layers thereof to accommodate the tines of a fork lift truck, the apparatus comprising in combination, an elevator having a horizontal platform, brick gripping means for sequentially removing layers of brick from a source and moving in a horizontal plane in one direction and then depositing the same on top of one another on the elevator platform to form a stack of bricks, a horizontal plate situated adjacent the elevator in alignment with said one direction for holding a layer of bricks thereon with said layer having voids formed in certain rows thereof, means mounting the horizontal plate for movement in a horizontal plane parallel to said one direction and overlying the elevator platform and the layers of bricks stacked on the elevator platform, and for retracting movement away from the elevator platform to deposit the layer of bricks with the voids therein on the previously stacked layer on the elevator, and a stop member adapted to overlie said plate when the plate overlies the elevator platform to prevent movement of the bricks on said plate in the direction of retraction of said plate when the plate is retracted to deposit the layer with the voids therein on the elevator and wherein said brick gripping means is also movable in said one direction over said plate when the plate is in retracted position for depositing a layer of bricks from said source on the plate to have voids formed therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3260379A
Cited
US3491901A
Cited
US3471036A
Cited
US3608746A
Cited
US3656635A
Cited
US3834298A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-03 | 1979-05-05 | 1979-11-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-03 | 1983-05-05 | 1983-11-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-03 | 1987-05-05 | 1987-11-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |