Machine and method for palletizing cylindrical articles

Claim 1

Apparatus for accumulating a plurality of cylindrical articles and for grouping them together in a stack comprising, in combination; conveyor means for sequentially conveying cylindrical articles upwardly along a first incline and for sequentially dumping the articles into cradle means positionable adjacent the top of said first incline; generally trough-shaped first cradle means mounted adjacent said conveyor means for receiving cylindrical articles dumped from said conveyor means and for collecting the articles in rows; index means for indexing said cradle means downwardly along a second incline aside said first incline in steps as successive rows of cylindrical articles are collected in said cradle means; roller means located alongside said first cradle means and defining a second cradle means which is aligned with said first cradle means when indexed to a lowermost position, so that a collection of rows of articles can be laterally transferred from said first cradle means to said second cradle means; means for supporting a pallet aside said collection of articles which is transferred to said second cradle means, said pallet being supported in a generally vertical orientation and in article receiving alignment with said transferred collection of articles; and means operative to rotate said second cradle means to position which places said supported pallet in generally horizontal position with said collection of articles vertically supported on the pallet.