Pallet loading apparatus

Claim 1

In a pallet loading apparatus comprising means defining a package supporting surface at a package pickup station, means defining a pallet supporting surface at a pallet station which is spaced in a forward direction from said package pickup station, a movable frame, guide means confining said movable frame to movement in said forward direction and an opposite rearward direction and to vertical movement down to and up from a level at which the movable frame is spaced above said surfaces, and a pair of sets of fork members, one set adjacent to each of the laterally opposite sides of said frame, the fork members of each set being spaced apart in said forward direction and being constrained to partake of movements of said frame but being movable in unison relative to said frame between a closed position in which they cooperate with the fork members of the other set to support a package and an open position, the sets of fork members thus being cooperable with one another and said frame for picking up packages at said package pickup station, carrying them forward to said pallet station and depositing them on a pallet at said pallet station, said pallet loading apparatus being characterized by: A. a supporting shaft on said frame for each set of fork members, each said support shaft (1) extending along the lateral side of said frame that is adjacent to its set of fork members and (2) being confined to rotation on said frame; B. every fork member of each set being substantially L-shaped and comprising (1) an elongated upper section with upper and lower ends which has at its upper end a rigid connection with its supporting shaft and which in said closed position projects downward to a level beneath said frame, and (2) an elongated supporting section having one end connected to the lower end of said upper section and having an opposite tip end, said supporting section in said closed position projecting laterally inwardly beneath the frame from said upper section for supportingly underlying a package, said rigid connection enabling the fork members of the set to be swung between said closed position and said open position wherein said upper section projects laterally outwardly from the frame and said supporting section projects downwardly; C. the supporting section of every fork member having a joint (1) which is spaced along the supporting section from the tip end thereof and which defines an elongated swingable element of the supporting section that extends from said joint towards said tip end and (2) about which said swingable element is confined to swinging, through positions in which it extends at acute angles to said upper section, to and from a limit position in which it extends at substantially a right angle to said upper section; and D. a pair of package engaging members on said frame, one adjacent to each of said laterally opposite sides thereof, each having an upper portion and a lower portion, (1) said upper portion of each package engaging member being beneath said frame and (a) defining an upright surface that extends in said directions and opposes the upper portion of the other package engaging member and (b) being laterally inside the set of fork members at its side of the frame, and (2) said lower portion of each package engaging member (a) being so connected with its upper portion as to be confined to movement relative thereto between (i) an operative position in which a package engaging surface on the lower portion is below and substantially coplanar with said upright surface on its upper portion and (ii) a retracted position in which the lower portion is mainly disposed laterally outwardly of its upper portion and at a level no lower than that of the bottom edge of its upper portion, and (b) having apertures through which the supporting sections of the fork members at its side of the frame can extend, (3) said package engaging members being movable laterally relative to said frame towards and from one another to cooperate in confining packages between them against lateral displacement as the sets of fork members are swung to their open positions.