Bottom support grasping device

Claim 1

In a robotic palletizer of the type used to transport an item having at least two opposed sides, a top, and a bottom, from a support surface at a first location to a second location, an improved grasping device comprising: a movable roller carriage attached to and part of said robotic palletizer, said movable roller carriage movable to a position above said first location and to a position above said second location; a first palm carried by said movable roller carriage, said first palm including a substantially flat vertical plate extending downwardly from said movable roller carriage for contacting a first side of said item; a second palm carried by said movable roller carriage, said second palm including a substantially flat vertical plate extending downwardly from said movable roller carriage for contacting a second opposed side of said item; at least one of said palms being movable mounted for movement toward and away from the other of said palms to claim the item therebetween; a bottom support palm carried by and movable generally horizontally along said movable roller carriage for contacting and supporting said bottom of said item, said bottom support palm having a plurality of fingers eminating from a lower edge of said bottom support palm at generally right angles to a vertical component of said bottom support palm toward said second palm, said bottom support palm mounted for inboard movement to a location under said item with said fingers extending under one of said psalms when said grasping device is in said first location; a clamping plate carried by said movable roller carriage between said first and said second palms, said clamping plate movable vertically to contact said top of said item at said first location; and elevating means mounted at said first location independent of said movable roller carriage, said elevating means capable of lifting and supporting said item above said support surface so that said fingers of said bottom support palm can be positioned below said item as said bottom support palm is moved inboard along said movable roller carriage.