Apparatus for handling packaged bottles, cans, or the like

Claim 1

Apparatus for handling cylindrical containers, in combination with a layer of the containers, wherein: the containers are of a cylindrical configuration, having an axis of cylindricity; the layer includes many of the containers, and includes packing spacers; the many containers are arranged, axes upright, in regular rows; the packing spacers are located between the containers, in such a manner that at least some of the containers are spaced and held apart from adjacent containers by the presence therebetween of a respective packing spacer; the apparatus includes a frame; the apparatus includes an attachment means which is suitable for attaching the frame to the carriage of a fork lift truck, the truck being of the kind having a raisable carriage and having a lift mast; the attachment means is so arranged that, when the apparatus is attached to the fork lift truck, the frame is attached to the carriage and is movable up and down the lift mast of the truck, but the frame is constrained against all other modes of movement relative to the truck; the apparatus is suitable for lifting the said layer; the circumference of the layer is rectangular in plan view, having front, back, left, and right, side edges; the apparatus includes front, back, left, and right pads; the apparatus includes a movable front gate, left gate, and right gate; the apparatus includes left and right gate pivot mount means, upon which the left gate and the right gate are mounted for pivoting movement relative to the frame, and which is so arranged that the left gate and the right gate depend downwardly from the frame; the left pad and the right pad are operatively attached respectively to the left gate and the right gate; the apparatus includes a means for constraining the back pad against bodily movement of the back pad relative to the frame in a direction towards and away from the front pad; the apparatus includes a front gate pivot mount means, upon which the front gate is mounted for pivoting movement relative to the frame, and which is so arranged that the front gate depends downwardly from the frame; the left and right gate pivot mount means are so arranged that the left and right gates are pivotable with respect to the frame for operative relative clamping movement of the left and right pads in a left-right sense; the front gate pivot mount means is so arranged that the front gate is pivotable with respect to the frame for operative clamping movement of the front pad relative to the back pad in a front-back sense; the apparatus includes means for operating the gates and pads in the said clamping movements; the left and right pads are arranged for operative contact respectively with the left and right side edges of the layer and the left and right gate pivot mount means and the means for operating the pads and gates are so arranged that, when operated, the left pad and the right pad clamp the layer between them in the left-right sense; the front and back pads are arranged for operative contact respectively with the front and back side edges of the layer, and the front gate pivot mount means and the means for operating the front gate and pad are so arranged that, when operated, the front pad and the back pad clamp the layer between them in the front-back sense; and each pad is so dimensioned as to apply clamp force to substantially all the containers lying along the full length of the respective side edges of the layer; the front pad and the back pad are so dimensioned as to extend beyond the left and right side edges of the layer; and the left and right pads are so dimensioned as to be free to move towards each other, and to clamp the layer, between the front and back pads, and without constraint from the front and back pads when the front and back pads are clamped to the layer.