# US 10,479,615 B1 · Item infeed apparatus and method for a palletizer system

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- Number: US 10,479,615 B1
- Document ID: US10479615B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/526,592
- Filed: 2019-07-30
- Published: 2019-11-21
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-23
- Assignees: Top Tier, LLC
- Applicants: Top Tier, LLC
- Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson; Stephen L. Heston
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479615B1

## CPC

- B65G 47/2445: {by means of at least two co-operating endless conveying elements}
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

An infeed apparatus includes an item manipulator that orients items such as cases in a desired orientation as determined by a build menu, and a row build apparatus that is synchronized with the manipulator to space items pursuant to the build menu. The manipulator uses a pusher to push items across a friction belt to thereby orient the items, and includes sensors for determining when an item is in an incorrect orientation. The row build receives items from the pusher and is selectively advanced to locate items in a desired relative orientation so that rows of items are built correctly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of arranging items in rows on a palletizing system row build conveyer, each item having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the method comprising the steps of:
a. delivering a first item to a first conveyer;
b. delivering the first item from the first conveyer to a row build conveyer with the first item in a known row build conveyer position such that the position of the trailing edge of the first item is known and so that the first item is correctly oriented on the row build conveyer;
c. delivering a second item to the first conveyer;
d. delivering the second item from the first conveyer to the row build conveyer in a predetermined position relative to the first item, wherein the position of the second item relative to the first item is determined by the known position of the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 including delivering the first item to the row build conveyer with an item engagement device that engages the trailing edge of the first item to register the known position of the trailing edge of the first item at a known row build conveyer position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2 in which the known position of the trailing edge of the first item is determined by detecting the position of the item engagement device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3 in which the item engagement device is defined by a pusher bar.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2 including delivering the second item to the row build conveyer with an item engagement device that engages the trailing edge of the second item to register the known position of the trailing edge of the second item at a known row build conveyer position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5 in which the known position of the trailing edge of the second item is determined by detecting the position of the item engagement device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 in which the item engagement device is defined by a pusher bar.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7 wherein the step of positioning the second item on the row build conveyer in a predetermined position relative to the first item includes positioning the second item so that the leading edge of the second item abuts the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 wherein the step of positioning the second item on the row build conveyer in a predetermined position relative to the first item includes positioning the second item so that the leading edge of the second item is spaced apart from the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9 including advancing the first item on the row build conveyer a known distance so that the leading edge of the second item is spaced apart from the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the second item is delivered to the row build conveyer with the leading edge of the second item spaced from the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the second item is delivered to row build conveyer with the leading edge of the second item abutting the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7 including providing a motor to drive the pusher bar and wherein the position of the pusher bar is detected by an encoder in the motor.

### Claim 14

A method of assembling items in rows on a palletizing system row build conveyer, each item having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the method comprising the steps of:
a. on a first conveyer
i. delivering a first item;
ii. engaging the first item with an engagement member and aligning the first item so that the trailing edge of the first item is aligned with the engagement member;
iii. determining the position of the engagement member to establish the position of the trailing edge of the first item;
b. delivering the first item to a row build conveyer with an engagement member and with the engagement member determining the position of the trailing edge of the first item on the row build conveyer;
c. on the first conveyer
i. delivering a second item;
ii. engaging the second item with an engagement member and aligning the second item so that the trailing edge of the second item is aligned with the engagement member;
iii. determining the position of the engagement member to establish the position of the trailing edge of the second item;
d. delivering the second item to the row build conveyer with the engagement member so that the second item is in a desired position relative to the first item.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including determining the position of the engagement member with an encoder associated with a motor adapted for activating the engagement member.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15 in which the desired position of the second item relative to the first item on the row build conveyer is determined by the position of the trailing edge of the first item.

### Claim 17

In a palletizing system, a method of assembling rows of items prior to assembling the rows into a layer, each item having a leading surface and a trailing surface, the method comprising the steps of:
a. delivering a first item to a first conveyer and determining the position of the trailing surface of the first item on the first conveyer;
b. delivering the first item to a second conveyer and determining the position of the trailing surface of the first item on the second conveyer;
c. delivering a second item to the second conveyer and determining the position of the trailing edge of the second item on the second conveyer;
e. engaging a surface of the second item on the second conveyer with an engagement member and positioning the second item on the second conveyer such that the position of the second item on the second conveyer relative to the first item on the second conveyer is determined by the position of the trailing surface of the first item on the second conveyer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method according to claim 17 in which the second item is delivered to the second conveyer such that there is a gap between the trailing surface of the first item and the leading surface of the second item.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18 in which the gap is formed by advancing the first item on the second conveyer by a known distance.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method according to claim 17 in which the second item is delivered to the second conveyer such that the trailing surface of the first item and the leading surface of the second item abut one another.