Pallet reassembly system

A board installation mechanism configured to install a board into a partially assembly pallet, the board installation mechanism comprising:

• a platform;
• a board magazine disposed above the platform, the board magazine forming an enclosure having a board disposed therein and an open bottom end;
• and
• a board pusher including an insertion plate and a linear actuator, wherein the board rests on an upper surface of the insertion plate through the open bottom end thereof when the board is disposed within the board magazine, wherein the linear actuator is configured to reciprocate the insertion plate over an upper surface of the platform between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, wherein the fully retracted position includes the insertion plate moved beyond a position of the board magazine to cause the board resting on the upper surface of the insertion plate while disposed within the board magazine to fall by gravity through the open bottom end of the enclosure onto the upper surface of the platform, and wherein reciprocation of the board pusher from the fully retracted position to the fully extended position includes the insertion plate pushing the board along the upper surface of the platform and over a portion of the partially assembled pallet.

A pallet reassembly system configured for reassembling a partially assembled block pallet towards a fully assembled block pallet, the fully assembled block pallet including at least a first layer of boards, a second layer of boards spaced apart from the first layer of boards, and a layer of blocks disposed between the first layer of boards and the second layer of boards, the pallet reassembly system comprising:

• a block installation mechanism configured to install one of the blocks into a gap formed within the partially assembled block pallet between one of the boards of the first layer and one of the boards of the second layer, the block installation mechanism including:
• a board spreader configured to reciprocate in a direction towards or away from the gap of the partially assembled block pallet, the board spreader including a guide structure including a bottom wall and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from opposing sides of the bottom wall, the guide structure defining a channel configured to slidably receive the one of the blocks therein in the direction towards or away from the gap, wherein a finger is rotatably coupled to each of the sidewalls of the guide structure, wherein each of the fingers includes an upper surface having a tapered portion, wherein, during movement of the board spreader in the direction towards the gap, an engagement of the tapered portion of the upper surface of each of the fingers with the one of the boards of the first layer of boards causes the height of the gap to increase to an increased height greater than a height of the one of the blocks;
• and
• a block pusher configured to slidably push the one of the blocks along the channel and into the gap when the gap is at the increased height and when the one of the boards of the first layer of boards is engaging the upper surface of each of the respective fingers, wherein the block pusher includes a contact element configured to make direct contact with the one of the blocks and a linear actuator configured to reciprocate the contact element within the channel of the board spreader, wherein a sliding of the one of the blocks into the gap when at the increased height includes the one of the blocks engaging an inner surface of each of the respective fingers to cause outward rotation of each of the respective fingers until a lateral space between the inner surfaces of the fingers is greater than a width of the one of the boards of the first layer of boards, thereby disengaging the one of the boards of the first layer of boards from the upper surface of each of the fingers to cause the one of the boards of the first layer of boards to engage the installed one of the blocks when resting on the one of the boards of the second layer of boards;
• and
• a board installation mechanism configured to install one of the boards into one of the first layer of boards or the second layer of boards, the board installation mechanism including:
• a platform;
• a board magazine disposed above the platform, the board magazine forming an enclosure having the one of the boards disposed therein and an open bottom end;
• and
• a board pusher including an insertion plate and a linear actuator, wherein the one of the boards rests on an upper surface of the insertion plate through the open bottom end thereof when the one of the boards is disposed within the board magazine, wherein the linear actuator is configured to reciprocate the insertion plate over an upper surface of the platform between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, wherein the fully retracted position includes the insertion plate moved beyond a position of the board magazine to cause the one of the boards resting on the upper surface of the insertion plate while disposed within the board magazine to fall by gravity through the open bottom end of the enclosure onto the upper surface of the platform, and wherein reciprocation of the board pusher from the fully retracted position to the fully extended position includes the insertion plate pushing the one of the boards along the upper surface of the platform and to a desired position within the first layer of boards.