US 12,703,413 B2Granted

Automated loading and unloading apparatus

AssigneeDimension Product Solutions LP

InventorsGeorge T. Cook, Burt Lusk

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Abstract

A loading and unloading apparatus that includes a transport assembly and a lift assembly including a plurality of support members, where each of the support members is attached to the transport assembly and includes an actuator plate. A plurality of roller assemblies are movably attached to the support members and the actuator plates, where the roller assemblies move relative to the support members to move the lift assembly between a raised position and a lowered position, and where a drive vehicle engages the transport assembly to move the support members of the lift assembly through through-holes of a plurality of support structures holding products configured as a consolidated unit, until the transport assembly engages a first support structure of the consolidated unit. The roller assemblies move in different directions to raise and lower the lift assembly carrying the consolidated unit.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A loading and unloading apparatus comprising:

a transport assembly;
a lift assembly including a plurality of support members, wherein each of the support members is attached to the transport assembly, each of said support members including an actuator plate;
a plurality of roller assemblies movably attached to said support members and said actuator plates, wherein said roller assemblies move relative to said support member to move said lift assembly between a raised position and a lowered position,
wherein said actuator plates are moved by said transport assembly in a first direction which raises said support members to the raised position,
wherein said actuator plates are moved by said transport assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction which lowers said support members to the lowered position,
wherein a drive vehicle engages said transport assembly to move said support members of said lift assembly through through-holes of a plurality of support structures holding products configured as a consolidated unit, until said transport assembly engages a first support structure of said consolidated unit,
wherein said roller assemblies move in the first direction and raise said lift assembly to the raised position to raise the consolidated unit away from an underlying surface and move the consolidated unit to another location or into or out of a container, and
wherein said roller assemblies move in the second direction to lower said lift assembly to the lowered position to lower the consolidated unit toward the underlying surface and wherein the drive vehicle moves the transport assembly and the lift assembly away from the consolidated unit to remove the lift assembly from the consolidated unit.

5 more elements

A loading and unloading apparatus comprising:

a transport assembly including a frame;
a lift assembly including support members each having a plurality of interconnected intermediate members and a drive member connected to one of said intermediate members, each of said intermediate members including a housing and an intermediate actuator plate that moves relative to said housing, and said drive member including a drive actuator plate, wherein said intermediate actuator plates and said drive actuator plate are coupled together to form an actuator plate in each of said support members;
a plurality of roller assemblies movably attached to said support members, wherein said plurality of roller assemblies move said lift assembly between a raised Position and a lowered position;
wherein said actuator plates are moved by said transport assembly in a first direction which raises said support members to the raised position,
wherein said actuator plates are moved by said transport assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction which lowers said support members to the lowered position,
wherein when said lift assembly is in the lowered position, a drive vehicle engages said transport assembly to move said support members of said lift assembly through through-holes of a plurality of support structures holding products configured as a consolidated unit, until said transport assembly engages a first support structure of said consolidated unit,
wherein said roller assemblies move said lift assembly to the raised position to raise the consolidated unit away from an underlying surface and enable the drive vehicle to move the consolidated unit to another location or into or out of a container, and
wherein said roller assemblies move said lift assembly to the lowered position to lower the consolidated unit to the underlying surface to enable the drive vehicle to move the lift assembly away from the consolidated unit and remove the consolidated unit from the lift assembly.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.