Case turning apparatus and method for a palletizer

A palletizing machine for arranging cases of goods in a patterned layer and then stacking the patterned layers one on top of another to form a load, the palletizing machine comprising:

• a conveyor system upon which the cases move in a direction of case travel;
• a turning device movable from a first vertical position above the cases on the conveyor system to a second vertical position wherein the turning device will collide with a case traveling in-line with the turning device, the turning device movable between the first vertical position and the second vertical position to collide with selective cases causing the selective cases to turn around an axis normal to the direction of case travel;
• first actuating means for moving the turning device between the first vertical position and the second vertical position;
• the turning device also being movable between a first position and a second position spaced from the first position in the direction of case travel;
• and
• a second actuating means for moving the turning device between the first position and the second position.

A method of turning cases of goods on a palletizer moving in a direction of case travel on a conveyor system about an axis normal to the direction of case travel, the method comprising:

• propelling a first case and a second case in close proximity to one another along a conveyor system in the direction of case travel with the longitudinal dimension of each case generally perpendicular to the direction of case travel;
• turning the first case and the second case approximately simultaneously about an axis normal to the direction of case travel to a new orientation where the longitudinal dimension of each case is generally parallel to the direction of case travel and the first case and the second case are in close proximity to one another;
• wherein at least at some point in time during the turning of the first case and the second case, the first case is in contact with the second case and pushes against the second case whereby the second case turns in response to the turning of the first case;
• and
• propelling the first case and the second case in close proximity to one another in the direction of case travel with the longitudinal dimension of each case generally parallel to the direction of case travel to an area of the conveyor system where the first and the second case are assembled along with other cases into a patterned layer of cases to form a load.