Method and apparatus for automated stacking of sheet material bundles
AssigneeFirestone Building Products Company, LLC
InventorBruce Foster DOUGLAS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for preparing a bundle of sheet material for transport. The automated apparatus includes a cutting assembly for cutting slats, or spacers, from scrap sheet material, a pick and place assembly for positioning and securing the slats to the underside of a bundle, and a stacking assembly for stacking bundles prior to removal for shipping or storage. The slats, once cut, are automatically placed in guide channels and then positioned beneath the bundle while glue is applied thereto. The glued edges are then automatically pressed against the bundle to secure the slats to the bundle, thereby creating space beneath the bundle to allow a forklift to manipulate the bundles.
Claims20
An automated process of preparing a bundle of sheet material for transport comprising:
- automatically cutting a slat from a piece of material;
- automatically moving the slat into a guide channel;
- automatically applying glue to the slat;
- automatically positioning the slat under a bundle of sheet material;
- automatically pressing the glued surface of the slat against the bottom of the bundle.
An automated method of preparing stacked sheet material for transport comprising:
- providing a piece of a material;
- providing a bundle of stacked sheet material;
- automatically cutting slats from the piece of a material;
- automatically placing the slats into one of a plurality of guide channels;
- automatically applying glue to an edge of the slats;
- automatically positioning the slats under the bundle;
- and
- automatically pressing the glued edge of the slat against the bottom of the bundle.
An automated apparatus for preparing a bundle of sheet material for transport comprising:
- a cutting assembly including a feed conveyor and a saw adapted to cut slats from sheet material;
- and
- a pick and place assembly including a placement device adapted to pick up and move the cut slats, guide channels, glue heads, and a conveyor having vertically movable channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.