Item movement apparatus
AssigneePositive Automation Ltd.
InventorColin Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to apparatus and a method for the loading of trolley shelves with containers and particularly, although not exclusively, to the loading of trolleys which are known as cage trolleys and which can carry containers which are provided to be removed directly therefrom and purchased, such as containers of milk. The apparatus and method allows loading of groups of containers onto the respective trolley shelves to be performed whilst the trolleys are retained at a fixed location with respect to the loading apparatus.
Claims19
Apparatus for the loading of a plurality of containers into a trolley comprising:
- a base, side walls, a rear wall and a front access opening and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves onto which the containers are placed, wherein said apparatus includes a collating means at which a group of said containers required to be moved onto a specific shelf of the trolley are located, and movement means for moving the said group of containers from the collating means to the height of the said specific shelf and then onto the said shelf with the trolley remaining in a fixed position with respect to the movement means during the loading of the containers onto the said shelves.
Apparatus for the loading of a plurality of containers into a trolley comprising:
- a base, side walls, a rear wall and a front access opening and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves onto which the containers are placed, said apparatus includes a collating means at which a plurality of said containers required for filling a shelf are located on a surface, movement means for moving the said group of containers onto the shelf and wherein a former or shoe is provided intermediate the collating means and the trolley and through which the group of containers for a particular shelf is moved prior to entering the trolley.
A method of loading a trolley with a plurality of containers, said containers located on shelves of the trolley, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving the trolley to be loaded to a loading position, moving a number of the containers to a collating means to form a group of containers to be loaded onto a specific shelf, wherein the trolley is maintained in a fixed position, and moving the group of containers to the height of the said specific shelf and moving the group of containers onto the shelf.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.