Dismantling system
AssigneeAlliance Automation, LLC
InventorsBoyd S. Foulk, Justin Haverstock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for dismantling a pallet includes a feed system configured to convey the pallet along a direction of travel. The feed system has a measuring station and a staging area. The measuring station is configured to obtain dimensions of the pallet. A saw is configured to dismantle the pallet. A manipulator includes a robotic arm. The manipulator is configured to move the pallet from the staging area to the saw for dismantling.
Claims16
A method of dismantling a pallet comprising the steps of:
- providing a manipulator and a saw configured to dismantle the pallet;
- and
- guiding the pallet through the saw with the manipulator, wherein the guiding of the pallet through the saw includes orienting the pallet with the manipulator, wherein the orienting of the pallet includes a plane formed by a plurality of deck boards of the pallet arranged parallel to a cut plane of a blade of the saw and a longitudinal axis of each of the deck boards arranged at an oblique angle relative to a direction of travel of the pallet when the pallet is guided through the saw.
A method of dismantling a pallet comprising the steps of:
- providing a pallet including a pair of parallel spaced apart decks, each of the decks formed from a plurality of deck boards, the pallet including a plurality of stringers extending between the pair of decks;
- providing a manipulator and a saw configured to dismantle the pallet;
- and
- guiding the pallet through the saw with the manipulator to separate the plurality of deck boards and the plurality of stringers, wherein the guiding of the pallet through the saw comprises the steps of:
- positioning the blade of the saw intermediate the plurality of deck boards of a first one of the pair of decks and the plurality of stringers;
- and
- advancing the pallet through the saw in a direction of travel to remove the deck boards of the first one of the pair of decks with the blade of the saw.
A method of dismantling a pallet comprising the steps of:
- providing a pallet including a deck formed from a plurality of deck boards, the pallet including a stringer extending transversely from the deck;
- providing a manipulator and a saw configured to dismantle the pallet;
- and
- guiding the pallet through the saw with the manipulator to separate the plurality of deck boards and the stringer, wherein the guiding of the pallet through the saw comprises the steps of:
- positioning the blade of the saw adjacent the stringer while abutting a surface of the deck with the stringer positioned upstream of the blade of the saw with respect to the direction of travel;
- and
- advancing the pallet through the saw in the direction of travel to remove the stringer from the deck.
A method of dismantling a pallet comprising the steps of:
- providing a pallet including a deck formed from a plurality of deck boards, the pallet including a plurality of stringers extending transversely from the deck;
- providing a manipulator and a saw configured to dismantle the pallet;
- and
- guiding the pallet through the saw with the manipulator to separate the plurality of deck boards and the plurality of stringers, wherein the guiding of the pallet through the saw comprises the steps of:
- positioning the blade of the saw intermediate a first one of the plurality of stringers and a second one of the plurality of stringers and abutting a surface of the deck, wherein the first one of the plurality of stringers is upstream of the blade of the saw with respect to the direction of travel;
- advancing the pallet through the saw in the direction of travel to remove the first one of the plurality of stringers from the deck;
- positioning the blade of the saw adjacent the second one of the plurality of stringers and abutting the surface of the deck, wherein the second one of the plurality of stringers is upstream of the blade of the saw with respect to the direction of travel;
- and
- advancing the pallet through the saw in the direction of travel to remove the second one of the plurality of stringers from the deck;
- and
- releasing the plurality of deck boards of the second one of the pair of decks from the end of arm tool to completely dismantle the pallet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.