Method and apparatus for removing an article from a tray

A de-traying method for removing articles from trays, the method comprising:

• having a plurality of trays, each of the trays having a base and a bottom that is liftable from said base, each of said trays further having a rim around the base and an opening in said base, that is covered by said bottom, some of said trays being large trays and some of said trays being small trays that are smaller than said large trays, said opening in said large trays being larger that said opening in said small trays;
• transporting a tray that is supporting an article on said bottom to a detraying assembly;
• detraying the article at said detraying assembly by elevating the bottom at least to the level of the tray rim with an article lifter from below the tray, the article lifter comprising a lifting base and a plurality of blocks fixed to said lifting base, said blocks being lifting blocks that are sized and arranged to engage the tray bottom through said opening in response to the lifting base being elevated and some of said blocks being guide blocks that are sized and arranged to maintain orientation of the tray with said guide blocks positioned outside of the tray adjacent the rim;
• wherein said blocks are sized and arranged on said lifting base wherein at least two of said blocks are lifting blocks and at least one of said blocks is a guide block whether the article is being detrayed from a large tray or a small tray and whether the article is being detrayed from a tray being oriented with its long edge leading or its short edge leading;
• and
• laterally displacing the article off of the elevated tray bottom.

A de-traying apparatus adapted to remove articles from trays, each of the trays having a base and a bottom that is liftable from said base, each of said trays further having a rim around the base and an opening in said base that is covered by said bottom, some of said trays being large trays and some of said trays being small trays that are smaller than said large trays, said opening in said large trays being larger than said opening in said small trays;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a transport that is adapted to transport a tray that is supporting an article on said bottom to a detraying assembly;
• said detraying assembly adapted to elevate the bottom at least to the level of the tray rim with an article lifter from below the tray, said article lifter comprising a lifting base and a plurality of blocks fixed to said lifting base, some of said blocks being lifting blocks that are sized and arranged to engage the tray bottom through said opening in response to the lifting base being elevated and some of said blocks being guide blocks that are sized and arranged to maintain orientation of the tray with said guide blocks positioned outside of the tray adjacent the rim;
• wherein said blocks are sized and arranged on said lifting base with at least two of said blocks being lifting blocks and at least one of said blocks being a guide block whether the article is being detrayed from a large tray or a small tray and whether the article is being detrayed from a tray being oriented with its long edge leading or its short edge leading;
• and
• a diverter laterally displacing the article off of the elevated tray bottom.