Package stacking method and apparatus

Apparatus for stacking packages comprising a pair of elongated support plates positioned side by side in a horizontal plane, feeding means for feeding packages one by one directly on to one end of said support plates such that the force imparted to the packages on the feeding means is transferred to the packages on the support to cause each package on the support to move the package ahead thereof longitudinally of said plates to form a plurality of successive rows of a predetermined number of packages, said plates having perforations in upper surfaces thereof, means for directing air upwardly through said perforations to provide an air cushion for packages being formed in rows on said plates, longitudinal guides along opposite sides of the support plates spaced laterally apart sufficiently to prevent the packages from rotating during movement over said plates, first stop means at an opposite end of the support plates to engage the leading package of each row for stopping movement of each row onto or along the support when the predetermined number of packages are on the plates, means to stop the packages from being fed to the support plates when said leading package is engaged by the first stop means, depressible elevator positioned beneath the support plates and extending the length thereof, means connected to the support plates operable to shift the plates away from and towards each other after each row is formed thereon to deposit said row on to the elevator, means for depressing the elevator by substantially one package thickness after each row is deposited thereon, thereby forming stacks of predetermined numbers of packages on the elevator, a conveyor beside the elevator and extending longitudinally the length thereof, said conveyor being positioned at the level of the elevator when said elevator is in its lowermost depressed position, a first wall extending longitudinally on the side of the elevator remote from the conveyor above the elevator when the latter is in said lowermost position and a further wall extending longitudinally on the side of the elevator opposite from the first wall, said first and further walls positioned to confine the stacks of packages therebetween on the elevator as the stacks are being formed thereon, said first wall also being a portion of a pusher for pushing the stacks transversely across the elevator onto the conveyor, said pusher also including power means connected to said first wall and operable to shift the first wall across the elevator and back again to shift the package stacks in a row laterally off the elevator and on to the conveyor and said further wall being shiftable to an inoperative position to permit the movement of the stacks by the pusher from the elevator to the conveyor.

Apparatus for stacking packages comprising an elongated horizontal support, means for feeding packages one by one on to one end of the support to cause each package to move the package ahead thereof longitudinally of the support to form a plurality of successive rows of a predetermined number of packages, longitudinal guides along opposite sides of the support spaced laterally apart sufficiently to prevent the packages from rotating during movement over the support, first stop means at an opposite end of the support to engage the leading package of each row to stop said each row when the predetermined number of packages are on the support, said first stop means comprising means for directing air longitudinally over the support in the direction opposite to the movement of the packages along said support to stop said movement, second stop means adjacent said one end of the support operable to stop the packages from being fed to the support when said leading package is engaged by the first stop means, depressible elevator positioned beneath the support and extending the length thereof, means for shifting the support after each row is formed thereon to deposit said row on to the elevator, means for depressing the elevator by substantially one package thickness after each row is deposited thereon, thereby forming stacks of predetermined numbers of packages on the elevator, a conveyor beside the elevator and extending longitudinally the length thereof, said conveyor being positioned at the level of the elevator when said elevator is in its lowermost depressed position, a pusher positioned on the side of the elevator remote from the conveyor just above the elevator when the latter is in said lowermost position, and power means connected to said pusher operable to shift the pusher across the elevator and back again to shift the package stacks in a row laterally off the elevator and on to the conveyor.

Apparatus for stacking packages comprising a pair of elongated support plates positioned side by side in a horizontal plane, means for feeding packages one by one on to one end of said support plates to cause each package to move the package ahead thereof longitudinally of said plates to form a plurality of successive rows of a predetermined number of packages, said plates having perforations in upper surfaces thereof, means for directing air upwardly through said perforations to provide an air cushion for packages being formed in rows on said plates, longitudinal guides along opposite sides of the support plates spaced laterally apart sufficiently to prevent the packages from rotating during movement over said plates, first stop means at an opposite end of the support plates to engage the leading package of each row to stop said each row when the predetermined number of packages are on the plates, second stop means adjacent said one end of the plates operable to stop the packages from being fed to the support plates when said leading package is engaged by the first stop means, a depressible elevator positioned beneath the support plates and extending the length thereof, means connected to the support plates operable to shift the plates away from and towards each other after each row is formed thereon to deposit said row on to the elevator, means for depressing the elevator by substantially one package thickness after each row is deposited thereon, thereby forming stacks of predetermined numbers of packages on the elevator, a conveyor beside the elevator and extending longitudinally the length thereof, said conveyor being positioned at the level of the elevator when said elevator is in its lowermost depressed position, a pusher positioned on the side of the elevator remote from the conveyor just above the elevator when the latter is in said lowermost position, and power means connected to said pusher operable to shift the pusher wall across the elevator and back again to shift the package stacks in a row laterally off the elevator and on to the conveyor, said means for shifting the support plates comprising a plurality of longitudinally-spaced cross members mounted above and extending transversely relative to said support plates, a pair of blocks slidably mounted on each cross member one above each plate, connectors connecting each plate to the blocks thereabove, linkage means interconnecting said blocks and operable to shift the blocks connected to each of said plates, and power means connected to said linkage to operate the linkage to shift the blocks and the plates connected thereto towards and away from each other.