Semi-automatic lifting system

In an apparatus for reducing manual handling and lifting of cases which are to be stacked onto and unstacked from pallets by an operator, the apparatus including at least one conveyor on which the cases are movable, the improvement comprising:

• a box-like support frame open along at least one vertical face thereof, the conveyor being disposed along the opposite face thereof and adjacent to the support frame, the upper surface portions of the conveyor being disposed slightly below the upper surfaces of the frame;
• first station means mounted centrally of the support frame for supporting the operator;
• at least one case-receiving station means carried on one end of the frame adjacent the first station means and including a planar support member for receiving one of the pallets thereon, the planar support member being accessible through the open vertical face of the frame;
• vertically extensible means disposed in the case-receiving station means for supporting and vertically displacing the planar support member;
• and,
• control means disposed on the first station means and operable by the operator for actuating the vertically extensible means, the planar support member being thus positionable to cause at least the uppermost cases stacked on the pallet located on said planar support member to be disposed immediately above the upper surfaces of the frame, whereby the operator can manually displace the cases substantially horizontally toward and into surmounting relation to the conveyor to thereby position the cases on the conveyor, cases already on the conveyor being substationally horizontally displaceable by the operator to positions within the case-receiving station means for receipt into surmounting relation to the planar support member, lifting of the cases on movement to and from the conveyor being minimized.