Method for handling palletized loads

A method of storing and moving loaded wood pallets along an inclined roller-type gravity conveyor having a pair of elongated brake flanges and a pair of elongated roller assemblies disposed adjacent the brake flanges, the wood pallet having transversely extending top and bottom wood deckboards nailed to at least two longitudinally extending outer stringers which are disposed directly adjacent the opposite side edges of the pallet, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the pallet on the conveyor adjacent the upper or inlet end thereof such that the bottom deckboards extend transversely across the conveyor with the outer stringers being disposed substantially directly over the brake flanges so that the nails which secure the bottom wood deckboards to the outer stringers are also positioned directly over the brake flanges and are sidewardly spaced from the roller assemblies;
• raising the roller assemblies upwardly relative to the brake flanges such that the rollers directly engage the bottom wood deckboards at a location directly adjacent but spaced slightly inwardly from the outer stringers for lifting the pallet upwardly a limited extent out of engagement with the brake flanges;
• permitting the pallet to move downwardly along the conveyor due to the urging of gravity when the pallet is held out of engagement with the brake flanges;
• lowering the roller assemblies and the pallet supported thereon so that the outer ends of the bottom deckboards in the regions where they are nailed to the outer stringers are pounded against the brake flanges to both prevent loosening of the nails and effect stopping of the pallet;
• repeating the above raising and lowering steps in a cyclic manner at the rate of several cycles per minute to effect controlled gravity-urged movement of the pallet along the conveyor coupled with repetitive impacting of the outer ends of the bottom deckboards against the brake flanges to prevent loosening of the nails and cause intermittent stopping of the pallet;
• and
• effecting automatic recentering of the loaded pallet during the lowering thereof for maintaining the nails positioned directly over the brake flanges.