Palletizing system

Apparatus for handling and bagging articles, such as can ends, and thereafter depositing filled bags of said article on a pallet member in such a manner as to provide one or more layers of filled, palletized bags, said apparatus including:

• receiving station means for providing individual stacks of articles disposed in facewise relationship;
• transport means for delivery of a stack of articles from said receiving station;
• bagging station means for receiving a stack of articles from said receiving station, and including means for disposing said stack of articles within a bag to provide a filled bag;
• collating station means for receiving and temporarily storing a predetermined number of filled bags received from said bagging station, with said filled bags being disposed in generally side-by-side horizontal disposition prior to palletizing such that the said predetermined number of filled bags will define a layer of palletized bags once deposited on a pallet member, and discharge means for discharging a layer of filled bags from said collating station means;
• palletizing station means including means for receiving a pallet member preparatory to the disposition of one or more layers of filled bags on said pallet member by said collating station means;
• and said bagging station including means for maintaining a bag in position with the mouth of the bag open preparatory to reception of a stack of articles, said means including horn means for insertion into the open mouth of said bag, said horn means comprising an annular base member and a nose portion defined by a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers biased into engagement to provide said nose portion with a conical configuration, cam means on each said finger, said horn being moveable between a retracted position and an inserted position wherein the nose portion is disposed within the mouth of a bag, with movement to said inserted position causing said cam means to be engaged to spread said fingers, whereby a stack of articles can move through said annular base member and said spread fingers into a bag member.

Apparatus for handling and bagging articles, such as can ends, and thereafter depositing filled bags of said article on a pallet member in such a manner as to provide one or more layers of filled, palletized bags, said apparatus including:

• receiving station means for providing individual stacks of articles disposed in facewise relationship;
• transport means for delivery of a stack of articles from said receiving station;
• bagging station means for receiving a stack of articles from said receiving station, and including means for disposing said stack of articles within a bag to provide a filled bag;
• collating station means for receiving and temporarily storing a predetermined number of filled bags received from said bagging station, with said filled bags being disposed in generally side-by-side horizontal disposition prior to palletizing such that the said predetermined number of filled bags will define a layer of palletized bags once deposited on a pallet member, and discharge means for discharging a layer of filled bags from said collating station means;
• palletizing station means including means for receiving a pallet member preparatory to the disposition of one or more layers of filled bags on said pallet member by said collating station means;
• and said palletizing station means further including tape dispensing means for interweaving a plurality of strips of tape between the respective layers of filled bags disposed on said pallet member to maintain the respective layers in palletized relationship during subsequent transport, said tape dispensing means comprising at least two tape support units upon which rolls of tape may be mounted;
• drive means for said tape support units for moving said support units transversely and horizontally of the palletizing station, the respective tape support units arranged to move oppositely of each other thereby to interweave at least two strips of tape between respective layers of filled bags, but with the strips of tape disposed in opposite alternating orientation with respect to each said layer.

Palletizing apparatus for depositing elongate filled bags, or the like, on a pallet member said apparatus comprising:

• collating station means for receiving and temporarily storing a prescribed number of filled bags in side-by-side relationship in preparation for palletizing, which number of filled bags will define a layer of palletized bags once disposed on a pallet member;
• palletizing station means including, means for receiving a pallet member whereby a layer of filled bags can be transferred from said collating station means to said pallet member;
• said collating station means comprising a platen member upon which said filled bags in side-by-side relationship are received, which platen is disposed laterally of the palletizing station during receipt of filled bags, support means for said platen member including first drive means for moving said platen in the vertical direction, and second drive means for moving said platen horizontally and laterally, said platen being moveable initially vertically by the first drive means from a filled bag receiving position to a first position in relation to the level of bags at said palletizing station, and then said platen being movable horizontally by said second drive means to a discharge position in overlying relationship with respect to said palletizing station;
• and discharge means for removing a layer of filled bags from said platen and depositing said layer onto said palletizing station upon subsequent movement of said platen by said second drive means from said overlying discharge position.

A method for handling a plurality of bagged articles, such as can ends, and depositing a plurality of bags filled with said articles on a pallet member, said method comprising the steps of;

• depositing a plurality of filled bags on a moveable platen member, or the like;
• positioning said platen member in overlying relation to said pallet member;
• depositing all of said plurality of bags onto the pallet member as a group by moving said platen relative to said pallet member while restraining movement of said layer of filled bags, wherein said plurality of bags will define a layer of palletized bags;
• repeating the steps of, depositing bags on the platen member, positioning the platen over the pallet member, and depositing a layer of bags onto the pallet member to build up a plurality of layers of filled bags, and said method further including the step of interweaving at least two continuous strips of tape between the layers, the strips of tape being disposed oppositely to maintain the layers in position during transport, said step including, disposing sections of said strips on top of each layer of bags after disposition onto the pallet member.