Apparatus and method for effecting movement of selected tiers of stacked articles using pressure differentials

A device for effecting relative movement between a plurality of selected tiers of articles and a reference surface having said selected tiers stacked thereon with said selected tiers having a bottom tier adjacent said reference surface, said device comprising:

• partial enclosure means having a top wall member and side wall members configured to receive said selected tiers of articles so that said top wall member and said side wall members of said partial enclosure means and said bottom tier of said tiers of articles define a substantially enclosed area, said side wall members including movable means connected to said side wall members, said movable means being urged to a position contiguous to said bottom tier of said selected tiers of articles upon reduction of fluid pressure within said substantially enclosed area, and said movable means including fluid channeling means whereby said reduced fluid pressure within said partial enclosure means is established adjacent to substantially all said selected tiers of articles received by said partial enclosure means;
• means for reducing fluid pressure within said substantially enclosed are so that said selected tiers are maintainable within said substantially enclosed area solely by said reduced fluid pressure;
• and
• means for causing relative movement between said selected tiers of articles and said reference surface, said movement having a vertical component.

An apparatus for creating a desired arrangement of articles stacked in tiers and units enabling definition of desired groupings of said articles stacked in tiers, said apparatus comprising:

• first conveying means for conveying said articles stacked in tiers to a work area;
• second conveying means for conveying said units to said work area;
• third conveying means for conveying said groupings of articles away from said work area;
• fourth conveying means for conveying said units away from said work area;
• fifth conveying means for conveying said units to said work area at a position above said second conveying means;
• partial enclosure means at said work area configured to receive at least two of said tiers of said articles, said at least two of said tiers of said articles including a bottom tier of articles, said partial enclosure means and said bottom tier of articles of said at least two of said tiers of said articles defining a substantially enclosed area;
• means for reducing fluid pressure within said substantially enclosed area so that said at least two of said tiers of articles are maintainable within said substantially enclosed area solely by said reduced fluid pressure;
• and
• means for causing relative movement between said at least two of said tiers of said articles and said first conveying means at said work area, said movement having a vertical component.

A method for causing separation between a plurality of preselected tiers of articles arranged in a stack and an initial reference surface for establishing a new reference surface beneath said plurality of preselected tiers, each tier in said plurality of preselected tiers being independently movable with respect to one another, said method comprising;

• partially enveloping said plurality of preselected tiers in a partial enclosure having a top wall and a plurality of side walls positionable adjacent to said plurality of preselected tiers;
• establishing a pressure differential effecting said plurality of preselected tiers of articles within said partial enclosure sufficient to move movable portions of said side walls spaced from said top wall into contact with at least a lowermost tier of said plurality of preselected tiers of articles and to support said plurality of preselected tiers without support provided by said initial reference surface;
• channeling said pressure differential to said lowermost tier of said plurality of preselected tiers of articles through said movable portions of said side walls;
• sealing said partial enclosure against said lowermost tier of said plurality of preselected tiers of articles;
• moving one of said effected plurality of preselected tiers of articles and said initial reference surface to establish a spatial separation therebetween;
• providing said new reference surface at said spatial separation;
• moving one of said effected plurality of preselected tiers of articles and said new reference such that said effected plurality of preselected tiers of articles and said new reference surface are contiguous to one another;
• and
• terminating said pressure differential effecting said plurality of preselected tiers of articles.