Can end handling system

A system for receiving end members from a continuous supply of end members and loading end members on a plurality of empty tray members and stacking a plurality of loaded tray members on a pallet member for transport to a processing station and the system comprising:

• a tray loading station for loading end members on an empty tray member;
• a palletizing station for stacking loaded tray members one on top of another on a pallet member;
• a plurality of tray members, each tray member having a quadrilateral peripheral configuration being made of molded plastic material and comprising:
• four peripheral side wall portions;
• a central wall portion located between and integrally connected to said side wall portions;
• and
• a plurality of parallel equally spaced equal length elongated compartment means of identical cross-sectional configuration extending between one pair of opposite side wall portions and parallel to another pair of opposite side wall portions;
• a plurality of pallet members for supporting and transporting tray members to and from the loading station and the palletizing station;
• an empty tray member supply elevator means for supplying empty tray members to the loading station and supporting a pallet member with a plurality of stacked empty tray members mounted on the empty tray pallet member for sequentially transporting the empty tray pallet member and the stack of empty tray members thereon toward the loading station;
• tray holding means at the loading station for receiving and holding one empty tray member at a time received from the stack of empty tray members on the empty tray pallet member;
• loading means at said loading station located on one side of said tray holding means laterally opposite one of said side walls of said tray members for laterally moving end members into the compartment means on the empty tray member held by the holding means and filling the compartment means with end members to provide a loaded tray member;
• loaded tray conveyor means for moving a loaded tray member from the end member loading station to another processing station;
• said loading means comprising shuttle tray means for receiving and holding said individual stacks of end members prior to transfer to an empty tray member;
• and
• said shuttle tray means comprising a number of troughs equal to the number of compartment means on said tray means.