Automatic tray loading, unloading and storage system

An automatic unloading system for unloading articles, supplied from a first location in trays, such that said system may be used for balancing a supply of articles between said first location and a second location wherein the articles are being further processed, said system comprising:

• a tray unloading station;
• a plurality of outfeed lanes disposed adjacent said tray unloading station for receiving articles unloaded therefrom and delivering the same to said second location;
• a plurality of multi-channeled trays adapted to have a quantity of articles disposed therein in nested face-wise engagement;
• said tray unloading station comprising, means for accommodating a plurality of article-filled ones of said trays and for disposing a filled one of said trays in position for unloading said articles therefrom, unloading means comprising a plurality of generally parallel disposed pick-and-place devices each adapted to engage and thereafter discharge a stack of nested articles, operational means for said pick-and-place devices for moving said devices between a position overlying said multi-channeled trays and a position overlying said outfeed lanes, and control means for operating said pick-and-place devices individually to place stacks of nested articles into said outfeed lanes, and such that all of said pick-and-place devices acquire stacks of nested articles from said one of said filled trays simultaneously and thereupon said devices are moved into overlying relationship with respect to said outfeed lanes with the articles being discharged by the individual pick-and-place devices into said outfeed lanes;
• and wherein said pick-and-place devices are both movable and individually operable so that any one of said devices can place articles into any one of said outfeed lanes.