US 5,207,727 AGranted

Can end handling system

AssigneeRapsco Incorporated

InventorsRonald A. Pearce, Ira D. Hooker, Jr.

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system for storing and transporting can end members comprising multiple tray units having multiple parallel rows of elongated compartments for receiving and supporting stacks of end members. The tray units are nestable and stackable one upon another to provide palletized loads of both empty and filled tray units. End loading and unloading apparatus is provided to enable simultaneous loading and unloading full tray compartments by simultaneous lateral movement of all of the stacks of end members between the tray compartments and a shuttle tray unit whereat all the stacks of end members are stored prior to loading and unloading of the tray unit. The shuttle tray unit is loaded and unloaded by stacking units of a lesser number than the number of tray compartments. The stacking units have elongated upper and lower jaw members which grip and carry a stack of end members between the shuttle tray unit and end member feed and track apparatus for conveying continuous strings of end members to and from the stacking units. Elevator and conveyor apparatus is provided to deliver stacks of empty tray members on a pallet to can end loading station and to stack and palletize loaded trays in a palletizing mode of operation; and to deliver stacks of filled tray members on a pallet to an end unloading station and to stack and palletize empty trays in a depalletizing mode of operation.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A system for receiving can end members from a supply of can end members and loading can end members on a plurality of empty tray units to provide a plurality of loaded tray units and for transporting unloaded tray units to a processing station and the system comprising:

a tray loading station for loading can end members on an empty tray unit;
a plurality of tray units, each tray unit having a quadrilateral peripheral configuration and 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 for receiving and holding a stack of can end members;
each of said compartment means comprising:
laterally spaced upwardly outwardly extending opposite wall portions having side surfaces for supporting engagement with peripheral portions of an horizontally extending stack of can end members located in said compartment means;
stack insertion and removal opening means in said one pair of opposite side wall portions for enabling horizontal movement therethrough of a stack of can end members during insertion in and removal from said compartment means of a stack of can end members;
stack abutment means in each of said one pair of opposite side wall portions at opposite ends of said compartment means for supporting retaining engagement with opposite end portions of the stack of can end members received therein;
and
a lifting tool access slot means associated with said stack abutment means and extending through one of each of said one pair of opposite side wall portions for enabling insertion into said compartment means of a lifting tool device to engage and lift can end members above said stack abutment means for removal of the stack of can end members by horizontal movement through the stack insertion an removal opening means;
stack forming means adjacent said tray loading station for forming a plurality of substantially equal-length individual stacks of multiple can end members approximately equal in length to the length of said compartment means;
tray holding means at the loading station for receiving and holding one empty tray unit at a time;
and
can end member stack loading means at said loading station for laterally horizontally moving a stack of can end members through said insertion and removal opening means into each of the compartment means on the empty tray unit and filling each of the compartment means with a stack of can end members to provide a loaded tray unit.

13 more elements

A system for handling can end members comprising:

tray means having a plurality of parallel-spaced, elongated can end holding compartments extending from one side of said tray means to an opposite side of said tray means for holding a plurality of spaced parallel rows of elongated stacks of can end members;
cover means permanently mounted on said tray means for covering said can end holding compartments and can end members supported therewithin and being movable between a collapsed stowed position within said can end holding compartments when no can end members are present in said can end holding compartments and a raised open position in upward spaced relationship to and covering can end members located in said can end holding compartments;
opening and closing means for moving said cover means between said collapsed stowed position and said open can end member covering and holding position;
can end member loading means for loading can end members into said can end holding compartments when said cover means is in said open can end member covering position;
and
can end member unloading means for removing can end members from each of said can end holding compartments when said cover means is in said open can end member covering position.

3 more elements

A tray unit for receiving a plurality of stacks of can end members for transporting a plurality of stacks of can end members to a processing station and comprising:

four peripheral side wall portions;
a central wall portion located between and integrally connected to said side wall portions;
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 for receiving and holding a stack of can end members;
each of said compartment means comprising:
laterally spaced upwardly outwardly extending opposite wall portions having side surfaces for supporting engagement with peripheral portions of an horizontally extending stack of can end members located in said compartment means;
stack insertion and removal opening mean in said one pair of opposite side wall portions for enabling horizontal movement therethrough of a stack of can end members during insertion in and removal from said compartment means of a stack of can end members;
stack abutment means in each of said one pair of opposite side wall portions at opposite ends of said compartment means for supporting retaining engagement with opposite end portions of the stack of can end members received therein;
and
a lifting tool access slot means associated with said stack abutment means and extending through each of said one pair of opposite side wall portions for enabling insertion into said compartment means of a lifting tool device to engage and lift can end members above said stack abutment means for removal of the stack of can end members by horizontal movement through the stack insertion and removal opening means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/723,066Filed 28 Jun 1991 · continuation in part
Priority: 6 Jul 1990
Granted: 4 May 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65D 71/70
Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural…:…
B65B 5/068
Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles: in trays
B65B 69/00
Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
Y10S 206/821
Special receptacle or package: stacking member