Pallet stacking machine
AssigneeViking Engineering & Development, Incorporated
InventorMichael L. Letson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for stacking articles such as wooden pallets comprises a frame for supporting a carriage assembly that can be raised and lowered under control of a motor and where the carriage assembly supports an article grasping machine that is slidably mounted on the carriage assembly allowing horizontal movement of the article grasping assembly relative to the carriage. When using the machine to stack wooden pallets, a pallet may be picked up at a first location and elevated and translated so as to overlay a top pallet on a stack of pallets before the one being carried is released.
Claims14
A machine for removing finished pallets from a pallet nailing machine and placing the finished pallets in stacked relation, comprising:
- (a) means for grasping a finished pallet at said pallet nailing machine;
- (b) means for raising the grasping means holding the finished pallet to a predetermined height, said means for raising the grasping means including
- (i) an elongated vertical post having a first end affixed to the ground and a second end a predetermined distance above the around that is greater than said predetermined height,
- (ii) a collar surrounding the vertical post adapted to ride along an exterior surface of said post with an arm supporting said grasping means affixed at one end to the collar and projecting generally perpendicular to the post,
- (iii) a motor supported by the post proximate the second end for driving a first sprocket wheel,
- (iv) a second sprocket wheel journaled for rotation on said post proximate said first end, and
- (v) an endless chain deployed about the first and second sprocket wheels and secured to the collar for raising and lowering the collar along the post;
- (c) means for transporting the grasping means at said predetermined height to a position above a location where a stack is being formed;
- (d) means for lowering the grasping means until the finished pallet in the grasping means is atop the stack;
- and
- (e) means responsive to the finished pallet reaching the top of the stack for releasing the grasping means.
A machine for stacking articles, comprising:
- (a) a frame comprising a generally rectangular frame base with vertically extending corner posts of a predetermined length joined at upper ends thereof by a generally rectangular frame top;
- (b) first and second track members affixed to and longitudinally aligned with two adjacent ones of the corner posts, respectively;
- (c) a carriage assembly mounted between said first and second track members;
- (d) drive means coupled to said carriage assembly for reciprocally, vertically displacing the carriage assembly along said first and second track members;
- (e) article grasping means movably mounted on the carriage assembly for selectively engaging and disengaging with respect to an article to be stacked;
- and
- (f) means for transporting the article grasping means in a horizontal direction along the carriage assembly.
A pallet stacking machine comprising in combination:
- (a) a frame including
- (i) a generally rectangular base defining four corners,
- (ii) a vertically oriented elongated post at each of the four corners, and
- (iii) a plurality of top frame members extending between adjacent ones of the vertically oriented posts;
- (b) a pallet elevator mounted on the frame for engaging and lifting a pallet in a vertical direction, the pallet elevator having
- (i) a pair of elongated, horizontally disposed guide rails held in parallel, spaced-apart relation by vertical spacers located proximate opposed ends of the guide rails,
- (ii) roller means affixed to the opposed ends of the pair of guide rails, the rollers traveling in the guide tracks,
- (iii) a motor driven rotatable shaft journaled for rotation between the first and second adjacent ones of the vertically oriented posts,
- (iv) a sheave secured to the rotatable shaft, and
- (v) a cable wrapped about the sheave with a free end secured to one of the pair of guide rails;
- (c guide tracks affixed to first and second adjacent ones of the vertically oriented elongated posts for guiding said pallet elevator;
- and
- (d) means disposed on the pallet elevator for laterally translating a pallet in a horizontal direction from a pallet pick-up station to a pallet release station whereby a pallet can be carried from the pick-up station and placed atop a stack of pallets at the pallet release station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.