Pallet unloading apparatus and method

An apparatus for unloading a plurality of products arranged in groups on each tier sheet means of a plurality of tier sheet means disposed in a stack of tiers vertically oriented and supported on a pallet means, said apparatus comprising:

• a) a carrier means having at least a first side and a second side, a first end and a second end and a bottom connected for defining a holding chamber means for receiving said stack of tiers supported on said pallet means;
• b) a first drive means connected to said carrier means for rotating said carrier means from a first orientation for receiving said stack of tiers and said pallet means in said holding chamber to a second orientation for securing said stack of tiers and said pallet means in said holding chamber;
• c) a means for removing said each tier sheet means from said stack of tiers secured in said holding chamber and releasing said plurality of products from said stack of tiers;
• d) a conducting means for conducting said plurality of products from said holding chamber;
• and
• e) a means for urging said plurality of products to said conducting means for conducting said plurality of products out of said holding chamber.

A method for unloading a plurality of products arranged in groups on each tier sheet means of a plurality of tier sheet means disposed in a stack of vertically oriented tiers and supported on a pallet means including the steps of:

• a) loading said stack of tiers supported on said pallet means and said pallet means into a holding chamber means when said holding chamber means is in vertical orientation, standing on an end of said holding chamber means;
• b) rotating said holding chamber means from said vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, securing said stack of tiers and said pallet means in said holding chamber means;
• c) removing said each tier sheet means from said stack of tiers for destroying said stack of tiers and for releasing said plurality of products from said stack of tiers;
• d) rotating said holding chamber means from said horizontal orientation to a tilt orientation for pouring said plurality of products out of said holding chamber means.

A method for unloading a plurality of products arranged in groups on each tier sheet means of a plurality of tier sheet means, disposed in a stack of tiers vertically oriented on and secured to a pallet means including the steps of:

• a) loading said stack of tiers and said pallet means to which said stack of tiers is secured into a holding chamber defined by five connected sheet means when said holding chamber is vertically oriented;
• b) sectioning one sheet means of said five connected sheet means for collapsing said one sheet means into a pouring spout means for said holding chamber;
• c) rotating said holding chamber to a horizontal orientation for retaining said stack of tiers and said pallet means in said holding chamber;
• d) removing said each tier sheet means of said plurality of tier sheet means from said stack of tiers for destroying said stack of tiers and releasing said plurality of products from said stack of tiers;
• e) collapsing said sections of said one sheet means into said pouring spout means for said holding chamber;
• and
• f) rotating said holding chamber from said horizontal orientation toward said pouring spout means for draining said plurality of products from said holding chamber.