Corner post application system

A corner post application system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem adapted to linearly move a load containing a plurality of units;
• an enveloping machine adapted to envelope said plurality of units with a material such that said plurality of units are bound together, said enveloping machine aligned with said conveyor subsystem such that said conveyor subsystem delivers the load to said enveloping machine;
• a swing arm;
• an applicator arm coupled to said swing arm and adapted to move linearly;
• a corner post gripper coupled to said applicator arm;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said swing arm about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a corner post held by said corner post gripper is aligned with adjacent sides that define a corner of the load, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said swing arm about said vertical pivot axis and to move said applicator arm linearly toward the corner of the load until a first side of the corner post held by said corner post gripper contacts a first one of said adjacent sides of the load and a second side of the corner post contacts a second one of said adjacent sides of the load, and further including a corner post holder adapted to supply corner posts to said corner post gripper, said corner post holder including a carousel adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, said carousel including a plurality of separate holding units with each said holding unit adapted to retain a plurality of corner posts.

A corner post application system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem adapted to linearly move a load containing a plurality of units;
• an enveloping machine adapted to envelope said plurality of units with a material such that said plurality of units are bound together, said enveloping machine aligned with said conveyor subsystem such that said conveyor subsystem delivers the load to said enveloping machine;
• a swing arm;
• an applicator arm coupled to said swing arm and adapted to move linearly;
• a corner post gripper coupled to said applicator arm;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said swing arm about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a corner post held by said corner post gripper is aligned with adjacent sides that define a corner of the load, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said swing arm about said vertical pivot axis and to move said applicator arm linearly toward the corner of the load until a first side of the corner post held by said corner post gripper contacts a first one of said adjacent sides of the load and a second side of the corner post contacts a second one of said adjacent sides of the load, and further including;
• a plurality of additional swing arms,
• a plurality of additional applicator arms, and
• a plurality of additional corner post grippers;
• wherein separate ones of each said additional swing arm, said additional applicator arm, and said additional corner post gripper are adapted to place a corner post at another corner of the load in the same manner as said swing arm, said applicator arm, and said corner post gripper.

A corner post application system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem adapted to linearly move a load containing a plurality of units;
• an enveloping machine adapted to envelope said plurality of units with a material such that said plurality of units are bound together, said enveloping machine aligned with said conveyor subsystem such that said conveyor subsystem delivers the load to said enveloping machine;
• a swing arm;
• an applicator arm coupled to said swing arm and adapted to move linearly;
• a corner post gripper coupled to said applicator arm;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said swing arm about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a corner post held by said corner post gripper is aligned with adjacent sides that define a corner of the load, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said swing arm about said vertical pivot axis and to move said applicator arm linearly toward the corner of the load until a first side of the corner post held by said corner post gripper contacts a first one of said adjacent sides of the load and a second side of the corner post contacts a second one of said adjacent sides of the load, wherein said corner post gripper includes at least one extension guide coupled thereto, said extension guide extending horizontally farther than a corner post held by said corner post gripper such that, during movement of the held corner post toward the load, said extension guide will contact the load prior to the held corner post if there is misalignment between the first and second sides of the held corner post with the adjacent sides of the load.

A corner post application system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem adapted to linearly move a load containing a plurality of units;
• an enveloping machine adapted to envelope said plurality of units with a material such that said plurality of units are bound together, said enveloping machine aligned with said conveyor subsystem such that said conveyor subsystem delivers the load to said enveloping machine;
• a swing arm;
• an applicator arm coupled to said swing arm and adapted to move linearly;
• a corner post gripper coupled to said applicator arm;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said swing arm about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a corner post held by said corner post gripper is aligned with adjacent sides that define a corner of the load, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said swing arm about said vertical pivot axis and to move said applicator arm linearly toward the corner of the load until a first side of the corner post held by said corner post gripper contacts a first one of said adjacent sides of the load and a second side of the corner post contacts a second one of said adjacent sides of the load, wherein said corner post gripper is generally V-shaped and includes a pair of fingers, said fingers being mounted to said corner post gripper for aligned inward and outward pivoting movement relative to one another with each said finger including a projection, said corner post gripper being adapted to selectively hold a corner post by inward pivoting of said fingers whereby said projection of one said finger engages the first side of the corner post and said projection of the other said finger engages the second side of the corner post.

A corner post application system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem adapted to linearly move a load containing a plurality of units;
• an enveloping machine adapted to envelope said plurality of units with a material such that said plurality of units are bound together, said enveloping machine aligned with said conveyor subsystem such that said conveyor subsystem delivers the load to said enveloping machine;
• a swing arm;
• an applicator arm coupled to said swing arm and adapted to move linearly;
• a corner post gripper coupled to said applicator arm;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said swing arm about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a corner post held by said corner post gripper is aligned with adjacent sides that define a corner of the load, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said swing arm about said vertical pivot axis and to move said applicator arm linearly toward the corner of the load until a first side of the corner post held by said corner post gripper contacts a first one of said adjacent sides of the load and a second side of the corner post contacts a second one of said adjacent sides of the load, and further including a lifting subsystem adapted to lift a slip sheet positioned on top of said load while a corner post is moved into contact with the load, and including a sheet folding subsystem adapted to upwardly fold a bottom sheet positioned beneath a load.

A corner post application system for applying corner posts to a load having at least two sides that define a load corner, said corner post application system comprising:

• a corner post supply;
• a corner post applicator adapted to move a corner post from said corner post supply to the load corner;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said corner post applicator about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a retained corner post is aligned with the load corner, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said corner post applicator about said vertical pivot axis and to move said corner post completely linearly toward the load corner until contact is made between the corner post and the load, and further including a sensor adapted to detect the load corner and wherein said sensor is mounted for rotational movement with said corner post applicator and detects the load corner by repetitively measuring a distance between said sensor and the load as said corner post applicator rotates and wherein said controller determines when a minimum value for said distance is measured.

A corner post application system for applying corner posts to a load having at least two sides that define a load corner, said corner post application system comprising:

• a corner post supply;
• a corner post applicator adapted to move a corner post from said corner post supply to the load corner;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said corner post applicator about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a retained corner post is aligned with the load corner, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said corner post applicator about said vertical pivot axis and to move said corner post completely linearly toward the load corner until contact is made between the corner post and the load, wherein said corner post supply includes a carousel adapted to rotate about a vertical axis wherein said carousel includes a plurality of separate holding units, and wherein each said holding unit retains a plurality of said corner posts in a vertical orientation by a least one frictional retainer.

A corner post application system for applying corner posts to a load having at least two sides that define a load corner, said corner post application system comprising:

• a corner post supply;
• a corner post applicator adapted to move a corner post from said corner post supply to the load corner;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said corner post applicator about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a retained corner post is aligned with the load corner, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said corner post applicator about said vertical pivot axis and to move said corner post completely linearly toward the load corner until contact is made between the corner post and the load, wherein said corner post supply includes a plurality of carousel corner post holders associated with said corner post applicator, said controller adapted to control said corner post applicator so as to enable said corner post applicator to pick a corner post from one of said carousel corner post holders.

A corner post application system for applying corner posts to a load having at least two sides that define a load corner, said corner post application system comprising:

• a corner post supply;
• a corner post applicator adapted to move a corner post from said corner post supply to the load corner;
• and
• a controller adapted to rotate said corner post applicator about a vertical pivot axis until said controller determines a retained corner post is aligned with the load corner, said controller thereafter adapted to stop rotation of said corner post applicator about said vertical pivot axis and to move said corner post completely linearly toward the load corner until contact is made between the corner post and the load, wherein said corner post applicator includes a corner post gripper having at least one extension guide coupled thereto, said extension guide extending horizontally farther than a corner post held by said corner post gripper such that, during movement of the held corner post toward the load, said extension guide will contact the load prior to the held corner post if there is misalignment between the held corner post and the adjacent sides of the load.