ARTICLE DESTACKING APPARATUS

• US 3,622,149 A
• Filed: 10/08/1969
• Issued: 11/23/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Videojet Systems International Incorporated Elk Grove Village Illinois
• Original Assignee: Albert G. Enskat
• Inventors: Enskat, Albert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wegbreit, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoner, Jr., Bruce H.
• Application Number:
  US04/864,708
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 271/35,37,38,18,DIG.7 214/8.5A,8.5B,8.5G,8.5SS
• US Class Current: 271/35
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/042 separating from the bottom of the pile

Abstract

Apparatus for destacking a stack of articles for subsequent handling, the apparatus including a displaceable destack arm arranged to intercept the oversized portion of an article stack; a stack support arm spaced upstream of the destack arm, the stack support arm being normally held out of the path of movement of the article stack; and means responding to contact of the oversized stack portion with the destack arm to move the stack support arm into supporting position behind the article stack to support the stack during destacking thereof.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for reducing the size of an oversized stack of articles to facilitate handling thereof, the combination of, article conveying means for carrying said article stack forward;

at least one destacking member arranged above said conveying means so as to intercept the oversize portion of said article stack and offset articles comprising said oversized stack portion relative to one another into partially shingled relationship whereby the overall size of said stack is reduced, said destacking member permitting said conveying means to carry the remainder of said stack forward underneath said destacking member as said stack overall size is reduced, and at least one stack supporting member adapted to support the trailing side of said article stack while the size of said article stack is reduced so as to prevent undesired changes in article orientation.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 including means mounting said stack supporting member for movement from a neutral position out of the path of movement of said stack to a stack supporting position behind said stack trailing edge and, means responsive to interception of said stack oversized portion by said destacking member for moving said stack supporting member into said stack supporting position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 including means supporting said destacking member for limited movemment by said stack form a stack intercepting position to a destacking position;

said stack supporting member moving means comprising said destAcking member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, including means for returning said destacking member to said stack intercepting position and said stack supporting member to said neutral position on reduction of said article stack to a predetermined normal size.

5. An apparatus for reducing the size of a stack of articles to facilitate handling thereof, comprising, a destacking member adapted to be disposed in the path of movement of the stack of articles at a predetermined height above the lowermost article of said stack such that any portion of said stack above said predetermined height is intercepted by said destacking member;

means supporting said destackimg member for limited lost motion in the direction of movement of the stack from a stack intercepting position to a destacking position;

a stack supporting member upstream of said destacking member and normally positioned out of the path of said stack so as to permit said stack to pass thereby unimpeded toward said destacking member;

means supporting said stack supporting member for movement into a position behind the stack; and

means drivingly connecting said stack supporting member with said destacking member such that movement of said destacking member from said stack intercepting position to said stack destacking position moves said stack supporting member behind said stack whereby to support the articles comprising said stack against undesired reorientation while said articles are being destacked.

6. In an apparatus for handling stacks of articles, the combination of:

means for conveying said stacks along a predetermined path;

means disposed astride said predetermined path to intercept the portion of any stack above a preset height;

means supporting said intercept means for movement so that contact of a stack with said intercept means moves said intercept means therewith;

stack support means adapted to move into supporting position behind any stack intercepted by said intercept means to support the intercepted stack upper portions against excessive rearward displacement while said stack is in contact with said intercept means; and

means operatively connecting said stack support means with said intercept means such that movement of said intercept means following contact thereof with a stack moves said support means into supporting position behind said stack.