Multiple level loading apparatus and method

• US 6,503,043 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lebleu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lebleu Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Marlin H., Smith, Jerry Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Charles A.
• Application Number:
  US09/690,202
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 414/331.01, 414/331.04, 414/331.08, 414/331.11, 414/331-3-3, 414/331.18, 414/280
• US Class Current: 414/331.14
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/00 Loading or unloading of vehicles B65G67/00

Abstract

A loading apparatus for vertically stacking a plurality of articles includes a staging assembly. The staging assembly includes a staging platform configured to receive and support the articles. The staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of vertical levels. The staging assembly further includes a lift drive to raise and lower the staging platform, and a positioning system to move the articles off of the staging platform at selected ones of the plurality of levels. A conveyor assembly is configured to transport the articles to the staging assembly. The positioning system may be operable to remove the articles from the conveyor assembly and position the articles on the staging platform. The positioning system may be operative to position the articles on the staging platform while the lift drive is raising or lowering the staging platform. The conveyor assembly may include a transfer conveyor and a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from the transfer conveyor, the staging conveyor being movable with the staging platform and pivotally connected to the transfer conveyor.

Claims

1. A loading apparatus for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said loading apparatus comprising:

a) a staging assembly including;

a staging platform configured to receive and support the articles, wherein said staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of positions adjacent the shelves of the rack;

a lift drive to raise and lower said staging platform; and

a positioning system to position the articles on said staging platform while said lift drive is raising or lowering said staging platform and to move the articles onto the shelves of the rack; and

b) a conveyor assembly configured to transport the articles to said staging assembly.

2. The loading apparatus of claim 1 wherein said conveyor assembly includes a transfer conveyor and a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from said transfer conveyor, wherein said staging conveyor is movable with said staging platform and pivotally connected to said transfer conveyor.

3. The loading apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said staging platform is configured to support an array of the articles;

said conveyor assembly is configured to transport the articles seriatim; and

said positioning system is operative to position rows of the articles from said conveyor assembly onto said staging platform to form an array of the articles and to thereafter move the array of articles from said staging platform onto a shelf of the rack.

4. The loading apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

said conveyor assembly is operative to position the articles adjacent said staging platform such that the articles are aligned along an axis; and

said positioning system is operative to push the articles onto said staging platform in a direction substantially perpendicular to said axis.

5. The loading apparatus of claim 1 including a rack conveyor system comprising a rack drive, said rack drive operable to position the rack adjacent said staging platform.

14. The loading apparatus of claim 1 including a controller operative to automatically control said lift drive and said positioning system.

6. A loading apparatus for vertically stacking a plurality of articles, said loading apparatus comprising:

a) a staging assembly including;

a staging platform configured to receive and support the articles, wherein said staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of vertical levels;

a lift drive to raise and lower said staging platform; and

a positioning system to position the articles on said staging platform while said lift drive is raising or lowering said staging platform and to move the articles off of the staging platform at selected ones of said plurality of levels; and

b) a conveyor assembly configured to transport the articles to said staging assembly.

7. The loading apparatus of claim 6 wherein said positioning system is operable to move the articles from said conveyor assembly to said staging platform.

8. The loading apparatus of claim 6 wherein said conveyor assembly includes a transfer conveyor and a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from said transfer conveyor, wherein said staging conveyor is movable with said staging platform and pivotally connected to said transfer conveyor.

15. The loading apparatus of claim 6 including a controller operative to automatically control said lift drive and said positioning system.

9. A loading apparatus for placing an array of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said loading apparatus comprising:

a) a staging assembly including;

a staging platform configured to receive and support the array of the articles, wherein said staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of positions adjacent the shelves of the rack;

a lift drive to raise and lower said staging platform; and

a positioning system to position the articles on said staging platform and to move the articles onto the shelves of the rack;

b) a conveyor assembly configured to transport the articles to said staging assembly, said conveyor assembly including;

a transfer conveyor configured to transport the articles seriatim;

a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from said transfer conveyor and to position the articles adjacent said staging platform such that the articles are aligned along an axis;

wherein said staging conveyor is movable with said staging platform and pivotally connected to said transfer conveyor;

c) wherein said positioning system is operative to push rows of the articles from said conveyor assembly onto said staging platform in a direction substantially perpendicular to said axis to form the array of articles while said lift drive is raising or lowering said staging platform and to thereafter move the array of articles from said staging platform onto a shelf of the rack.

10. The loading apparatus of claim 9 including a rack conveyor system comprising a rack drive, said rack drive operable to position the rack adjacent said staging platform.

16. The loading apparatus of claim 9 including a controller operative to automatically control said lift drive and said positioning system.

11. A method for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically raising or lowering a staging platform to a position adjacent a selected shelf of the rack;

automatically placing the articles on the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering; and

thereafter, automatically moving the articles from the staging platform to the selected shelf.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of placing the articles on the support platform includes:

transporting the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering; and

pushing the articles onto the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of placing the articles on the support platform includes:

transporting a first row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, pushing the first row of the articles onto the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, transporting a second row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, pushing the second row of the articles onto the staging platform and adjacent the first row of the articles while the staging platform is raising or lowering to form an array of the articles on the staging platform; and

thereafter, pushing the array of the articles from the staging platform onto the selected shelf of the rack.

17. A loading apparatus for placing a plurality of bottles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said loading apparatus comprising:

a) a staging assembly including;

a staging platform configured to receive and support the bottles such that the bottles are vertically oriented, wherein said staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of positions adjacent the shelves of the rack;

a lift drive to raise and lower said staging platform; and

a positioning system to position the bottles on said staging platform and to move the bottles onto the shelves of the rack such that the bottles are vertically oriented on the shelves of the rack; and

b) a conveyor assembly configured to transport the bottles to said staging assembly such that the bottles are vertically oriented;

c) wherein said positioning system is operative to position the bottles on said staging platform while said lift drive is raising or lowering said staging platform.

18. A method for placing a plurality of bottles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said method comprising the steps of:

raising or lowering a staging platform to a position adjacent a selected shelf of the rack;

placing the articles on the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering such that the bottles are vertically oriented; and

thereafter, moving the bottles from the staging platform to the selected shelf such that the bottles a re vertically oriented on the selected shelf.

19. A loading apparatus for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said loading apparatus comprising:

a) a staging assembly including;

a staging platform configured to receive and support an array of the articles, wherein said staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of positions adjacent the shelves of the rack;

a lift drive to raise and lower said staging platform; and

a positioning system to position the articles on said staging platform and to move the articles onto the shelves of the rack; and

b) a conveyor assembly configured to transport the articles to said staging assembly seriatim;

c) wherein said positioning system is operative to;

push rows of the articles a first push distance from said conveyor assembly onto said staging platform to form an array of the articles; and

thereafter push the array of articles a second push distance from said staging platform onto a shelf of the rack;

wherein the second push distance is greater than the first push distance; and

d) wherein said positioning system is operative to position the articles on said staging platform while said lift drive is raising or lowering said staging platform.

20. A method for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack, said method comprising the steps of:

raising or lowering a staging platform to a position adjacent a selected shelf of the rack;

transporting a first row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, pushing the first row of the articles a first push distance onto the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, transporting a second row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering;

thereafter, pushing the second row of the articles a second push distance onto the staging platform and adjacent the first row of the articles while the staging platform is raising or lowering to form an array of the articles on the staging platform; and

thereafter, pushing the array of the articles a third push distance from the staging platform onto the selected shelf of the rack;

wherein the third push distance is greater than each of the first and second push distances.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first and second push distances are the same.