Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading system is provided for loading articles supplied from a first location at a rate commensurate with the rate at which articles are supplied from the first location into trays and for unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location at a rate commensurate with the demand for articles at the second location, and for balancing a supply of articles loaded onto trays with variations in both the rate of supply thereof and the rate of demand therefor. The system includes a tray loading station, and a tray loading apparatus for loading articles supplied from the first location into trays at tray loading station. An infeed device feeds articles to the loading apparatus in a predetermined, orderly fashion. At a stacking station, a stacking device stacks article-filled trays to form a supply thereof for use on demand. An outfeed device delivers articles on demand to the second location in a predetermined, orderly fashion.

Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading system is provided for loading articles supplied from a first location at a rate commensurate with the rate at which articles are supplied from the first location into trays and for unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location at a rate commensurate with the demand for articles at the second location, and for balancing a supply of articles loaded onto trays with variations in both the rate of supply thereof and the rate of demand therefor. The system includes a tray loading station, and a tray loading apparatus for loading articles supplied from the first location into trays at tray loading station. An infeed device feeds articles to the loading apparatus in a predetermined, orderly fashion. At a stacking station, a stacking device stacks article-filled trays to form a supply thereof for use on demand. An outfeed device delivers articles on demand to the second location in a predetermined, orderly fashion.

Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading system is provided for loading articles supplied from a first location at a rate commensurate with the rate at which articles are supplied from the first location into trays and for unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location at a rate commensurate with the demand for articles at the second location, and for balancing a supply of articles loaded onto trays with variations in both the rate of supply thereof and the rate of demand therefor. The system includes a tray loading station, and a tray loading apparatus for loading articles supplied from the first location into trays at tray loading station. An infeed device feeds articles to the loading apparatus in a predetermined, orderly fashion. At a stacking station, a stacking device stacks article-filled trays to form a supply thereof for use on demand. An outfeed device delivers articles on demand to the second location in a predetermined, orderly fashion.

Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading system is provided for loading articles supplied from a first location at a rate commensurate with the rate at which articles are supplied from the first location into trays and for unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location at a rate commensurate with the demand for articles at the second location, and for balancing a supply of articles loaded onto trays with variations in both the rate of supply thereof and the rate of demand therefor. The system includes a tray loading station, and a tray loading apparatus for loading articles supplied from the first location into trays at tray loading station. An infeed device feeds articles to the loading apparatus in a predetermined, orderly fashion. At a stacking station, a stacking device stacks article-filled trays to form a supply thereof for use on demand. An outfeed device delivers articles on demand to the second location in a predetermined, orderly fashion.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling and packaging articles such as can ends is capable of receiving a continuous flow of articles and automatically delivering groups of articles of a prescribed number, disposed in a nested condition, to a packaging station. The apparatus comprises a plurality of generally parallel elongate lanes for simultaneously handling articles, one of the lanes being articles to the packaging station. A transport aligned for delivering arrangement linearly advances articles along at least the one aligned lane toward the packaging station. A pick-and-place device is selectively movable between positions in alignment with each of the lanes for selectively transferring articles to the one aligned lane from the other lanes. A control apparatus controls a predetermined sequence of operation of the transport arrangement and of the pick-and-place device for providing a substantially continuous supply of articles to the packaging station.

Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading system is provided for loading articles supplied from a first location at a rate commensurate with the rate at which articles are supplied from the first location into trays and for unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location at a rate commensurate with the demand for articles at the second location, and for balancing a supply of articles loaded onto trays with variations in both the rate of supply thereof and the rate of demand therefor. The system includes a tray loading station, and a tray loading apparatus for loading articles supplied from the first location into trays at tray loading station. An infeed device feeds articles to the loading apparatus in a predetermined, orderly fashion. At a stacking station, a stacking device stacks article-filled trays to form a supply thereof for use on demand. An outfeed device delivers articles on demand to the second location in a predetermined, orderly fashion.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for de-palletizing and de-bagging stacks of articles such as can ends is disclosed. The de-palletizing apparatus removes a single layer of bags and discharges single bags of articles in seriatim order to a tilt tray comprising part of the de-bagging apparatus. The tilt tray moves the bag of articles to a vertical position, and inserts the bagged articles in a movable pocket at a loading station. Opposed clamps engage the bottom of the bag and a pin below the bag is forced upwardly, thereby pushing the articles in the bag upwardly so as to form a void at the bag bottom. The movable pocket is then moved past a slitter station, where the bag bottom is severed and discarded, to a de-bagging station. The opposed clamps are released, and a second set of movable clamps engage the bag to force the bag upwardly. As the bag moves upwardly, a pair of opposed rollers draw the bag off the stacked articles. The now-debagged stack of articles is moved to a discharge station.

Abstract: An article infeed unit includes a plurality of carrier pocket devices movable to and away from an article delivery station, and a confronting receiver pocket is mounted at the delivery station. The receiver pocket has upstanding sides, and the sides are partly defined by vertical margins confronting the carrier pocket. On demand, a spreader cam operates to spread the receiver pocket side margins apart from one another, so as to accommodate passage of the articles from the carrier pocket into the receiving pocket. At the bottom of the receiving pocket, a base plate is inserted, and the inserted articles rest upon this base member. After the spreader cam is withdrawn, the receiver pocket sides close around the articles. Thereafter, the base plate is withdrawn, and the received articles to descend through the receiver pocket toward a processing device.

Abstract: Apparatus for de-palletizing and de-bagging stacks of articles such as can ends is disclosed. The de-palletizing apparatus discharges single bags of articles in seriatim order to a tilt tray comprising part of the de-bagging apparatus. The tilt tray delivers the bagged articles to a movable vertically oriented de-bagger pocket at a first or loading station. Opposed clamps engage the bottom of the bag and a pin below the bag is forced upwardly, thereby pushing the articles in the bag upwardly so as to form a void within the bag at the bag bottom. The movable pocket is then swung past a slitter station, where the bag bottom is severed and discarded. The now-severed bag and articles move to a second or de-bagging station, the bottom clamps are released, and a second set of clamps gently engages the bag. These clamps are moved upwardly to push and drag the bag upwardly from the stack of articles. As the bag moves upwardly, it is engaged in the nip of opposed rollers and drawn off and discarded.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for the automatic handling and bagging of articles, such as can ends, and thereafter depositing filled bags of said article on a pallet member in such a manner as to provide a plurality of layers of filled, palletized bags. The apparatus includes a receiving station which can handle a continuous flow of articles and provide individual stacks of articles disposed in facewise relationship for delivery to a bagging station. At the bagging station the stack of articles is automatically disposed with a bag to provide a filled bag. A collating station is provided which receives the filled bags from the bagging station and temporarily stores a layer of a number of filled bags in generally side-by-side horizontal disposition prior to palletizing. The collating station includes a discharger for depositing a layer of filled bags onto a palletizing station.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying a stack of can ends or the like to a downstream processing unit is provided. The apparatus comprises a transport system having a trough for accumulating, in stacked array, can ends delivered from an upstream source. Transport clamp means engage at least some of the stacked, accumulated can ends, and a transport drive moves the clamp means and can ends along the trough to a transfer station. The transfer system includes a pocket for supporting a stack of can ends transported thereinto by the transport means. A transfer clamp means engages at least some of the upstream can ends inserted into the pocket. A shelf is inserted into the pocket bottom for supporting the stack of can ends in the pocket when the transfer clamp means are withdrawn. The stack of can ends supported on the shelf can then be transferred to a carousel-type rotory infeed unit, or to a bagging machine, or to some other sort of downstream processing unit.