Abstract: Apparatus and methods for handling pallets, such as for inspection and sorting, are disclosed. In a disclosed embodiment, an up-ender includes a support frame, a pallet-tilting mechanism coupled in a pivotal manner to the frame, and first and second generally upright pusher arms coupled to the frame. The pallet-tilting mechanism is pivotable between an up position and a down position, such that when the pallet-tilting mechanism is in the up position, an upright stack of pallets can be loaded onto the pallet-tilting mechanism and when pivoted to the down position, the stack is rotated about 90° so that the pallets become generally vertically oriented. The pallet-tilting mechanism also is adapted to displace the stack of vertically oriented pallets along a support surface. The pusher arms are positioned to receive the stack of pallets from the pallet-tilting mechanism and automatically index the pallets in the stack along the support surface.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for handling pallets, such as for inspection and sorting, are disclosed. In a disclosed embodiment, an up-ender includes a support frame, a pallet-tilting mechanism coupled in a pivotal manner to the frame, and first and second generally upright pusher arms coupled to the frame. The pallet-tilting mechanism is pivotable between an up position and a down position, such that when the pallet-tilting mechanism is in the up position, an upright stack of pallets can be loaded onto the pallet-tilting mechanism and when pivoted to the down position, the stack is rotated about 90° so that the pallets become generally vertically oriented. The pallet-tilting mechanism also is adapted to displace the stack of vertically oriented pallets along a support surface. The pusher arms are positioned to receive the stack of pallets from the pallet-tilting mechanism and automatically index the pallets in the stack along the support surface.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for assembling pallets which includes an assembly table which is pivotable on an axis, supports for supporting a plurality of first deck boards, and a displaceable support for holding up the underside of the pallet when the table has been inverted, the displaceable support being displaceable to an out of the way position to permit the pallet to drop from the table when assembly has been completed.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling pallets is provided. The apparatus includes a tiltable pallet stack receiver for receiving an upright stack of pallets at a pallet stack station and for tilting the stack downwardly to a generally horizontal position, a mechanism for laterally displacing the stack from a position in endwise alignment with the pallet stack station to one in endwise alignment with a pallet sorting station which is laterally offset from the pallet stack station, and a pallet indexer for displacing the horizontally disposed stack in an endwise direction toward the pallet sorting station as pallets are removed from an end of the stack. The invention thus provides a pallet sorting capability which is faster and involves less manual labor than necessary with conventional sorting systems.