Abstract: A method and apparatus for dehacking and stacking brick or the like is disclosed for automatically removing arrays of brick from a hack and for producing stacks of arrays suitable for packaging. A gripper transfer grips full arrays of brick resting on the kiln car and deposits such arrays on one of two compacting tables. While resting on the tables, the arrays are compacted to ensure lengthwise and lateral abutting alignment of the brick in the arrays. The brick are subsequently transferred after compacting directly to a stacking elevator on which the stack is formed. One compacting table is utilized to produce void rows and operates to withdraw compacted arrays from the stacking location so that brick can be removed to produce the required voids. The array with void rows is then returned to the stacking station for transfer to the stacking elevator at appropriate times in the machine cycle.

Abstract: A brick handling system is disclosed for automatically unloading grids of bricks from a kiln car and for forming such bricks in a stack suitable for easy handling, storage, and shipment. A first transfer grips a plurality of grids and transfers such grids to a spreader table. The spreader table operates to insure alignment of the bricks in rows and to separate the rows by a predetermined distance. A puller slides the bricks across a transfer table onto a marshaling table which positions the rows of bricks for stacking. The system is operable to form voids in selected rows of bricks so that voids are provided in the finished stack. A storage system is provided for temporarily supporting a void layer until it is required in a subsequent stack.

Abstract: A novel and improved brick setting machine as disclosed, which is operable to automatically produce stacks of green brick suitable for firing and which have a high degree of stability to permit their being transported from one location to another by fork lift trucks or the like. The stack includes a plurality of grids of brick, some of which consist of lengthwise aligned rows of brick spaced from each other by longitudinal lanes and crosswise rows of aligned brick, extending perpendicular to the lengthwise rows wherein at least some of the brick in the crosswise rows are spaced from each other to form lateral lanes. The patterns within the grids are arranged so that the lateral and lengthwise lanes are superimposed so that the patterns of lengthwise brick and crosswise brick can be consolidated into the desired grids by automatic means including grippers which extend along the longitudinal and lateral lanes.