摘要:
A device is disclosed that utilizes a fluid (normally air) to effect nested alignment of articles having a circular cross-section (such as cans used to package beverages and the like). A conveying section that includes a dead plate (26) and a fluid conveyor provides articles in a mass flow to an aligning section (12) having guides (41) therein spaced a sufficient distance to form guideways (42) through which articles are fluid driven in single file toward a discharge end having an adjacently positioned staging section (13) that also includes a fluid conveyor. The guides, other than a center guide, have first and second portions that are angled with respect to one another, and fluid injected into the sections through apertures in a base plate providing section bottoms urges the articles into a plurality of adjacent rows of aligned articles at the staging section with the articles of each adjacent row offset from one another to effect nesting of the articles. Readily removable section top units (68) preclude upward movement of the articles, and nested and aligned articles discharged from the staging area are provided to a palletizer or like apparatus (15).
摘要:
An article palletizer and/or depalletizer is disclosed. During palletizing operations, articles on an article conveyor are diverted from the article conveyor at a first location (29) and moved along a first path toward a discharge end where a sweep unit (64) urges and leads the diverted articles onto a pallet by groups for storage with a retainer (71) precluding article travel beyond the pallet. During depalletizing operations, stored articles are urged and led from the pallet by groups by the sweep unit (64) and a retainer unit (71) along a second path separate from the first path to thus establish a flow-thru configuration with the articles being led to a second location of the article conveyor downstream from the first location where the articles are inserted onto the article conveyor. The system and method are particularly useful for storing cans diverted from a high speed can production and/or handling line, and for later supplying stored cans, when needed, to the line.