Pallet handling

1. A system for removing pallets from carriers comprising:

an infeed conveyor configured for conveying carriers with pallets on the carriers;

a pallet takeaway conveyor configured for conveying pallets;

a removal conveyor between the infeed conveyor and the pallet takeaway conveyor configured for removing the pallets from the carriers and transferring the pallets to the pallet takeaway conveyor, the removal conveyor driven in synchronicity with at least a portion of the infeed conveyor so as to remove the pallets with continuous motion; and

wherein the infeed conveyor includes a first portion that conveys the carriers and pallets in a first direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the removal conveyor and a second portion that conveys the carriers and pallets in a second direction parallel to the direction of movement of the removal conveyor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removal conveyor includes two parallel belts that include removal portions sized to fit between the carriers and the pallets.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pallets have bottom sides defining two parallel widthwise grooves, the parallel belts spaced so as to fit within the grooves.

4. The system of claim 1 , further including a carrier takeaway conveyor configured for conveying carriers away from the removal conveyor after the removal conveyor has removed the pallets from the carriers.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the carrier takeaway conveyor conveys the carriers in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the removal conveyor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removal conveyor is configured to lift the pallets off the carriers in a widthwise orientation across the removal conveyor.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the removal conveyor includes two parallel belts that include removal portions sized to fit between the carriers and the pallets.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the pallets have bottom sides defining two parallel widthwise grooves, the parallel belts being spaced so as to fit within the grooves.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removal conveyor is configured to carry pallets having a length and a width, the length more than twice the width.

10. A conveyor for removing a pallet from a carrier, the pallet having a bottom side defining two spaced-apart grooves, the conveyor comprising:

a frame;

a first belt mounted on the frame;

a second belt mounted on the frame;

the first and second belts each having a width sized to fit within a respective one of the grooves, the first and second belts each driven along paths including a lifting portion, the lifting portions extending parallel to each other and spaced apart so that the lifting portions can simultaneously fit within the grooves; and

a drive for driving the first and second belts so as to support the pallet on the first and second belts and remove it from the carrier.

11. The conveyor of claim 10 , wherein the lifting portions each have an upstream end that defines a height less than a distance between the pallet and the carrier within the grooves when the pallet sits atop the carrier.

12. The conveyor of claim 11 , wherein the lifting portions each have a central portion spaced from the upstream end that defines a height greater than the distance.

13. A method of removing pallets from carriers including:

transporting pallets atop carriers on a first conveyor driven at a first speed;

removing the pallets from the carriers using a using a removal conveyor driven at a speed substantially the same as the speed of at least a portion of the first conveyor; and

transferring the pallets from the removal conveyor to a load takeaway conveyor.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including transferring the carriers from the first conveyor to a carrier takeaway conveyor.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the removal conveyor includes two parallel belts that include removal portions sized to fit between the carriers and the pallets.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the infeed conveyor includes at least one infeed belt extending parallel to and at least partially adjacent to the belts of the removal conveyor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one infeed belt is located along a portion of the pallet takeaway conveyor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one infeed belt has a portion selectively movable vertically to engage or disengage the carrier.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pallets have bottom sides defining two parallel widthwise grooves, the parallel belts spaced so as to fit within the grooves.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first conveyor includes a first portion that conveys the carrier boards and pallets in a first direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the removal conveyor and a second portion that conveys the carrier boards and pallets in a second direction parallel to the direction of movement of the removal conveyor.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the removal conveyor is configured to lift the pallets off the carriers in a widthwise orientation across the removal conveyor.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the removal conveyor includes two parallel belts that include removal portions sized to fit between the carriers and the pallets.