Loading cases with items
A system is disclosed for loading cases with items. An item delivery apparatus delivers a plurality of items to a location for collating the items on a collation platform. A transfer apparatus transfers a plurality of items from the collation platform to a pedestal, where the plurality of items are surrounded, on three sides, by a fence. A case movement apparatus, such as a cartesian robot moves an erected case blank in a path that sheaths, with the erected case blank, a group of items located on the pedestal. As the case blank is dropped vertically downward to sheath the group of items, the fence is moved vertically downward and out of the way of further processing of the, now loaded, case blank.
1 . A system for loading cases with items, the system comprising:
an item delivery apparatus operable to deliver a plurality of items to a transfer station;
a collation platform operable to support a group of items;
a pedestal operable to support the group of items;
a transfer apparatus operable to:
transfer a plurality of items from the item delivery apparatus at the transfer station, to the collation platform, to form the group of items on the collation platform; and
transfer the group of items from the collation platform to the pedestal;
a fence and a fence support apparatus, wherein the fence is arranged to surround, on three sides, the group of items on the pedestal;
a case movement apparatus located proximate the pedestal, the case movement apparatus operable to move an erected case blank in a path that sheaths, with an erected case blank, a group of items located on the pedestal;
a first folding platform and a second folding platform, located on opposite longitudinal sides of the pedestal;
wherein, in operation:
the item delivery apparatus delivers the plurality of items to the transfer station;
the transfer apparatus transfers a plurality of items from the item delivery apparatus at the transfer station, to the collation platform, to form a group of items on the collation platform;
the transfer apparatus transfers the group of items from the collation platform to the pedestal;
the case movement apparatus moves the erected case blank to sheath the group of items located on the pedestal;
the case movement apparatus moves the erected case blank and the group of items held therein, in forward and rearward movements over the first folding platform, the pedestal and the second folding platform to thereby close a trailing bottom flap and a leading bottom flap of the erected case blank; and
the fence support apparatus moves the fence vertically downward while the case movement apparatus moves the erected case blank to sheath the group of iterns.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the case movement apparatus comprises a cartesian robot having an end effector operable to engage with, and release, the erected case blank.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the cartesian robot having the end effector comprises a second cartesian robot having a second end effector and wherein the system includes a first cartesian robot having a first end effector, wherein the first end effector is operable to engage a flattened case blank and cooperate with the second cartesian robot to open the flattened case blank into the erected case blank.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first folding platform comprises a ramp portion at a proximal side to the pedestal and a flat portion at a distal side of the pedestal.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second folding platform comprises a ramp portion at a proximal side to the pedestal and a flat portion at a distal side of the pedestal.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, in operation, the case movement apparatus moves the erected case blank to a flap folding apparatus, the flap folding apparatus being operable to close the trailing bottom flap and the leading bottom flap of the erected case blank.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the erected case blank has a plurality of top flaps and the flap folding apparatus is operable to close the plurality of top flaps.