Article stacking apparatus

Abstract

Palletizing apparatus having extendable/retractable pusher arms. The apparatus includes a frame on which are mounted a layer-arranging table, a horizontally shiftable transfer carriage which mounts the pusher arms, a vertically shiftable stacking platform, and a vertically shiftable finger rake. The surfaces of the table and carriage are each formed from a plurality of laterally-spaced elongate members, with the table and carriage elongate members being interspersed to permit the carriage to shift longitudinally within the surface region of the table. The pusher arms, when extended, positively engage articles arranged on the layer-arranging table, thus serving to push the articles from the layer-arranging table to a position vertically adjacent the stacking platform when the transfer carriage is shifted downstream. At the latter position, the finger rake is lowered to positively engage the sheet articles and the pusher arms are retracted. As the carriage is returned to its upstream position, the articles engaged by the finger rake fence are raked onto the stacking platform, while the pusher arms traverse the length of the layer-arranging table below newly loaded articles on the layer-arranging table. Articles can thus be simultaneously raked onto the stacking platform and loaded onto the layer-arranging table.