The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 28, 1988
Filed:
Jan. 23, 1987
Ronald A Pearce, Lakewood, CO (US);
Milton W Kapke, Golden, CO (US);
William M Jacoby, Loveland, CO (US);
Goldco Industries, Inc., Loveland, CO (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method are disclosed for relative movement between stacked articles and a reference surface upon which the articles are stacked. Some, or all, independently movable layers, or tiers, of the stack of articles are received by a suspending device that includes a partial enclosure connected with a high pressure air pump capable of reducing the fluid pressure to establish a pressure differential within the partial enclosure. The partial enclosure has flexible sealing strips extending from, and coextensive with, the bottom edge of movable sections of the partial enclosure, and the sealing strips are positioned adjacent to the lowest tier to be acted upon by the suspending device. Upon creation of reduced pressure within the partial enclosure, lift is thereby maintained at the bottom surface of the selected tier having the sealing strips positioned adjacent thereto (with the surface below the selected tier then being a reference surface) so that, when relative movement having a vertical component is effected between the selected tier of articles and the reference surface, the selected tier (and all tiers stacked on the selected tier) can either be lifted or caused to remain substantially in place to allow other operations for arranging a desired load, for example removal and/or insertion of slip sheets, pallets, and/or stacked articles of a different variety, to be carried out.