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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 09, 1995
Wade A Anderson, Madison, WI (US);
Shayne A Roberts, Phillips, WI (US);
John J Kondratuk, Kennan, WI (US);
Marquip, Inc., Phillips, WI (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for optimizing an arrangement of articles, such as stacks of paperboard sheets, into horizontal tiers, then stacking the horizontal tiers one on top another to form a rectangular-shaped unit, wherein the rectangular shaped unit has base dimensions substantially equal to a selected standard pallet-type. The system includes a computer programmed to receive the base size of an article, the total number of articles desired, and a selected pallet type. The computer is connected to a palletizer for building the actual unit of articles consistent with an optimized unit configuration. The palletizer has a tier forming station in which tiers of articles are formed according to the selected tier configuration, and a transfer device for moving the formed tiers into a stack forming station wherein the tiers are sequentially deposited. The system can add spacing between selected articles in a tier, and stack the tiers such that the spaces in adjoining tiers are not aligned.