Patent ID: 11970348
Assignee: SYMBOTIC CANADA, ULC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 15:
16. A palletizing method for a palletizing system, the method comprising:
receiving a first pallet with a palletizing elevator at an upper level and moving the first pallet from the upper level to a lower level as products are being moved onto the first pallet;
picking products with at least one product picking apparatus adjacent thereof and for moving the products onto the first pallet on the palletizing elevator;
moving with an empty pallet elevator a second pallet to the upper level; and
moving with an empty pallet conveying mechanism with an expanding/contracting stage between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator the second pallet from the empty pallet elevator to the palletizing elevator, the expanding/contracting stage expanding and contracting between a retracted position and first and second extended positions respectively on opposite sides of the retracted position and respectively over the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator, so that a common stage of the expanding/contracting stage, having an empty pallet support surface that is common to each of the first and second pallet, is in the first extended position over the empty pallet elevator at the upper level and the second extended position over the palletizing elevator on the opposite side of the retracted position from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level.