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

Claim 0:
1. A palletizing system comprising:
a palletizing elevator for receiving a first pallet at an upper level and for moving the first pallet from the upper level to a lower level as products are being moved onto the first pallet;
at least one product picking apparatus for picking products adjacent thereof and for moving the products onto the first pallet on the palletizing elevator;
an empty pallet elevator for moving a second pallet to the upper level; and
an empty pallet conveying mechanism with an expanding/contracting stage between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving 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 in 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.