Patent ID: 6357599
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A machine for facilitating separation of nested containers, comprising:a base; an elongated cradle supported on the base for movement between an upright position and a lay-down position; an actuator connected to the base and the cradle and constructed to move the cradle relative to the base between said positions; and a pair of clamps mounted on the cradle adjacent to an end thereof and spaced longitudinally of the cradle, one of the clamps being movable relative to the other clamp longitudinally of the cradle, each clamp having an operator for closing the clamp to grip a container and for opening the clamp to release the gripped container, wherein the cradle is constructed to embrace a stack of nested containers when the cradle is in its upright position and the clamps are disposed to embrace and grip respective containers at a lower portion of the stack, whereby the stack can be moved to a lay-down orientation when the cradle is moved to its lay-down position, and a container gripped by the one clamp can be moved in a de-nesting direction with respect to a container gripped by the other clamp when the one clamp is moved away from the other clamp.