Patent ID: 6805230
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A palletizer for articles having a neck provided with a collar by which they are manipulated by suspension, comprising a loader carriage (10) provided with a plurality of parallel horizontal corridors (11) for receiving the articles, and a movable transfer head (10) for withdrawing the articles from the loader carriage (10) from above and transferring them to a separate station (3), and comprising a plurality of gripping means (52) for withdrawing the articles positioned in the corridors (11) of the loader carriage (10), characterised in that each corridor (11) comprises:a pair of guides (21), enabling the articles, suspended by their collar (92), to slide along the entire corridor 11, means (22, 26) for moving the guides (21) into a position of mutual approach, in which the guides (21) enable the articles to slide, and vice versa into a position of mutual withdrawal, in which the guides (21) lie at a distance apart such as to release the collar (92) of the articles, a pair of side walls (31) positioned externally to the pair of guides (21), to lock the articles along the entire length of the corridor (11), means (32, 37) for moving the side walls (31) into a position of mutual approach, in which the side walls (31) lock the position of the articles lying within the corridor (11), and vice versa into a position of mutual withdrawal, in which the side walls (31) are at such a distance apart as not to interfere with the movement of the articles along the corridor (11), during the loading of the articles into the loader carriage (10) the slide guides (21) being maintained in their position of mutual approach, and the locking side walls (31) being maintained in their mutually withdrawn position, and during the withdrawal of the articles by the transfer head (50) the slide guides (21) being moved into their mutually withdrawn position and the locking side walls (31) being made to approach each other to lock the articles in position, said gripping means (52) of the transfer head (50) being made to penetrate from above, through the top of the corridors (11), between the pair of upper guides (21) arranged in their mutually withdrawn position, to grip the articles by their collars (92).