Patent ID: 7201555

Claim:
A system for loading individual pallets each having a lifting space of a stack of pallets onto a surface of an assembly line, the system comprising: a pair of lifting arms adapted to be positioned within the lifting space defined by the pallets; a movement system coupled to the pair of arms that moves the pair of arms into and out of the lifting space of the pallets, wherein movement of the pair of arms into and out of the lifting space comprises movement of the arms towards and away from each other respectively and lifts the stack of pallets vertically with respect to the surface of the assembly line when the pair of arms are positioned within the lifting space of the lowest pallet in the stack of pallets; and a control system that provides control signals to the movement mechanism so as to (i) with the pair of lifting arms positioned in the lifting space of the lowest pallet of the stack, vertically position the stack of pallets such that the lowest pallet in the stack is positioned on the surface of the assembly line, (ii) move the pair of lifting arms so as to remove the arms from the lifting space of the lowest pallet, (iii) insert the pair of arms into the lifting space of the second lowest pallet, and (iv) vertically lift the second lowest pallet and the other pallets stacked thereon upwards away from the surface of the assembly line such that the lowest pallet can then be transported by the assembly line away from the surface.