Patent ID: 7802959

Claim:
An improved palletizer having a frame, the palletizer operable for stacking layer of items on a pallet having a pallet width, the items being received from an infeed conveyor having an infeed conveyor width, the improvement comprising: a selectively vertically and horizontally positionable apron carriage including a plate apron and an apron conveyor collectively defining a compact layer build area, the compact layer build area further comprising the apron conveyor having an apron conveyor width that is substantially less than the infeed conveyor width, and a portion of the plate apron, the plate apron having a width substantially about the same width as the pallet width; a stack build area located in relation to the apron carriage to allow positioning of the layer build area at least partially above the stack build area; a puller bar moveably coupled to the apron carriage and adapted to be horizontally positionable relative to the compact layer build area whereby the puller bar is capable of independent horizontal reciprocation relative to the horizontal position of the apron carriage; and the apron carriage further comprising a tie sheet dispenser coupled to the carriage to be operable vertically in unison with the layer build area, the tie sheet dispenser further comprises a horizontal tie sheet bin mounted in fixed relation to and just above the puller bar and being operable to move horizontally with the puller bar, the tie sheet dispenser further comprises a motor mounted to a slide frame slideably mounted to the apron carriage operable for slideable movement from a retracted position and an advanced position, the slide frame further comprising a vertical positioner, and the tie sheet dispenser further comprises a vacuum lift carried by the vertical positioner wherein the vacuum lift is operable to be selectively vertically positioned relative to the carriage and horizontally positioned independent of the layer build area and puller bar.