Patent ID: 6846153

Claim:
A tray destacking device for destacking an individual tray from a stack of at least partially nested trays, each of the trays having a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion, said tray destacking device comprising: a tray supporting device for supporting a stack of at least two at least partially nested trays, said tray supporting device being inclined and supporting the stack of trays along an inclined support surface; and a tray separating device operable to separate and discharge individual trays from the stack of trays, said tray separating device being movable between an engaging position for engaging the first engaging portion of an individual tray of the stack of trays and a disengaging position remote from the first engaging portion of the trays supported by said tray supporting device, said separating device being biased toward said engaging position by a first biasing member and movable to said engaging position when generally aligned with the first engaging portion of said individual tray in response to said first biasing member, wherein said tray separating device is operable to engage the first engaging portion of said individual tray and exert a force at the first engaging portion generally in a separating direction along the stack of trays.