Patent ID: 8770568

Claim:
A pallet separating apparatus adapted to expand a stack of pallets in the vertical direction such that each pallet is separated a short distance from adjoining pallets and then restack the pallets, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of generally L-shaped lifting members, each lifting member comprising a vertically oriented extension leg member, a horizontally oriented insertion arm member, a coupling tab extending vertically from said extension leg member, a coupling aperture disposed in said coupling tab, and a vertically oriented extension slot disposed in said extension leg member, said lifting members arranged in first and second opposing sets of at least two said lifting members each wherein said insertion arm members of said first set face said insertion arms of said second set: a plurality of spacing link members comprising a pair of link apertures; coupling means for coupling said link members to said lifting members in chain-like manner, wherein for each said link member one of said link apertures is coupled to said extension slot of one of said lifting members and the other of said link apertures is coupled to said coupling aperture of another of said lifting members; a first array of said first set of said lifting members disposed in a first frame assembly and a second array of said second set of said lifting members disposed in a second frame assembly; lateral translation means for reciprocating said first and second frames toward and away from each other; separating means for raising and lowering each array such that vertically adjoining sets of lifting members are separated; whereby with a stack of pallets positioned between said first and second frame assemblies, said frame assemblies are laterally moved together such that said insertion arm members of said lifting members are inserted into or between individual pallets in said stack, the uppermost sets of opposing lifting members are raised, thereby raising the uppermost pallet from the stack and separating the uppermost sets of opposing lifting members from the next adjacent sets of opposing lifting members, continuing to raise said uppermost sets of lifting members until said coupling means of said link members abuts the lower end of said extension slots, such that the next adjacent sets of opposing lifting members and the next adjoining pallet are raised, and continuing this operation until all said pallets in said stack are separated from adjoining pallets, performing a cleaning operation on the separated pallets, lowering the lifting members and pallets to reform the stack, and separating said first and second frame assemblies.