Patent ID: 6840513

Claim:
A tray loading apparatus for loading an associated tray, the tray having a bottom wall and sidewalls defining an open top, one of the side walls being a leading wall, the tray being configured for receiving therein a plurality of stacked articles, said apparatus being adapted to receive the tray and load the tray with the articles, said apparatus comprising: a frame; an inclined tray support surface supported by said frame, said tray support surface adapted to support the tray and allow downward angular movement of the tray; an inclined tray conveyor having a path of travel parallel to said tray support surface and adapted to receive the tray with the bottom wall thereon; an article receiving buffer having an article intake end and an article discharge end, said article intake end adapted to receive a plurality of articles and allow horizontal stacking of the articles; a stop plate positioned between said article intake end and said article discharge end, said stop plate oriented to create a gap beneath the stop plate to allow for the passage of a predetermined quantity of the articles; an article receiving conveyor adapted to move the articles from said article intake end, beneath said stop plate to said article discharge end, said stop plate allowing the articles passing beneath to flow in a shingled pattern; said tray conveyor adapted to move the tray incrementally downward, allowing the articles being discharged from said article receiving buffer to form a stack within the tray.