Patent ID: 7243479

Claim:
A method for loading insulation batts into a packaging station of a batt-packaging machine; the insulation batts each having a length, a width, a thickness, top and bottom major surfaces defined by the length and width of the insulation batt, first and second lateral surfaces defined by the length and thickness of the insulation batt, and a longitudinal centerline that extends parallel to the lateral surfaces of the insulation batt; the method comprising: providing an up-stacking station, the up-stacking station comprising an up-stacking chamber for receiving a plurality of the insulation batts to form a vertical stack of the insulation batts; providing a staging station from which the insulation batts are elevated into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine; the staging station being sized and configured to successively accept the insulation batts therein; the staging station having first and second spaced apart opposing sides; using batt engaging means of a first endless conveyor means on the first side of the staging station, which has a lower batt infeed run, a substantially vertical run extending upward from the infeed run and forming the first side of the staging station, and an upper return run, to successively feed batts into the staging station; using batt engaging means of a second endless conveyor means on the second side of the staging station, which has a lower run, a substantially vertical run extending upward from the lower run and forming the second side of the staging station, and an upper return run, in cooperation with the batt engaging means of the first endless conveyor means to successively engage the bottom major surfaces of the insulation batts as the insulation batts are successively fed into the staging station and vertically raise the insulation batts from the staging station into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine.