System and method for forming an article array

Abstract

An apparatus for forming an article array including a head having at least one pair of opposed substantially planar gripping members, adapted for selectively securing a row of articles therebetween. Each pair of gripping members includes a first gripping member movable in a lateral direction parallel to a support surface and a second gripping member movable between extended and raised positions relative to the first gripping member. In response to the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounding the row of articles, a movement of the second gripping member from the extended position to the raised position results in the second gripping member being sufficiently moved in a direction perpendicular to and away from the support surface, permitting the first gripping member to slidably move the row of articles in the lateral direction along the support surface without the second gripping member contacting the row of article.

1 . An apparatus for forming an article array comprising:
 a head having at least one pair of opposed substantially planar gripping members, each pair of gripping members adapted for selectively securing a row of articles therebetween for transporting the row of articles between a first location having a horizontal first support surface and a second location having a horizontal second support surface;   each pair of gripping members comprising:
 a first gripping member movable in a lateral direction parallel to the first support surface and the second support surface; and 
 a second gripping member movable between an extended position and a raised position relative to the first gripping member, wherein in response to the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounding the row of articles, a movement of the second gripping member from the extended position to the raised position results in the second gripping member being sufficiently moved in a direction perpendicular to and away from at least one of the first support surface and the second support surface, permitting the first gripping member to slidably move the row of articles in the lateral direction along the at least one of the first support surface and the second support surface without the second gripping member contacting the row of articles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member has a compliant surface facing the second gripping member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member is movable in the lateral direction relative to the second gripping member. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the head further comprises a device for handling one of a slip sheet and tray. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the head further comprises a device for handling a top frame and a pallet. 
     
     
         6 . A method for building an article array comprised of (n) rows of articles, the steps comprising:
 (a) positioning a head having a pair of opposed substantially planar gripping members such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds a first row of first articles at a first location, the first location having a horizontal first support surface for supporting the first row of first articles;   (b) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the first row of first articles;   (c) transporting the first row of first articles from the first location to a second location, the second location having a horizontal second support surface for supporting the first row of first articles;   (d) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the first row of first articles;   (e) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds a second row of first articles at the first location;   (f) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the second row of first articles;   (g) transporting the second row of first articles from the first location to the second location in close proximity to the first row of first articles, the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having one of at least a first arrangement, a second arrangement, and a third arrangement;   (h) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the second row of first articles;   (i) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface is optional;   (j) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the second row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first row of first articles in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles forming a partial article array, wherein in response to the first row and the second row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the second row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first row of first articles is optional;   (k) repeating steps (e)-(j) until a partial article array is formed including an (n−1) row of first articles;   (l) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds an (n) row of first articles at the first location;   (m) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the (n) row of first articles;   (n) transporting the (n) row of first articles from the first location to the second location in close proximity to the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles;   (o) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the (n) row of first articles;   (p) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface in response to the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface is optional; and   (q) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles in response to the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles forming the article array,   wherein in response to the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles is optional, the partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles forming the article array.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second location is a container having an open top for receiving the article array. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first arrangement of adjacent rows of first articles and the second row of first articles is a nested arrangement, the second arrangement of adjacent rows of first articles is a non-nested, closely spaced arrangement, and the third arrangement of adjacent rows of first articles is a non-nested, non-closely spaced arrangement. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the head usable for building the article array from rows of first articles, each first article having a first height, a first width, and a first length, is also usable, without requiring a change-out of or modification of components of the head, for building an article array from rows of second articles, with each second article having a second height, a second width, and a second length, wherein at least one of the second height, the second width, and the second length of the second articles being different from the first height, the first width, and the first length of the first articles. 
     
     
         10 . A method of building a pallet comprised of article arrays, each article array having a plurality of article rows comprised of first articles extending in one of an x-direction and a y-direction within a rectangular areal footprint in the x-direction and the y-direction, comprising:
 (a) inputting parameters including a height dimension, a width dimension and a length dimension of a first article, a dimension of the rectangular areal footprint in the x-direction, a dimension of the rectangular areal footprint in the y-direction, a dimension of a width of article rows to be provided from an article row source, a type of arrangement to be used between adjacent article rows for building the first article arrays, the direction (x-direction or y-direction) and length dimension of the article rows;   (b) in response to the parameters being input, a controller controls a number of articles contained in a first row of first articles, and each subsequent row of first articles, at a first location having a horizontal first support surface for supporting each row of first articles;   (c) positioning a head having a pair of opposed substantially planar gripping members such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds the first row of first articles at the first location;   (d) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the first row of first articles;   (e) transporting the first row of first articles from the first location to a second location, the second location having a horizontal second support surface for supporting the first row of first articles and each subsequent row of first articles, the first row of first articles positioned in the inputted direction;   (f) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the first row of first articles;   (g) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds a second row of first articles at the first location;   (h) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the second row of first articles;   (i) transporting the second row of first articles from the first location to the second location in close proximity to the first row of first articles, the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having an inputted type of arrangement of one of at least a first arrangement, a second arrangement and a third arrangement;   (j) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the second row of first articles;   (k) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface is optional;   (l) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the second row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first row of first articles in response to the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the first row of first articles and the second row of first articles forming a first partial article array, wherein in response to the first row and the second row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the second row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first row of first articles is optional;   (m) repeating steps (g)-(l) until a first partial article array is formed including an (n−1) row of first articles;   (n) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds an (n) row of first articles at the first location;   (o) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the (n) row of first articles;   (p) transporting the (n) row of first articles from the first location to the second location in close proximity to the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles;   (q) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the (n) row of first articles;   (r) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface in response to the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the second support surface is optional;   (s) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles in response to the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles forming a first article array,   wherein in response to the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the second support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles is optional, the first partial article array including the (n−1) row of first articles and the (n) row of first articles forming the first article array;   (t) moving the head to a third location to pick up one of a slip sheet and a tray;   (u) placing the one of the slip sheet and the tray over the first article array;   (v) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds an (n+1) row of first articles at the first location;   (w) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the (n+1) row of first articles;   (x) transporting the (n+1) row of first articles from the first location to a fourth location, the fourth location being the one of the slip sheet and the tray having a horizontal third support surface for supporting the (n+1) row of first articles and each subsequent row of first articles;   (y) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the (n+1) row of first articles;   (z) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds an (n+2) row of first articles at the first location;   (aa) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the (n+2) row of first articles;   (ab) transporting the (n+2) row of first articles from the first location to the fourth location in close proximity to the (n+1) row of first articles, the (n+1) row of first articles and the (n+2) row of first articles having the inputted type of arrangement of one of at least the first arrangement, the second arrangement, and the third arrangement;   (ac) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the (n+2) row of first articles;   (ad) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the third support surface in response to the (n+1) row of first articles and the (n+2) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the (n+1) row of first articles and the (n+2) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the third support surface is optional;   (ae) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the third support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n+2) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the (n+1) row of first articles in response to the (n+1) row of first articles and the (n+2) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the (n+1) row of first articles and the (n+2) row of first articles forming a second partial article array,   wherein in response to the (n+1) row and the (n+2) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in the lateral direction parallel to the third support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (n+2) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the (n+1) row of first articles is optional;   (af) repeating steps (z)-(ae) until a second partial article array is formed including a (2n−1) row of first articles;   (ag) positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds a (2n) row of first articles at the first location;   (ah) the pair of gripping members applying a compressive force parallel to the first support surface to opposed laterally surrounded surfaces of the (2n) row of first articles;   (ai) transporting the (2n) row of first articles from the first location to the fourth location in close proximity to the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles;   (aj) moving the pair of gripping members away from one another sufficiently to remove the compressive force from the (2n) row of first articles;   (ak) moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the third support surface in response to the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, wherein in response to the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving one gripping member of the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to and away from the third support surface is optional;   (al) moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the third support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (2n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles in response to the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles having the first arrangement or the second arrangement, the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles forming a second article array,   wherein in response to the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles having the third arrangement, moving the head in a lateral direction parallel to the third support surface such that the other one gripping member of the pair of gripping members urging the (2n) row of first articles to move in the lateral direction toward the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles is optional, the second partial article array including the (2n−1) row of first articles and the (2n) row of first articles forming the second article array.   (am) moving the head to a fourth location to pick up one of a top sheet and a tray; and   (an) placing the one of the top sheet and the tray over the second article array.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the third location and the fourth location are the same location. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , prior to step (e), further comprising the steps:
 positioning a pallet on the horizontal first support surface; and   placing one of the slip sheet and the tray on the pallet.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , subsequent to step (an), further comprising the step of placing a top frame on the second article array. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in step (b), the controller controls the number of articles contained in the first row of first articles, and each subsequent row of first articles, at at least one of the first location having the horizontal first support surface for supporting each row of first articles, and a fifth location having a horizontal fourth support surface for supporting each row of first articles. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising second articles at a sixth location having a fifth support surface for supporting each row of second articles, wherein rows of second articles from the sixth location are usable to form at least one of the first article array and the second article array. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each first article having a first height, a first width, and a first length, and each second article having a second height, a second width, and a second length, wherein at least one of the second height, the second width, and the second length of the second articles being different from the first height, the first width, and the first length of the first articles. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each first article having a first height, a first width, and a first length, and each second article having a second height, a second width, and a second length, wherein each of the second height, the second width, and the second length of the second articles being generally the same as the first height, the first width, and the first length of the first articles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein positioning the head such that the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounds a row of first articles or a row of second articles is achieved without requiring a change-out of or modification of components of the head.