Pallet Auto Box

Abstract

An example pallet auto box with robot palletizer includes a conveyor to move a pallet into a loading area adjacent a robot for loading bags onto the pallet. The example pallet auto box with robot palletizer also includes an auto box having at least one wall, and in an example four walls, that can be raised and lowered. The at least one wall is raised as the robot stacks bags onto the pallet to maintain a border around the edge of the pallet for the bags to be stacked on the pallet. At least one wall opens as a door or gate after the pallet has been loaded with bags so that the loaded pallet can be moved out of the loading area and a next pallet moved into the loading area. The at least one wall is lowered again for stacking bags onto the next pallet.

1 . A pallet auto box, comprising:
 a first side wall and a second side wall;   an end wall; and   a gate, the gate together with the first side wall, the second side wall, and the end wall forming a box on a conveyor;   wherein the end wall is raised above the conveyor to receive a pallet on the conveyor into the box for stacking items onto the pallet;   wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, the end wall, and the gate rise to maintain a border around the items during stacking on the pallet;   wherein the gate opens after the pallet is loaded so that the loaded pallet can be moved out of the box by the conveyor.   
     
     
         2 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, the end wall, and the gate can be lowered after the loaded pallet is moved out of the box by the conveyor. 
     
     
         3 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , further comprising a robot arm to load the items onto the pallet. 
     
     
         4 . The pallet auto box of  claim 3 , further comprising another conveyor to move the items into reach of the robot arm. 
     
     
         5 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , wherein the items are bags. 
     
     
         6 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , wherein the loaded pallet is wrapped prior to the loaded pallet being moved out of the box by the conveyor. 
     
     
         7 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , further comprising a first plurality of walls forming four sides of a box when raised around the loading area. 
     
     
         8 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , wherein the walls pull away from the loaded pallet prior to the loaded pallet being moved out of the box by the conveyor. 
     
     
         9 . The pallet auto box of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first side wall, the second side wall, the end wall, and the gate are at least two parts, the second part rising above the first part to maintain the border as more items are loaded onto the pallet. 
     
     
         10 . The pallet auto box of  claim 9 , wherein the second part lowers after the pallet is removed for loading a next pallet. 
     
     
         11 . The pallet auto box of  claim 10 , wherein the second part slidably engage with the first part. 
     
     
         12 . A pallet auto box with robot palletizer, comprising:
 a loading area formed by four walls;   a conveyor to move a pallet into the loading area for loading items onto the pallet;   wherein the four walls rise during loading of the pallet to maintain a border around the edge of the pallet for the items to be stacked on the pallet; and   at least one of the four walls opening after the pallet has been loaded so that the loaded pallet can be moved out of the loading area.   
     
     
         13 . The pallet auto box with robot palletizer of  claim 12 , wherein the four walls lower as the loaded pallet is moving out of the loading area. 
     
     
         14 . The pallet auto box with robot palletizer of  claim 12 , wherein the four walls pull away from the loaded pallet. 
     
     
         15 . The pallet auto box with robot palletizer of  claim 12 , wherein the loaded pallet is wrapped in the loading area. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a pallet auto box, comprising:
 moving a pallet on a conveyor into a loading area formed by four walls of the auto box so that the pallet is adjacent items to be loaded onto the pallet;   raising the four walls of the auto box as the items are stacked onto the pallet to maintain a border around the edge of the pallet for the items to be stacked on the pallet as a stack of the items goes higher on the pallet;   wrapping the items on the pallet in the loading area; and   opening the auto box after the pallet is loaded so that the loaded pallet can be moved out of the loading area.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising raising the at least one wall of the autobox to a first level to load items onto the pallet, and then raising the at least one wall of the autobox to a second level to continue loading items onto the pallet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising lowering at least one wall of the auto box loading a next pallet moved into the loading area. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising stacking the items on the pallet by a robot arm. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising pulling the four walls away from the loaded pallet so that the loaded pallet can be moved out of the loading area.