Inventors:
Jeffrey J. Steinbach - Eagle WI, US
Robert G. Lyon - Bluffdale UT, US
Paul K. Gines - Kaysville UT, US
Michael G. Thomas - Layton UT, US
Ardalan Noordeh - Pewaukee WI, US
Michael Carr - Alexandria KY, US
Gabriel E. Kahl - Florence KY, US
Michael C. Anderson - Watertown WI, US
International Classification:
B65G 47/52
Abstract:
An article-handling system and method of handling articles with article trays having a support surface and a plurality of generally parallel grooves in said support surface includes loading articles on trays with an article-traying subsystem and unloading articles from trays with an article-detraying subsystem. The article-traying subsystem has a tray conveyor and a loading article conveyor. The loading article conveyor has a plurality of fingers adapted to fit within the grooves of a tray traveling on the tray conveyor at the article conveyor. An article is transferred to the tray support surface with the loading article conveyor. The article-detraying subsystem has a trayed article conveyor and an unloading article conveyor. The unloading article conveyor has a plurality of fingers adapted to fit within the grooves of the tray of a trayed article traveling on the trayed article conveyor at the unloading article conveyor. An article is removed from the tray support surface with the unloading article conveyor.