Manufacturers of corrugated paper products, such as corrugated boxes, trays and flat corrugated sheets, typically arrange their product in bundles. The bundles are arranged in layers, or tiers, and stacked vertically to form loads of the product for transportation to customers. To facilitate load stability, the bundles which comprise each layer are often positioned in a pattern such that at least one of the bundles is rotated 90 degrees relative to the other bundles of the layer. The load is usually stacked on a pallet and banded together to facilitate handling of the load.
Various load forming systems have been developed. Specifically, in one system, bundles are transported one at a time by a transport device that can rotate the bundle during transport to a stack build area and place it on a stack in a desired position. In a further system, prior to retrieval by a transport device, a conditioning device orients bundles into a desired position. The bundle is then transported in this position to a stack build area. In still further systems, multiple conditioning devices are used to orient a series of bundles into a layer or partial layer prior to retrieval by a transport device. The layer or partial layer is then transported to a stack build area.
Heretofore, no system has been developed for retrieving a plurality of bundles and reorienting the bundles relative to one another during transport of the bundles to a stack build area.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds