Lifting device and method for gloves stacking

摘要

A glove stacking apparatus and a method of stacking gloves for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box. A glove stacking apparatus comprises a lifting means for lifting each of the gloves. The lifting means includes an attractive glove lifting surface including a movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in order to help dislodge the lifted glove from the lifting surface. The movable member has a surface that is permeable to air flow through the surface, while the glove lifting means including a source of positive air pressure and means to control the application of said positive air pressure through the permeable surface of the movable member in order to control the dislodging of the lifted glove from the glove lifting surface.

主权项

1. A method of folding and stacking gloves using a glove stacking apparatus, said apparatus comprising a packing recess for receiving unfolded gloves to be folded and stacked, a glove manipulator, a movable floor within said recess and a pair of movable flaps adjacent a pair of opposite side edges of said recess, the method comprising the steps of:
using the glove manipulator to deposit unfolded gloves at said recess for subsequent folding and stacking of said gloves, a portion of each of said deposited gloves initially overlapping alternately one or the other of said opposite side edges of said recess; alternately using one or the other of said movable flaps to fold towards said recess said overlapping portion of each of said unfolded glove overlapping said edge to form a stack of folded gloves within said recess; lowering said movable floor as required as the stack of folded gloves grows within said recess whereby said stack of folded gloves continues to be retained within said recess as unfolded gloves are added to the stack and folded; and repeating the preceding steps to form a stack of folded gloves within the bounds of said recess.