Discharge apparatus for article handling system.

摘要

A discharge apparatus for an article handling system receives a group of articles in a facewise stacked condition and delivering the group of articles to an outfeed apparatus wherein the articles are arranged in a continuous flow. The discharge apparatus comprises a first stage station (12) wherein groups (15) of articles are received; an elongate discharge station (14) having an incoming end (18) and an outgoing end (20), the outgoing end (20) being adjacent an outfeed apparatus, and the incoming end (18) being spaced apart from the first stage station (12). An article carrying lane (22) extends from the first stage station (12) through the discharge station (14). A shuttle (30) is bidirectionally movable between the first stage station (12) and the discharge station (14) for transporting a group (15) of articles along the article carrying lane (22) from the first stage station (12) to the discharge station (14) and returning to the first stage station (12) to receive a subsequent group of articles. A discharge carriage (40) is bidirectionally movable between the incoming end (18) and the outgoing end (20) of the discharge station (14) for advancing articles along the article carrying lane (12) to the outfeed apparatus in a continuous flow. Operating control (50) operates the shuttle (30) to transport a leading end of a group (15) of articles into engagement with a trailing end of articles (17) previously transported to the discharge station (14) to make up a continuous flow of articles in the discharge station (14) and thereafter operates the discharge carriage (40) for advancing the articles (17) toward the outgoing end (20) of the discharge station (14). <IMAGE>