DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING STACKED TRAYS

• Main Author: SUZUKI SUEO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.04.1986
• Subjects: CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS,CABLES; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

PURPOSE:To securely separate trays one by one for the purpose of realizing feasibility of automation by fixing the central portion of stacked trays by means of a retainer metal, and slowly lifting both edges with sucking pads so as to separate the tray on the top from other ones staying below at the peripheral edge thereof. CONSTITUTION:A slide holder 14 is lowered by driving an operational cylinder 15, sucking pads 10, 10 are pressed rightly on the outer edge of a tray T, negative pressure is applied to pads 10 to adsorb the T and the central portion of the tray is fixed by means of a retainer metal 7 without applying any excessive load thereon. Then, when a pivot point 11 is moved upward while the central portion of the tray being fixed as it is, both links 12, 12 force upward turning movement of both support arms 8, 9 around a turning movement axis 6 serving as a fulcrum. Pads 10 are then, lifted together with a tray T adsorbed thereto while the tray T'' is slowly lifted from its outer edge to be formed in a curve. Thus, the tray T is gradually separated from the one-step lower adjacent tray T at its outer edge and when a considerable amount of separation takes place, the holder 14 is lifted by the cylinder 15 together with simultaneous lift of the retainer metal 7 and pads 10 so that the tray T may be placed on a carrier automatically.