US 11,939,175 B2
Automated glass article bundling and palletizing apparatuses and methods
Marty Eric Hess, Corning, NY (US); Kevin Robert Kaelin, Pine City, NY (US); Patrick Aaron Parks, Elmira, NY (US); Evan Marshall Rathbun, Gillett, PA (US); and Gregory James Tenbus, Gillett, PA (US)
Assigned to CORNING INCORPORATED, Corning, NY (US)
Filed by CORNING INCORPORATED, Corning, NY (US)
Filed on Nov. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/987,308.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/279,364, filed on Nov. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0150780 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 57/24 (2006.01); B65B 13/02 (2006.01); B65B 13/20 (2006.01); B65B 23/22 (2006.01); B65G 57/00 (2006.01); B65G 57/18 (2006.01); B65G 61/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 57/24 (2013.01) [B65B 13/02 (2013.01); B65B 13/20 (2013.01); B65B 23/22 (2013.01); B65G 57/005 (2013.01); B65G 57/186 (2013.01); B65G 61/00 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0233 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0241 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus that forms bundles of glass articles, the apparatus comprising:
a glass article infeed station comprising an infeed conveyor that continuously transports individual glass articles to a layer separating conveyor, the layer separating conveyor comprising a conveyor belt that forms a layer of side-by-side glass articles;
a robotic lift assembly configured to place the layer of side-by-side glass articles together on a layer separation insert, the layer separation insert having side-by-side slots that each receive a single glass article of the layer of side-by-side glass articles; and
a re-pitch station comprising adjustable article retaining regions that adjust position automatically to decrease a distance between adjacent side-by-side glass articles of the layer before the robotic lift assembly places the layer of side-by-side articles together on the layer separation insert.