US 12,466,669 B2
Tool and method for layer depalletizing
Sylvain-Paul Morency, Montreal (CA); Marc Ducharme, Montreal (CA); Robert Jodoin, Montreal (CA); Tristan Pashley, Montreal (CA); Francis Levesque, Montreal (CA); and Jean-Francois Forget, Montreal (CA)
Assigned to SYMBOTIC CANADA ULC, (CA)
Filed by SYMBOTIC CANADA ULC, Montreal (CA)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/545,414.
Application 16/667,744 is a division of application No. 14/720,089, filed on May 22, 2015, granted, now 10,457,502, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Application 18/545,414 is a continuation of application No. 18/068,800, filed on Dec. 20, 2022, granted, now 11,845,620.
Application 18/068,800 is a continuation of application No. 16/667,744, filed on Oct. 29, 2019, granted, now 11,535,463, issued on Dec. 27, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/001,676, filed on May 22, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2024/0116723 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B65G 59/02 (2006.01); B65G 63/00 (2006.01); B66C 1/10 (2006.01); B66C 1/32 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 59/023 (2013.01) [B65G 59/02 (2013.01); B65G 63/002 (2013.01); B66C 1/10 (2013.01); B66C 1/32 (2013.01); B65G 2201/025 (2013.01); B65G 2814/031 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tool for layer depalletizing comprising:
a frame for mounting the tool to a robot;
clamps movably mounted to the frame to grip a pallet layer; and
a pad, mounted to the frame above the clamps, and transversely movable with a controller towards and away a level defined by the clamps, and that defines a reference surface for the controller determination of at least one of a real height of the pallet layer and a presence of a slip sheet on the pallet layer, by the pad moved by the controller towards the pallet layer.