GB1145321A - Method of and apparatus for restacking bricks, particularly sand-lime bricks - Google Patents

Abstract

1,145,321. Stacking, unstacking and banding bricks; brick grippers. ATLAS-WERKE G.m.b.H. 10 March, 1966, No. 10587/66. Headings B8C and B8H. [Also in Division B7] An apparatus for packaging bricks supplied stacked on kiln trucks, the stacks being of uniform length but varying in width from top to bottom, comprises means to remove single or multiple layers and arrange them as a line of a width equal to the stack length, and means to separate groups progressively from the line to form layers of a stack. Vertical stack layers, one brick deep may be banded to form packets. In one embodiment, the truck 3, Fig. 11, 12, may be unloaded in two operations by horizontally movable gripper jaws 7<SP>1</SP>a, 7<SP>1</SP>b which engage five layers simultaneously and deposit them on a conveyer 9<SP>1</SP>. The so-formed line 6<SP>1</SP> moves up to stops 11<SP>1</SP>, see also Fig. 12 (not shown), where a portion ten bricks wide rests on a roller platform. The latter is drawn to the right, as shown, to separate the portion from the line and a horizontal pusher 14<SP>1</SP> forwards the group to a banding machine 2 where each vertical layer is separately bound. The packets move on to a further pusher 33 which transfers them to another conveyer 32 for loading on a lorry &c. In another embodiment, a gripper head removes a layer at a time by engaging it between two horizontally movable jaws in the form of bars 7a, 7b, Fig. 6. Bars 17a-c which are caused to descend by the grippers as each layer is removed, rest in the vertical gaps in the stack to prevent the bricks of the layer below that being moved, from closing up when the latter is engaged by the grippers. The layers form a line on a conveyer and move on to a sliding support 10a above a platform 12, Fig. 7. The platform descends a layer thickness every time the support is withdrawn to permit a layer formed by the advancing line, to fall upon it. A stack is thus built up on the platform which is pushed on to a discharge conveyer carrying it through the bander 2. In a further embodiment, Figs. 13-17 (not shown), the entire apparatus may be mounted on a truck (37), the gripper being pivoted to swing from a position above a stack to one above a conveyer (9<SP>11</SP>) carrying layers to a stacking support (12<SP>11</SP>) as previously described. In this embodiment, the support turns through 90 degrees before the stack is removed to reorientate the bricks for banding. The packets are pushed on to empty kiln trucks.