Lifting machinery is often unable to securely hold onto stacked crates and this presents a safety hazard. The invention may be embodied by a crate lifter 1 comprising a support mast 3, a carriage 8 engaged with the mast and rollers 6, 7 that enable the lifter to be moved. The carriage has clamps 9 that move laterally to grip one or more crates 2 so that they can be moved by the carriage up and down the mast. The carriage has a keeper 14 arranged to swing in response to the clamps 9 engaging the crate 2, or the lowest crate to be moved if there is more than one, to bring a ledge 14b of the keeper 14 into engagement with that crate to prevent it dropping free from the carriage.

A method of operation of a mobile unit is described here. The method includes receiving a first signal to create a stack of totes on a conveying platform. Further, the method comprises receiving a second signal to lift the stack of totes in a vertical upward direction relative to the conveying platform. The method further comprises receiving a third signal to dispense a first tote from the stack of totes to a first location. The first tote is held at the conveying platform by a set of grippers of the mobile unit. Further, the method comprises receiving a fourth signal to travel to a second location to drop a second tote from the stack of totes. In some examples, the second tote corresponds to a current lowermost tote among the stack of totes and is held at the conveying platform by the set of grippers.

An article processing apparatus includes: a configuration determination unit configured to determine a configuration of at least one transport unit including articles, and stacked article groups each including a pallet, and at least one of the articles placed on the pallet, wherein the at least one of the articles is placed on the pallet in a manner that allows a pallet of another article group to be placed thereon, excluding uppermost one of the stacked article groups; a palletizing mechanism configured to place the at least one of the articles on the pallet so as to form each of the article groups included in the transport unit whose configuration is determined by the configuration determination unit; and a stacking mechanism configured to stack the article groups formed by the palletizing mechanism so as to form the transport unit determined by the configuration determination unit.

Systems, methods, and machine-executable coded instruction sets are disclosed for fully- and/or partly automated handling of goods. For example, the disclosure provides improvements in storage and retrieval of containers in systems such as order processing systems.

A crate-stacking system has a multiplicity of crates for stacking in a crate-stacking direction and has a crate-stacking apparatus for automatic stacking. The crate-stacking apparatus has a crate conveying apparatus designed to convey the crates from a crate feed section to a crate-stacking section and to convey the stacked crates from the crate-stacking section to a crate discharge section. A crate lifting apparatus is arranged at the crate-stacking section and, on opposite sides of the conveying path, has gripping elements such that a respective crate can be gripped at mutually opposite sides by virtue of gripping fingers engaging, at the mutually opposite sides, into associated engagement longitudinal recesses. A control apparatus is connected to the crate conveying apparatus and to the crate lifting apparatus and which is designed to control the crate conveying apparatus and crate lifting apparatus in order to stack the crates.

A stacker includes a base and a vertical structure supported by the base. A lift unit includes a support surface for engaging and lifting a tray from a stack of trays. The lift unit is mounted to the vertical structure and movable vertically relative to the vertical structure. A lifting mechanism selectively raises and lowers the lift unit relative to the vertical structure. The support surface may be formed on first and second projections configured to engage first and second handle openings of a tray. The stacker facilitates several stacking/destacking methods for more easily converting a stack of trays at a first height to a stack of trays at a second height. For example, the first height may be more convenient or appropriate for use in a bakery, while the second height may be more efficient for loading in a truck.

An article processing apparatus includes: a configuration determination unit configured to determine a configuration of at least one transport unit including articles, and stacked article groups each including a pallet, and at least one of the articles placed on the pallet, wherein the at least one of the articles is placed on the pallet in a manner that allows a pallet of another article group to be placed thereon, excluding uppermost one of the stacked article groups; a palletizing mechanism configured to place the at least one of the articles on the pallet so as to form each of the article groups included in the transport unit whose configuration is determined by the configuration determination unit; and a stacking mechanism configured to stack the article groups formed by the palletizing mechanism so as to form the transport unit determined by the configuration determination unit.

A container stacking storage system loading trolley that includes a chassis and a height-adjustable container seat that includes a receiving region with a container contact surface, wherein a lifting device that operates in a lifting direction is arranged between the chassis and the container seat. The container stacking storage system operates in an economical manner, whereby a bearing arrangement is arranged between the container seat and the chassis, which bearing arrangement enables a movement of the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis.

In a transporting system, a first conveyor includes a transport surface to transport different size tires in a first direction. A first positioner positions an end of a tire transported by the first conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction. A second positioner positions an end of the tire at a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second clamping portion portions are at or adjacent to a clamping position, and pass through between a tire first portion at or adjacent to an end of the tire positioned by the first positioner and a tire second portion at or adjacent to an end of the tire positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the tire.

Items such as loaves of bread are typically held for transport in a plastic crate. Often such crates are stacked on one another in a factory-bakery, a warehouse, a freight vehicle or a retail outlet. It can be problematic move stacked crates as lifting machinery is often not able to adequately hold on to them. If they are not held securely then crates may drop from the stack, which is inconvenient, not to mention a safety hazard. An object of a preferred form of the invention to address this problem by way of a crate lifter 1 comprising a main support mast 3, a carriage 8 engaged with the mast and rollers 6, 7 that enable the lifter to be moved. The carriage has clamps 9 adapted to move laterally with respect to the mast 3 to grip one or more crates 2 so that the crate(s) can be moved by the carriage up and down the mast. The carriage has a keeper 14 arranged such that it is caused to swing in response to the clamps 9 engaging the crate 2, or the lowest crate to be moved if there is more than one, to bring a ledge 14b of the keeper 14 into engagement with that crate to prevent it dropping free from the carriage.