US PATENT SUBCLASS 414 / 788
APPARATUS FOR MOVING INTERSUPPORTING ARTICLES INTO, WITHIN, OR FROM FREESTANDING, ORDERLY LAYERED, OR MUTUALLY STABILIZING ORDERLY GROUP

Current as of: June, 1999
Click HD for Main Headings
Click for All Classes

Internet Version by PATENTEC © 1999      Terms of Use


414 /   HD   MATERIAL OR ARTICLE HANDLING

788APPARATUS FOR MOVING INTERSUPPORTING ARTICLES INTO, WITHIN, OR FROM FREESTANDING, ORDERLY LAYERED, OR MUTUALLY STABILIZING ORDERLY GROUP {4}
788.1  DF  .~> Stack forming apparatus {17}
795.4  DF  .~> Unstacking apparatus {10}
798.2  DF  .~> Positions intersupporting article into row {5}
798.9  DF  .~> Removes intersupporting article from row

DEFINITION

Classification: 414/788

APPARATUS FOR MOVING INTERSUPPORTING ARTICLES INTO, WITHIN, OR FROM FREESTANDING, ORDERLY LAYERED, OR MUTUALLY STABILIZING ORDERLY GROUP:

(under the class definition) Apparatus for (a) placing an article in, (b) shifting an article relative to others within, or (c) removing an article from a particular location in an assemblage of contacting articles formed or taken apart at a site, wherein (A) each article of the assemblage must at least partially sustain, or must be at least partially sustained by, an adjacent article of the assemblage for a portion of the time the articles are in contact with each other and (B) the complete assemblage is either (i) capable of maintaining its shape without support in the horizontal direction on the articles from external confining structure (e.g.,., receptacle walls, inclined shelf), (ii) transportable as a unit from the site and composed of plural articles located within each of at least two layers* forming it, or (iii) entirely composed of articles which would each be unsteady, or relatively unsteady (i.e., they have a more stable attitude), if placed by themselves in the particular predetermined location in which they are at least partially held by the sustaining force exerted thereon by adjacent articles.

(1) Note. See the Glossary at the end of this subclass definition.

(2) Note. Apparatus for moving articles into, within, or from an assemblage in which the articles composing it are all used in their assembled form for the function they were manufactured (e.g.,., bricks stacked to form a wall) is not proper for this and the indented subclasses. The apparatus proper for this area forms assemblages to facilitate either the transporting of the articles as a unit between locations or the storage of the articles in a nonuse position.

(3) Note. Articles in adjacent distinct levels* or layers* of a stack* must touch each other or an article supported separator therebetween to be considered proper for this and the indented subclasses. Articles in a horizontally extending arrangement which have their bottoms touching a common supporting structure must be both touching and intersupporting each other to be proper for this and indented subclasses. Moreover, if the articles in the horizontally extending arrangement utilizes vertical supporting or

confining structure (e.g.,., walls) to maintain a stable arrangement, then to be proper for this and indented subclasses the arrangement must be composed entirely of articles which are in one of their less stable attitudes (e.g.,., a sheet on its edge) in the particular predetermined position they maintain while in the assemblage.

(4) Note. The line between this class (414) and Class 198, Conveyors: Power Driven, relative to apparatus for placing articles into or removing them from an intersupporting group is as follows: Class 198 takes such apparatus when (a) it consist of a power driven or gravity conveyor, (b) the site on which the group is supported is a horizontally extended conveyor surface, and (c) the group is formed on the surface of the conveyor while the conveyor both moves and transports the articles in a horizontal direction; and Class 414 takes such apparatus even if it consist of a conveyor(s) proper for Class 198 when either (a) the site on which the group is supported is other than a conveyor proper for Class 198 (e.g.,., an elevator, a shelf) or (b) the site on which the group is supported is a conveyor surface which has been fully stopped while each article is added to the group.

(5) Note. The line between this class (414) and Class 221 relative to article stacking, unstacking, or arranging is as follows: (a) Class 221 takes article piling (stack* forming) where the pile thus formed is the supply source for a subsequent dispensing operation (not merely the reverse operation of the pile or stack* forming means) of the kind provided for in Class 221; (b) Class 221 takes article unpiling (dispensing) coming within the scope of the class; (c) Class 414 takes article piling apparatus which is disclosed as being capable of unpiling as well either by reverse operation of the piling apparatus or by reverse operation thereof together with some additional means.

(6) Note. An intersupporting group having its articles both placed in and removed from the site as individual articles is not considered proper for this and the indented subclasses if the articles are (a) placed into the intersupporting group at one location, (b) sequentially travel in a stream in the order they are added to the group between this location and another horizontally spaced location while being moved by either (a) the force or gravity along a guiding or supporting structure (e.g.,., inclined shelf) or (b) driven conveying means, and (3) removed from the group at the second location. Such art is classified elsewhere based on the type of supporting or guiding structure (e.g.,., 414-150, 414-276, 414-328) or conveying means (e.g.,., Class 198, 414-564) which exist between the two locations. However, an intersupporting group wherein the articles therein travel sequentially in a stream between two vertically aligned spaced locations is proper for this and the indented subclasses when the group is composed entirely of articles in a stable attitude (i.e., either the group is self supporting or could be self supporting).

(7) Note. The line between this class (414) and Class 53, Package Making, relative to apparatus for arranging intersupporting articles into groups for packing is as follows: (1) Class 53 takes the apparatus when (a) a group is formed within a final package, (b) a group formed is subsequently directed or placed within a claimed final package, or (c) a group formed is subsequently directed or placed onto claimed structure explicitly designed to engage a final package (e.g., a chute with bag supporting clip), and (2) Class 414 takes the apparatus when (a) group formed is intended to be subsequently, placed into a nonclaimed final package or (b) the group formed is placed into or onto transport structure which is not a final package proper for Class 53 (e.g., shipping pallets).

(8) Note. The line between the art for stacking or unstacking sheets found in this and the indented subclasses of Class 414 and that found in Class 271, Sheet Feeding and Delivering, was at best nebulous prior to this project (8603M9125). During this project the classifier discussed the line with three examiners expert in the material handling arts (i.e., Mr. Valenza representing Class 198, Mr. Stoner representing Class 271, and Mr. Paperner representing Class 414) and establishing the following line: (1) Class 271 provides for the stacking and unstacking of either (a) individual sheets of unfolded paper, (b) packets of similar sheets of paper attached together or individual folded sheets of paper (e.g., signatures) when the thickness of each packet or folded sheet of paper is substantially uniform and any variation thereof is not utilized during the stacking or unstacking operation and (c) thin, substantially flat, nonfood articles when at least one of the articles to be stacked or unstacked is temporarily bent or flexed during the handling thereof; (2) Class 414 provides for the stacking or unstacking of either (a) sheet-like food articles (b) nonpaper, sheet-like articles (e.g., glass sheets) which are not temporarily bent or flexed during their handling, and (c) packets of similar sheets of paper when the thickness of packet or folded sheet varies (e.g., wedge shaped) and this variation is utilized during the stacking or unstacking operation; and:

(3) Note. Class 414 also provides for the stacking of paper sheets or sheet-like articles otherwise proper for Class 271 (i.e., 1a, 1b, and 1c of this note) when the stack formed is subsequently handled as a unit and moved away from the location where it was formed by handling means other than an endless conveyor surface on which the stack was formed. All original patents within the scope of this project have been placed in compliance with this line. However, the patents currently found in Class 271 have not been checked for compliance with this line and will be screened at a later date.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

801, for a process of moving intersupporting articles into,

within, or from freestanding, orderly layered, or mutually stabilizing orderly group.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

53, Package Making, appropriate subclasses for an apparatus utilizing plural feeding operations to form a group of articles subsequently placed as a unit in a final package.

83, Cutting,

84+, for apparatus which cuts articles and then forms groups of the cut articles.

209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids, appropriate subclasses for apparatus for sorting articles according to the physical properties of each particular article and not the number of articles. 221, Article Dispensing, appropriate subclasses, for means to either place an article in a stack from which it is later dispensed by other means or dispense an article from a stack within the scope of the class (See (5) Note of this subclass for line).

Repetitive terms used in the titles or definitions of this subclass and its indented subclasses in a special or limited sense are set forth below with the meaning each is to have. For economy of space, an asterisk (*) following a word located in the definition or notes indicates that reference should be made to this Glossary for the specific meaning thereof.

LAYER*

A series of equal (i.e., coplanar) articles having their bases located in a plane which extends across a stack* in a horizontal direction relative to the support surface of the stack*.

LEVEL*

An article within a single article wide stack* or a tier* having its base located entirely within a plane which extends in a horizontal direction relative to the support surface of the stack* or tier*.

STACK*

A freestanding or orderly assemblage of superposed or imbricated articles.

TIER*

A column of articles, a single article wide, located within a wider stack* and extending in a vertical direction relative to the support surface of the stack*.