Michael J Tully

US Patent:

61741221, Jan 16, 2001

Filed:

Jan 25, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/245115

Inventors:

Robert J. Krooss - Mountain Lakes NJ
Kenneth F. Regula - Sparta NJ
Michael A. Tully - Union City NJ

Assignee:

Pace Packaging Corporation - Fairfield NJ

International Classification:

B65G 5908

US Classification:

414412

Abstract:

A carrier container having sides, ends and a bottom defining an open face holding chamber, is provided for loading a stack of tiers loaded on a pallet into the holding chamber. The stack of tiers comprises a plurality of tier sheets, each supporting a plurality of products aligned in groups on each tier. The tier sheets are disposed vertically, defining a stack. The stack is positioned on and secured to the pallet. Loading of the stack of tiers and pallet into the holding chamber is accomplished with the holding chamber in a vertical orientation. After loading the stack of tiers and pallet into the holding chamber the carrier container is rotated from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, securing the stack of tiers and pallet in the holding chamber. Each of the tier sheets is removed from the stack destroying the stack and displacing the products from the stack, the products retained in the holding chamber. One of the ends which defines a part of the holding chamber is collapsed into a pouring spout and the carrier container is rotated toward the pouring spout for unloading the plurality of products from the holding chamber.