Pallet dispensers, also known as pallet feeders, are devices that are used to feed or dispense empty pallets to conveyors in larger palletizing systems or automatic palletizers. The most common configuration for pallet dispensers is to be stationed between the palletizing system or palletizer and a conveyor line of incoming product units.
The use of pallet dispensers ensures that pallets will be correctly positioned onto conveyors. However, pallet dispensers can also be used to unload pallets directly to the floor. Common applications that require pallet dispensers include high speed automated palletizing, load forming lines, manual access for pallet dispensing and storage, ASRS systems, pallet repair systems and AGV systems. Typically long-lasting as well as highly reliable, pallet dispensers offer heavy duty construction and the ability to interface with existing equipment. Pallet dispensers are useful in industries such as medical, cosmetics, consumer, food processing, warehouse, chemical processing, material handling, paper and pharmaceutical. Pallet dispensers can dispense most any pallet types including slave board, plastic, wood or metal pallets.
A pallet dispenser holds a number of pallets, often ranging from 15 to 20 pallets, and then distributes the pallets one by one into the conveyor or onto the work area. Pallet dispensers can be either manual or automatic. Manual pallet dispensers are unloaded through the use of a forklift. A forklift or a hand pallet truck can either access the pallet in the front or on the sides with the forklift accessing one side and the hand pallet truck unloading from the other side. Automatic pallet dispensers can be powered by hydraulic, pneumatic, or electro-mechanical means and use that power to dispense the pallet themselves, instead of having to be unloaded by another piece of equipment. There are numerous different pallet dispenser configurations including hook tine pallet dispensers, side entry pallet dispensers, high level pallet dispensers and low level pallet dispensers. Hook tine pallet dispensers consist of four swing-in hook tines, which are sharp, projecting points or prongs mounted to a hopper; they raise and lower in accordance with the pallet stack. Side entry pallet dispensers consist of a pair of telescoping tines that are mounted onto the deck of a hydraulic table and are able to project out to support and elevate the pallet stack. High level pallet dispensers and low level pallet dispensers, or floor space pallet dispensers, refer to the positioning of the dispenser: high level pallet dispensers are positioned above the conveyor, while low level pallet dispensers are positioned on the floor next to the conveyor.
