METHOD FOR TRANSVERSELY POSITIONING AN ARTICLE TO BE TRANSPORTED
20220144559 · 2022-05-12
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B65G57/32
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G15/50
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G2201/0202
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B26D2210/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G47/26
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B26D7/32
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B26D3/24
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G41/001
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G47/681
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B65G47/08
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B26D3/24
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G15/50
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G41/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G47/68
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
In order to be able to shingle articles individual slices or partial portions of slices shingled in a longitudinal direction in a transverse direction relative to the running direction of conveyor units on which these articles are transported, the two conveyor units, on each of which one of the two articles is fully supported, are not brought to overlap in order to achieve the transverse shingling, but one of the articles is transported on its conveyor unit with a lateral overhang to the other conveyor unit, and the other article placed there on the edge side with such a height difference that the two articles can finally overlap and be placed on top of each other. However, the two conveyor units only have to be guided closely next to each other for this purpose without overlapping themselves. This simplifies the design of the overlapping unit and reduces its overall height.
Claims
1. A method for transverse shingling of articles in a transverse direction relative to a transport direction of a conveying unit which is part of a slicing machine, the method comprising: depositing one article on each of two conveyor units, wherein one of the articles is positioned one of conveyor units in such a way that it projects in a transverse direction to a running direction of this conveyor unit beyond the latter in a direction of the other conveyor unit, at least over a longitudinal region, the two conveyor units are positioned relative to one another in such a way that a supporting surface of the conveyor unit with the transversely projecting article lies higher than a supporting surface of the other conveyor unit by a height difference at least corresponding to a height of the transversely projecting article, and the two units are further positioned relative to one another in such a way that the conveyor units, viewed from above, are arranged in the transverse direction without overlapping next to one another so closely that the transversely projecting article overlaps the other article in the transverse direction at least over a longitudinal region.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor units transfer their articles in the transport direction to a subsequent conveyor unit, after a desired degree of lateral overlap of the two articles has been achieved.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein subsequently, the height difference of the supporting surfaces of the two conveyor units is reduced at least to such an extent that the two articles come into contact.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transfer to the subsequent conveyor unit is carried out either for both articles simultaneously or with an upper article of the two articles in the transverse direction following a lower article of the two articles in the transverse direction.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at the latest from a moment of contact of the two articles, the two conveyor units are driven synchronously.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein seen in plan view running directions of the two conveyor units are directed towards each other, in particular at an acute intermediate angle, in particular of less than 30°, preferably less than 20°, preferably less than 15°.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein from a longitudinal position of a reached desired dimension of lateral overlap, running directions of the two conveyor units are aligned parallel to one another, in particular either by deflection of belts running side by side, if the conveyor unit is a belt conveyor including several straps running in parallel, or by displacing the two conveyor units running parallel to each other towards each other, or by changing the running direction if at least one conveyor unit is a transport slide.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein either the article is deposited on the supporting surface of the one conveyor unit already with lateral overhang, or the article is deposited without lateral overhang on the supporting surface of the one conveyor unit, downstream of which the supporting surface of this conveyor unit becomes narrower from a side on which the overhang is desired along a transport distance of this conveyor unit.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein either the two conveyor units are arranged with their supporting surfaces at an upstream end at the a same height, but spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, and are brought to the height difference with respect to one another along a transport distance of each conveyor unit, or the two conveyor units are arranged with their supporting surfaces at the upstream end at different heights relative to one another at least by the height difference.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least physical parameters of the articles to be overlapped in the transverse direction, including bending stiffness about an axis directed in the running direction, and/or temperature, and/or weight, are determined or known and are taken into account for calculation of the height difference and/or a dimension of the overlap.
11. An overlapping unit for transversely shingling articles with an overlap in a direction transverse to a transport direction, the overlapping unit comprising: two conveyor units lying side by side in a transverse direction relative to their running directions as seen in plan view, wherein supporting surfaces of the two conveyor units, at least over a longitudinal range of the two conveyor units, can differ or differ by a height difference at least corresponding to a height of one of the articles; and a control for controlling moving parts of the overlapping unit; wherein the conveyor units are or can be arranged closely adjacent to one another in the transverse direction as seen in plan view without overlapping at least over a longitudinal region of their conveyor paths, at least an upper run of one of the conveyor units is or can be arranged higher than an upper run of the adjacent conveyor unit at least over a longitudinal region of its conveying distance by at least the height of an article positioned on the one conveyor, the control is embodied to control the conveyor units so that the article positioned on the one conveyor unit will overlap an article positioned on the other conveyor in the transverse direction during operation of the conveyor units.
12. The overlapping unit according to claim 11, wherein viewed in plan view the running directions of the two conveyor units are directed towards each other in the transport direction.
13. The overlapping unit according to claim 11, wherein from a longitudinal position of reaching a desired dimension of lateral overlap, the running directions of the two conveyor units are aligned parallel to one another, in particular either by a deflecting device for straps running side by side of at least one of the two conveyor units, if the at least one conveyor unit is a strap conveyor, or by changing a direction of a track guide if the at least one conveyor unit is a transport slide guided in the track guide.
14. The overlapping unit according to claim 11, wherein either the two conveying units with their supporting surfaces at an upstream end are at a same height, but spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, and are brought to the height difference from one another along a transport distance of each conveyor unit or the two conveying units with their supporting surfaces at the upstream end are at different heights relative to one another at least by the height difference.
15. A slicing machine for carrying out the process method according to claim 1, the slicing machine comprising: a cutting unit, a feed unit for feeding a plurality of product calibers side by side to the cutting unit for simultaneously cutting slices from the product calibers, a plurality of discharge units arranged side by side, each having a plurality of discharge conveyors arranged one behind the other in the transport direction, for discharging the slices cut by the slicing machine and a control for controlling moving parts of the slicing machine, wherein at least two discharge conveyors of the plurality of discharge units, which are adjacent to each other when viewed from above, are the conveyor units.
16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the acute intermediate angle is less than 30°.
17. The method according to claim 6, wherein the acute intermediate angle is less than 20°.
18. The method according to claim 6, wherein the acute intermediate angle is less than 15°.
19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the one conveyor unit is a strap conveyor comprising a plurality of parallel-running straps, and at least an outermost strap along the transport distance of this conveyor unit is deflected into a return run ahead of the other straps.
20. The overlapping unit according to claim 11 further comprising a transverse displacing device configured to displace one of the conveyor units toward the other conveyor unit.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0065] Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. They show:
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[0077]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0078]
[0079]
[0080] The basic structure of the slicer 1 is that a cutting unit 7 with a rotating sickle blade 3 is fed, in this case, with four product calibers K lying next to each other transversely to the feeding direction 10 by a feed unit 20, from the front ends of which the rotating sickle blade 3 cuts off a slice S in each case during one revolution, i.e., quasi simultaneously.
[0081] The feed unit 20 comprises a feed conveyor 4 in the form of an endless, circulating feed belt 4, the upper run of which can be driven at least in the feeding direction 10, and preferably also in the opposite direction. The calibers K rest on the feed belt 4 and are positioned in the transverse direction 11 by spacers 37 which project radially outwards from the feed belt 4.
[0082] For cutting the product calibers K, the feed conveyor 4 is in the inclined position shown in
[0083] The rear end of a caliber K lying in the feed unit 20 is in each case held positively by a gripper 14a-d with the aid of gripper claws 16. These grippers 14a-14d are attached to a common gripper unit 13, which can be moved along a rod-shaped gripper guide 18 in the feed direction 10.
[0084] Both the feed of the gripper unit 13 and the feed conveyor 4 can be driven in a controlled manner, but the actual feed speed of the calibers K is effected by a so-called upper and lower driven product guide 8, 9, which engage on the upper side and lower side of the calibers K to be cut in their front end regions near the cutting unit 7.
[0085] The front ends of the calibers K are each guided through product openings 6a d provided for each caliber, which are formed in a plate-shaped cutting frame 5. Immediately in front of the front end face of the cutting frame 5, which points obliquely downwards, runs the cutting plane 3″, in which the sickle blade 3 rotates with its cutting edge 3a and thus cuts off the projection of the calibers K from the cutting frame 5 as a slice S. The cutting plane 3″ is defined by the cutting edge 3a of the sickle blade 3. The cutting plane 3″ is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12.
[0086] Here, the inner circumference of the product openings 6a-d of the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3 serves as a counter cutting edge.
[0087] Frequently, the two product guides 8, 9 in the 1st transverse direction 11 are provided separately for each caliber K and can be controlled separately.
[0088] The upper product guide 8 can be displaceable in the 2.sup.nd transverse direction 12—which is perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the feed conveyor 4 folded up into the cutting position—for adaptation to the height of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be embodied to be pivotable about one of its deflecting rollers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b in order to be able to change the direction of its conveyor belt resting against the caliber K to a limited extent.
[0089] The slices S, which are inclined in space if just cut off, fall onto a discharge unit 17 starting below the cutting frame 5, which in this case consists of several discharge conveyors 17a, b, c arranged one behind the other with their upper runs approximately aligned in the passing direction 10*.
[0090] Below the feed unit 20 there is an approximately horizontally running residue conveyor 21, also in the form of an endlessly circulating conveyor belt, which begins with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the discharge unit 17 and with its upper run transports end pieces falling on it to the rear against the passing direction 10*.
[0091] Therefore, at least the first conveyor 17a in the passing direction 10* can be driven with its upper run in the opposite direction to the passing direction 10*, so that an end piece falling thereon, for example, can be transported to the rear and fall onto the lower-lying end piece conveyor 21.
[0092]
[0093] As shown in
[0094] Preferably, the two conveyors 27a, b are each driven by a motor 32 and thus independently of each other, the motors 32 being controlled by a control 30* of the overlapping unit.
[0095] At the beginning of the transport distance, on the respective support surface 27a1, 27b1 of each of the two conveyor units 27a, b, a partial portion P1 or P2 of slices S shingled in the transport direction 10 is produced or deposited, which can, for example, fall directly from a slicing machine arranged upstream thereof, as shown in the side view of
[0096] As
[0097] Preferably, the downstream deflecting rollers 31 and/or the upper spaces of the two conveyor units 27a, b are at the same height.
[0098] For the overlap, the article A, in this case the partial portion P1, is placed on the support surface 27a1, which is lower at the beginning of the transport section, in such a way that towards the other conveyor unit 27b the article, i.e., the slices S of the partial portion P1, lie as close as possible to the corresponding edge of the support surface 27a1 of the conveyor 27a.
[0099] On the other support surface 27b1, on the other hand, the part-portion P2 is produced or placed, preferably at the same longitudinal position, in such a way that it projects in the direction of the other conveyor 27a beyond the corresponding edge of the support surface 27b1 by an overhang Ü1, for which the slices S should of course have a certain rigidity so that they do not hang down too much.
[0100] If the two articles A as partial portions P1, P2 are moved, preferably from the beginning, at the same speed, i.e., synchronously, in transport direction 10 by means of the respective conveyor unit 27a, b, they reduce their initial height difference H more and more, until they come into contact with each other close to the downstream deflecting rollers 31, i.e., the end of the transport distance as shown in
[0101] For this purpose, the downstream deflecting rollers 31 or upper spaces must have no difference in height to each other or only such a small difference that the two part portions are in contact with each other, i.e., rest on each other. This is also necessary because, as a rule, downstream of the two conveyor units 27a, b running side by side there is a downstream conveyor 26, here again shown as a belt conveyor, which extends at least over the width of the entire transversely shingled portion, here over the width of the two belt conveyors 27a, b lying side by side in the top view, and picks up and transports away the overlapping entire portion.
[0102] In case the different heights of the starts of the two conveyor units 27a, b cause problems,
[0103] The transfer of the transversely overlapped whole portion at the end of the two conveyor units 27a, b running side by side to a downstream discharge conveyor 26, as shown in
[0104] However, if—as shown in
[0105] Deflecting rollers 31 for a strap conveyor have axially spaced circumferential grooves in their circumferential surface, in each of which one of the strap 25 runs and is thereby positively guided against offset in the transverse direction 11.
[0106] As
[0107] At this deflection point, as a deflection device for the parallel running of all straps 25 of the two belt conveyor units 27a, b in one of the two strap conveyor units, here 27b, a further deflecting roller 31 with circumferential grooves for the belts 25 is arranged, wherein the grooves therein are so dimensioned relative to the transverse sectional shape of the straps 25 and the straps 25 dip therein to such a depth that they do not jump out of their groove despite the deflection of each strap 25 through a respective one of the circumferential grooves in this deflecting roller 31.
[0108] The downstream deflecting roller 31 at the end of the transport distance is preferably continuous over the entire width of the two previously separated conveyor units 27a, b, and this is preferably also the driven deflecting roller, all the circumferential grooves therein being at the same distance from one another in the transverse direction 11.
[0109] In this way, a transfer to a subsequent conveyor 26 from the position of overlap of the two partial portions P1, P2 can be avoided for the time being and a transfer to a next unit can only take place substantially further downstream if required.
[0110] Such a deflection of the transport direction of the straps of a strap conveyor considered in the top view is all the easier possible, the smaller the extension of the cross section of the individual strap 25 in transverse direction 11 to the height of the cross section.
[0111] It is particularly easy to achieve a deflection with round straps, i.e., strap 25 with a round cross section, as shown in
[0112] In this case, the circumferential grooves for the individual straps of conveyor 27b are not accommodated in a common deflecting roller 31, but each strap 25 is deflected in its circumference by its own deflecting roller 34 with a circumferential groove. The deflecting rollers 34 are thus generally no longer in their axial direction than the diameter of the round strap 25, and the individual deflecting rollers 34 are arranged with their axes of rotation 34′ running parallel to one another at a distance corresponding to the distance between the round straps 25 in the transverse direction 11. In this case, the respective main planes of the individual deflecting rollers 34—which are also parallel to one another—which are perpendicular to the respective axis of rotation 34′ are inclined with respect to the support surface 27a1 or 27b1 of the strap conveyor at this point, so that the strap 25 cannot slip out of the circumferential groove of the deflecting roller 34 if the latter is sufficiently adapted to the circumferential contour of the round strap 25, as is usually the case.
[0113]
[0114] Here the articles A to be overlapped, in this case again the partial portions P1, P2, are not arranged on the supporting surface of the upper run of an endlessly circulating belt conveyor or strap conveyer, but each of the articles A, i.e., in this case each of the partial portions P1, P2, is arranged on the upper side of a slide 24a or 24b, respectively, which can be driven in particular independently of each other, which in this case are track-guided, in that they have, for example, projecting downwards from the underside and offset in the transport direction 10, in each case at least two guide elements, such as a guide roller 36 in each case, which are positively guided in the transverse direction 11 in a track guide 23a, b specifying the respective transport direction 10a, 10b.
[0115] Of course, a raised component such as a ridge can also be used as a track guide, and conversely there can be guide counter-elements on the slide 24 which engage on both sides from the outside on this raised track guide 23. Likewise, the slides 24 can also be moved in a controlled manner without positive guidance on a flat surface without grooves and elevations or other positive guidance, either with the aid of their own driven and controlled wheels or by means of another drive system.
[0116] Analogous to the first embodiment of
[0117] In this initial position, the slides 24a, b again have a height difference H with respect to their upper side, which is preferably greater than the height h of the article A, in this case the part portion P1, which is the lower part portion or article after overlapping.
[0118] As shown in
[0119] By moving the slides 24a and 24b—preferably at the same speed in transport direction 10—from left to right in these figures, they approach each other in a transverse direction in a region of the transport directions 10a, b which are at an angle to each other, to such an extent that in the final state according to
[0120] Another advantage of this solution is that in the initial area of the overlapping unit 30, before the area with an angular course of the two transport directions in 10a, 10b, these two transport directions can also run in parallel, and thus when a shingled partial portion P1, P2 is produced on each of these slides, the longitudinal direction of the shingled partial portion coincides with the transport direction 10a, 10b and the longitudinal direction of the slide, e.g., 24b, in contrast to the embodiment in
[0121]
[0122] In this case, the conveyor units 27a, b are again shown as belt conveyors, but these two belt conveyors have mutually parallel transport directions 10a, b from the beginning.
[0123] In this case, the overlap is achieved by the fact that one of the belt conveyors, here 27b, including its deflecting rollers 31, is displaceable in transverse direction 11, also in the running state of the conveyor belt, and one of the two belt conveyors is displaceable in height, preferably both possibilities of movement being realized on one and the same conveyor unit, here 27b.
[0124] This can be achieved by accommodating the deflecting rollers 31 of this displaceable conveyor 27b in a surrounding support frame, for example a frame 35, which can also support the drive for this conveyor 27b, and displacing the entire unit often referred to as a conveyor cassette—both in the transverse direction 11 and in height by means of controlled drives not shown, relative to the transport direction 10.
[0125] Thus, when the partial portions P1, P2 placed on the two conveyors 27a, b in the initial area of the transport distance with height spacing and lateral spacing are first displaced in transverse direction by displacement of, for example, that conveyor 27b on which the partial portion P2 rests with lateral overlap 01 and then lowered until the two partial portions P1, P2 are in contact, the overlap with the desired degree Ü2 of overlap is achieved.
REFERENCE LIST
[0126] 1 slicing machine, slicer
[0127] 1* control
[0128] 2 base frame
[0129] 3 blade
[0130] 3 rotation axis
[0131] 3″ blade plane, cutting plane
[0132] 3a cutting edge
[0133] 4 feed conveyor, feed belt
[0134] 5 cutting frame
[0135] 6a-d product opening
[0136] 7 cutting unit
[0137] 8 upper product guide, upper guide belt
[0138] 8.1 contact run, lower run
[0139] 8a cutting side deflecting roller
[0140] 8b deflecting roller facing away from the cutting side
[0141] 9 bottom product guide, lower guide belt
[0142] 8.1 contact run, upper run
[0143] 9a cutting side deflecting roller
[0144] 9b deflecting roller facing away from the cutting side
[0145] 10 transport direction, longitudinal direction, axial direction
[0146] 10a, b transport direction
[0147] 10* passage direction through machine
[0148] 11 1. transverse direction (width slicer) [0149] 12 2. transverse direction (height direction caliber)
[0150] 13 gripper unit, gripper slide
[0151] 14,14a-d gripper
[0152] 15 cross bar
[0153] 15′ support surface
[0154] 16 gripper claw
[0155] 17 discharge unit
[0156] 17a, b, c portioning belt, conveyor
[0157] 18 gripper guide
[0158] 19 height sensor
[0159] 20 feed unit
[0160] 21 end piece conveyor
[0161] 22 end piece container
[0162] 23 track guide
[0163] 24 transport slide
[0164] 25 strap
[0165] 26 subsequent conveyor unit
[0166] 27a, b conveyor unit
[0167] 27a1 supporting surface
[0168] 27b1 supporting surface
[0169] 27a′, 27b′ running direction
[0170] 28 deflecting device
[0171] 29 transverse displace device
[0172] 30 overlapping unit
[0173] 31 deflecting roller
[0174] 32 motor
[0175] 33 circumferential groove
[0176] 34 deflecting roller
[0177] 34′ rotation axis
[0178] 35 frame
[0179] 36 guide element, guide roller
[0180] α intermediate angle
[0181] A article
[0182] h height article
[0183] H height difference of conveyors
[0184] K product, product caliber
[0185] KR endpiece, caliber endpiece
[0186] S slice
[0187] P portion
[0188] P1, P2 partial portion
[0189] Ü1 overlap
[0190] Ü2 overlap
[0191] V packaging element