APPARATUS FOR SORTING PIECE GOODS WITH DISPENSING DEVICE

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for sorting piece goods and in particular plastic parisons with a delivery device which delivers the piece goods and with a sorting device which is arranged in a transport direction of the piece goods after the delivery device and is suitable for aligning the piece goods at least partially, and with a dispensing device which is arranged in the transport direction of the piece goods between the delivery device and the sorting device and which conveys the piece goods from the delivery device to the sorting device and is suitable and intended for dispensing the piece goods reaching the sorting device from the delivery device, wherein the dispensing device includes a body which is rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation and on this body a receiver is arranged for receiving a predetermined number of piece goods.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sorting piece goods including plastic parisons with a delivery device which delivers the piece goods and with a sorting device which is arranged in a transport direction of the piece goods after the delivery device and is suitable for aligning the piece goods at least partially, and with a dispensing device which is arranged in the transport direction of the piece goods between the delivery device and the sorting device and which conveys the piece goods from the delivery device to the sorting device and is suitable and intended for dispensing the piece goods reaching the sorting device from the delivery device, wherein the dispensing device comprises a body which is rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation and on this body a receiver is arranged for receiving a predetermined number of piece goods.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device comprises a plurality of movable receivers which transport the piece goods and these receivers are in each case suitable and intended to receive a predetermined number of piece goods.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is a horizontally extending axis of rotation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is in each case configured as a cutout arranged on an external circumference of the body.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable body has at least on its outer circumference a plurality of slots which are parallel to one another.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein these slots extend substantially perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the rotatable body.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has at least one takeoff.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the takeoff extends at least at times into the slots.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiver has a sawtooth-like profile.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a limiter for limiting the number of units which limits a number of piece goods reaching the dispensing device is provided in an inlet of the dispensing device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein this limiter for limiting the number of units is designed as a wall which is arranged above the first delivery device and forms a gap with the delivery device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is designed as a roller sorter or as a disc sorter.

13. The apparatus according to at least claim 1, wherein at least one boundary wall is arranged laterally adjacent to the body.

14. A dispensing device for transporting plastic parisons, with an inlet by which the plastic parisons can be delivered to the dispensing device, with a body which is rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation and on the external circumference of which a plurality of the receivers is arranged, wherein each of these receiving means is suitable and intended to receive at least one and a limited plurality of plastic parisons.

15. A method for sorting objects including plastic parisons, wherein a plurality of plastic parisons are transported from a delivery device to a sorting device and are sorted by this sorting device, wherein for this sorting the plastic parisons are uniformly aligned at least in some instances, wherein by a dispensing device the plastic parisons are transported by a dispensing device which is arranged between the delivery device and the sorting device, and are transferred by this dispensing device to the sorting device in a dispensed manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0055] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention for sorting plastic parisons;

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a schematic overall representation of an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention;

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a view of a detail of the dispensing device according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a further representation of a machine according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for sorting plastic parisons 10. This has a first delivery device 2 which delivers plastic parisons 10. In this case this delivery device 2 has a conveyor belt 26 circulating around two deflection rollers (only one illustrated). This conveyor belt 26 is adjoined by a slide 24, along which the plastic parisons 10 slide to a dispensing device 4 which is only shown schematically. The dispensing device 4 dispenses the plastic parisons 10 in the direction of the sorting device 6. In this case the sorting device 6 has two rollers 62 and 64 which are arranged parallel to one another and rotate about axes of rotation D2 and D3 which are parallel to one another. The reference numerals P1 and P2 indicate the respective directions of rotation. In addition, an aligning device (not shown) can be provided which aligns the plastic parisons between the rollers of the sorting device 6. In this case this aligning device can be located between the dispensing device and the sorting device 6. Furthermore, it is also possible for the dispensing of the plastic parisons to take place by an interaction between the dispensing device 4 and a further conveyor device, such as for instance a vertical conveyor.

[0061] Between these two rollers 62 and 64 a gap SP is formed which has such a width that a main body 10b of a plastic parison 10 can enter it, but a carrying ring 10a of the plastic parison is held by the rollers 62 and 64 or the external circumferences thereof. In this way a sorting of the individual plastic parisons is achieved in such a way that here they are now transported perpendicularly to the drawing plane and one behind the other.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows an overall representation of a system with an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. This plant for conveying plastic parisons has a first conveyor device 80, such as in particular a so-called vertical conveyor, which conveys plastic parisons (not shown) upwards. Starting from this vertical conveyor, the plastic parisons pass onto the conveyor belt 26 and are conveyed via an outlet 72 thereof and a feed rail 48 to the dispensing device 4. The reference numeral 6 in turn designates the sorting device such as a roller sorter. The quantity of plastic parisons reaching the sorting device can be controlled by means of an interaction between the vertical conveyor 80 and the dispensing device. The reference numeral 82 relates to a receiving device into which the plastic parisons are conveyed by the conveying device.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a representation of the dispensing device 4. This dispensing device has a feed rail 48 which extends obliquely here and along which plastic parisons (not shown) are delivered to a delivery region B. The reference numeral 45 designates a limiting means or limiter which with the feed rail 48 forms a gap so that the number of plastic parisons reaching the delivery region B is limited.

[0064] The reference numeral 44 designates a body which is rotatable about an axis of rotation D and has a plurality of receiving means or receiver 42 on its outer circumference. These receiving means can enter the plastic parisons and in this way in each case only limited numbers of plastic parisons are transported by the individual receiving means or receiver 42.

[0065] The rotatable body here has a plurality of plates 43 which are arranged parallel to one another and in each case form a gap 52 between them. The reference numeral 54 designates a takeoff means or takeoff which enters this gap. The takeoff means or takeoff also has a plurality of plates or strips 54a, 54b which in each case enter the gap 52.

[0066] The reference numerals 56 and 58 designate lateral boundary walls which are arranged stationary. Due to these boundary walls the receiving means form common receiving volumes for receiving the plastic parisons. The reference numerals 57 designate bars which hold the two walls 56 and 58 against one another. The plastic parisons (not shown) are therefore received by the individual receiving means on the left-hand region in the delivery region B. The takeoff means ensure that defined numbers of plastic parisons are located in the receiving means 42 and are transported thereby. In this case it is conceivable that the takeoff means can be adjusted as a whole, for example they can be shifted in a straight line or also swivelled. In this way the number of plastic parisons which as a result are still located in the receiving means can be controlled.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a further schematic representation of an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. In this case a further takeoff means 66 is also shown which serves to convey the plastic parisons more easily out of the respective receiving means. In this case this further takeoff means can also have a slide element which conveys the plastic parisons further to the sorting device (not shown).

[0068] Different parameters of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 are advantageously adjustable. Thus, the position of the takeoff means 54 is advantageously adjustable relative to the rotatable body 44. In this way it is possible to set how many plastic parisons are conveyed in each case by the individual receiving means. A rate of rotation of the rotatable body 44 can also be set.

[0069] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0070] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0071] 1 apparatus [0072] 2 delivery device [0073] 4 dispensing device [0074] 6 sorting device [0075] 10 plastic parisons [0076] 10a carrying ring [0077] 10b main body [0078] 24 slide [0079] 26 conveyor belt [0080] 42 receiving means or receiver [0081] 43 plates [0082] 44 rotatable body [0083] 45 limiting means or limiter [0084] 48 feed rail [0085] 52 gap [0086] 54 takeoff means or takeoff [0087] 54a,b plates of the takeoff means [0088] 56, 58 lateral boundary walls [0089] 57 bars [0090] 62, 64 rollers [0091] 66 further takeoff means or takeoffs [0092] 72 outlet [0093] 80 conveying device, vertical conveyor [0094] 82 receiving device [0095] D2, D3 axes of rotation [0096] SP gap [0097] B delivery region [0098] D axis of rotation