Abstract
A conveyor device includes at least three lift columns, a lower conveyor body, and an upper conveyor body. The upper conveyor body is adjustable in its height relative to the lower conveyor body. The lift columns project at least partially above the upper conveyor body without lengthwise supports acting in the transport direction.
Claims
1. A conveyor system including: (a) a base frame extending in a transport direction and in a width direction, the width direction extending horizontally transverse to the transport direction; (b) at least one lower conveyor body defining a lower surface extending in the width direction, the at least one lower conveyor body being directly or indirectly supported on the base frame at a position in a height direction extending perpendicular to the transport direction and width direction; (c) a respective lift column located at each of at least three corners of an imaginary quadrilateral lying in a plane defined by the transport direction and the width direction, each lift column being connected to the base frame and extending in the height direction from an upper side of the base frame, each lift column including a respective lifting mechanism with a spindle nut having a position that is adjustable along the respective lift column in the height direction; (d) at least one upper conveyor body defining an upper surface extending in the width direction, the at least one upper conveyor body being supported on the lifting mechanisms of the lift columns so that a spacing between the at least one upper conveyor body and the at least one lower conveyor body may be varied in the height direction via the lifting mechanisms to facilitate clamping an object to be conveyed by the conveyor system between the lower surface and upper surface as the object is conveyed in the transport direction; and (e) wherein the lift columns include at least one lift column that is not connected to any other one of the lift columns by a lengthwise connector extending in the transport direction above the spindle nut of the at least one lift column.
2. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein the at least one lift column is not connected to any other of the lift columns by a transverse connector extending in the width direction above the spindle nut of the at least one lift column.
3. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein the lift columns include at least two lift columns that each freely project in the height direction above their respective spindle nut without either a lengthwise connector or a transverse connector to other lift columns.
4. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein a spacing between adjacent lift columns in the transport direction at a position along the height direction above the at least one lower conveyor body is at least half as large as the length of the at least one upper conveyor body or at least one lower conveyor body.
5. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein a spacing between adjacent lift columns in the width direction above the at least one lower conveyor body and under the at least one upper conveyor body determines a maximum dimension in the width direction for accepting goods to be transported by the conveyor system.
6. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein the lifting mechanism of each lift column includes a respective spindle on which the respective spindle nut is adjustable in the height direction, and wherein the respective lift mechanisms are coupled to each other via a chain or belt for synchronous activation.
7. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including a respective linear guide for each respective spindle nut operable to guide the respective spindle nut during movement in the height direction to prevent misalignment of the at least one upper conveyor body relative to a plane defined by the transport direction and the width direction.
8. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including a cross member extending from the respective spindle nut or a mount installed on that spindle nut of a first one of the lift columns to the respective spindle nut or a mount installed on that spindle nut a second one of the lift columns that is adjacent to the first one of the lift columns in the width direction, and wherein the at least on upper conveyor body is mounted on the cross member so as to be adjustable in the width direction.
9. The conveyor system of claim 8 wherein the cross member has along its length in the width direction a series of latch teeth, wherein a latching lever coupled to the at least one upper conveyor body is moveable from a released position, in which the latch teeth are released to facilitate movement of the at least one upper conveyor body in the width direction, to an operating position, in which one or more of the latch teeth are latched so as to secure the at least one upper conveyor body in the width direction along the cross member.
10. The conveyor system of claim 9 wherein that the latch lever includes a segment that projects into a region between the at least one upper conveyor body and the at least one lower conveyor body when the latch lever is in the released position in order to block transported goods when the latch lever is not in the released position.
11. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including: (a) a motor; and (b) a shaft connected to be driven by the motor and extending in the width direction to a pulley of the at least one upper or at least one lower conveyor body, the pulley being coupled nonrotatably to the shaft, but movably in the width direction.
12. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including: (a) a cross member extending from a first separable mount connected to the respective spindle nut of a first one of the lift columns to a second separable mount connected to the respective spindle nut of a second one of the lift columns that is adjacent to the first one of the lift columns in the width direction, the at least one upper conveyor body being mounted on the cross member; (b) a motor for driving the at least one upper conveyor body, the motor being mounted on the cross member; and (c) wherein the cross member, the at least one upper conveyor body, and the motor are removable as a modular unit from the spindle nut of the first one of the lift columns and the spindle nut of the second one of the lift columns.
13. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including: (a) a cross member extending from a first one of the lift columns to a second one of the lift columns that is adjacent to the first one of the lift columns in the width direction, the at least one lower conveyor body being mounted on the cross member; (b) a motor for driving the at least one lower conveyor body, the motor being mounted on the cross member; and (c) wherein the cross member, the at least one lower conveyor body, and the motor are removable as a modular unit from the first one of the lift columns and the second one of the lift columns.
14. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein at least one upper conveyor body or lower conveyor body traverses one of the lift columns in the transport direction.
15. The conveyor system of claim 1 further including at least one carrier unit disposed on the base frame, and a least one processing tool mounted on the carrier unit in position to interact with a good transported by the conveyor system.
16. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein the carrier unit is adjustable in the transport direction, the width direction, and/or the height direction.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor device according to an embodiment of the invention.
(2) FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1, with a representation of a product held between the upper and lower conveyor bodies.
(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the device shown in FIG. 1 showing latching levers in an operating position to latch the conveyor bodies in place along the cross member.
(4) FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view similar to the view of FIG. 3 but showing the latching levers in a released position.
(5) FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing two lift columns with cross members and motors in between them.
(6) FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the use of freerunning sleeves on the drive shaft.
(7) FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view through one of the pulleys shown in FIG. 6.
(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1, but with processing tools added.
(9) FIG. 9 perspective view showing a portion of the bottom of the base frame with a spindle coupling.
DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS
(10) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the conveyor device 1 according to the invention in a perspective view. An essentially rectangular base frame 2 extends in a lengthwise direction X and horizontally in a width direction Y running perpendicular thereto. The X coordinate also represents the direction of transport, in which goods are to be transported by the device, where the transport can take place in the X direction or also in the opposite direction. Lift columns 3, which project essentially freely upward in a height direction Z, are disposed at each of the four corners of the base frame 2. Each lift column 3 includes a spindle 5 and a spindle nut 4, which can be moved by the spindle 5 in the Z direction. The illustrated spindles 5 are mounted on suitable bearings at their upper and lower end regions to facilitate rotation of each spindle about its longitudinal axis. Each spindle nut 4 carries a mount 7 (not all of the elements described here are provided with reference numbers in the figures because of the perspective view and for better clarity). The mounts 7 that are opposite from each other in the Y direction each jointly carry an upper cross member Q.sub.O. The two upper cross members Q.sub.O project through the front and rear end regions of two upper conveyors bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, which are affixed to the two upper cross members Q.sub.O and spaced apart in the Y direction.
(11) At their lower ends (hidden by base frame 2 in the perspective of FIG. 1), the four spindles 5 of the lift columns 3 are fitted nonrotatably with gears F, around which all together passes a tensioned chain G, which is guided in a groove in base frame 2. A portion of this gear F and chain G arrangement is visible in the view of FIG. 9. The rotation of one spindle is thus synchronously transmitted to all other spindles. The lift column 3 shown in the foreground in FIG. 1 is fitted at the upper end with a hand wheel 8, which is nonrotatably connected to the spindle of this lift column (this particular spindle being obscured in the perspective of FIG. 1). By rotating the hand wheel 8, all spindles 5 are rotated in the same direction via the coupling of the chain G (shown in FIG. 9), so that the spindle nuts 4 seated on the spindles are synchronously moved up or down in the Z direction.
(12) The two upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 each include an endless belt R.sub.1, R.sub.2 (see particularly FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6) which is supported on the respective conveyor body along its lengthwise extent in the Z direction and is reversed at the ends of the conveyor body by two pulleys S (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). All of the parts turning or driving the belts may be designed to have identical teeth, so that with the belts (R.sub.1, R.sub.2), which may be toothed belts, parasitic frequencies generated by the drive can advantageously be reduced, in particular to just one. One of the pulleys S of each upper conveyor body O.sub.1, O.sub.2 is driven by means of an upper motor M.sub.O as is apparent from FIG. 1 (and the enlarged views of FIGS. 6 and 7). The illustrated upper conveyor body drive arrangement includes a motor shaft W.sub.O extending in the Y direction through both pulleys S of the two upper conveyor bodies, and each of these pulleys is disposed on the shaft W.sub.O nonrotatably, but moveably in the Y direction. The motor M.sub.O driving the two upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 is affixed together with the upper cross member Q.sub.O to the mounts 7 of the spindle nuts 4, so that the motor M.sub.O together with the cross member Q.sub.O follows a vertical travel of the spindle nuts 4 as the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 are positioned at a desired level in the Z direction. In addition to the upper cross member Q.sub.O, the form of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes on the motor-side end of the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 a stabilization shaft W.sub.S between the mounts 7 through the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 This stabilization shaft W.sub.S helps to support the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 and to keep the shaft W.sub.O driven by the motor M.sub.O largely free of bending torque or tensile/compressive stresses.
(13) The illustrated apparatus includes, under the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 two lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1, U.sub.2. These lower conveyor bodies are also supported via two lower cross members Q.sub.U (of which only one can be seen in FIG. 1) on the lift columns 3. The lower cross members Q.sub.U in this particular embodiment are essentially fixed in place on the lift columns 3 and in particular cannot be moved in the vertical direction Z via the arrangement of spindles 5 and spindle nuts 4.
(14) The two lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1 and U.sub.2 are, similar to the upper conveyor bodies, driven by a motor M.sub.U, which is disposed under the motor M.sub.O in the Z direction. The two motors M.sub.O, M.sub.U thus lie (in the Y direction) on the same side of the conveyor bodies in the illustrated apparatus, which simplifies wiring and prevents an accidentally reversed assembly. The upper motor M.sub.O projects upward in the Z direction to the upper side turned away from the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2. Correspondingly, the lower motor M.sub.U projects downward in the Z direction to the lower side turned away from the lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1, U.sub.2. The space between the motors is thus advantageously left free for the transported goods.
(15) Discrete goods are transported between the upper and the lower conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, U.sub.1, U.sub.2, by driving the conveyor body belts in the X direction through the conveyor system, where the goods can be processed by various processing tools during this travel, i.e., preferably while the goods are moving.
(16) FIG. 2 shows the device in FIG. 1 with a view in the X direction. This view shows two lift columns 3, which have a clear space Y.sub.3 between them in the Y direction. A product P to be transported in the X direction (in this case out from the plane of the drawing) is disposed between the upper and lower conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, U.sub.1, U.sub.2. In particular, product P is clamped in the height direction Z between upper surfaces defined by the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 and lower surfaces defined by lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1, U.sub.2. As will described further below the upper and lower surfaces in this illustrated form of the apparatus comprise conveyor belts. It is apparent from FIG. 2 that both upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, are driven by the upper motor M.sub.O, the shaft W.sub.O of which extends through both pulleys of the two upper conveyor bodies in the Y direction (the pulleys being essentially obscured in this view by portions of the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 and thus not labeled in this view). In the same way the two lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1, U.sub.2 are driven by the lower motor M.sub.U. One can also see in FIG. 2 that the two upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, along with motor M.sub.O with cross member and shafts together as the upper conveyor are disposed via the two mounts 7 on the spindle nuts 4, which can be moved up and down along the lift columns 3 by means of the spindles 5 (the spindles being hidden in this view). The lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1, U.sub.2 and their motor M.sub.U (together with which they may be referred to as the lower conveyor) are likewise mounted via mounts 7 on the lift columns 3. The mounts 7, however, are different from the mounts 7 in that mounts 7 are essentially fixed in place and not vertically movable via the spindles (5 shown in FIG. 1).
(17) One can further readily see in FIG. 2 that the passageway available for the goods P to be transported is determined on the one hand by the vertical spacing of the upper and lower conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, U.sub.1, U.sub.2 and on the other hand by the horizontal spacing Y.sub.3 of the two (or all four) lift columns 3. Through the arrangement of the motors M.sub.O, M.sub.U above and below the conveyor bodies, this passageway is advantageously left completely free in order to be able to transport goods with maximum Y width.
(18) FIG. 3 shows the attachment of the upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 in a more detailed view. In particular, FIG. 3 shows one of the two upper cross members Q.sub.O, which passes through both upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 and is mounted by its ends at the mounts 7 (compare FIG. 1). The cross member Q.sub.O is provided along its Y extent with latch teeth 9, the sides of which run parallel to the Z direction. Two latching levers 10, which can be pivoted from a released position to an operating position and back, are disposed on each conveyor body O.sub.1 and O.sub.2. In the operating position shown in FIG. 3, an intermediate part E attached to the latching lever 10, engages the latch teeth 9 of the cross member Q.sub.O in the X direction so that the intermediate part E and, with it, the relevant conveyor body cannot be shifted from its Y position, which is determined by the latch teeth.
(19) In FIG. 4 the latching mechanism with the latching lever 10 is shown in the released position. In this case the intermediate part E no longer is engaged with the latch teeth 9 of the cross member Q.sub.O, so that the respective conveyor body can be freely shifted in the Y direction. At the same time, a free end 100 of the latching lever 10 projects in the Z direction to the region between the lower and upper conveyor bodies. Transport of a product is prevented in this case and the system operator will immediately recognize that the conveyor bodies are not yet secured in their Y position. Preferably, all components of each latching mechanism include individual parts that are connected together and thus captive. By coloring the latching lever 10 a special color, for instance bright red, its current pivot position (either the operating position or released position) can be made recognizable particularly easily. By a scale disposed on the cross members and/or additional positioning aids, for instance a ball latching mechanism (not shown), specific Y positions can be set for the conveyor bodies particularly easily.
(20) Expediently, at least two latching mechanisms spaced apart in the X direction are disposed on each conveyor body in order to ensure the alignment of each conveyor body parallel to the transport direction X. If each conveyor body is held by at least two cross members, one such mechanism can be disposed on each cross member. One can further see on FIGS. 3 and 4 that each conveyor body has a plurality of approximately square-shaped carrier openings A that are spaced apart from each other in the X direction, with one such opening A being penetrated by the cross member Q.sub.O. The X position of the conveyor bodies relative to the cross members can be configured by passing the cross members through one of the carrier openings A as desired.
(21) FIG. 5 shows a part of the conveyor device 1 according to the invention in a perspective view looking at two lift columns 3 and the components disposed in between them. One can also see the spindle 5 associated with each lift column, each spindle 5 carrying a spindle nut 4 and a mount 7 disposed thereon for an upper cross member Q.sub.O with two upper conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2 affixed thereto. A linear guide 6, which guides vertically moving spindle nuts 4 along the spindle 5 and safeguards against tilting, can be seen on the lift columns 3 at the back of the drawing in FIG. 5. Such a guide 6 may be provided for the spindle nuts 4 of the device on all lift columns 3.
(22) The mount 7 shown in FIG. 5 on the right side and supported by the spindle nut 4 carries, on the one hand, the upper cross member Q.sub.O and, on the other, the upper motor M.sub.O. The spindle 5 of the front lift column 3 (and through the coupling by means of a chain or toothed belt, not shown, the three other spindles as well) can be operated via the hand wheel 8 situated at the upper end of the lift column shown in the foreground.
(23) FIG. 5 also shows the latching mechanism (including latching levers 10) provided on each conveyor body, which establishes the Y position of the conveyor bodies along the cross member, which is designed as a gear rack.
(24) The lower drive shaft W.sub.U that can be seen in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 6 in an enlarged partial view. The shaft W.sub.U projects through two pulleys S of the two lower conveyor bodies U.sub.1 and U.sub.2. Each pulley S is mounted on the shaft W.sub.U nonrotatably, but with the ability to shift in the Y direction in order to enable the ability of the entire conveyor body to be shifted in the Y direction. The nonrotatable connection of the pulley on the shaft W.sub.U takes place by two oppositely rotating freerunning sleeves H into the hub of each of the two pulleys S as shown particularly in FIG. 7. The freerunning sleeves H are freely movable in the Y direction on the shaft W.sub.U and are fixed on the inside diameter of the pulley at their outer side, due to being pressed in. The oppositely rotating freerunning sleeves H form a nonrotatable connection of the relevant pulley S with the shaft W.sub.U with extremely small play in the circumferential direction while at the same time having very easy shiftability in the Y direction. The Y position of each pulley is fixed relative to the conveyor body in this embodiment, preferably without axial play, through two deflectors L adjacent on the sides of each pulley S and affixed to the conveyor body. Plastic disks K with good slip properties are disposed between the deflectors L and the pulley S in the axial direction for a mount that is as friction free as possible. The deflectors L have a slightly conical outline on the end facing away from the conveyor body, with which they can connect to adjacent conveyor devices or conveyor belts, so that the products to be received from such devices or to be sent to such devices can be transferred with as few problems as possible.
(25) FIG. 8 shows a device similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but additionally including carrier T disposed directly on the base frame 2. The carrier T can be moved in space in the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the base frame 2 or relative to the upper and lower conveyor bodies O.sub.1, O.sub.2, U.sub.1, U.sub.2 via a cross table and a lift mechanism. A camera C and two print heads D are disposed on the carrier T as processing tools, which can process a product transported by the conveyor bodies on the side between the upper and lower conveyor bodies. Another carrier, not shown in this perspective, with like adjustability and processing tools is disposed on the back side of the device, which is facing away from the viewer, where said tools can differ from those of the first carrier T in type and position. A plurality of carriers T can also be synchronously positionable, for instance by means of linear drives supplying two carriers at the same time.
(26) FIG. 9 shows in a simplified partial view the nonrotatable coupling of the spindle 5 of a lift column 3 to the other spindles. A segment of the base frame 2 is shown at an angle from below in perspective view. From the lift column 3 situated at one corner of the base frame 2, its spindle 5 (only a bottom connector of which is visible in this perspective) extends through the base frame downward, where a gear F is connected nonrotatably to the spindle 5. A chain G, which is shown in a simplified form, runs in a groove in base frame 2 and wraps around the gear for about 90. Although not shown in the partial view of FIG. 9, the chain G may run to the other spindles of the other lift columns, which are made in the same way, and is adjustably tensioned. The chain G running around all the spindles transfers the torque introduced through one of the spindles, for example, by means of hand wheel 8 in FIG. 1, to all of the other spindles, so that their spindle nuts can be moved up and down synchronously.
(27) As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms comprising, including, carrying, having, containing, involving, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms about, substantially, and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.
(28) Any use of ordinal terms such as first, second, third, etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).
(29) In the above descriptions and the following claims, terms such as top, bottom, upper, lower, and the like with reference to a given feature are intended only to identify a given feature and distinguish that feature from other features. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such terms are not intended to convey any spatial or temporal relationship for the feature relative to any other feature.
(30) The term each may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term each is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as each having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term each is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.
(31) The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.
REFERENCE NUMBER LIST
(32) A Carrier opening C Camera D Print head E Intermediate part F Gear G Chain H Freerunning sleeve K Plastic disk L Deflector M.sub.O, M.sub.U Upper/lower motor O.sub.1, O.sub.2 Upper conveyor bodies P Goods to be transported (product) Q.sub.O, Q.sub.U Upper/lower cross member R.sub.1, R.sub.2 Belts S Pulley T Carrier U.sub.1, U.sub.2 Lower conveyor bodies W.sub.O, W.sub.U Upper/lower motor shafts W.sub.S Stabilizing shaft X Lengthwise direction Y Width direction Z Height direction X.sub.3 X spacing of two lift columns Y.sub.3 Y spacing of two lift columns 1 Conveyor system 2 Base frame 3 Lift column 4 Spindle nut 5 Spindle 6 Linear guide 7, 7 Mount 8 Hand wheel 9 Latching teeth 10 Latching lever 100 Segment on latching lever
