TRANSFER SYSTEM WITH A PUSHING DEVICE FOR PIECE OBJECTS

Abstract

A transfer system for piece objects includes a pushing device and a main conveyor with a conveying region. The pushing device includes first and second pushing members. The transfer system includes a supply zone, which is behind the conveying region in a pushing direction. In an initial position of the pushing device, the first pushing member is between the conveying region and the supply zone and the second pushing member is behind the supply zone in the pushing direction. In an end position of the pushing device, the first pushing member is in front of the conveying region in the pushing direction and the second pushing member is between the conveying region and the supply zone. The first pushing member, between the initial position and the end position, is at a fixed spacing to, and in front, of the second pushing member in the pushing direction.

Claims

1. A transfer system for piece objects, comprising a pushing device and a main conveyor with a conveying region, wherein the pushing device comprises at least one first pushing member and a second pushing member, and the transfer system comprises a supply zone, which is behind the conveying region in a pushing direction, in an initial position of the pushing device, the first pushing member is arranged between the conveying region and the supply zone in the pushing direction, and the second pushing member is arranged behind the supply zone (6) in the pushing direction, in an end position of the pushing device, which is arranged in front of the initial position in the pushing position, the first pushing member is arranged in front of the conveying region in the pushing direction and the second pushing member is arranged between the conveying region and the supply zone in the pushing direction, so that given a movement of the pushing device from the initial position to the end position, piece objects can be transferred from the supply zone to the conveying region and piece objects can be taken away from the conveying region, in the pushing device, the first pushing member between the initial position and the end position is arranged in a fixedly distanced manner to and in front of the second pushing member in the pushing direction, so that each movement of the first pushing member on a path from the initial position to the end position effects the same movement of the second pushing member.

2. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the pushing direction of the pushing device is arranged obliquely to a conveying direction of the main conveyor.

3. The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the pushing direction of the pushing device is arranged at right angles to the conveying direction of the main conveyor.

4. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the supply zone is arranged in a conveying region of an incoming conveyor.

5. The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein an incoming conveying direction of the incoming conveyor is arranged essentially at right angles to the conveying direction of the main conveyor, in a region between the initial position and the end position of the second pushing member.

6. The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein an incoming conveying direction of the incoming conveyor is arranged essentially opposite to the conveying direction of the main conveyor, in a region between the initial position and the end position of the second pushing member.

7. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the pushing device comprises a closed circulatory path, along which the at least two pushing members are moved, and a part of the circulatory path which lies between the initial position and the end position is free of intersection points with the remaining circulatory path.

8. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer system comprises a continuous drive for the pushing device.

9. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer system comprises a controller for the pushing device and a size detector for piece objects in the conveying region of the main conveyor, wherein the controller is provided with size information from the size detector and is capable of selectively activating a movement of the pushing device while taking into account this size information.

10. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer system comprises controller for the pushing device and a size detector for piece objects of the supply zone, wherein the controller is provided with size information from the size detector and is capable of selectively activating a movement of the pushing whilst device while taking into account this size information.

11. A method for the transfer of piece objects onto a main conveyor and away from the main conveyor by way of a pushing device, comprising moving the pushing device in a pushing direction of the pushing device from an initial position into an end position, and, by way of this, moving a first pushing member of the pushing device and second pushing member of the pushing device, wherein the first pushing member from the initial position to the end position is moved in a manner fixedly distanced to the second pushing member and in a manner arranged in front of the second pushing member, wherein a first piece object is displaced in the pushing direction from a position in the conveying region of the main conveyor into a position outside the conveying region by way of the first pushing member, and wherein a second piece object is displaced in the pushing direction from a supply zone outside the conveying region of the main conveyor into a position within the conveying region by way of the second pushing member, recreating the initial position of the pushing device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the moving of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position is effected exclusively in the pushing direction in at least one translatory movement and in particular the pushing device brakes the second piece object, which moves in the pushing direction, in the conveying region.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first pushing member forms a stop for the second piece object, in order to position the second piece object in the conveying region.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein after the moving of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position, at least one positioning movement of the first pushing member is effected counter to the pushing direction, in order to position the second piece object in the conveying region.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein on moving the pushing device from the initial position into the end position, the displacing of the first piece object by the first pushing member is effected at least partly simultaneously with the displacing of the second piece object by the second pushing member.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein a size detector determines size information of the piece objects in the conveying region of the main conveyor before the moving of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position, and a controller activates or skips the moving of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position on the basis of this size information.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein a size detector determines size information of the piece objects in the supply zone before the moving of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position, and a controller activates or skips the displacing of the pushing device from the initial position into the end position on the basis of this size information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0099] The subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail by way of preferred embodiment examples which are represented in the accompanying drawings. In each case in a schematic manner are shown in:

[0100] FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a transfer system with a first pushing device;

[0101] FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of a transfer system with a second pushing device after the beginning of the pushing movement;

[0102] FIG. 3 shows transfer system of FIG. 2 in the end position;

[0103] FIG. 4 shows transfer system of FIG. 2 on recreating the initial position;

[0104] FIG. 5 shows transfer system of FIG. 2 in the initial position;

[0105] FIG. 6 shows transfer system of FIG. 2 in combination with a processing zone;

[0106] FIG. 7 is a spatial representation of a few elements of FIG. 2;

[0107] FIG. 8 is a figure analogous to FIG. 7, but with an alternative supply of the supply zone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0108] Basically, the same parts are provided in the figures with the same reference numerals. The terms left, right, below and above relate to the plane of the drawing of the figures.

[0109] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a transfer system with a first pushing device 3. The gravitational direction, which in FIG. 1 points downwards, thus onto the lower edge of FIG. 1 is indicated with G. The main conveyor 1 is a plate chain conveyor, whose conveying direction F is led out perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing towards the viewer. A plate chain conveyor includes plates that are fastened on a conveying chain and on which piece objects can be conveyed. A conveying region 2 is formed on the main conveyor 1. The conveying region 2 is delimited to the bottom by a rest surface of the conveyor 1 and extends laterally almost up to the lateral ends of the rest surface of the main conveyor 1. A piece object 8a, 8b, which is arranged in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1, is held on the main conveyor 1 by way of static friction. The static friction of the piece object 8A, 8B on the main conveyor 1 arises due to the pressing force on account of the weight force of the piece object 8A, 8B in the direction of gravity G.

[0110] An incoming conveyor 7, which is likewise designed as a plate chain conveyor, is arranged at the left next to the main conveyor 1. The conveying direction of the incoming conveyor 7 is indicated as the incoming conveying direction H. In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the incoming conveying direction H is directed opposite to the conveying direction F of the main conveyor 1. The incoming conveying direction H of the incoming conveyor 7 therefore points perpendicularly out of the plane of the drawing away from the viewer of FIG. 1. The incoming conveyor 7 and the main conveyor 1 in the front elevation of FIG. 1 are designed analogously and equally large, in other words they have the same cross section transversely to their conveying directions F, H. The incoming conveyor 7 analogously includes an equally large incoming conveying region, which in FIG. 1 is congruent with the supply zone 6. The incoming conveyor 7 supplies the supply zone 6 with a full piece object 8B.

[0111] An outgoing conveyor 9, which is also designed as a belt conveyor and whose conveying direction, thus the outgoing conveying direction W runs to the right is arranged to the right next to the main conveyor 1. The outgoing conveying direction W is therefore arranged perpendicularly to the conveying direction F of the main conveyor 1, and by way of this is also perpendicularly to the incoming conveying direction H. All rest surfaces of the three conveyors (main conveyor 1, incoming conveyor 7 and outgoing conveyor 9) lie at the same height, so that a piece object 8A, 8B can each be pushed from one conveyor onto an adjacent conveyor by way of a lateral force.

[0112] The pushing device 3 is arranged above the piece objects 8A, 8B which lie on the main conveyor 1 and the incoming conveyor 7, and extends at the same height over the outgoing conveyor 9 roughly by a width of the piece object. The pushing device 3 includes a first pushing member 4, a second pushing member 5 and further pushing members, which are all fastened on a chain 10. The chain 10 conveys all pushing members about a closed circulatory path. This closed circulatory path of the chains 10 includes two sections, which run in a straight line and which are arranged parallel above one another, and deflection regions, which connect these sections. The lower straight section runs parallel to a pushing direction S of the pushing device and conveys all pushing members in the pushing direction S, thus in FIG. 1 from the left to the right. All pushing members are conveyed upwards via the right deflection region of the circulatory path and then to the left along the upper, parallel section of the circulatory path. All pushing members are subsequently conveyed downwards via the left deflection region of the circulatory path to the beginning of the lower parallel section of the circulatory path.

[0113] All pushing members of the pushing device 3 of the first embodiment are designed in a constructionally equal manner and include a pushing member joint 11, a cam member 12 and a push plate 16. The pushing member joint 11, the cam member 12 and the push plate 16 are each fastened to the pushing member in a stationary manner and always remain equally arranged relative to one another. The push plate 16 forms a stop for the piece object 8A, 8B on the pushing member. All pushing members are articulately connected to the chain 10 via the pushing member joints 11. The pushing device 3 moreover includes three cam guides, which are installed in a stationary manner: a lower pushing cam guide 14, an upper pushing cam guide 13 and return cam guide 15. With a movement of the pushing members in the push direction S along the lower parallel section of the circulatory path, the cam members 12 of the pushing members can lie from above on the lower cam guide 14 and press from below upon the upper pushing cam guide 13.

[0114] In the region where the pushing members are moved in the pushing direction S, the cam members 12 are arranged at an upper left end of the pushing members. In this region, the pushing member joint 11 is arranged to the right below the cam member 12, and the remainder of the pushing member, on which the push plate 16 is fastened, extends below the pushing member joint 11 and perpendicularly downwards. This part of the pushing member, which in this region extends perpendicularly downwards, can come into contact with the piece object 8A, 8B by way of the push plate 16 and can push the piece object 8A, 8B in the push direction S by way of exerting a force in the push direction S. Full piece objects 8B can be transferred from the incoming conveyor 7 onto the main conveyor 1 and empty piece objects 8A be taken away from the main conveyor 1, in this case transferred to the outgoing conveyor 9, in this manner.

[0115] The first pushing member 4 is arranged in a fixedly distanced manner to and in front of the second pushing member 5 in the pushing direction S between the initial position and the end position due to the articulated fastening on the chain 10 and due to being held in position by the lower pushing cam guide 14 as well as the upper pushing cam guide 13. In this manner, every movement of the first pushing member 4 on the path from the initial position to the end position effects the same movement of the second pushing member 5.

[0116] In FIG. 1, the displacing device 3 is situated between an initial position and an end position. The displacing device 3 is represented just at the beginning of a simultaneous displacing of a first, empty piece object 8A away from the main conveyor 1 onto the outgoing conveyor 9 and a displacing of a second, full piece object 8B from the supply zone 6 into the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1. The cam members 12 of the first pushing member 4 and of the second pushing member 5 are limited in their movement over the complete pushing movement of the pushing device 1 from the initial position to the end position, by the lower pushing cam guide 14 and the upper pushing cam guide 13. The lower pushing cam guide 14 aligns the pushing members 4, 5 and the upper pushing cam guide 13 accommodates a force and an impulse, which arise due to the pushing of the piece objects 8A, 8b in the pushing direction S. The return cam guide 15 aligns the pushing members by way of the cam members 12 on recreating the initial position of the pushing device 3.

[0117] In FIG. 1, the main conveyor 1 conveys empty piece objects 8A up to the pushing device 3, the pushing direction S of which is arranged at right angles to the conveying direction F of the main conveyor 1. If the empty piece object 8A is arranged at a suitable location below the pushing device 3, then the pushing device 3 begins the pushing movement from the initial position into the end position. The point in time, at which the first pushing member 4 by way of its push plate 16 comes into contact with the empty, first piece object 8A in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1 and the second pushing member 5 by way of its push plate 16 comes into contact with the full, second piece object 8B (represented in a hatched manner) in the supply zone 6 in the conveying region 2 of the incoming conveyor 7 is represented in FIG. 1. The empty, first piece object 8A as well as the full, second piece object 8B still have a static friction with the main conveyor 1 and the incoming conveyor 7 respectively. The pushing of the first piece object 8A from the main conveyor 1 to the outgoing conveyor 9 and the pushing of the second piece object 8B from the supply zone 6 into the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1 begins subsequently to this. Once the displacing device 3 has reached its end position, the empty, first piece object 8A in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1 has been replaced by the full second piece object 8B.

[0118] A second embodiment of a transfer system with a second pushing device 23 is represented in FIG. 2, as in FIG. 1 likewise after the beginning of a pushing movement. FIG. 2 as FIG. 1 likewise only represents a detail of the complete transfer system. The second embodiment of the transfer system in FIG. 2 differs from the first embodiment of the transfer system in FIG. 1 by a differently designed pushing device 23 and by a different supply of the supply zone 6.

[0119] The supply zone 6 in FIG. 2 is supplied by a lift 20 instead of by an incoming conveyor 7 as in FIG. 1. Here, the lift 20 moves full piece objects 8B from the bottom to the top into the supply zone 6. Once the full piece object 8B has been transferred from the second pushing member 25 onto the main conveyor 1 by the pushing movement, the lift 20 moves downwards again, in order to fetch a further full piece object 8B and to bring this upwards again into the supply zone 6.

[0120] The pushing device 23 in the second embodiment is designed different from the first embodiment, but the pushing members 4, 5, 24, 25 in both embodiments are basically moved along a closed circulatory path with a similar shape. The circulatory path of the pushing device 23 in the second embodiment thus includes two sections that run in a straight manner and are arranged parallel above one another, and deflecting regions that connect these sections.

[0121] Here too, the lower straight section runs parallel to the pushing direction S of the pushing device 24 and transports the pushing members 24, 25 in the push direction S from the initial position into the end position, thus from the left to the right in FIG. 2. Two pushing members 24, 25 are transported upwards via the right deflection region and are then transported to the left along the upper parallel section of the circulatory path. The two pushing members 24, 25 are subsequently transported downwards via the left deflection region of the circulatory path, to the beginning of the lower, parallel section of the circulatory path. The circulatory path for the second embodiment is not drawn for reasons of space. The circulatory path of the second embodiment however can be recognised by the FIGS. 2 to 5. In these, it is always the same view of the second embodiment of the transfer system which is represented, wherein however the pushing device 23 is represented in a temporal sequence in different positions along the circulatory path.

[0122] The pushing device 23 includes two pushing members, specifically the first pushing member 24 and the second pushing member 25. These two pushing members 24, 25 are fixedly arranged to one another on a double pusher 21, which is to say are not movable relative to one another, and are moved along the circulatory path. The first pushing member 24 here is arranged on the double pusher 21 to the right of the second pushing member 25, thus in front of the second pushing member 25 in the push direction S. In contrast to the first embodiment, the first pushing member 24 and the second pushing member 25 on their path over the complete circulatory path of the pushing device 23 are arranged in a manner fixedly distanced to one another and pointing in the same direction, specifically with their longitudinal axis arranged parallel to the gravitational direction G. In this manner, each movement of the first pushing member 24 on a path along the complete circulatory path effects the same movement of the second pushing member 25.

[0123] In contrast, in the first embodiment in FIG. 1 the pushing members 4, 5 are pivoted relative to the chain 10 on reassuming the initial position after the end position, thus temporarily change their alignment and relative distance to one another.

[0124] Each movement of the first pushing member 4 however effects the same movement of the second pushing member 5 at least on a path from the initial position to the end position.

[0125] The movement of the double pusher 21 along the circulatory path is effected by way of a crank rod drive 26 which connects the double pusher 21 to a stationary rotation point 22. The crank rod drive 26 is articulately connected to the double pusher 21 so that the pushing member 24 and the second pushing member 25 are each equally aligned at every position of the circulatory path, specifically with their longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of gravity G.

[0126] FIG. 3 shows the transfer system of FIG. 2 in the end position. The pushing movement of the pushing device 23 is therefore completed in FIG. 3. The full piece object 8B (represented hatched) has been pushed into the conveying region 2 and has been transferred to the main conveyor 1 and is thus ready for further conveying by the main conveyor 1. The empty piece object 8A which has been conveyed up to the pushing device 23 by the main conveyor is now transferred onto the outgoing conveyor 9 and is therefore located outside the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1. The first pushing member 24 is arranged in front of the conveying region 2 in the pushing direction, and the second pushing member 25 is arranged between the conveying region 2 and the supply zone 6 in the pushing direction S.

[0127] The same transfer system as is represented in FIG. 2 is represented in FIG. 4, but this time on recreating the initial position. For this, the double pusher 21 is lifted upwards by the crank rod drive 26 and is moved to the left. The main conveyor 1 during this time conveys the full piece object 8B which was previously taken over by the pushing device 23 in FIG. 3, further in the conveying direction F of the main conveyor 1, and the empty piece object 8A which was previously transferred to the outgoing conveyor 9 by the pushing device 23 is conveyed in the outgoing conveying direction W of the outgoing conveyor 9.

[0128] FIG. 5 again likewise shows the same transfer system as FIG. 2, and specifically in the initial position. In the meanwhile, an empty piece object 8A is arranged below the pushing device 23, in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1. And the supply zone 6 is supplied with a full piece object 8B by the lift 20. The first pushing member 24 is arranged between the conveying region 2 and the supply zone 6 in the pushing direction S, and the second pushing member 25 is arranged behind the supply zone 6 in the pushing direction S. The pushing movement of the pushing device 23 begins from this situation in the initial position and goes over into the position which is represented in FIG. 2 and in which the piece objects 8A, 8B each come into contact with the first pushing member 24 and the second pushing member 25 and are thereafter pushed to the right in the push direction S.

[0129] FIG. 6 shows the transfer system of FIG. 2 in combination with a processing zone. The transfer device 23 in FIG. 6 is thereby located in the same position in the circulatory path as in FIG. 2. The single difference of FIG. 6 to FIG. 2 is the fact that FIG. 6 shows more than the detail represented in FIG. 2.

[0130] An example of a transfer system whose main conveyor 1 conveys piece objects 8A, 8B to a processing zone in the form of a filling station 62 and also away from this again is represented in FIG. 6. The filling station 62 includes a circulating shelf 60 and a filling conveyor 61. The circulating shelf 60 is also called vertical revolving shelf or paternoster shelf and takes an empty piece object BA from the outgoing conveyor 9. The circulating shelf 60 then conveys the empty piece object 8A downwards and transfers it to the filling conveyor 61 which is designed as a belt conveyor. The empty piece objects 8A are conveyed on the filling conveyor 61 from the right to the left to the lift 20. Thereby, the empty piece objects 8A are filled on the filling conveyor 61 (indicated in FIG. 6 by arrow) and reach the lift 20 as full piece objects 8B. As already described, the full piece objects 8B are conveyed into the supply zone 6 with the lift 20.

[0131] The same main conveyor 1 therefore conveys empty piece objects 8A (empty crates) to the filling station 62, wherein these piece objects 8A are filled, and as full piece objects 8B (full crates) are transferred by the pushing device 23 again to the main conveyor 1 by way of the full piece objects 8B replacing the empty piece objects 8B at the same location in the conveying region 2. The full piece objects 8B from the filling station 62 are then conveyed further by the same main conveyor 1 which has already conveyed the empty piece objects 8A to the filling station 62.

[0132] FIG. 7 is a spatial representation of a few elements of FIG. 2. What is well evident is the constant and uniform utilisation of the main conveyor 1 due to the double pusher 21 of the transfer system with its first pushing member 24 transferring empty piece objects 8A from the main conveyor 1 onto the outgoing conveyor 9 and replacing them with full piece objects 8B. These full piece objects 8B are pushed in the pushing direction S by the second pushing member 25 to the location in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1, the location having previously been occupied by empty piece objects 8A.

[0133] FIG. 8 is a figure analogous to FIG. 7 but with an alternative supply of the supply zone 6. Analogously to FIG. 1 in the first embodiment of the transfer system, in FIG. 8 the second embodiment of the transfer system is represented with a supply zone 6, which is supplied by an incoming conveyor 7. The incoming conveyor 7 is designed and arranged analogously to that in FIG. 1. The incoming conveyor 7 is thus arranged parallel to the main conveyor and to the left next to the main conveyor 1 and is designed as a plate chain conveyor. The incoming conveying direction H of the incoming conveyor 7 is opposite to the conveying direction F of the main conveyor 1. The incoming conveyor 7 and the main conveyor 1 are designed analogously and equally large, thus have the same cross section transversely to their conveying directions F, H. The incoming conveyor 7 analogously includes an equally large incoming conveying region and supplies the supply zone 6 with full piece objects 8B.

[0134] The transfer system in FIG. 8 moreover includes a size detection means 81 for piece objects 8A in the conveying region 2 of the main conveyor 1. The size detection means 81 determines size information of the empty piece object 8A, before this is conveyed by the main conveyor to the double pusher 21. The size detection means 81 in this example includes a camera, which takes a picture of the empty piece object 8A. The size detection means 81 determines the size information by way of evaluating this picture. The size information is a dimension of the empty piece object 8A from the view of the camera, thus the dimension of the empty piece object 8A on the picture of the camera, which is encompassed by the size detection means 81.

[0135] The transfer system in FIG. 8 moreover includes a size detection means 80 for piece objects 8B in the supply zone 6. The size detection means 80 determines the size information of the full piece object 8B on the incoming conveyor 7 before this full piece object 8B is provided by the incoming conveyor 7 in the supply zone 6. The size detection means 80 in this example includes a camera, which takes a picture of the full piece object 8b on the incoming conveyor 7. The size detection means 80 determines the size information by way of evaluating this picture. The size information is a dimension of the full piece object 8B from the view of the camera, thus the dimension of the full piece object 8B on the picture of the camera, the camera being encompassed by the size detection means 81.

[0136] The size information of the two size detection means 80, 81 is made available to a control means 82. The control means 82 thus has information on the size of the piece objects 8A, 8B, which are located in the conveying region 2 and/or in the supply zone 6 at a given point in time. The control means 82, for example, activates a movement of the double pusher 21 from the initial position into the end position when the size of the empty piece object 8A, which lies in the conveying region 2 and in front of the first pushing member 24 in the pushing direction S corresponds essentially to the size of the full piece object 8B in the supply zone 6. Corresponding essentially to the size here is to be understood as a deviation of the spatial extension in each direction of maximally 10%.