PALLETIZING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STACKING PACKAGES

Abstract

A palletizing apparatus and a method for stacking packages on a load carrier. The palletizing apparatus has a stacking location for palletizing the packages and at least two supply stations, which are in conveying connection with the stacking location and each have an intermediate carrier formed for receiving the packages. It is possible for the intermediate carriers to be vertically adjusted by a motor at least to some extent independently of one another between a low-level position and a high-level position. In order to make a rapid palletizing cycle possible, provision is made for the intermediate carriers to be horizontally adjustable by a motor-drive independently of one another between a starting position and an end position. The intermediate carriers are arranged at the supply stations for adjustment in a collision-free manner in opposite adjustment directions between a receiving position and a transfer position.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A palletizing apparatus for stacking packages on a load carrier, the palletizing apparatus comprising: a stacking location for palletizing the packages and at least two supply stations in conveying connection with said stacking location, each of said at least two supply stations having an intermediate carrier configured to receive the packages; said intermediate carriers being vertically adjustable by a motor drive at least in sections, independently of one another, between a low-level position and a high-level position; said intermediate carriers being horizontally adjustable by a motor drive independently of one another, between a starting position and an end position; and said intermediate carriers being arranged at said at least two supply stations for collision-free adjustment of said intermediate carriers, with opposed movement directions between a receiving position and a transfer position.

14. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of said supply stations comprises a receiving device which is: configured to provide a movable arrangement of said intermediate carriers horizontally between the starting position and the end position; and arranged at a guide unit to be vertically movable between the low-level position and the high-level position of said intermediate carrier.

15. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said guide unit comprises two separate column devices, each assigned to a respective receiving device and comprising at least one carrying column.

16. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said column devices are arranged opposite one another transversely to a transport direction.

17. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said carrying columns are arranged opposite one another transversely to a transport direction.

18. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said receiving devices comprise transfer devices for a horizontal movement of the packages opposite said intermediate carrier.

19. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said transfer devices comprise at least one of a transport belt or transport rollers arranged at said intermediate carrier.

20. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said transport belt and/or said transport rollers are connected to a drive unit.

21. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said transfer devices comprise a clearing element, adjustable parallel to said intermediate carrier and configured to be brought into engagement with a package arranged on said intermediate carrier.

22. The palletizing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said clearing element is connected to a drive unit.

23. A method for stacking package on a loading carrier arranged at a stacking location, the method comprising: providing a palletizing apparatus according to claim 13; with the first intermediate carrier in the receiving position and the second intermediate carrier in the transfer position, conveying a package which may be present on the second intermediate carrier from the second intermediate carrier to the stacking location; placing a package on the first intermediate carrier; and subsequently driving the first intermediate carrier by motor drive in a direction towards the transfer position, and, simultaneously, moving the second intermediate carrier by motor drive in a direction towards the receiving position, and thereby moving the first and second intermediate carriers collision-free past one another.

24. The method according to claim 23, which comprises moving the intermediate carriers on a first movement path out of the receiving position into the transfer position, and on a second movement path out of the transfer position into the receiving position.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first movement path and the second movement path do not overlap one another.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first and second movement paths are congruent in a region at the transfer position and/or receiving position, and wherein the intermediate carriers are moved past one another free of collision in a region in between the congruent regions.

27. The method according to claim 24, which comprises: moving the first intermediate carrier on a first movement path out of the transfer position into the receiving position and also out of the receiving position into the transfer position; and moving the second intermediate carrier on a second movement path out of the transfer position into the receiving position and also out of the receiving position into the transfer position; wherein the first and second movement paths do not have any points of intersection.

Description

[0032] FIG. 1A first perspective representation of a palletizing apparatus with two supply stations in a first position;

[0033] FIG. 2 a second perspective representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 1 in a second position of the supply stations;

[0034] FIG. 3 a third perspective representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 1 in a third position of the supply stations;

[0035] FIG. 4 a fourth perspective representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 1 in a fourth position of the supply stations;

[0036] FIG. 5 a fifth perspective representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 1 in a fifth position of the supply stations;

[0037] FIG. 6 a sixth perspective representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 1 in a sixth position of the supply stations;

[0038] FIG. 7 a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a palletizing apparatus with an upstream transport station;

[0039] FIG. 8 a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a palletizing apparatus;

[0040] FIG. 9a a schematic representation of a third embodiment of a palletizing apparatus in a first position of the intermediate station, and

[0041] FIG. 9b a second schematic representation of the palletizing apparatus from FIG. 9a, in an intermediate position of the supply stations.

[0042] Represented in FIGS. 1-6 are different perspective views of a palletizing apparatus 1 in different positions of two supply stations 4a, 4b, with the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b at the supply stations, horizontally adjustable in the transport direction.

[0043] The palletizing apparatus 1 comprises a stacking location 2, at which packages 3, supplied by a transport unit 16, are stacked on one another, arranged, for example, on a load carrier formed as a pallet, not represented here. For the palletizing of the packages 3, i.e., for receiving the packages 3 at the transport unit 16 and arranging of the packages 3 on the stacking location 2, the palletizing apparatus 1 comprises two supply stations 4a, 4b, of which the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, can be adjusted between a receiving position, in which these takes over the packages 3 from the transport unit 16, and a transfer position, in which the packages 3 are deposited at the stacking location 2. In the receiving position, the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, are therefore arranged in relation to the transport unit 16 in such a way that a package 3, supplied by the transport unit 16, is received onto the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b. In the transfer position, the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, are located opposite the stacking location in such a way that the packages 3 are deposited from the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, on the stacking location 2.

[0044] For the vertical adjustment of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, the receiving devices 6a, 6b, comprising the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, are arranged at separate column devices 8a, 8b, such as to be movable vertically. The column devices 8a, 8b comprise for this purpose carrier columns 10, 11, on which the receiving devices 6a, 6b, are mounted such as to be movable vertically between a high-level position, representing the end position, and a low-level position.

[0045] Accordingly, the carrying columns 10 serve to provide a vertically movable mounting for the receiving device 6a, wherein the vertical movement is put into effect by means of a drive unit 14a, which drives a chain 15a which is in operational connection with the receiving device 6a. The receiving device 6b is arranged so as to be movable horizontally, related to the transport direction of the packages 3, on the opposite side at a carrying column 11, wherein the drive for the receiving device 6b is provided by means of a drive unit 14b, which drives a chain 15b which is in engagement with the receiving device 6b. The vertical alignment of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, takes place both opposite the transport unit 16 as well as opposite the stacking location 2, and therefore by means of a vertical movement of the receiving devices 6a, 6b.

[0046] A horizontal movement of the packages 3 in the palletizing apparatus 1 takes place by a horizontal movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, which for this purpose are arranged, driven by a motor, at the receiving devices 6a, 6b, so as to be movable horizontally along the transport direction, starting from the receiving position in the direction onto the transfer position. After the packages 3 have been taken from the transport unit 16, at the transfer from the receiving position into the transfer position, as well as a vertical movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, a horizontal movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, also takes place, opposite the receiving devices 6a, 6b, until the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, are arranged, as a supplement to their vertical position, also horizontally, in the transfer position. The intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, can be adjusted for this purpose in the horizontal direction between an end position and a starting position. In order to transfer the packages 3 from the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, arranged in the transfer position, to the stacking location 2, the palletizing apparatus 1 comprises a clearing element, arranged on a frame 13, which moves the packages 3 from the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, in the direction onto the stacking location 2.

[0047] The arrangement of the carrying columns 10, 11, opposite one another and mounted in each case on one side of the receiving device 6a, 6b, makes possible, as well as the horizontal movement of the intermediate carriers intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, at the receiving devices 6a, 6b, also the movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, simultaneously in opposite directions between the receiving position and the transfer position, without them colliding with one another. Any diversionary movement required is attained in this situation by means of a horizontal movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, which makes it possible for them to be moved past one another.

[0048] One possible configuration of a palletizing apparatus with collision-avoidance movement paths 17, 18, is represented in FIG. 7. In this situation, the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, are moved on a first fixed movement path 17 out of the receiving position into the transfer position, and on a second movement path 18 out of the transfer position into the receiving position. According to this configuration, the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, move on a circular path, with which the movement paths 17, 18, connect to one another and exhibit no points of intersection whatever.

[0049] An alternative configuration of collision-free movement paths 17, 18, is represented in FIG. 8. In this situation, the first intermediate carrier 5a moves on the first movement path 17 to and fro between the receiving position and the transfer position, while conversely the second intermediate carrier 5b moves to and fro on the second movement path 18 between the receiving position and the transfer position. According to this configuration, therefore, an individual movement path 17, 18, is assigned to each intermediate carrier 5a, 5b, for the movement between the receiving position and the transfer position.

[0050] Represented in FIGS. 9a and 9b is a further configuration of a movement of the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b, between their receiving position and transfer position, with which, in order to avoid a collision in an overlapping region of the movement paths 17, 18, provision is made between the receiving position and the transfer position for a horizontal compensation movement of the intermediate carrier 5a, moved out of the receiving position into the transfer position, such that no collision occurs between the intermediate carriers 5a, 5b.

[0051] With regard to the compensation movement, it is advantageous if the unladen empty intermediate carrier completes the compensation movement, and the laden intermediate carrier runs through the shortest possible travel route, ideally a travel route with as few changes of direction as possible. This variant is not represented.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0052] 1 Palletizing apparatus [0053] 2 Stacking location [0054] 3 Package [0055] 4a, 4b Supply station [0056] 5a, 5b Intermediate carrier [0057] 6a, 6b Receiving device [0058] 7 Guide unit [0059] 8a, 8b Column device [0060] 10 Carrying column [0061] 11 Carrying column [0062] 13 Frame (for clearing element) [0063] 14a, 14b Drive unit [0064] 15a, 15b Chain [0065] 16 Transport unit [0066] 17 First movement path [0067] 18 Second movement path