STACKING DEVICE FOR EGG TRAYS
20250320011 ยท 2025-10-16
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
The present invention relates to a stacking device for the stacking and unstacking of square egg trays, supplied to under a stacking location, and to be discharged via a discharge conveyor, comprising: a receiving device for the successive receiving and carrying of egg trays, a stacking device located above the receiving device, comprising a passage that is suitable for transporting the platform loaded with an egg tray through it, and is defined by movable second carrying elements, a lifting device, comprising a platform for bringing an egg tray upward from the receiving device, wherein the stacking device is configured to cause an egg tray filled with eggs, to engage on an underside of a further egg tray the second carrying elements extend at least substantially horizontally and at right angles to the discharge transport direction and are configured to move in a horizontal plane in the transport direction away from each other and toward each other.
The invention also relates to a method for stacking and unstacking egg trays.
Claims
1. A stacking device that is suitable for the stacking of substantially square egg trays, supplied, or at least to be supplied, via a supply conveyor in a supply transport direction under a stacking location, and to be discharged via a discharge conveyor in a discharge transport direction from the stacking location, comprising: a receiving device, configured for the successive receiving and carrying of egg trays filled with eggs delivered by the supply conveyor, said receiving device comprising a transit space that is suitable for moving a platform through it, and which is defined on at least two sides by first carrying elements, which, in use, carry edges of an egg tray corresponding to the first carrying elements, a stacking device located above the receiving device at the stacking location, comprising a passage extending substantially in a horizontal plane that is suitable for transporting the platform loaded with an egg tray through it, and that is located above the receiving space, and is defined on at least two sides extending parallel to each other by movable second carrying elements, which during use carry, with the second carrying elements, corresponding edges of an egg tray, and which are configured for increasing and reducing the passage, a lifting device, comprising a platform extending at least substantially horizontally, carried by a carrying device configured for bringing an egg tray upward from the receiving device, wherein the platform has dimensions such that it can pass through the transit space and the passage, wherein the stacking device is configured to cause an egg tray filled with eggs, brought upward from the receiving device by means of the lifting device, to engage with an upper side of the egg tray on an underside of a further egg tray located in the stacking device, then causing the second carrying elements to move in such a way that the egg tray can pass through the passage, then bringing the lifting device with the egg tray(s) thus carried by the platform further upward and then causing the second carrying elements to reduce the passage so that when the lifting device is moved downward, the egg tray Is carried by the second carrying elements, characterized in that the second carrying elements extend at least substantially horizontally and at right angles to the discharge transport direction and are configured to move in a horizontal plane in the transport direction away from each other and toward each other.
2. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second carrying elements are elongated.
3. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second carrying elements have a longitudinal direction that extends at right angles to the discharge transport direction and a transverse direction which, seen from bottom to top, extend slanting toward each other.
4. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second carrying elements have, on a side extending slanting upward, a profile corresponding to an inside of a lateral edge of an egg tray.
5. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein two first carrying elements extend in the supply transport direction.
6. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the platform has a rectangular, preferably square perimeter.
7. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the platform has a length and a width, each of which is less than 400 mm, wherein the length and/or width is preferably less than 250 mm, more preferably less than 220 mm.
8. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the platform is provided, on an upper side thereof, with upward-projecting projections, which are configured for being able to engage, in two positions turned 90 degrees about a vertical axis, with an underside of an egg tray that is to be carried.
9. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrying device comprises an elongated lifting element extending vertically, provided on the underside of the platform.
10. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrying device is configured to rotate the platform about a vertical axis.
11. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge transport device comprises an endless belt.
12. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device and/or the stacking location extend at least substantially in a horizontal plane.
13. The stacking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply conveyor comprises at least first and second partial conveyors extending at a distance from and parallel to each other, or wherein the supply conveyor comprises three parallel belts, separate from each other, extending parallel to each other through a space, and wherein, between the first and second partial conveyors, or in the two spaces, there are two vertical elements, which in a first supply orientation of an egg tray function as a stop for two cups of the egg tray, and which, in a second discharge orientation of an egg tray, turned 90 degrees relative to the first orientation, are located between two adjacent cups, so that a supplied egg tray is stopped by the vertical elements to be gripped by the lifting device, and stacked egg trays deposited by the lifting device can pass the vertical elements unhindered.
14. The stacking device as claimed in claim 13, comprising the at least first and second partial conveyors extending at a distance from and parallel to each other, wherein the vertical elements comprise cams that are hinged toward each other so that in the hinged state they allow egg trays to pass unhindered over the supply conveyor direction of the discharge conveyor.
15. The stacking device as claimed in claim 13, comprising a third partial conveyor that is configured to be placed between the first and second partial conveyors for forming an at least substantially continuous conveyor belt extending transversely to a transport direction of the supply conveyor.
16. The stacking device as claimed in claims 14, wherein the vertical elements, in the stated state hinged toward each other, are located under the level of belts of the partial conveyors.
17. A method for stacking egg trays, comprising the steps of: supplying an egg tray filled with eggs to a receiving device located under a stacking location of a stacking device and comprising a passage, said receiving device comprising a transit space that is suitable for moving a platform through it, and which is defined on at least two sides by first carrying elements, which, in use, carry edges of an egg tray corresponding to the first carrying elements, moving the egg tray upward toward the stacking device by means of a lifting device, comprising a platform extending at least substantially horizontally, carried by a carrying device, with dimensions such that it can pass through the transit space and the passage, transporting the platform loaded with an egg tray through the passage, wherein the passage, on at least two sides extending parallel to each other, is defined by movable second carrying elements in order to carry edges of an egg tray corresponding to the second carrying elements, causing the egg tray filled with eggs brought upward by means of the lifting device, to engage with an upper side of the egg tray on an underside of a further egg tray located in the stacking device, causing the second carrying elements to move in such a way that the egg tray can pass through the passage, by means of the lifting device, bringing the egg tray carried by the platform further upward, reducing the passage by means of the second carrying elements, moving the lifting device downward, and transferring the egg tray to the second carrying elements, so that it is carried by the second carrying elements, characterized in that the second carrying elements extend at least substantially horizontally and at right angles to the discharge transport direction and, for increasing and reducing the passage, move in a horizontal plane in the transport direction away from each other and toward each other.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the egg trays are stacked by means of a stacking device.
Description
[0040] The present invention will be explained in more detail hereunder, referring to an appended drawing of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the present invention. The drawing and the description do not have any limiting effect on the scope of protection of the present invention, which is only limited by the appended claims. The drawing shows:
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[0057] Looking now at the figures,
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[0062] Since the principle of the action of a lifting device with a platform 30 with holes extending through the platform corresponds to that of a platform 25 with upward-projecting projections, the description of the action is not always repeated every time in the embodiment examples.
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[0064] A platform 25 is carried by a lifting element in the form of a rod 46. Underneath the rod 46 there is a cam wheel 47 extending at right angles to the rod 46, with cams 48, which project outwards in the plane of the cam wheel 47. Next to the side of the guide wheel 41 there is a rocker arm 49 with an axis 50 that extends at right angles to the plane of the guide wheel 41 into the oval groove 45. The rocker arm 49 is connected to a transmitting device 51 that carries the rod 46 with the cam wheel 47.
[0065] When guide wheel 41 rotates, the rocker arm 49 performs a rocking motion, which is converted via transmitting device 51 to a vertical up and down motion of the rod 46 with the platform 25 and the cam wheel 47. When the rod 46 and the platform 25 are at, or at least near, the highest point, the slot 43 of the guide wheel 41 engages on one of the cams 48 of the cam wheel 47. When the guide wheel 41 then turns further, the deflection 43b moves the respective cam 47 sideways, so that rod 46 with platform 25 is turned through 90 degrees. Then the guide wheel 41 turns further again, so that the rocker arm 49 moves the rod 46 down again via the transmitting device 51.
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[0068] Now looking again at
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[0073] It can be seen in
[0074] It can be seen in
[0075] It can be seen in
[0076] In
[0077] In
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[0079] When the stack of egg trays has reached a desired height, after the last egg tray forms part of the stacked egg trays 9, the transverse beams 62 remain in an open state, so that the lips 63 thereof do not engage on the lowest egg tray. The platform 25 still rotates of course through 90 degrees after the last egg tray is placed under the already stacked egg trays 9. The lifting device 4 with the stacked egg trays 9 drops downward and deposits the stacked egg trays 9 on the conveyor belt, in this case the partial conveyors 7a, 7b which supplied the last (lowest) egg tray. The partial conveyors transport the stacked egg trays 9 further in the transport direction under the stacking device thereof, so that a new cycle can begin.
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[0081] After the stacked egg trays 9 have reached the desired height, platform 25 carries the stacked egg trays 9 downward in order to deposit the stacked egg trays 9 on the partial conveyors 7a, 7b, see
[0082] The present invention is described above only with reference to one embodiment example thereof. It should be made clear that many variants are conceivable within the scope of protection of the invention, which is defined by the claims presented hereunder.
[0083] It is important for a reader, and for determining the scope of protection of the device, to realize that the invention is explained in the figures and the description with the aid of an egg tray for 30 eggs (a matrix of five rows and six columns), but that egg trays with some other configuration may also be stacked with said device. This also applies to application of the method. Thus, for example trays with a matrix of four by five cups may also be processed with the same packaging device and according to one and the same method. At most, some dimensions in the device have to be adjusted. The same applies to a platform. The shape of a platform can be adapted, so long as the platform has sufficient carrying area to carry an egg tray reliably and has the pattern of projections comparable to the pattern shown and described in this document. The mutual distance between the projections may be increased or reduced in proportion as there are egg trays with a comparable increased or reduced pattern to be processed.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0084] 1 packaging device for eggs [0085] 2 conveyor belt [0086] 3 receiving device [0087] 4 lifting device [0088] 5 front carrier [0089] 6 rear carrier [0090] 7 conveyor belt [0091] 7a, 7b partial conveyor [0092] 8 egg tray to be stacked [0093] 9 stacked egg trays [0094] 20 egg tray [0095] 21a-e rows of egg cups [0096] 22a-f columns of egg cups [0097] 23 cup of egg tray [0098] 24 raised portion of egg tray [0099] 25 platform [0100] 26 base surface [0101] 27 projection [0102] 28 base [0103] 29 upper surface [0104] 40 lifting device [0105] 41 guide wheel [0106] 42 running surface of guide wheel 41 [0107] 43 slot [0108] 43a right portion of slot 43 [0109] 43b deflection of slot 43 [0110] 44 side surface [0111] 45 groove [0112] 46 rod [0113] 47 cam wheel [0114] 48 cam [0115] 49 rocker arm [0116] 50 axis of rocker arm [0117] 51 transmitting device [0118] 52 lateral edge of discharge transport device [0119] 53 lateral edge of discharge transport device [0120] 54 discharge transport device [0121] 55 cam [0122] 60 carrying device [0123] 61 frame of the carrying device [0124] 62 transverse beam [0125] 63 lip