DK162160B - PROCEDURE FOR BUILDING A LOAD OF BAGS OR CASES IN HORIZONTAL LAYERS AND APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE PROCEDURE - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A process for forming a load by stacking bags or boxes in horizontal layers, during the course of which process the bags are transported from a single bag supplying apparatus to a stacking table (21), the process comprising the following steps : a) at the outlet of the supply apparatus the bags are arranged in two lines (10, 11) along two sides of the stacking table ; b) these two lines are transferred onto the stacking table to form a layer ; c) the stacking table is lowered by a height corresponding to that of the said layer, then a further layer is formed ; and d) when the desired stack has been formed, it is ejected from the stacking table, the process being characterised in that the bags are arranged along two perpendicular sides of the stacking table without changing their orientation, and, a first line (10) being formed along a first side of the stacking table, a second line (11) is formed along the second side of the stacking table at the same time as the first line (10) is being transferred onto the stacking table, then the stacking table is rotated through 90 degrees and a fresh line (10) is formed along the first side of the stacking table at the same time as the second line (11) is being transferred onto the stacking table.

Description

in

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The present invention relates to a method for building a load of bags or boxes in horizontal layers and to an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Methods are already known for loading 5 bags or boxes in successive layers onto a pallet. A difficulty to be overcome by these methods was to position the layers in such a manner that the stack was sufficiently stable to be transportable without being damaged.

10 The most common method of making a stack consists of placing the bags or boxes individually, orienting them by mechanical procedures to take their places. The bags or crates are oriented by means of repeated procedure systems including suction cups, claws, bumpers, etc., before being placed in the layers. In order to realize this assembly of the layers, it is necessary to use, on the one hand, a conveyor with a system for turning the bags, and on the other, several conveyors which allow a variation of the direction of transport. As an example of the latter, reference can be made to a method using as many conveyor belts as there are sack locations in a layer.

In such a case, if one wishes to change the orientation of a bag, it makes both the method and the apparatus even more complex, and furthermore, the repeated sequences in handling the bags present an increased risk of damage to them.

otherwise, the apparatus according to the known methods is relatively space consuming due to the numerous sequences which must necessarily be performed one after the other, which makes it necessary to reach all parts of the apparatus in case of any repairs and removal of bags which are been damaged.

According to German Patent Specification No. 2,750,741, at the same time, two parallel rows of sacks are constructed, between and up to which is placed a stacking table, alternately sending a sack to one and the other row by means of conveyors of sufficient length. Then,

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2, a transfer is optionally taken simultaneously from the two rows to the stacking table. This procedure takes a certain amount of time because of the length of the web the bags must follow and because the construction of one row cannot occur while it is transferred to the stacking table. In addition, the necessary equipment is complex and demanding. The apparatus comprises a track fit, two row conveyors and two intermediate conveyors connecting the two row conveyors to the switch track. The switching track is far from the stacking table especially 10 due to the presence of a curved track conveyor.

According to German Patent No. 1,288,499, a number of bags are brought to each of two mutually perpendicular sides of a stacking table. No rotation of the stacking table is anticipated upon transfer, however, it is necessary to obtain a roofing of the bags which are alternately laid in layers from one and the opposite side of the stacking table. The method requires two conveyor belts for feeding the bags from each of the perpendicular sides of the stacking table.

20 The associated appliance is complicated and space consuming.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of stacking bags or boxes in horizontal layers in a manner that is simple and does not entail any risk of damage to the bags or boxes.

It is also the object of the invention that the method should comprise as few steps as possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for practicing the invention, which apparatus should only take up little space and also be simple and reliable.

These objects, as well as others which will become apparent from the following, are achieved by a method of introduction of the kind set forth in claim 1, which method according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1.

Preferably, during lowering of the stacking table, a new rotation of this at 90 ° is performed in the same direction as the first turn before forming the additional layer.

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3

The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1. The apparatus according to the invention is designed and characterized by the method of claim 3.

Preferably, the apparatus is designed such that the shift groove comprises a plurality of motor-driven parallel rollers and a plurality of motor-driven parallel chains located transversely between the rollers, with means for alternately allowing the rollers and chains to interact with the bags.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which an embodiment of the invention is shown. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of a conveyor 15 for a row; FIG. 3 is a front view of a conveyor for a row; and FIG. 4 - 7 four successive steps in the construction of a stack on a stacking table.

Although reference is only made to the stacking of bags in the following, it is to be understood that the method and apparatus according to the invention are applicable to all products which can be arranged in a row and which can be stacked.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 1, the apparatus for stacking bags according to the invention relates to a conveyor with a track switch 1 located at the outlet of a bag dispenser (not shown). In this embodiment, the bags are assumed to arrive on the supply apparatus in the direction of arrow 3.

The conveyor with the track change 1 comprises a plurality of parallel rollers 4 which are driven and which run perpendicular to the direction in which the bags represented by the arrow 3 arrive, as well as the chains 5 located in the spaces between the rollers 4 and parallel thereto.

The chains 5 extend between two shafts 6 and 7, the shaft 6 in the example shown being driven in a known manner by means of a motor 8. The two shafts 5 and 7 are individually housed in bearing bearings not shown.

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4

The conveyor with the track change 1 is mounted on a side rack 9 which is parallel to the direction of arrival of the sacks 2 shown by the arrow 3 in such a way that it can tilt around a horizontal axis fixed relative to the side stand 9. Thus For example, the conveyor can be swung downwards about this horizontal axis with the change of track under the influence of e.g. a hydraulic cylinder, as will be described below in connection with FIG. 3, whereby the rollers 4 disappear and make the chains 5 operative.

10 The apparatus according to the invention also comprises two row conveyors 10, 11 which are mutually perpendicular to each other and adjacent to the conveyor with the track change 1. In other words, the axis of one row conveyor 10 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in the same direction 15 as the arrow 3, while the second row conveyor runs perpendicular thereto.

Each row conveyor 10, 11 consists in a known manner of a plurality of parallel rollers 12, 13 which are motorized and are respectively angled on the axes of the two conveyors and which are arranged to collect a number of bags in a row. deciduous, each of the conveyors at the end furthest away from the track change 1 comprises an adjustable end stop 14 for stopping the bags 2; this end stop is particularly evident in FIG. 2 in connection with the conveyor 10.

Each row conveyor 10, 11 is mounted on a side frame 15, 16 in the same way as the conveyor with the track change 1. In FIG. 3, the mounting of the row conveyor 10 is shown, but the second conveyor is mounted in the same way.

It rests at the ends of the side frame 15 by means of a support consisting of two bars 17 pivotally mounted on the side frame in such a way that they can tilt about a horizontal axis. Between the underside 18 of the support and the support 19, a hydraulic cylinder or similar means for tilting downwards is inserted by the row conveyor 10 about the horizontal axis.

Such a hydraulic cylinder may also be mounted under the conveyor with the track change.

In the space between the two row conveyors 10, 11 is

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5, there is placed a stacking table 21 (Fig. 1) which is located close to it. The stacking table also comprises a plurality of driven rollers 22 which are parallel to one another. Preferably, the surface of this table is square and its sides are parallel to the two row conveyors 10, 11.

The stacking table 21 comprises means by which it can be rotated about its axis at an angle of 90e, and means for displacement vertically along the same axis. Such means are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

The apparatus of the invention also comprises means for transferring each row of bags 2 on each conveyor 10, 11 to the stacking table 21.

Over each conveyor 10, 11 are transferred means which are generally designated 23 (Fig. 3) in connection with 15 of the row conveyor 10. There are, as will be understood, corresponding means above the row conveyor 11.

In particular, the transfer means 23 comprise a horizontally movable trolley 24, which is thus parallel to the stacking table 21, This trolley is provided with a fork comprising a plurality of vertical arms extending downwardly relative to the trolley, and each arm is provided with a horizontal tooth 26 parallel to the carriage and located below it. Each tooth is interposed between two driven rollers 12 and is located in a plane below the top of the rollers.

These transfer means can be shifted from a position above the row conveyor to a position above the stacking table by known means not shown in the drawing.

A bag is delivered from the supply apparatus and reaches the conveyor 30 with the track switch 1 which, by means of the function described above, either directs the bag 2 towards the row conveyor 10 or in other words in the direction of the arrow 3. The bags 2 are stopped in their movement at the end of the conveyor. 10 by means of the end stop 14. It is assumed that the row conveyor can accommodate a row of two bags 2. The following bag delivered from the supply apparatus is directed towards the row conveyor 10 where its movement is stopped by the previous bag. It is understood that the means of transfer are

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6 located at the level of the respective row conveyors.

Then, the conveyor is tilted by the track shift 1 around the horizontal axis which is fixed relative to the side frame 9, thereby making the chains 5 and not as before the rollers 4 operational. As a result, the bag 2, which is then delivered from the supply apparatus by means of the track switch 1, is routed to the row conveyor 11, where a row of three bags 2 is constructed in an analogous manner (step a).

When the row of sacks 2 is built on the conveyor 10 10, the stacking table 21 is positioned so that its driven rollers 22 are placed perpendicular to the row conveyor 10, after which it is lowered by the cylinder 20, so that the sacks consequently rest on the teeth. 26 on the sliding carriage 24. In a horizontal movement, the carriage 24 transfers the bags 2 from the conveyor 10 to the stacking table 21 (Fig. 4).

When this is done, the stacking table is rotated a quarter of a turn in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 5) and, by analogy, the sacks 2 in the row of the conveyor 11 are transferred to the stacking table 21 (Fig. 6). A first horizontal layer of sacks is then constructed (step b).

The stacking table 21 is then rotated a quarter turn (90®) in the same direction and lowered by a height equal to the height of one layer before starting a new layer (Figs.

7), bringing the track switch back to its initial position (step c).

The various sequences are now executed in an order that allows the bags to be stacked to the smallest detail (step d).

30 Once the stack of bags is built up, it is moved away from the stacking table 21 (step e).

Thus, according to the invention, it is not necessary to manipulate the bags individually to change their orientation. The use of two sack conveyors in conjunction with a pivotal stacking table makes it possible to change the orientation of all the sacks together in a row without having to separately manipulate the row of sacks.

Especially in the case where a layer of bags builds up,

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7 is given by only two rows, rotating the table between the two layers makes it easy to cross the sacks into two adjacent layers (Fig. 7) The rows are built on separate conveyors, whereby the construction of a row can take place simultaneously. , that the row that was built up before is transferred to the stacking table, and this can be done using a single supply route for the bags.

Another important advantage of the invention is the capacity of the apparatus. This allows the apparatus to be installed at the end of a chain with return to the final stacking in the direction of the inlet after ejection under one of the conveyors.

When loading on a wooden pallet, it is preferred that the 15 pallet be placed in advance on the table, but conversely it is possible to carry out the reading without pallet or to insert a sheet of plastic or cardboard under the load at the time it is removed.

It is also possible to transfer the rows of 20 sacks by moving the transfer means 23 relative to the row conveyors 10, 11 and not as described above by displacing the row conveyors relative to the transfer means.

25

Claims (4)

A method of constructing a load of sacks or 5 boxes in horizontal layers, during which the sacks are transported from a single sack supply unit to a stacking table (21), comprising the steps of: a) the sacks at the outlet of the socket unit being: 10 arranged in two rows (10, 11) along two sides of the stacking table; b) transferring the two rows to the stacking table to form a layer; c) lowering the stacking table to a height corresponding to the height of the layer before forming an additional layer; and d) when the desired stack is made, it is ejected from the stacking table, characterized in that the bags are placed along two mutually perpendicular sides of the stacking table without altering their orientation, and that a first row (10) is constructed along a first side of the stacking table. is transferred to the stacking table at the same time that a second row (11) is built along a second side of the stacking table, after which the stacking table is turned 90 ° and a new row (10) is built along the first side of the stacking table, while the second row (11) is transferred to stacking table. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, during step (c), the stacking table (21) is again rotated 90 ° in the same direction as the first turn, while forming an additional layer. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising: - a switching track (1) located at the outlet of a single bag supply apparatus, said switching track comprising means for digging each of the bags delivered from the supply unit to a of two row conveyors (10, 11) - where the row conveyors located up to the DK 162160 B 9 ** switch track have means for assembling the bags in a row, - a horizontal stacking table (21) positioned against the row conveyors and comprising means for rotary and vertical movement of the table; 5. means (23) for transferring each of the rows of bags to the stacking table; and - means for ejecting the stack formed on the stacking table, characterized in that the two row conveyors (10, 10 11) extend. perpendicular to each other. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the switching track comprises a plurality of motor-driven parallel rollers (4) and a plurality of motor-driven parallel chains (5) located transversely between the rollers, with means for alternately reloading the rollers. and the chains interact with the bags.