EP0253959B1 - Method and apparatus for the further handling of a chain of packages - Google Patents

Description

The invention is in the field of transport technology in high-speed product manufacture and relates to a product transfer process in connection with a manufacturing process, in particular the transfer of a product output from a machine and the time-dilated transfer to the next manufacturing step. In a specific embodiment, the product transfer process is aimed at the production output of goods packaged in flow-pack processes.

A typical high-speed manufacturing process, for example in chocolate manufacture, begins with the raw materials, which usually get into the production process from the silo storage via automatic feeders. Grinding, mixing etc. is fully automated, and mixing and stirring are usually automated production processes. An intermediate batch operation, for example emptying the agitators in containers with a capacity of up to 70 tons of chocolate, interrupts the continuous flow of material, but does not change the high mass potential of the manufacturing process. The first bottleneck problems with high material throughput can be seen in the subsequent injection or pouring process, in which the unshaped mass should result in a lumpy, that is to say divided into portions.

If, up to this point in production, the flow of material can be managed with simple means, thanks to the amorphous presence of the intermediate products, mostly through pipe connections which enable relatively simple pipelining, which is particularly well suited for fully automated mass transport, the lumpy products, or it would be better if the portioned product, for example to distinguish it from lumpy hard coal, which can also be transported by pipeline, could no longer be transferred using the bulk goods transport methods.

An increasing aggravation of the bottleneck problem is particularly evident in the packaging section of the manufacturing process, in which, for example, an output of 50 tons / day in, for example, 0.0001t portions requires the handling of 500,000 packaging processes in a single packaging line. As a rule, several such packaging lines are installed and also in operation simultaneously.

If the material flow has already been divided into several spray lines during portioning in order to avoid bottlenecks through simultaneous, parallel work processes, this is even more enforced in the inevitable serial process of packaging. Each spraying line is therefore followed by several packaging lines working in parallel, in which the chocolate bars (portions) produced in this example are packed using a flow pack process developed for high packaging speeds. As a rule, the flow pack strand is then cut into the intended portions and the loose individual products are collected in some way.

The material flow of packaged products, here chocolate bars, is usually processed either fully automatically or by hand. Very often, this is done by human hands, for example by conventional packaging in boxes, etc., where a more manageable but more complex less piece is produced from an unwieldy, multiple piece. Regardless of the type of packaging, when separating into packable portions, a process-hard order is actually broken too early.

Process-hardened order means in a value-free view here the following. Different processing steps take place in different places, which may be very close to each other or very far apart. The material must be conveyed from one processing step to another. For example, changes in position or the like are to be carried out. They are to be understood as a follow-up operation to the next process step and represent a certain (transient) order in the overall flow. A disturbance of this order interferes with the process, a cancellation of this order blocks the process. These interventions can be understood as "introduced" elements of order. The process-inherent organizational elements, on the other hand, are actually already there and must be specifically sought out in order to make them usable. They are quite rare, mostly so rare that organizational elements are often introduced into a process where a process-inherent order would have been usable or, which also happens, a process-inherent order is canceled by an additional production step and by an "introduced" Order replaced.

In certain areas, devices are already in use in which coherent product chains are picked up between individual products, arranged in loops and handed over to a next processing stage in the form of loops. For example, US Pat. No. 3,747,821 and US Pat. No. 3,204,844 show devices in which a coherent strand of sausage coming from a sausage machine is transferred after a certain number of sausages to a conveyor device provided with hooks in such a way that the strand is loop-shaped on the hooks of the conveyor device is hung up. These devices probably allow a certain slowdown of the process while maintaining order, but because of their relative rigidity they do not meet the increased requirements of a modern high-performance process and the associated need for further flexibility by far, since the length of the loop once created and its spacing are fixed are given and therefore the subsequent stages of production are to a certain extent imposed, ie all of the subsequent stages of production must be adapted to the specified loop characteristics.

Here, the object of the invention is to provide a method for further processing a packaging strand, in which the transport and variation options of the packaged material are significantly expanded and which particularly supports a flexible, high-performance process.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for performing the method.

An example of this use is shown in the further processing of a flow pack output of chocolate bars, but other products can also be shown.

The solution to the problem is shown in a special embodiment and is characterized by the subject matter of the invention defined in the patent claims.

• Figur 1 ein Diagramm eines Materialflusses bei der Herstellung eines Produktes;
• Figur 2a/b ein Stück Flowpack in Auf- und Seitensicht zur Erklärung des in das diskutierte Verfahren involvierten Gegenstandes;
• Figur 3 eine schematische Darstellung eines Verfahrens zur Erzeugung von Produkteschlaufen (Produktübernahme);
• Figur 4 des Verfahren nach der Produktübernahme;
• Figur 5 eine typische Produktformation zum Zwecke der Ein- und Auslagerung, Pufferung oder Transports eines Produktausstosses;
• Figur 6 eine Vorrichtung zur Erstellung der Formation gemäss Fig. 5;
• Figur 7 eine Transportunterlage (Palette) für die Vorrichtung gemäss Fig. 6.

One of the possible applications of the Ver ^f AH Rens and a particular embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out this application of the method, are discussed in detail with reference to the following figures. Show it:

• Figure 1 is a diagram of a material flow in the manufacture of a product;
• 2a / b a piece of flow pack in a top and side view to explain the object involved in the method being discussed;
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a method for producing product loops (product takeover);
• Figure 4 of the process after product acceptance;
• FIG. 5 shows a typical product formation for the purpose of storing and retrieving, buffering or transporting a product output;
• FIG. 6 shows a device for creating the formation according to FIG. 5;
• FIG. 7 shows a transport pad (pallet) for the device according to FIG. 6.

FIG. 1 shows the last stages of a material flow in a manufacturing process, namely from the portioning of a basic mass (chocolate) and the associated division into simultaneously operating production lines. This parallelization begins with table systems 1A to 1 D, which take up a doughy material flow of, for example, 22.5 t / h and process them into certain portions. Each table system works on one packaging unit, which is labeled 3A to 3D, wherein each of the units shown can comprise several packaging lines operating in parallel. The product is encased in the packaging lines using the flow pack process, a kind of tubular bag packaging. The packaging speed in a packaging line and thus its output is typically 1.0 to 1.5 m / s. The product streams 4A / a to 4D / d at the exit of the packaging units are intended to show the following. A smaller product stream 4a is, for example, fed to an automatic large packaging at full ejection speed; for some reason, a larger product stream 4A cannot be packed automatically and should therefore be put into interim storage.

Thus, for the larger product stream 4A, there is now the problem of further processing or. in a variety mixing line and / or intermediate storage in, for example, an intermediate storage 5 for later processing in a variety mixing line. This temporary storage serves as a time buffer. On the other hand, a transport can be provided that extends over a shorter or longer distance. The method now allows such intermediate buffering to be carried out almost arbitrarily by using process-inherent order elements, in that when they are used, the transfer speed can be reduced with full product output and, on the other hand, the portioned material flow can be shut down in a specific spatial arrangement.

FIGS. 2a / b show a typical tubular bag packaging with portions 20A to 20E etc. from two viewing directions, which are accommodated in a “packaging tube” 22. The individual portions are separated from one another in the packaging tube by sealing zones 21A to 21D etc. In the usual flow pack process, a cutting device separates the flow pack assembly 22 from the portions approximately centrally in the closure zones. Until then, this separation had been considered indispensable, since with an output of 1 to 1.5 m / s the connected flow pack network (material flow) would not be manageable.

However, this separation is currently being avoided in order to maintain and use a process-inherent order. There is no cutting process and the high speed of the material flow is reduced or shut down by collapsing the flowpack assembly. The uncut or intact closure zone is to be considered as a process-inherent order element. The entirety of the intact closure zones arranges the packaged portions in a defined row or in a compound. The folding process, which, apart from the variation of the loop spacing, essentially corresponds to the prior art mentioned at the outset, is shown in a schematic illustration in FIG. 3. At the top left in FIG m / s shown. As mentioned, a separation of the individual packs by avoiding the cutting device is avoided. A sketchly illustrated hoisting device 34 with a gripper 35 at its free end now pulls the flow pack assembly to a conveyor chain 27 running over a deflection wheel 38 with a number of equidistantly arranged hooks 36 at a speed approx Flowpack composite at certain closure zones 21 on the hooks 36 of the conveyor chain 27. In this way, the loops shown on the right in FIG. 3 result. The degree of deflection of the catching device 34 determines the loop length and the “duty cycle” hook 36 / no hook 36 is adjustable and determines the folding density on the one hand and the v1 / v2 transformation on the other hand. Here the transformation is 1.2: 0.2, i.e. a slowdown to 1/6 times. Doubling the number of hooks would result in a further halving of the speed.

Another procedural advantage of the (hanging) 3-dimensional conveying discussed here is shown in FIG. 3 in the spatial direction "running downwards" in the transfer sections 32 and 33. The conveyor chain 37 can now (using the force of gravity so that the loops can be transported hanging) be spatially guided as required by the local conditions. This deflectability, as shown here as a downward curve, is possible in all spatial directions, that is upward / downward, left / right side and any path between these directions. This state of affairs is represented in FIG. 3 by a cone K pointing in a number of spatial directions, which is drawn in from the hauling device 34 onto the hooks 36 at the transfer point of the packaging assembly. These tracks can be straight or curved and the minimum radius is generally limited by the means of transport, such as the conveyor chain 37.

The packaging composite, as it comes out of the flowpack machine, would not permit the packaging composite to be conveyed away in any spatial direction in almost any curved path. This is only possible if it is brought into the special arrangement (loops) proposed here. The stretched packaging assembly running out of the packaging machine is not readily deflectable, at least in all directions which lie in the plane of the "flat" assembly. Only deflections from the plane are possible, this also includes, for example, twisting the band-shaped composite for a lateral deflection. This limitation does not apply to the loop arrangement according to the invention. Shortly after the formation of the loops, the new arrangement of the packaging strand can be conveyed away in any direction, for example in a relatively small radius that is only limited by the conveyor chain.

The further development according to the invention of the method described above will now be discussed with reference to FIG. As stated at the beginning, the simple formation of loops hardly meets the increased requirements of a multi-stage high-performance process, so that further manipulations of the loop-shaped packaging strand are necessary.

If, for example, the length of the loop is adjusted with the hauling device 34 forming the first loops so that the material flow e.g. can be passed from one room to another through an existing wall breakthrough. this loop length (- short) is no longer optimal for further processing by the next process stage or buffering. In a further process step, the length of the first loops is manipulated so that it corresponds to the new conditions. FIG. 4 shows the operation of doubling the length of the loop as an example of such manipulation, it being possible, of course, to halve the length of the loop by reversing the direction of the method.

An auxiliary device 40, which is designed in principle like the main device, with an endless chain 42 with hooks 46 running over deflection wheels 41, 41 ', serves to take over certain flow pack loops. The process-inherent element of organization is the suspension of the loops, which is used every second suspension. The function according to FIG. 4 is as follows: the flowpack loops conveyed in the direction of arrow z1 are transferred in a clocked ratio from the main line of the main device to a secondary line of the auxiliary device (major loop / minor loop), i.e. in this example, that at the point 45 of the overall device every second loop of the flow pack assembly is transferred to the hooks 46 of the auxiliary device 40, from where this loop point is conveyed synchronously at a certain angle of inclination in the direction of arrow z2 up to the lower apex of the new (extended) loop . The hooks 46 of the auxiliary device, which work in the undergrip, are unhooked without any action, since in the case of 3-D conveying, location advantages are treated as process-inherent organizational elements. So no additional order element (with additional device parts nota bene) is introduced into the process. It is irrelevant whether the deflection wheel 41 is arranged as the end of the secondary line at the hanging point, in its vicinity or further away. The loops of the underhand grip are released by the divergent path in the direction z2. An unnecessary extension of the transport chains is of course avoided due to cost considerations, therefore the auxiliary device shown should be practical.

As a further measure of the method, another hauling device 44 is shown on the deflection wheel 38 'of the main device, that is to say on the main line. It is very clear that the extended loops could also be continued and a chain deflection wheel 38 'is not mandatory at this point as the end of the main strand. At the beginning of the discussion, a slowdown to the shutdown of the material flow was mentioned; the slowdown has been discussed, the shutdown in connection with Figure 5 will be explained below.

The retrieval device 44 shown in FIG. 4 can be placed on a storage device shown in FIG for the automatic storage and retrieval of the still uncommon flowpack network. 5, the hanging flowpack loops are arranged in a spiral, for example with a device shown in FIG. 6. In order to get an idea of the "spatial" effectiveness, the example of chocolate production discussed here is used. A warehouse network of only 2m in height and 2m in diameter comprises around 30,000 chocolate bars with a total weight of over 3 tons. The original process-inherent organization elements are still present, e.g. the firmly arranged product portions, so that the flowpack assembly can be easily brought back to a desired transfer or processing speed in any spatial position for further processing, if necessary also to the original process speed of 1.2 m / s, which is not possible with the methods known today. So not only is the product shut down during storage, but the function is actually stopped. At any time after the storage (standstill) the decommissioned, as it were frozen function can be resumed and re-established. This is also not to be found in the methods known today. Another advantage of this form of storage is that despite the 3 tonnes of spatially dense packaging, none of the chocolate portions is exposed to batch pressure. The properties of the hose packing and process-inherent organization elements, here the unconditional flowpack network, are used in order to achieve a low-stress storage form with high space-filling factor for the product during intermediate storage.

The bearing shape according to FIG. 5 is only one of several options for arranging flowpack loops in a space-tight manner. The form shown is mainly suitable for temporary storage, where the first-in-lastout aspect does not play a role in the event of reactivation. However, devices can also be realized with which the loops are hung in a zigzag like a curtain and which allow a first-in-first-out removal. With such a spatial arrangement, a space-saving buffer can be created within a manufacturing process, which is able to store up to 10 (?) Tons of flow pack composite during the manufacturing process, i.e. without having to slow down the process. While high-speed processes can take place in the sections before and after the buffer, the transfer speed of the material flow can still be reduced as desired until it comes to a temporary standstill without having to cut the flowpack network, which can be hundreds of meters long.

FIG. 6 now shows a very simple device with which a spirally arranged flow pack assembly, as shown in FIG. 5, can be created. The essential parts of the device consist of a drive base 60, in which the foot 61 of a rotatable stand 62, which at its other end carries an arrangement of the transport means 67 designed as a flat spiral with sensors 66 on a carrying spider 63. The drive base is equipped with an electric motor, not shown here, which drives the foot 61 of the rotatable stand 62 via a gear, also not shown, as indicated by two rotating arrows. According to this simple embodiment of the stand, which is available as a bearing means in a substantially greater number than, for example, the drive base, the catch-up device 44 is provided for tracking from pickup to pickup similar to the tonearm of a turntable.

Thus, the hauling-in device 44 (FIG. 4) is positioned near the center 64 of the flat, synchronously rotating spiral of the means of transport, so that a take-over of the loop apex begins at the innermost pickups and ends at the outermost ones, for example at the terminal 68. The loops suspended in this way then form a spatial network as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows an aid for the transport of covered and empty stands. This is, in the sense of a standardized interface, a body 70 with pallet grooves 73 for introducing the forks of a forklift and a recess for receiving the foot part 61 of a stand. The fastening and holding means 65, 65 'shown in the two FIGS. 6 and 7 are strong bolts with an eyelet on one end and a screw thread on the other end. Correspondingly dimensioned rods of a lifting device can be inserted through the eyelets for inserting and lifting out the stand, with which the stand can be lifted from the drive base onto the pallet body 70 so that it cannot tip over. For a possible transport, the foot part 61 can be secured in the pallet body by screwing the bolts 65 into the threaded holes 65 '.

Strictly speaking, the drive socket 60 would be part of the loop system and the stand would be a kind of return container. In the manner described, the large number of stands can be produced inexpensively, including the pallet body, which can be used for transport and storage. In special storage rooms, threaded holes in the floor and shallow centering recesses, which make insertion easier, can save on pallet bodies.

The emptying of a fully or partially hung stand takes place in the reverse operation as the hanging and in principle with the same devices. The loop vertices are taken over by the pick-up of another means of transport and transported away for further processing.

Claims (11)

1. Method for ordering and further handling a chain of packages comprising connected individual packages, in which the chain of packages discharged with a clearly defined process speed from a first production stage is received substantially at regular intervals between adjacent individual packages for reducing the process speed and is consequently arranged in first loops, characterized in that the spacing between the loop tops serving as suspension points is varied as a function of the handling speed of a first production stage or storage or intermediate storage unit and that by freeing or re-forming loop tops second loops are produced.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that by freeing loop tops from first loops twice as long second loops are produced.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that by reforming loop tops of first loops shortened second loops are formed.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by further loop manipulations by means of freeing and/or re-forming loop tops, third, fourth, etc. loops are produced.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper tops of the loops are arranged in a flat spiral.

6. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upper loop tops are arranged in a flat zig-zag formation.

7. Apparatus for arranging and further handling a chain of packages comprising connected individual packs, with a conveying means (37) having containers (36) and with at least one collecting device (34) cooperating therewith and having at least one gripper (35) in order to collect the package chain (30) from a first production step at a clearly defined process speed in substantially regular intervals between adjacent individual packages and transfer same to the containers (36), characterized by a second conveying means (42) inclined in the running direction with respect to the first conveying means (37) and having containers (46) for the temporary take-over and subsequent release of at least every other loop top from the containers (36) of the first conveying means (37).

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the conveying means (37, 42) with the containers (36, 46) are guided over guide wheels (38, 38', 41, 41') and are constructed as endless or continuous means.

9. Apparatus according to one of the claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the collecting device (34) has an adjustable length for setting a variable collecting stroke.

10. Apparatus according to one of the claims 7 to 9, characterized in that a collecting device (34, 44) is provided on each guide wheel (38, 38') of the first conveying means (32).

11. Apparatus according to one of the claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the arrangement of the containers (36, 46) on conveying means (37, 42) is such that they are equidistant of one another.

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