EP0591967A2 - Device for handling loads - Google Patents

Abstract

For space-saving handling in the simplest construction, a device for handling loads, with a pick-up means (2) serving to pick up the load (1) and a regulating means (3) carrying and actuating the pick-up means (2), is designed in such a way that the pick-up means (2) has a preferably horizontally arranged pick-up strip (5) at least partly reaching under the load (1) or the bearing parts, shoulders (4) or the like carrying the load (1) or fastened to the load (1), that the pick-up strip (5) together with bars and/or beams of the regulating means (3) form a parallelogram (6), the legs of which are each connected to one another via joints (7, 8, 9, 10), that the leg (11) opposite the pick-up strip (5) is linked in a vertically displaceable manner to a guide (13) formed on a preferably vertical beam (12), and that an actuating member (16) extends between the beam (12) and one of the lateral legs (14, 15) of the parallelogram (6) which connect the pick-up strip (5) to the leg (11) parallel to it. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for handling loads, with a receiving device serving to receive the loads and an actuating device supporting and actuating the receiving device.

Devices for handling loads of the type in question have been known in practice in a wide variety of embodiments for years. For example, so-called storage and retrieval machines and transport vehicles are used in the field of warehouse technology and automatic material handling technology. Such devices or vehicles have a wide variety of load grippers for handling loads, which are designed, for example, in the sense of telescopic forks. Telescopic forks carry the load from below and therefore require a considerable amount of space for placing the forks below the load - in all handling positions.

Telescopic forks are particularly well suited for the handling of so-called Euro pallets, because these wooden pallets have sufficient space for the forks below the load to be lifted or below the actual pallet surface due to their construction. When handling other loads, such as loads on so-called machine pallets according to DIN 55 201, the conventional telescopic forks are not very suitable, since the space available below the machine pallet is extremely small. As a result, additional crossbeams are required here in order to create sufficient space for retracting the telescopic forks. This in turn significantly reduces the capacity of the warehouse and thus leads to additional storage costs. Added to this is the fact that the manufacturing costs of the forks are relatively high because they always have several machined components. The actuation of the forks usually takes place via chains that expand due to constant material fatigue and must therefore be readjusted regularly. In addition, the chains must be constantly lubricated, which again involves considerable costs.

Furthermore, devices for handling loads are known, after which the load is transferred to roller elements. Such devices are usually driven by directly driven rollers or by means of a displacement chain. However, a device of the type in question can only be used in systems that are designed in one level, for example in driverless transport vehicles. A major disadvantage of the device in question can be seen in the fact that all storage spaces require roller elements. Furthermore, the height positions between the roller elements and the storage spaces provided with roller elements must fit together exactly and deflections of the machine elements or the frame must not be too great. Due to the high elasticity of superstructures, such devices are not very suitable in storage systems with multiple levels.

Furthermore, so-called storage and retrieval machines are known from practice, in which load handling devices with suction cups or magnets are provided. However, the loads to be lifted must always be clean and, above all, light. Consequently, such devices are not suitable for dirty and / or extremely heavy loads.

Finally, devices for handling loads are known which use so-called lifting ropes. However, the automation of such a system is extremely difficult and the stacking of the loads is only possible with special arrangements or special stacking devices.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of designing and developing a device for handling loads of the type in question so that space-saving handling of dirty and heavy loads is possible with a simple and at the same time inexpensive construction.

The device according to the invention for handling loads is characterized by the features of claim 1. According to this, a device for handling loads is designed such that the receiving device has a support bar, shoulders or the like that at least partially encompasses the load or the load-bearing or fastened to the load, preferably horizontally arranged mounting bar, that the mounting bar together with rods and / or bars of the actuating device form a parallelogram, the legs of which are connected to one another via joints, that the leg opposite the receiving bar is articulated vertically displaceably on a guide formed on a preferably vertical bar and that there is an actuating member between the bar and one of the bars Receiving bar with the parallel leg connecting lateral leg of the parallelogram extends.

In the manner according to the invention, it has been recognized that an otherwise customary gripping under or holding the load to be handled can be simplified in that the receiving device has a receiving strip which either at least partially engages under the load to be carried itself or support parts, shoulders or the like attached to it. Furthermore, the receiving bar forms a parallelogram together with rods and / or bars of the adjusting device, the legs of the parallelogram being connected to one another via joints. Since the leg opposite the receiving bar, ie the upper leg, is articulated vertically displaceably on a guide formed on a preferably vertical beam, the holds In every working position, the mounting bar has its original, ie horizontal, position. In other words, the device according to the invention is designed such that the receiving bar and thus also the load to be handled can be moved in a horizontal plane, the load being able to be moved away from the vertical bar or towards the vertical bar. Furthermore, an actuating element is provided which extends between the vertical bar and one of the side legs of the parallelogram connecting the receiving bar with the leg parallel to it. In this case, the actuating member can be connected both to the side leg of the parallelogram closest to the bar and to the side leg facing away from the bar.

With regard to the effective handling of particularly heavy loads, it is of particular advantage if two receiving and actuating devices, preferably of identical design, are arranged in parallel with one another, the receiving strips of which support the load on both sides, i.e. from the outside inwards, at least partially reach under. In the context of such a configuration, the load would be taken up evenly from both sides and shifted horizontally. For the sake of simplicity, only one receiving and setting device is always mentioned below, the features of the receiving and setting device explained below applying to both optional receiving and setting devices.

With the provision of two identical recording and adjusting devices arranged parallel to one another, it is still essential that the movement of the two devices is positively synchronized in a particularly advantageous manner. As a result, no special coordination of the adjusting devices with one another is required. Such a forced synchronization could take place in that the actuating member has actuating means rigidly connected to one another, which are arranged in parallel act on each other on the respective lateral legs of the adjusting devices.

With regard to a particularly safe handling of loads, it is a further advantage if the receiving strip and the leg opposite it, which is articulated on the vertical bar and can be displaced vertically there, are aligned horizontally in every working position of the device. This effectively prevents the load to be handled from tipping off the receiving strips in any working position. As a result, no special holding means are required to hold the load on the mounting strips.

In view of the purpose-specific structural design of the receiving strip, it is advantageous to design it essentially with an L-shaped cross section. The lower, transverse leg of the L-profile serves to reach under the load, and this leg of the L-profile serving to reach under the load is advantageously made thinner than the leg of the L used for articulation on the lateral legs of the parallelogram Profiles. This ensures that the relatively thin, transverse leg of the L-profile can grip under almost any load, for example under a pallet according to DIN 55 201 or under its shoulders, without additional crossbeams serving to support being provided.

With regard to the actuating member, it is advantageous if it is pivotally articulated at both ends and the side part is acted upon by pivoting in the sense of a lever. The receiving bar is horizontally displaced and the leg opposite the receiving bar - due to its vertical displaceability - vertically. In other words, the actuating member causes the receiving bar and thus the load to be handled to be displaceable in a horizontal plane is because the upper leg of the parallelogram - the leg opposite the receiving bar - can move towards the receiving bar with increasing distance of the load from the vertical bar. If, on the other hand, the load is moved towards the vertical bar, the distance between the mounting bar and the opposite leg is increased again.

With regard to a particularly effective actuation of the actuating device, it is advantageous if the actuating member is pivotably articulated approximately centrally on the lateral leg and is approximately half as long as the lateral leg. The displaceability of the upper leg, i.e. of the leg opposite the receiving bar on the vertical bar must then be dimensioned accordingly so that the actuating member can sufficiently deflect the receiving bar.

With regard to the arrangement of the individual legs or levers or bars, it is a further advantage if the joints via which the upper leg and the actuating member are articulated on the vertical bars lie in a vertical plane. Likewise, the joints by means of which the actuating element is articulated on the beam and the lateral legs are articulated on the receiving strips can lie in a horizontal plane. It is now essential that the joints in question can lie either on a vertical straight line or a horizontal straight line, so that both the legs and the joints are aligned with one another.

With regard to an embodiment of the device according to the invention in such a way that the adjusting device or the parallelogram formed thereby can be deflected on both sides of the device, the joints or the legs connected via the joints could have a lateral offset. This would ensure that the respective legs can be moved past the actuating member, for example, and that the actuating member can pivot the parallelogram in both directions by swiveling on both sides of the vertical bar. In this respect, the device in question for handling loads could be used on both sides of the vertical bar, so that, for example, loads can be removed from a shelf and - in one plane - can be pivoted away in the other direction.

The pivoting movement or actuation of the actuating member takes place by means of a drive attached to the beam. This drive is used exclusively for actuating or pivoting the actuating member, so that this drive - preferably an electric motor - can be dimensioned accordingly. The drive or electric motor could be operatively connected to the actuating member via a stepping transmission, preferably via a Maltese cross or an eccentric.

As previously mentioned, a vertical guide of the leg opposite the receiving bar is provided on the vertical bar. This guidance could be implemented by at least one slide shoe guided in a corresponding recess on the vertical bar. In a particularly advantageous manner, the upper leg of the parallelogram has two sliding shoes guided in the recess on the vertical bar at two differently articulated points, these sliding shoes holding the leg in a horizontal position — regardless of the vertical position — against tipping.

In the context of the above explanation, it was only shown how the device according to the invention shifts loads in a horizontal plane. However, so that the mounting strips can actually lift the loads in question from below and lift them off a shelf, for example, it is imperative that the mounting strips can also be changed in their vertical position. The vertical bar can be adjusted in height in a particularly advantageous manner.

Consequently, no isolated height adjustment of the mounting bar is provided here, but rather a height adjustment of the entire parallelogram previously discussed, so that the drive for the actuating member is used exclusively for changing the position in a horizontal plane. The vertical change in position is then achieved by the above-mentioned height adjustment of the vertical bar, which in turn can take place via a separate drive.

With regard to a further adjustability of the device according to the invention, it is of particular advantage if the bar is preferably laterally adjustable in a horizontal plane orthogonal to the original movability of the receiving bar. This side adjustment - for example along a high rack - can take place, for example, via guide rails on which the vertical bar is preferably articulated on both sides. A separate drive is also provided for this, so that the different adjustabilities of the device according to the invention are realized by mutually independent servomotors.

Finally, with regard to special areas of application of the device according to the invention, it is of particular advantage if the vertical bar is assigned to a storage and retrieval unit or a transport vehicle, so that the above-mentioned movement sequences for loading and unloading a high rack or for other means of loading and unloading loads of a transport vehicle can be used advantageously.

Fig. 1

in einer schematischen Darstellung, teilweise, ein Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2

in schematischer Darstellung eine durch die erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung zu handhabende Last,

Fig. 3

in schematischer Darstellung den Gegenstand aus Fig. 1 mit den jeweiligen Anlenkungen an einen vertikalen Balken,

Fig. 4

in einer Seitenansicht den Gegenstand aus Fig. 3 in einem etwa zur Hälfte ausgelenkten Zustand und

Fig. 5

in einer Frontansicht die in der Arbeitsposition befindlichen Aufnahmeleisten an einer Last - im Vergleich zum Einsatz herkömmlicher Teleskopgabeln.

There are now various possibilities for advantageously designing and developing the teaching of the present invention. For this purpose, on the one hand, reference is made to the claims subordinate to claim 1, and on the other hand to the following explanation of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing. In connection with the explanation of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing also generally preferred embodiments and further developments of the teaching are explained. In the drawing shows

Fig. 1

in a schematic representation, partially, an embodiment of a device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of a load to be handled by the device according to the invention,

Fig. 3

1 shows the object from FIG. 1 with the respective articulations on a vertical bar,

Fig. 4

in a side view of the object of FIG. 3 in an approximately half deflected state and

Fig. 5

In a front view, the support strips in the working position on a load - compared to the use of conventional telescopic forks.

1, 3 and 4 show a schematic representation of a device for handling a load 1 shown in FIG. 2. The device shown here has a receiving device 2 serving to receive the load and an actuating device 3 carrying and actuating the receiving device 2 .

According to the invention, the receiving device 2 has a horizontally arranged receiving ledge 5 which partially engages under the shoulders 4 carrying the load 1. The receiving bar 5 forms, together with rods or bars of the adjusting device 3, a parallelogram 6, the legs of which are connected to one another via joints 7, 8, 9, 10. The of the mounting bar 5 opposite leg 11 is articulated on a guide 13 formed on a vertical bar 12 so as to be vertically displaceable. An actuating member 16 extends between the beam 12 and one of the lateral legs 14 or 15 connecting the receiving bar 5 with the leg 11 parallel to it.

1 and 3 show particularly clearly that a total of two identically designed receiving and actuating devices 2, 3 arranged parallel to one another are provided, the receiving strips 5 of which partially engage under the load 1 on both sides - from the outside. Consequently, the load 1 to be handled is held securely on both sides. Furthermore, the movements of the two parallel recording and actuating devices 2, 3 are forcibly synchronized due to the actuation selected here, which is particularly evident from FIG. 3.

Fig. 4 clearly shows that the receiving bar 5 and the opposite, articulated on the vertical bar 12 and there vertically displaceable leg 11 are aligned horizontally in each working position of the device. This also ensures that the load to be handled is held securely.

Both FIGS. 1 and 3 and FIG. 5 (lower part) show that the receiving strip 5 has an essentially L-shaped cross section. The leg of the L-profile serving to reach under the load 1 is thinner than the leg 18 of the L-profile serving to link to the lateral legs 14, 15 of the parallelogram. The leg 17 of the L-profile used to reach under the load 1 is dimensioned such that it fits under the shoulders 19 of a pallet 20 according to DIN 55 201.

In the representations of Figures 3 and 4 it is indicated that the actuator 16 is designed as a rod. The actuator 16 is pivoted at both ends and acts on the side part or the lateral leg 14 in the sense of a lever by pivoting. The receiving bar 5 is shifted horizontally and the leg 11 opposite the receiving bar 5 vertically. Furthermore, the actuating member 16 is pivotably pivoted approximately centrally to the side leg 14 and is approximately half as long as the side leg 14.

1, 3 and 4 further indicate that the joints 10, 21, via which the upper leg 11 and the actuating member 16 are articulated to the vertical bar 12, lie in a vertical plane. So that the actuator 16 can deflect the parallelogram 6 in the sense of a swing to the other side of the beam 12, there is a lateral offset between the actuator 16 and the side legs 14, 15 and the corresponding joints 21 and 7 or 8, which in the figures, however, cannot be seen.

For the sake of simplicity, it is not shown in the figures that the actuating member 16 can be actuated by means of a drive attached to the bar 12. Also, no gears or the like are shown in the illustrations. Details of this can be found in the general part of the description.

Fig. 4 further indicates that the vertical guide 13 of the leg 11 opposite the receiving bar 5 is realized by two slide shoes 23 guided in a recess 22 vertical bars 12, the slide shoes 23 holding the leg 11 in a tilt-proof position in its horizontal position.

Fig. 5 finally shows the use of the device according to the invention in the context of a storage and retrieval unit. The receiving strips 5 engage under the pallet 20 or under the shoulders 19, so that the load 1 can be handled without hindrance. For comparison, FIG. 5 shows in the upper illustration the usual handling of a load 1 by means of telescopic forks 24, the use of which always requires placing the pallet 20 on additional support beams 25 so that the telescopic forks 24 can be brought under the shoulders 19 of the pallet 20.

Finally, it should be emphasized that the exemplary embodiment discussed above only serves to discuss the claimed teaching, but does not restrict it to the exemplary embodiment.

Claims (9)

Device for handling loads (1), with a receiving device (2) serving to receive the load (1) and an actuating device (3) carrying and actuating the receiving device (2),
characterized in that the receiving device (2) has a support bar, shoulders (4) or the like which at least partially engages underneath, preferably horizontally arranged, support bar (1) which supports the load (1) or the load (1) or is attached to the load (1). 5) has that the receiving bar (5) together with rods and / or bars of the actuating device (3) form a parallelogram (6), the legs of which are each connected via joints (7, 8, 9, 10) that the Receiving bar (5) opposite limbs (11) is articulated vertically displaceably on a guide (13) formed on a preferably vertical bar (12) and that an actuating member (16) is located between the bar (12) and one of the receiving bars (5) extends with the parallel leg (11) connecting side leg (14, 15) of the parallelogram (6). Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that two receiving and setting devices (2, 3), which are arranged in parallel to one another, preferably identically, are provided, the receiving bars (5) of which at least partially engage under the load (1) on both sides and in that the movements of the two parallel ones Recording and actuating devices (2, 3) are positively synchronized. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the receiving strip (5) and the opposite one, articulated on the vertical beam (12) and vertically displaceable there Legs (11) are aligned horizontally in each working position of the device. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the receiving strip (5) has an essentially L-shaped cross-section, that the leg (17) of the L-profile serving to engage under the load (1) is thinner than the leg (18) of the L-profile serving for articulation on the lateral legs (14, 15) of the parallelogram (6) and that the leg (17) of the L-profile serving for reaching under the load (1) is dimensioned in this way if necessary that it fits under the shoulders (19) of a pallet (20), preferably a pallet (20) according to DIN 55201. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the actuating member (16) is designed as a rod, that the actuating member (16) is pivotally articulated at both ends and the side leg (14 or 15) in the sense of a lever by pivoting acted upon by force and thereby the receiving bar (5) is displaced horizontally and the leg (11) opposite the receiving bar (5) is displaced vertically and that, if necessary, the actuating member (16) is articulated approximately centrally on the lateral leg (14 or 15) and approximately half as long as the side leg (14 or 15). Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the joints (7, 8, 9, 10), via which the upper leg (11) and the actuating member (16) are articulated on the vertical beams (12), lie in a vertical plane that the joints (21; 7 or 8 or 9 or 10), via which the actuating member (16) on the beam (12) and the side legs (14 or 15) on the receiving strips (5) are articulated in one horizontal plane and that the joints (21, 10), via which the upper leg (11) and the actuator (16) to the vertical bars (12) are articulated, possibly on a vertical straight line, and the joints (21, 7, 8), via which the actuating member (16) on the bar (12) and the lateral legs (14, 15) on the mounting strips (5) are articulated, lie on a horizontal straight line or that at least the joints (21, 7, 8) via which the actuating member (16) on the beam (12) and the lateral legs (14, 15) on the mounting strips ( 5) are articulated, have a lateral offset to one another. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the actuating member (16) can be actuated by means of a drive attached to the bar (16) and that the drive optionally comprises an electric motor and a stepping gear mechanism, preferably a Maltese cross or an eccentric , is operatively connected to the actuator. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the vertical guide (13) of the leg (11) opposite the receiving strip (5) is guided by at least one slide shoe (23) guided in a corresponding recess (22) on the vertical bar (12) ) is realized and that the vertical guide (13) of the leg (11) opposite the leg (11) is realized by two sliding shoes (23) guided in the recess on the vertical bar (12), the sliding shoes (23) preventing the leg from tipping hold in its horizontal position. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the vertical bar (12) is adjustable in height, that the vertical bar (12) in its respective vertical position in a horizontal plane - preferably orthogonal to the original adjustability of the receiving bar (5) - Is adjustable and that the bar (12) is optionally assigned to a storage and retrieval unit or a transport vehicle.

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