EP1227052A1 - Method and device for changing the gripping position of flat objects, conveyed by grippers - Google Patents

Abstract

Flat articles (3) each held by a feeding-in gripper (5) on a leading first edge are fed-in to a hold changing station (1) one after the other, are pulled onto a changing support situated in the changing station (1), and are deposited on it by opening the feeding-in gripper (5). Each deposited article is then pushed across the changing support (10) by a conveying-away gripper (6) and, while being pushed, is grasped by closing the conveying-away gripper (6) and is conveyed away held gripped on a second edge. Advantageously, the feeding-in direction (Z) and the conveying-away direction (W) intersect above the changing support (10) under the one angle (alpha), which is also constituted by the first and the second edge. For the hold change of rectangular printed products, the angle (alpha) amounts to 90°. For pushing the articles, the conveying-away grippers (6) move in the plane of the surface of the changing support and are driven from below. For articles (3) that overlap one another on being fed-in, the feeding-in grippers (5) move above the surface of the changing support (10) and are driven from above.

Description

The invention is in the field of conveyor technology and relates to a method and a device according to the corresponding independent patent claims. The method and the device according to the invention serve to encompass kept promoted, flat objects, especially of printed products, the are continuously conveyed in succession in a flow, for example each flat object being held in an edge region by a gripper becomes.

Reaching around is to be understood as a process in which each or a predetermined one Selection of objects conveyed by a first gripper on one Wrapping point is taken over by a second gripper, the first gripper holds the object in a first edge area and the second gripper the Holds object in a second, different from the first edge area.

A device for grasping conveyed printed products is for example known from publication EP-0305671 (or US-4893805, F238). This Device has a feed device and a removal device, which both have a pulling element and grippers arranged thereon. The printed products are essentially free-hanging with the help of the feed device means held in the area of upper edges, fed. In front of the wrapping point the lower areas of the freely hanging printed products on a support surface guided and thereby delayed compared to the held edges, which the Products are placed in an inclined position so that their lower edges meet the run along the held upper edges. In this position, the printed products reach the wrap around. The grippers of the removal device move in the area this encircling point on a path that is below the conveyor path of the feed device and is aimed at this. The movements of the grippers of the feed device and the gripper of the removal device are rectified and synchronized in such a way that each gripper of the removal device in the encompassing point meets a lower edge area of a printed product being fed and can take this. The actuation of the grippers of the two conveyors is matched to one another in such a way that the gripper which conveys away is closed before the feed gripper is opened so that the products at no time are encouraged indignantly. The feeding gripper will be as quick as possible opened after closing the gripper.

Devices according to the publication mentioned have the advantage that the funding the print products continue to run continuously and precisely at all times is defined and that there is still no stress at any moment the printed products can come between the two grippers. The device therefore offers a very high level of funding security and is also suitable for highly sensitive print products applicable. However, these advantages are paid for through synchronization of conveying and conveying away as well as the gripper actuation, which are extremely precise must be, by restricting it to wrap around from one edge to the other opposite edge or from one area to another area thereof Edge as well as a device-dependent dependence of the device on the Product format. Furthermore, grasping takes a fairly long, essentially rectified conveyance of the feeding and away conveying grippers, especially if the trailing edges for positioning in the The mouth of the gripper must be caught by the grabs that convey away.

For gripping from an edge held during the feeding to one to this Edge, for example, vertical edge is according to the state of the Technology, for example, a supply flow of held printed products into one Converted stream of shingles, in which the products lie loosely on a conveyor, is this shingled stream diverted by 90 ° or the individual products Rotated 90 ° and then the products are gripped again by conveying grippers. Since the printed products can be guided less precisely in the shingled stream the safety and accuracy of such a method are significantly less than when gripping directly. A device in which a shingled stream is redirected is disclosed, for example, in publication CH-617408 (or US-4201377, F90).

The object of the invention is now a method and a device for To show grasping of flat objects that are being conveyed on the one hand are easier than corresponding procedures and facilities according to the State of the art and which nevertheless do not have any limitations. So should So it with the inventive method and the inventive device be possible to keep the flat objects in the area of a first edge feed and in the area of a second edge that is perpendicular to the first edge or directed obliquely, kept leading away. Method and device According to the invention, even with very high delivery rates also deliver high requirements satisfactory security and reach accuracy.

This problem is solved by the procedure and the facility as described in the Claims are defined.

According to the method according to the invention, the flat objects of Feeding grippers held in the area of a leading edge one after the other onto a wrapping pad and by opening the gripper on the wrapping pad landfilled. Every item deposited on the wrapping before the next item is deposited, by a correspondingly opened gripper, on another trailing edge area acts as the feeding gripper, pushed by the gripping pad. While this pushing the gripper away is closed as long as the object can still be held in a stable position by the wrapping pad. The pushing movement and the conveying away take place in one direction (Direction of conveyance) that crosses the direction of conveyance in the area of the encircling point.

As mentioned above, the pushing function can be carried out by the grippers that convey away or from other pushing devices such as pushing blocks. The objects are also different when using such Gripping means gripped by the conveying grippers during the sliding movement, but these can grasp the objects in an edge area, which is not the edge area on which the sliding means act.

Before the conveying gripper is closed, the objects can, if necessary still be aligned laterally.

For a conveyor with high capacity and still relatively low conveyor speeds it is advantageous if the objects meet each other both at the Funding as well as overlap overlap. In this case they are Arrange objects in the feed flow in such a way that their held, leading Edges are on top. Then there are also leading in the discharge flow Edges at the top, which are not the held edges.

The projections of the feed direction and the discharge direction intersect on the surface of the wrapping pad at an angle that advantageously the angle between those held during inward and outward transportation Edges corresponds. That is, for rectangular objects that are attached to a longer one Edge held conveyed and held away at a shorter edge, the angle between the two conveying directions is preferably 90 °.

It shows, especially when using the invention for the promotion of Printed products, that even with very high delivery rates and very dense flow rates, that means with product distances of approx. 10 cm, with edge lengths of up to approx. 60 cm and at conveyor speeds of approx. 1 to 2 m / s, is possible Wrapping process according to the invention with an absolutely sufficient security and accuracy perform, the requirements for accuracy of synchronization of supply and removal are markedly lower than with known ones Wrapping systems is the case. Furthermore, the device-related dependency significantly less than was previously the case. As long as the edge area held during the feed and the edge area at which the Sliding effect applies, that means one for rectangular or square products The device must align the product corner with a reference position not changed for handling different-sized products and also not be reset.

The device according to the invention has a feed device with feeders Grippers, a removal device with removal grippers and a wrap-around pad on. The removal device can also have pushing means. The The wrapping pad is arranged horizontally or crooked. The two conveyors are arranged such that their grippers from opposite sides, for example some are driven from above, the others from below. The promoting ones The gripper or the sliding means move for their sliding function advantageously essentially in the plane of the surface of the wrapping pad and are driven from below. The wrap-around document shows, for example at least two spaced-apart parallel parts, between which the grippers driven from below move. It can also be operated from below Gripper pairs are provided, of which there is a gripper on each side move the wrapping pad, the wrapping pad narrower in this case is as the objects to be deposited on it.

If the objects overlap each other in the supply flow and in the discharge flow, are the feeding grabs that are driven from above via the Wrap around and moved apart from this. If the objects are do not overlap, the feeding grippers can move in the same plane like the grabs that carry away and comb with them during operation.

The two conveying devices have, for example, conveying members on which the grippers are arranged equidistantly or rail tracks, along which conveying elements can be funded more or less independently of each other, whereby at a gripper is arranged for each conveying element. For the synchronization of grippers, which are arranged on mutually independent conveying elements are the To clock conveyor elements accordingly for the re-gripping process.

For the opening and closing of the grippers are in the area of the wrapping pad For example, corresponding scenes are provided in a manner known per se and the grippers have corresponding control rollers that roll along the scenes. If not all of the objects conveyed are subjected to the re-gripping process the grippers are to be controlled individually.

The feed device also advantageously has a means for conveying the feed Braking objects after opening the feeding grippers. With Such a braking means prevents the objects from inertia driven overrun the encumbrance.

In the area of the encircling document are advantageously in the direction of the promotion aligned alignment means provided with which the objects laterally aligned while being released by the feeding grabs and are deposited on the encumbrance and / or while they are being removed Grippers or pushing devices are pushed over the wrapping pad.

Figur 1

eine dreidirnensionale Darstellung eines Zuförderstromes und eines Wegförderstromes von flachen Gegenständen, die in einer nach dem erfindungsgemässen Verfahren betriebenen Umgreifstelle von zufördernden Greifern entlassen und von wegfördemden Greifern übernommen werden;

Figur 2

eine Draufsicht auf eine schematisch dargestellte, beispielhafte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung;

Figur 3

eine beispielhafte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung (Blickrichtung im wesentlichen parallel zur Umgreifunterlage und quer zur Zuförderrichtung);

Figur 4

eine beispielhafte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung (Blickwinkel im wesentlichen parallel zur Umgreifunterlage und quer zur Wegförderrichtung);

Figur 5

eine Kombination von zwei nach dem erfindungsgemässen Verfahren betriebene Umgreifstellen;

The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are described in more detail with reference to the following figures. Show:

Figure 1

a three-dimensional representation of a feed flow and a discharge flow of flat objects which are released from feed grippers in a wrap-around point operated according to the method according to the invention and are taken over by feed away grippers;

Figure 2

a plan view of a schematically illustrated, exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Figure 3

an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention (viewing direction essentially parallel to the encompassing base and transversely to the feed direction);

Figure 4

an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention (viewing angle substantially parallel to the encompassing base and transversely to the conveying direction);

Figure 5

a combination of two wrapping points operated according to the method according to the invention;

FIG. 1 shows a very schematic, three-dimensional representation of a gripping point 1 that is operated according to an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. In the encircling point, flat objects 3 fed in a feed flow 2 in a feed direction Z are converted into a removal flow 4 by reaching around and conveyed away in the removal direction W. For this purpose, feed grippers 5 are moved in feed direction Z and feed grippers 6 in feed direction W. The objects 3 are, for example, rectangular and are conveyed in at their longer edges and conveyed away at their shorter edges, the reverse case also being possible. The longer and shorter edges are perpendicular to each other. The feed direction Z and the discharge direction W are advantageously in parallel planes spaced apart from one another and their projections onto the plane of the discharge direction (surface of the encompassing base) intersect at a corresponding angle α of 90 °.

The feeding grippers 5 hold the objects 3 at their upper edges and Promote them freely, for example, against the wrap-around point 1. In front of the wrap-around point 1, the lower edges of the objects 3 are decelerated such that the upper, held edges become the leading edges. In this situation, the Objects 3 are drawn onto a wrap-around base, not shown, and are to be conveyed Gripper 5 released as soon as it has a predetermined relative to the encompassing pad Have reached position. After releasing, the objects may fall over the shortest possible distance from the gripper to the wrapping pad.

Figure 1 shows the object 3.1 at a moment when it is being conveyed Gripper 5.1 is released to immediately afterwards away from the gripper 6.1 to be pushed in the direction of conveyance W. If the objects 3 in Feed flow 2 and in the discharge flow 4 overlap while the object 3.1 is pushed by the gripper 6.1 to remove it, Already a trailing object 3.2 from a further gripper to be conveyed 4.2 on the encompassing document or on the object still partially on it 3.1 pulled and a leading object 3.3 from another promoting Gripper 6.2 pushed under object 3.1 over the encompassing pad. The further gripper 6.2 conveying away is advantageous at the moment shown closed.

The objects 3 have in the feed stream 2 at least immediately before the landfill leading edges on the wrapping pad, on which they are held by the grippers. In the discharge flow 4, they also have overhead leading edges, but are now at the trailing edges below Edges held. In order to convert the away flow 4 into a flow, in which the objects are again conveyed hanging, they have to be removed Gripper 6, for example, in a manner known per se by 180 ° around the conveying direction W can be rotated (see Figure 4).

Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the inventive device from the bird's eye view. The wrap-around process that can be carried out with this device corresponds essentially to the wrap-around process shown in FIG. For this reason, the same parts are labeled with the same reference numbers. FIG. 2 also shows the encompassing base 10, which in the present case consists of two parallel parts 10.1 and 10.2 spaced apart from one another. The feeding grippers 5 move above the gripping pad 10. The grippers 6 that move away move in the area of the surface of the gripping pad, ie they move through the space between the parallel parts 10.1 and 10.2 and protrude above the surface of the gripping pad. The conveying paths of the conveying and the conveying away grippers can also overlap if the synchronization of the conveyors is such that the grippers do not interfere with each other.

Of the feeding grippers 5, the gripper 5.3 is still closed, the gripper 5.4 is already open. Of the grippers 6 which take away, the grippers 6.3 and 6.4 open, 6.5 open or closed and 6.6 closed. The arrows R indicate lateral Alignment means with which the leading part of one on the wrap-around document 10 pushed object 3.2 are aligned laterally.

As already mentioned above, the sliding function can be used instead of the conveying function Gripper 6 also moving means moved in the same way (e.g. sliding cam) which sliding means are used over the surface of the wrapping pad 10 protrude and are driven from the bottom. In one The slide means designated in Figure 2 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 would be none Gripper but slide cams. Instead of the grippers labeled 6.6 and 6 the objects to be removed would then be removed by grippers 6.6 ' and 6 '(shown in dash-dot lines), which are laterally displaced with respect to the sliding cams are captured laterally and transported away without changing direction. The one with the Slide cam cooperating, away-conveying grippers 6.6 'and 6' can each one Holding an object or several overlapping objects.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show further exemplary embodiments of the device according to the invention with a viewing angle substantially parallel to the gripping base 10, in FIG. 3 transversely to the feed direction Z, in FIG. 4 transversely to the removal direction W.

FIG. 3 shows the feed device 20 which, as the conveyor element (dash-dotted line 21), has a chain or a plurality of conveyor elements which can be moved along a rail track. The feeding grippers 5 are arranged on the conveyor element 21 and can be pivoted relative to the latter parallel to the feeding direction Z. Furthermore, a braking means 22 is shown which, for example, has two brake rods 23 which can be extended into the supply flow 2 on both sides of the grippers 5, by means of which an object 3 which is to be subjected to the gripping process is braked in such a way that it is deposited as precisely as possible on the gripping pad 10 becomes.

The removal device 30 is transverse to the removal direction in FIG directed towards the viewer). It has a conveyor 31, for example in the form of a chain or a plurality of conveyor elements, which Conveyor is driven in a channel 32 guided. The channel 32 is like this arranged below the encompassing pad 10 that the grippers 6 conveying away reach over the surface of the wrapping pad 10 and act on objects 3, that lie on the surface of the wrapping pad.

The gripping pad 10 has two spaced apart, in the conveying direction aligned parallel parts 10.1 and 10.2 and is on the feed side with a Ramp 24 equipped with the lower edges of the supplied objects 3 can be delayed compared to the upper edges.

The encompassing pad 10 also points on both sides in the conveying direction extending, upwardly directed edge regions 11.1 and 11.2, between which objects 3 released from the feeding grippers 3 for landfill on the wrapping pad 10 and for its pushed movement over the wrapping pad 10 are guided laterally.

FIG. 4 shows essentially the same embodiment of the device according to the invention as FIG. 3, this time with an angle of view transversely to the conveying device W, the conveying device 20 being cut transversely to the conveying direction (directed towards the viewer) and like the conveying direction 30 in FIG. 3 in a channel 25 guided conveyor member 21, on which the feeding grippers 5 are arranged. From the conveying device 30, the conveying member 31 (shown as a dash-dotted line) and the grippers 6, which in turn can be pivoted parallel to the conveying direction W, are shown.

FIG. 4 also shows another exemplary means 40 for lateral alignment the leading parts of the objects 3 during their deposit on the Wrapping pad 10 and / or during its pushed movement over the wrapping pad 10. This alignment means 40 has, for example, two rotating ones Belts 41, which are each arranged on one side of the conveying direction and are driven in such a rotating manner that against the objects carried away 3 directed part moves in the conveying direction and essentially the same Speed has like the grabs 6 that convey away.

The objects overlap in the removal flow 4 created when changing the grip 3 and have overhead leading edges. this away flow 4 can by turning (arrow P) the conveying grippers 6 around the conveying member 31 into one further away flow 4 'are converted, in which the objects 3 essentially freely supported. Such a rotation is only in one Distance from the wrapping pad 10 possible.

FIG. 5 shows, in a representation similar to FIG. 2, a combination of two wrap-around points 1.1 and 1.2 operated according to the method according to the invention. The objects 3 are, as already described above, conveyed in a first free-flowing flow 2.1 essentially hanging freely and subjected to a first re-gripping process in the first re-gripping point 1.1, as is shown for example in FIG. 1. As a result, a first removal flow 4.1 is formed with underlying trailing edges, which is converted by turning through 180 ° about the first removal direction W.1 into a second feed flow 2.2, in which the objects 3 are in turn conveyed essentially freely suspended. The second feed flow 2.2 is subjected to a second re-gripping process in the second re-gripping point 1.2 and thereby converted into a second re-feed flow 4.2. In the second discharge flow 4.2, the objects 3 are held in the region of edges which lie opposite the edges held in the first feed flow 2.2.

FIG. 5 suggests that in both encircling points 1.1 and 1.2 all objects each time be subjected to the re-gripping process. But this is not a requirement. Only predetermined objects can be found at each encircling point 1.1 and 1.2 by reaching from the supply flow 2.1 and 2.2 are removed and the in Objects remaining in the feed flow can be, for example, another Wrapping point or other wrap-around points are promoted. That means along Several gripping points of the conveying path of the feeding grippers can be provided be, with the directions of conveyance at the encompassing points themselves can be selected independently. These conveying directions can, for example, relate to one another parallel and rectified with each other or opposite to each other. A A device with a plurality of encompassing points can be used, for example, for power distribution or power sharing can be used.

Claims (19)

Method for gripping flat objects (3) conveyed on hold, the objects (3) being held by feed grippers (5) in the area of a first edge are successively conveyed in a feed direction (Z) to a gripping point (1) and in the gripping point ( 1) Gripped by grippers (6) in the area of a second edge and successively conveyed away in a direction of conveyance (W), characterized in that the direction of conveyance (Z) and the direction of conveyance (W) intersect in the area of the gripping point and that the objects (3) pulled by the feeding grippers (5) in the area of leading edges onto a gripping pad (10) arranged in the gripping point (1) and deposited thereon by opening the feeding grippers (5), then by the grippers (6 ) or of other pushing means which act on the objects (3) in the region of edges trailing in the direction of removal (W), in W eg conveying direction (W) pushed over the gripping pad (10) and then conveyed away by the conveying grippers (6) in the conveying direction (W), the away conveying grippers (6) being closed for gripping the objects during the pushing movement. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first edge and the second edge of the objects (3) form an angle (α) with one another and that the projections of the feed direction (Z) and the discharge direction (W) onto the surface of the encompassing base ( 10) cut at the same angle (α). A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the angle (α) is a right angle. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the objects (3) overlap during the conveyance and are conveyed with the leading edges pointing upwards and that the conveying gripper (5) moves above the encompassing base (10) and at least are driven from above in the area of the encompassing pad (10). A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the objects (3) also overlap during the conveying away and are conveyed with leading edges directed upwards and that the conveying grippers (6) or pushing means essentially in the plane of the surface of the wrap-around support (10 ) are moved and driven from below at least in the area of the encompassing pad (10). A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the grippers (6) carrying away with the objects to be removed are rotated by 180 ° around the direction of removal (W) after leaving the area of the gripping pad (10). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the objects (3) are pushed over the gripping pad (10) by means of pushing means and in that they are grasped in the region of edges during this pushing movement by the grippers (6.6 ', 6') which convey away be aligned parallel to the direction of removal. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the objects are laterally aligned while they are being deposited on the wrapping pad (10) and / or during their pushed movement over the wrapping pad (10). Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the objects (3) are braked after the opening of the feeding grippers (5). Device for gripping flat objects (3) conveyed on hold, which device comprises a feed device (20) with feed grippers (5) for holding the objects (3) in a feed direction (Z) to a wrapping point (1), a removal device ( 30) with conveying grippers (6) for conveying away the objects (3) in a conveying direction (W) from the encircling point (1) and control means for opening the conveying grippers (5) in the encircling point (1) and for closing the conveying away Has gripper (6) in the area of the gripping point (1), characterized in that the device also has a gripping pad (10) arranged in the gripping point (1), that the feed device (20), the removal device (30) and the gripping pad ( 10) are arranged such that the feed direction (Z) and the discharge direction (W) lead over the surface of the encompassing base and cross and that the conveying of the feeding grippers (5) and the conveying away grippers (6) is synchronized and the control means are designed in such a way that the feeding grippers (5) are opened when the held object (3) is in a predetermined position on the Reaching underlay (10) has reached that the grippers (6) or other pushing means moving in the conveying direction (W) reach the edge area of the object (3) when it is deposited on the reclining base (10) and that the grippers (6 ) are closed while the object (3) is being pushed over the gripping pad (10). Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the feed device (20) and the removal device (30) are arranged in such a way that the projections of the feed direction (Z) and the removal direction (W) are at an angle on the surface of the encompassing base (10) Cut (α) from 90 °. Device according to one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that the encompassing support (10) has at least two parallel parts (10.1 and 10.2) aligned and spaced apart in the conveying direction (W) and that the conveying device (30) is designed and arranged in such a way that the grippers (6) conveying away move essentially in the plane of the surface of the gripping pad (10) and are driven through the distance between the parallel parts (10.1 and 10.2). Device according to one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that the wrap-around support (10) has at least two parallel parts (10.1 and 10.2) aligned in the conveying direction (W) and spaced apart from one another, that the device also has pushing means which extend over the surface of the wrap-around support (10) projecting and driven by the distance between the parallel parts (10.1, 10.2) in the conveying direction (W) and that the conveying device (30) is arranged such that the conveying grippers (6) are laterally offset with respect to the pushing means. Device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the feeding device (20) is designed and arranged such that the feeding grippers (5) move at least in the area of the gripping point (1) above the surface of the gripping pad and are driven from above. Device according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the control means are scenes and that the feed and / or away grippers (5, 6) have control rollers that roll on the scenes. Device according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the encompassing base (10) has a drive-on ramp (24) on the feed side for delaying the lower regions of objects (3) fed in a hanging manner. Device according to one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that it further comprises alignment means (11.1, 11.2, 40) for the lateral alignment of at least the leading parts of the objects (3) during the deposit on the encompassing base (10) and / or during the pushed Movement over the wrap (10). Device according to one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that it further comprises a braking means (22) for braking the objects (3) when they are released by the feeding grippers (5). Use of the method according to claim 1 or the device according to Claim 10 for gripping rectangular printed products from one in Area of a longer edge conveyed to one in the area of a shorter edge held promotion or vice versa.

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