FR2792920A1 - Conveying plant for transferring products along two conveyor belts perpendicular to each other involves motor and reducing gear with two arms engaging with fixed vertical groove or plate - Google Patents

Abstract

Products (1) on first conveyor belt (2) are gripped by suction nozzles (28) on suction plate (27). Suction plate is lifted and lowered by first arm and roller (24, 24a) driven by motor and reducing gear (20,21) and engages with plate (25). Motor also drives second arm (23) with roller (23a) which engages with fixed vertical groove (12) to translate suction plate to second conveyor belt (4). An Independent claim is also included for the method of conveying products.

Description

The invention relates to an installation and a method for conveying

  produced in two directions, notably according to

  a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

  In the field of packaging, it is known to move products in two generally perpendicular directions, in particular during the crating or "packing" of these products. Indeed, on this occasion, the products must be moved in a horizontal plane towards the box or case intended to receive them and introduced into the latter in a generally vertical direction imposed by the opening of the case, this opening being, the more

often directed upwards.

  Some known devices use an electric motor

  for moving a carriage in a global direction-

  ment horizontal, while jacks provided on this carriage allow to vertically move an assembly provided with means

  gripping products such as suction cups. These provisions

  known tifs require the use of two separate engines, electric for one and pneumatic or hydraulic for the other, which increases the cost price of these devices and increases the risk of failure. In addition,

  movements are jerky, because accelerations and decelerations

  important ions are generated at the cusps

trajectories.

  It has been possible to envisage using a single motor, the output shaft of which is connected to an element provided with gripping members by means of a cam, so that the movement transmitted to this element is curved, for example approximately in shape. arc of arc or section of sinusoid. This is not satisfactory insofar as the path generated is such that the products being moved and / or the gripping members often strike the edges of the opening of the box used. In addition, complex systems of cams and springs must be provided, which reduces the reliability of

these devices.

  It is to these drawbacks that the invention more particularly intends to remedy by proposing a conveying installation which makes it possible, thanks to a single motor, to obtain two movements

  along generally perpendicular directions, these movements

  elements being broken down so that they can take place without interfering with the environment of the products, such as

  the edges of a box or the beams of a frame.

  In this spirit, the invention relates to an installation of

  product conveying, comprising a movable trolley in transla-

  tion in a first direction, and a sub-assembly, provided with at least one gripping and / or hooking member for these products, secured to the carriage and movable according to a second

  direction generally perpendicular to this first direction

  tion, characterized in that the carriage carries a motor or a gearmotor whose output shaft is equipped with a first crank, able to cooperate with fixed guide means for moving the carriage in the first direction, and a second crank, able to control the sub-assembly by

  displacement in the second direction.

  Thanks to the invention, the rotation of the output shaft of the motor or the gear motor is used by the first crank for the movement of the carriage according to the first

  steering, while the second crank is dedicated to the

  dragging of the sub-assembly in the second direction.

  According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention

  tion, the first crank is able to be engaged or released relative to the fixed guide means according to the angular position of the output shaft. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, the translational movement in the first direction can be interrupted when the first crank is released relative to the fixed guide means, while the translational movement of the sub-assembly in the second direction continues, because the second crank is engaged with the sub-assembly, regardless of the angular position of the output shaft. This arrangement therefore makes it possible to dissociate, as a function of the angular position of the output shaft, the movement of the carriage, in the first direction, from the movement

  of the subset in the second direction.

  According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, the

  first and second cranks extend in the same direction

  tion radial to the output shaft.

  The installation advantageously comprises means for locking the carriage in position at the ends of

  its course in the first direction. These locking means

  lage allow to immobilize the carriage when it is not controlled by the first crank in translation in the first direction. With this arrangement, the carriage is held in a position such that the first crank can be engaged with the fixed guide means quickly and smoothly during subsequent rotation of the output shaft. In particular, these locking means are active when the first crank is released relative to the fixed guide means and inactive when this first crank is engaged relative to these fixed guide means. For example, the locking means comprise at least one slide integral with the subassembly and capable of

  cooperate with a member secured to a fixed frame of the installation

  tion depending on the position of the subset in its

  movement in the second direction.

  The invention also relates to a conveying method which can be implemented with the installation as described above and, more specifically, a method which consists in driving the carriage in movement in the first direction by means of rotation, over a fraction of turn, of an output shaft of a motor or geared motor carried by the carriage, and to drive the sub-assembly in displacement in the second direction thanks to the rotation of the shaft

  exit on a substantially complete tour.

  Advantageously, the fraction of a turn used for

  the carriage drive corresponds substantially to a half

  tower. It can also be provided that the method consists in

  immobilize the trolley in translation in the first direction

  tion when not driven by the rotation of the output shaft. The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the

  description which follows of an embodiment of a

  conveying installation and its implementation process in accordance with its principle, given only by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a simplified view, in perspective of an installation according to the invention in a first configuration; - Figure 2 is a schematic representation of principle, in front view, of the essential elements of the machine in the configuration of Figure 1; - Figures 3 to 10 are representations similar to Figure 1 while the machine is in other configurations and - Figure 11 is a schematic representation of the principle of the trajectory of a point on the movable plate

the installation of Figures 1 to 10.

  The installation shown in FIG. 1 is intended to move products or objects 1, such as pots, from a belt conveyor 2 to a cardboard box 3 arranged on a second belt conveyor 4. The installation comprises a frame formed of feet 5 supporting C 6 beams between which

  are stretched two rails 7, support and guide in transla-

  tion in a first horizontal direction XX ', of a carriage 8. The beams 6 also support a set of vertical and longitudinal beams 9 on which is fixed a plate 10 carrying two elongated elements 11 together forming a slide 12 arranged in a direction Z -Z ', overall

  perpendicular to the direction X-X ', and vertical.

  Two rollers 13 and 13 'are pivotally mounted at the end of two legs 14 and 14' respectively on the left and

  right of the frame and near the beams 6.

  An electric motor 20 coupled to a reduction gear 21 is mounted on the carriage 8. On a first end 22a of the output shaft 22 of the reduction gear 21 is fixed a crank 23 equipped with an end roller 23a. The outer diameter of the roller 23a is slightly less than the internal width of the

slide 12.

  A second crank 24 is mounted on the opposite end 22b of the shaft 22 of the reduction gear 21 and is also

equipped with a roller 24a.

  The cranks 23 and 24 extend in the same radial direction relative to the central axis of the shaft 22. In other words, the cranks 23 and 24 are parallel to each other and both extend towards the bottom, that is to say towards the objects 1, in the configuration of FIGS. 1 and

2.

  The roller 24a supports an upper plate 25 connected by two vertical rods 26 to a lower plate 27 equipped with vacuum suction cups 28 in number equal to the number of pots 1 to be moved. The suction cups 28 are connected by a collector

  common 29 to a vacuum source not shown.

  The rods 26 pass through two sleeves 30 integral with the carriage 8 and capable of serving as means for guiding in translation

  vertical for the subset formed of elements 25 to 27.

  Two slides 31 and 31 'are mounted on vertical crosspieces 32 and 32' stretched between the plates 25 and 27 and extending near the sleeves 30. The internal width of

  these slides allow them to accommodate the rollers 13.

  We denote by O the angle of rotation of the shaft 22 from the position of FIG. 2. The angle O is the angle of direction of the

  cranks 23 and 24 with respect to the vertical.

  The operation is as follows: In the position of FIGS. 1 and 2, the angle 8 is zero and the cranks 23 and 24 are both directed downward, that is to say parallel to the direction Z-Z ' , so that the crank 23 is released relative to the slide 12, while the roller 24a of the crank 24 supports the plate in a low position such that the suction cups 28 come into contact with the pots 1. The suction cups are put in depression and made integral with the pots 1 which are thus linked to the plate

27 for the rest of the maneuver.

  In this position, the motor 20 is started, so that the shaft 22 is rotated R in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2. The free ends of the cranks 23 and 24 are then moved in the direction of the part central installation, so that the roller 24a of the crank 24 is raised by traversing an arc centered on the shaft 22, which causes a lifting movement of the plates 25 and 27, as shown by the arrow F1 in FIG. 3. In this configuration, the crank 23 is moved in space without interference from another

element and angle 6 is 45.

  As the slide 31 is integral with the plate 25, the movement of the plate 25 in the direction of the arrow F1 also has the effect of moving the slide 31 upwards, so that there is a relative movement of this

  slide 31 relative to the roller 13.

  Continuation of the rotation R from the configuration of FIG. 3 makes it possible to reach the configuration of FIG. 4 in which the angle O is equal to 90 and the cranks 23 and 24 are oriented in a substantially horizontal direction, that is to say that is to say parallel to the direction X-X '. This movement results in an additional elevation of the roller 24a, which

  has the effect of lifting the plates 25 and 27, as shown

  felt by arrow F2, the pots 1 being raised in the

  same proportions by suction cups 28.

  The vertical movement of the plate 25 according to arrow F2 also has the effect of lifting the slide 31 relative to the roller 13 at a point such that the slide 31 is released from the roller

  13 when it arrives in the configuration of FIG. 4.

  In this configuration, the roller 23a of the crank 23

  reaches the level of the lower end 12a of the slide

  sière 12. The positioning of the roller 23a relative to the end

  mity 12a of the slide 12 depends only on the position of the carriage 8 on the rails 7, since the length of the rod 23 and the position of the slide 12 are predetermined. However, the cooperation of the slide 31 and the roller 13 makes it possible to define

  the position of the carriage 8 precisely since this cooperation

  tion leads to an immobilization of the carriage 8 on the rails 7 in the direction XX '. In other words, the use of the slide 31 and the roller 13 ensures that the roller 23a of the crank 23 is correctly positioned to penetrate smoothly into the slide 12 when the crank 23 is brought

in horizontal position.

  The movement which has just been described and which made it possible to pass from the position of FIGS. 1 and 2 to that of FIG.

  4 corresponds only to a vertical translational movement

  the, in the direction Z-Z ', of the suction cups 28 and of the products

  1 thanks to the actuation of the motor 20, no horizontal movement

  tal of the carriage 8 or of the plates 25 and 27 not being generated.

  Continuation of the rotation R of the shaft 22 then makes it possible to pass to the configuration of FIG. 5 in which the angle 0 is equal to 135. The roller 23a of the crank 23 slides in the slide 12, while the slide 31 has been released from the roller 13. The sliding of the roller 23a in the slide 12 makes it possible to constitute a fixed point for the crank 23 relative to the direction X -X '. Given the predetermined length of the crank 23, the sliding movement of the roller 23a in the slide 12 induces a movement of the carriage 8 in the direction XX 'as shown by the arrow F3 in Figure 5. Furthermore, the plate 25 continues to be lifted by the roller 24a of the crank 24, so that the vertical movement in the direction ZZ 'is

  continues, as shown by arrow F4 in this figure.

  Continued rotation R achieves the

  configuration of Figure 6 in which the angle 9 is 180.

  The axis of rotation 22 of the cranks 23 and 24 is then located at the level of the longitudinal axis A-A 'of the slide 12. In this position, the cranks 23 and 24 are substantially vertical and directed upwards, the roller 24a lifting

  thus the plate 25 in a top dead center position.

  In the configuration of FIG. 6, the movement of the plates 25 and 27, of the suction cups 28 and of the objects 1 is substantially horizontal, as represented by the arrow F5, because the movement of the roller 24a in this configuration is at

tangent substantially horizontal.

  The continuation of the rotation R induces an additional displacement of the carriage 8 to the right of the figures, as shown in FIG. 7, while the roller 24a driven by the rotation of the crank 24 starts a circular movement

  down around the axis of the shaft 22. In the configuration

  tion of FIG. 7 where the angle 0 equals 225, the carriage undergoes a movement of horizontal translation, represented by the arrow F6, while the plates 25 and 27 undergo a movement of vertical descent, as represented by the arrow F7. The configuration of Figure 7 is symmetrical to that of the

Figure 5 with respect to the axis AA '.

  Continuation of the rotation R makes it possible to reach the configuration of FIG. 8 which is symmetrical to that of FIG. 4 with respect to the axis AA ′ and in which the angle 0 is equal to 270. The roller 23a of the crank 23 reaches the level of the lower end 12a of the slide 12 from which it emerges by the rotational movement R. At this instant, the slide 31 'covers the roller 13', so that the carriage 8 is immobilized in translation on the rails 7 according to

  the direction X-X 'at the end of the travel of the carriage 8.

  The plates 25 and 27 continue a downward movement represented by the arrow F8, the plate 25 still being supported on the roller 24a which continues its movement in an arc centered on the shaft 22. The continuation of the rotation R

  makes it possible to reach the position of FIG. 9, which is symmetrical

  than that of FIG. 3 relative to the axis AA ′, and in which the angle 0 is worth 315. The crank 23 and moved without interference with other elements. The downward movement of the elements 25 to 28 in the direction of the body 3 is continued,

  as shown by arrow F9. This movement is sensitive-

  vertical, which avoids interference between objects

  1 and the edges 3a of the opening of the box.

  Continuation of the rotational movement R makes it possible to reach

  the position of figure 10 in which the angle 0 is worth 360.

  The objects 1 are placed on the bottom 3b of the body 3, the plate 25 having reached a position of bottom dead center

  corresponding to that of FIGS. 1 and 2.

  During the only downward movement of the plates 25 and 27, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the carriage 8 is firmly immobilized with respect to the rails 7 by the cooperation of the slide 31 'with the roller 13' When the objects 1 are in placed in the box 3, the suction cups 28 are supplied with air, which makes it possible to release

the pots 1.

  The return movement of the installation to the position of FIGS. 1 and 2 is carried out by actuating the motor 20 in the opposite direction, so that a rotation of the shaft 22 clockwise in FIGS. 2 to 10 makes it possible to move the carriage 8 in the direction XX 'and the plates 25 and 27 in the directions XX' and ZZ 'passing successively through the

configurations of figures 10 to 2.

  The displacement of the plates 25 and 27, when the crank

  23 is released from the slide 12, is essentially verti-

  cal, due to the guidance obtained by the rods 26 and the sleeves, although there is a sliding movement between the plate 25 and the roller 24a in a horizontal direction, since the roller 24a has a circular movement, with a

  vertical component and a horizontal component.

  The movement which has been described between the configurations of FIGS. 1 and 2 on the one hand, and 10 on the other hand, corresponds to a rotation of the shaft 22 on 3600. It is understood that the first 90 degrees of rotation of the tree 22 correspond to

  transition from the configuration of Figures 1 and 2 to the configuration

  tion of Figure 4. The next 180 correspond to the commitment-

  ment of the roller 23b in the slide 12 and when passing from the configuration of FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 8, while the remaining 90 correspond to the vertical downward movement of the plates of the configuration of FIG. 8 to that of the

figure 10.

  This appears schematically in FIG. 11 where the trajectory of a point of the carriage 25 in the reference frame of the frame of the installation has been represented as a function of the angle of rotation of the shaft 22. This trajectory comprises two

  straight and vertical sections and an intermediate curved section

  diary. The transition from the configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2 to that of FIG. 10 takes place by a rotation over a complete revolution of the shaft 22, that is to say by a uniform movement without point

  sudden reversal or variation, which increases

  significantly reduce the speed of movement of the products without

  reduction of the service life of the installation.

  In addition, in the configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2 on the one hand, and 10 on the other hand, that is to say at the two bottom dead centers of the trajectory of the plates 25 and 27, the movement of the roller 24a is with horizontal tangent, so that there is a natural deceleration of the suction cups 28 when they come into contact with the pots 1 on the one hand, and upon contact with

  these pots with the bottom 3b of the box 3 on the other hand.

  The fact of driving the carriage in displacement in the direction X-X ′ by virtue of the rotation of the shaft 22 only on 180 makes it possible to dissociate the horizontal translational movement of the carriage 8, which takes place on 180, from the translational movement vertical of the sub-assembly 25-27, which takes place over 360, since the roller 24a is permanently in contact with the

tray 25.

he

Claims (10)

  1. Installation for conveying products (1) comprising a carriage (8) movable in translation in a first direction (X-X ') and a sub-assembly (25-27), provided with at least one member (28) of gripping and / or hanging of said products, carried by the carriage and movable in a second direction (Z-Z ') generally perpendicular to said first direction, characterized in that said carriage (8) carries a motor (20) or a geared motor (20, 21) whose output shaft (22) is equipped with a first crank (23), capable of cooperating with fixed guide means (12) for the movement of said carriage in said first direction ( X-X '), and a second crank (24), capable of controlling said subassembly (25-27) in   displacement in said second direction (Z-Z ').   2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said first crank (23) is capable of being engaged or released relative to the fixed guide means (12) as a function of the angular position (0) of said output shaft ( 22).   3. Installation according to one of the preceding claims.   tes, characterized in that said second crank (24) is engaged with said subassembly (25-27) independently of the   angular position (O) of said output shaft (22).   4. Installation according to one of the preceding claims.   tes, characterized in that said first (23) and second (24) cranks extend in the same radial direction (8)   with respect to said output shaft (22).   5. Installation according to one of the preceding claims.   tes, characterized in that it comprises means (13, 13 ', 31, 31') for locking in position said carriage (8) at the ends of its travel along said first direction (X-X ').   6. Installation according to claims 2 and 5, character-   laughing in that said locking means (13, 13 ', 31, 31') are active when said first crank (23) is released relative to said fixed guide means (12) and inactive when said first crank is engaged by   relative to said fixed guide means.   7. Installation according to one of claims 5 or 6,   characterized in that said locking means comprises   at least one slide (31, 31 ') secured to said subassembly (2527) and capable of cooperating with a member (13, 13') secured to a fixed frame (6) depending on the position of said subassembly in its movement in said second direction (Z-Z ').   8. Method for conveying products (1) using a carriage (8) movable in translation in a first direction (X-X ') and a sub-assembly (25-27), provided with at least one member ( 28) for gripping and / or hooking said products, integral with said carriage and movable in a second direction (Z-Z ') generally perpendicular to said first direction, characterized in that it consists in driving said carriage (8) in displacement in the first direction (X-X ') by rotation (0), over a fraction of a turn, of an output shaft (22) of a motor (20) or gear motor (20, 21) carried by said carriage and driving said subassembly (25-27) in displacement in said second direction (Z-Z ') by the rotation of said output shaft over a substantially complete revolution. 9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said fraction of a turn used for driving said   carriage corresponds substantially to a U-turn.   10. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9,   characterized in that it consists in immobilizing said carriage (8) in translation in said first direction when it   is not driven by the rotation of said output shaft (22).