GB2072607A

GB2072607A - Conveying articles to work stations

Info

Publication number: GB2072607A
Application number: GB8010634A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Transmatic Fyllan Ltd
Current assignee: Transmatic Fyllan Ltd
Priority date: 1980-03-28
Filing date: 1980-03-28
Publication date: 1981-10-07
Also published as: GB2072607B

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a scroll conveyor 1 arranged to move an article 3 between an initial position 4 in which the article is engaged by the scroll conveyor 1 and one or more operating positions 5 in which an operation can be performed on the article 3. A stepping motor 9 is coupled to the scroll conveyor 1 and a control system 11 is arranged to step the motor 9 in predetermined increments so that the scroll conveyor 1 moves the article 3 between the initial position 4 and the operating positions 5. As shown the aparatus may have a single scroll 2 and a side rail 7 or two co-operating scrolls may be arranged to rotate in unison with the article 3 between them. Alternatively the article, such as a bottle, may be supported between two side guides by a single scroll. Propulsion of the articles may be assisted by an auxiliary belt conveyor. The movement may take place in a horizontal direction or in a vertical or an inclined direction. The control system is arranged to produce electrical pulses in the frequency range 20 to 10,000 Hz for stepping the motor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mechanical handling apparatus Technical field of the invention This invention relates to mechanical handling apparatus and has an important application to such apparatus suitable for use in the packaging industry.

Background art In the packaging of goods of many descriptions, the receptacles, packets or packages are often formed, filled, closed and labelled in sequentially performed operations. In one of these operations, a package is moved between an initial position and a position at which the operation is carried out by a mechanism involving cams and levers, such a mechansim being designed for one particular size and/or shape of package for one specific operation.

It is a disadvantage of such apparatus that when packages of different sizes or shapes have to be dealt with, or different combinations of operations have to be performed on the articles, the cams and levers usually have to be extensively modified or replaced with others suitable for the new requirements. The provision of modifiable or alternative set of cams and levers involves complex and therefore expensive manufacturing techniques.

An object of this invention is to provide mechanical handling apparatus which is more readily adapted to deal with such changes in operating requirements.

Disclosure ofthe invention According to the present invention mechanical handling apparatus comprises a scroll conveyor mechanism arranged for movement between an initial position in which an article can be engaged by the scroll conveyor mechanism and a plurality of operating positions in which an operation can be performed on the article, a stepping motor coupled to said scroll conveyor mechanism, and a control system for stepping said motor in predetermined increments so that an article engaged by the scroll conveyor mechanism moves between said positions.

By stepping the motor in predetermined, relatively small, increments in this way, it is possible to move the scroll conveyor mechanism between a multiplicity of different operating positions thus enabling the apparatus to fulfil a wide variety of different requirements simply by varying the number of incremental steps of the motor.

Preferably the control system is arranged to produce electrical pulses in the frequency range 20 Hzto 10,000 Hz for stepping the motor.

The scroll conveyor mechanism may comprise a single scroll arranged to trap an article between its flights and a side rail, the single scroll being driven by the stepping motor so that an article engaged by the flights is moved between the initial position and one or more of the operating positions.

Alternatively, the scroll conveyor mechanism may comprise two co-operating scrolls arranged to operate in unison, one of the scrolls being driven by the stepping motor so that an article engaged by the flights of the scrolls moves between the initial position and one or more of the operating positions.

The sole propelling force to move an article may be provided by the scroll or scrolls, or auxiliary conveyor means may be provided to assist the scroll or scrolls to move an article.

Sensing means may be located at one or more of the operating positions to monitor the movement of an article and to pass signals to the control system to modify the increments of movement of the stepping motor in accordance with the monitored position of the article.

The movement between two positions may be arranged to take place in a substantially horizontal, inclined, or a vertical direction. The stepping motor may be coupled to the scroll conveyor mechanism by a direct drive, or through suitable reduction gears, or by levers or cams, or by means of a chain or belt drive.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a handling apparatus in accordance with the invention having a single scroll; Figure2 is a schematic representation of another mechanical handling apparatus in accordance with having two co-operating scrolls; and Figure 3 is a schematic end elevation of another form of scroll conveyor which can be utilized in mechanical handling apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Best modes for carrying out the invention Referring in the first instance to Figure 1, the mechanical handling apparatus comprises a scroll conveyor mechanism 1 in the form of a single scroll 2 arranged to move an article 3, such as a package, from its initial position 4 to a plurality of operating positions 5 in which operations are to be performed on the article 3. Such operations may comprise the forming, filling, closing and labelling of the package.

The scroll 2 is arranged to trap an article 3 between its flights 6 and a side rail 7 to move the article in the direction of an arrow 8 between the operating positions 5. The scroll 2 is arranged to be rotated by a stepping motor 9 coupled thereto by a gear box 10 comprising a reduction gear train.

A control system 11 is arranged to produce a train of electrical pulses, in a predetermined pattern, and to supply these pulses to the stepping motor 9 to drive the motor 9 in predetermined incremental steps. Thus by programming the control system 11 to produce a particular pattern of pulses, an article 3 can be moved from an initial position 4 to selected ones of the operating positions 5 which are suitable for the operations to be carried out on that article.

Thus a batch of indentical articles 3 can be dealt with in succession in accordance with operations selected by the pattern of pulses produced by the control system 11. Proximity sensors 12 located at the initial position 4 and at one or more of the operating positions 5 are arranged to monitor the movement of the articles 3 and pass signals to the control system 11 to change the pattern of pulses produced in accordance with the actual position of the articles 3.

If a second batch of identical articles 3 requiring modification of the operating positions 5 is then to be dealt with, all that is necessary is to change the pattern of pulses to select the modified operating positions 5.1t will be appreciated that, in order to simplify the drawing, only five operating positions 5 are shown, in practice with a suitable reduction gear train, it is possible to move the scroll 2 to a relatively large number of different operating positions 5.

Preferably the control system 11 is arranged to produce pulses in the frequency range 20 Hz to 10,000 Hz for driving the stepping motor 9 in incremental steps, for example, 400 steps per revoltion of the stepping motor 9.

Referring now to Figure 2 which shows the articles 3 being carried along by a scroll conveyor mechanism 14 arranged to move the articles 3 in the direction of the arrow 15. The scroll conveyor mechanism 14 comprises two co-operating scrolls 16 and 17 arranged to operate in unison, the two scrolls 16 and 17 being arranged to be rotated by a stepping motor 9 coupled thereto by a gear box 10 comprising a reduction gear train and meshing gear wheels 18 and 19.

As before a control system 11 is arranged to produce a train of electrical pulses, in a predetermined pattern and to supply these pulses to the stepping motor 9 so that the scrolls 16 and 17 rotate and move the articles 3 from an initial position 4to selected ones of the operating positions 5. Proximity sensors 12 located at the initial position 4 and at one or more of the operating positions 5 are arranged to monitor the movements of the articles 3 and pass signals to the control system 11 to change the pattern of pulses produced in accordance with the actual positions of the articles 3.

Turning finally to Figure 3, the scroll conveyor mechanism 21 comprises a single scroll 22 arranged beneath an article 3, in this case a bottle 23, arranged to be moved between an initial position 4 and a plurality of operating positions (not shown). Two side guides 24 and 25 are provided to maintain the bottle in a substantially vertical position as it moves between the initial position and selected ones of the operating positions.

Again, the scroll 22 is arranged to be rotated by a stepping motor 9 coupled thereto by a gearbox 10 comprising a reduction gear train. A control system 11 is arranged to produce a train of electrical pulses, in a predetermined pattern and to supply these pulses to the stepping motor 9 so that the scroll 22 rotates and moves the bottle 23 from the initial position 4 to selected ones of the operating positions. Proximity sensors 27 located at the initial position 4 and one or more of the operating positions are arranged to monitor the position of the bottle 23 and pass signals to the control system to change the pattern of pulses produced in accordance with the actual position of the bottle 23.

While in the embodiments of the invention described above the sole propelling force for an article is provided by the scroll or scrolls, in other embodiments of the invention an auxiliary belt conveyor either beneath an article or at the side thereof could be arranged to assist the propulsion of the article between initial position and the operating positions.

The scroll or scrolls may be arranged to move the articles horizontally, up or down an incline, or vertically.

The scroll or scrolls may be shaped so that they have a profile which co-operates with the profile of the article that is being handled, or may be provided with screwed flights with tapered infeed and outfeed sections. The proximity sensors may be arranged to stop the scroll or scrolls when an article reaches an operating position.

Although in the mechanical handling apparatus of the invention described above, the stepping motor 9 is stepped in relatively small increments by the pulses produced by the control system 11, it will be appreciated that the movement of article 3 by the scroll conveyor mechanism 1 from an initial position to an operating position, or between two operating positions, is a relatively smooth and substantially continuous movement. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the direction of rotation of the stepping motor 9 can be reversed to effect reversal of the direction of movement of the scroll conveyor mechanism 1.

Claims

1. Mechanical handling apparatus comprising a scroll conveyor mechanism arranged for movement between an initial position in which an article is engaged by the scroll conveyor mechanism and a plurality of operating positions in which an operation can be performed on the article, a stepping motor coupled to said scroll conveyor mechanism, and a control system for stepping said motor in predetermined increments so that an article engaged by the scroll conveyor mechanism moves between said positions.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the control system is arranged to produce electrical pulses in the frequency range 20 Hz to 10,000 Hz for stepping the motor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the scroll conveyor mechanism comprises a single scroll arranged to trap an article between its flights and a side rail, the single scroll being driven by the stepping motor so than an article engaged by the flights is moved between the initial positions and one or more of the operating positions.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the scroll conveyor comprises two cooperating scrolls arranged to be rotated in unison, at least one of the scrolls being driven by the stepping motor so that an article engaged by the flights of the scrolls moves between the intitial position and one or more of the operating positions.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the sole propelling force is provided by the scroll or scrolls.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein auxiliary conveyor means assist the scroll or scrolls to move the article between the initial position and one or more of the operating positions.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, including sensing means located at one or more of the operating positions to monitor the movement of an article and to pass signals to the control system to modify the increments of the movement of the stepping motor in accordance with the monitored position of the article.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement between two positions takes place in a substantially horizontal direction.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the movement between two positions takes place in a substantially vertical direction.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the stepping motor is coupled to the mechanism by a direct drive.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the stepping motor is coupled to the mechanism through reduction gears.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the stepping motor is coupled to the mechanism through levers or cams.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the stepping motor is coupled to the mechanism through a chain or belt drive.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the stepping motor is coupled to the mechanism by a rack and pinion.

15. Mechanical handling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompany drawings.

16. Mechanical handling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. Mechanical handling apparatus substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.