GB2110629A

GB2110629A - Apparatus for storing bundles of bags

Info

Publication number: GB2110629A
Application number: GB08234057A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Schwake; Heinz Gausling
Original assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Current assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Priority date: 1981-12-02
Filing date: 1982-11-30
Publication date: 1983-06-22
Also published as: FR2517278A1; IT1157788B; IT8212677A0; GB2110629B; FR2517278B3; DE3147653A1; DE3147653C2

Abstract

Storage apparatus for storing bundles 14 of bags to be fed to a bag filling apparatus, comprises at least one conveyor 1 which circulates with a stepwise motion and has two vertical runs 8 and two horizontal runs 9, the vertical runs 8 being substantially longer than two horizontal runs 9. Bags can be removed from a store area on a lower storey, and supplied to a filling apparatus which is installed at an upper storey. The bundles 14 are received by boxes 3 carried by the conveyor 1, and the bundles 14 are ejected by means of a pusher member 17. At least one stationary guard rail 12, 13 is provided arranged in a lower region of the apparatus where the movement of the boxes 3 on the conveyor 1 changes in direction, the guard rail 12, 13 extending adjacent the outwardly facing sides of the boxes 3. The storage apparatus is mounted pivotally on a support structure 22 by means of a ball-type rotary connection 21 so that two conveyors 1, 2 can be fitted together, without the insertion location or discharge location of the bundle 14 changing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for storing bundles of bags This invention relates to apparatus for storing bundles of bags to be fed to a filling apparatus.

Sacks or bags (hereinafter referred to as bags), to be filled in a bag filling apparatus, can be fed in the form of bundles to apparatus which separates out the bags and fits them one at a time onto a filling nozzle. In order to avoid interruption of bag filling operations, a storage means, which serves as a buffer arrangement for the bundles, is disposed upstream of the filling apparatus. The bundles are usually taken from a palette. The storage means ensures that bags are still fed to the filling apparatus, even when the supply of bundles is interrupted, due to a palette change.

According to the present invention, there is provided storage apparatus for storing bundles of bags to be fed to bag filling apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus comprises a circulating conveyor with a plurality of boxes disposed thereon for receiving respective bundles of bags, the conveyor in use moves the boxes in a vertical plane of circulation, each of the boxes has an opening in each side of a pair of oppositely facing sides, one of which sides faces inwardly into the apparatus and the other of which sides faces outwardly from the apparatus, at least one stationary guard rail is provided arranged in a lower region of the apparatus where the movement of the boxes on the conveyor changes in direction, the guard rail extends adjacent the outwardly facing sides of the boxes, and a pusher member is arranged at a discharge location for ejecting the bundles from the boxes.

A preferred embodiment of this invention, and as described hereinbelow, can provide storage apparatus with a high storage capacity, while being of a compact and space-saving construction.

The embodiment enables the provision of the required storage capacity, by the conveyor being of a sufficient length, with any increase in length having its effect only on the vertical height of the conveyor, so that the floor space required by the apparatus is independent of the storage capacity.

The bundles can be inserted into the boxes or compartments at the same location, and likewise in regard to ejection of the bundles from the boxes. When the storage apparatus is of a suitable height, it can be operated over a plurality of storeys, so that for example the operation of inserting the bundles can be performed at a lower storey than the operation of ejecting the bundles.

The stationary guard rail, which is arranged in the lower region of the apparatus where the movement of the conveyor changes in direction, prevents the bags or sacks from dropping out of the boxes so that the operation of charging the storage apparatus is independent of the removal operation.

In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor comprises a synchronously rotating pair of chains, which provides a simple construction which is reliable in operation, as well as achieving a long service life for the conveyor.

By providing the conveyor with vertical runs and horizontal runs with the vertical runs of the conveyor longer than the horizontal runs a particularly advantageous construction for the purposes of the amount of space provided for installing the storage apparatus can be obtained.

The storage apparatus may be of such a design that the boxes are connected to the conveyor at their inner ends so that the bundles can be inserted into the boxes through their outer ends and can be discharged also through their outer ends.

The pair of chains only performs a transport function and does not need to carry out any tilting or tipping operations, because the guide rails are additionally associated with the boxes and guide means disposed on the boxes co-operate with the additional guide rails. It is particularly advantageous for the guide means to be in the form of rollers which run on pins secured to the side walls of the box, thereby keeping the frictional forces which occur, at a low level.

A portion of a bottom wall of each box, which bottom wall supports the bundle when the box is at the discharge location, the wall has at least one groove which extends in a longitudinal direction of the box. The cross-section of the groove is such that a portion of the pusher member may engage within the groove so that, by virtue of the pusher member being of a suitable configuration, even the bag which is at the bottom of the bundle can reliably be ejected. The boxes can be mounted in position, independently of the direction of transportation of the conveyor, by the provision of grooves for receiving a portion of the pusher member which may engage therein, the grooves extending in the longitudinal direction in the upper and lower wall portions (when the box is in a discharging position) of the box.

The storage apparatus can be used for bags of various dimensions by virtue of the provision in the interior of the box, of abutments which can be adjusted to the dimensions of the bags. In that case, the external dimensions of the box are to be made to the largest dimensions of the bags to be stored.

If desired, a plurality of conveyers, each fitted with boxes, can be disposed at an angle relative to each other. Such an arrangement makes it possible to increase the storage capacity, without increasing the amount of floor space required. It is also possible for a plurality of filling machines to be supplied with sacks or bags. When the storage apparatus comprises two conveyors disposed perpendicular to one another, the result can be a construction which is particularly clearly arranged, reliable in operation and convenient to operate.

A high degree of operating reliability can be achieved by the pusher member, preferably actuated by means of a piston cylinder unit, being in the form of a plate member at the front end (that is, the end closest to the boxes) of the piston rod and being of a symmetrical configuration. A particularly simple construction is achieved by the pusher member being mounted rotatably about a vertical axis, the pusher member being pivoted in an operative position by means of a piston-cylinder unit. In that case, only one pusher member is required for a plurality of conveyors.

In the case of a construction having a plurality of conveyors, the operation of inserting the bundles into the boxes at a given location and ejecting the bundles at another, can be carried out by virtue of the storage apparatus being arranged rotatably on a support structure, preferably by means of a ball-type rotary connection between the support structure and the ground.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and in which: Figure 1 shows an elevation of storage apparatus according to the invention comprising two conveyors; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a box of a conveyor of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 which is transported on guide rails, the box being viewed from the side thereof at which a pusher member of the apparatus is provided; and Figure 4 shows a plan view of the box of Figure 3.

Storage apparatus as shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises two circulating conveyors 1, 2, on each of which a plurality of boxes 3 are secured. Each conveyor 1, 2 comprises a pair of chains 6 formed by two chains 4 and 5. Each chain 4, 5 passes around four chain wheels 7 which rotate about horizontal axes whereby the conveyor has a vertical plane of circulation. Thus it has two vertical runs 8 and two horizontal runs 9. The conveyor 1 is driven by a drive means 10 and the conveyor 2 is driven by a drive means 11, with a stepwise motion, in the directions indicated by an arrow A. In the lower region of each conveyor 1, 2 (where the conveyors 1, 2 change direction) two stationary guard rails 1 2 and 1 3 are provided and extend spaced apart from one another in the region of a front opening of the boxes 3.The guard rails 12 and 13 prevent bundles 14 of bags which have been inserted into the boxes 3 from falling out. A piston cylinder unit 1 5 is rotatably mounted between the vertical runs 8. Secured to the piston 16 is a rod 18 which is in the form of a pusher member 1 7 and which is provided with a plate 1 9 at its end that is closest to the boxes 3. The storage apparatus which is carried by a frame structure 20 is mounted on a support structure or stand 22 by means of a ball-type rotary connection 21. The connection 21 is coupled to a drive means 23 which can rotate the frame structure 20 as indicated by arrow B.

As can be seen from Figure 2, one end of a further piston cylinder unit 24 is secured to the frame structure 20 and the other end is pivoted to the piston cylinder unit 1 5.

A box 3 is shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4, and comprises (when in the orientation shown) a top wall portion 25, a bottom wall portion 26 and two side walls 27 and 28. The top wall portion 25 and the bottom wall portion 26 are each provided with a pair of grooves 31 and 32 respectively, the grooves 31 and 32 being provided in the innerfaces of the walls 25 and 26 respectively and extending from a rear end 29 of the box towards a front end 30 thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, the grooves 31 and 32 have an arcuate cross-section. At the rear end 29 the opening defined by the walls 25 to 28 is larger than but corresponds to the shape of the plate 1 9 of the pusher member 1 7.Mounted on each of the side walls 27 and 28, adjacent the rear end 29, is a pair of pins 33 and 34 respectively which are disposed one above the other, on a line perpendicular to the plane of the top wall 25. The pins 33 and 34 carry rollers 37 and 38 which run in guide rails 35 and 36 respectively.

The conveyors 1 and 2 which are driven with a stepwise motion by the drive means 10 and 11, and which move in the direction indicated by the arrow A, are loaded with the bundles 14 of bags which are shown in dash-dotted lines in Figure 2.

It is advantageous for the direction of movement A of each conveyor 1,2 to be such that the boxes 3 due to be loaded with the bundles 14 move in an upward direction, since in this case the bundles 14 are pushed into the proper position in the subsequent horizontally extending run, thereby forming a bundle with its edges aligned. So that the boxes 3 lie in a horizontal position in the vertically extending runs of each conveyor 1,2 the guide rails 35 and 36 are disposed in the same direction as the chains 4 and 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the bundles 14 which are inserted into the boxes 3 at an insertion location are ejected from the boxes 3 onto a table 39 at an oppositely disposed discharge location, by means of the pusher member 17.If a subsequent bag separating device (not shown) of a filling machine does not require one of the bundles 14, then the piston cylinder unit 1 5 is not actuated so that the bundle 14 is moved on in the direction of conveying movement as indicated by the arrow A.

When this happens, the guard rails 12 and 13 disposed in the lower direction-changing region of the apparatus prevent the bundles 14 from dropping out of the boxes 3.

If the bundles 14 are to be removed from the conveyor 2 which extends at an angular spacing oi 300 relative to the conveyor 1 ,then the storage apparatus is pivoted through 900 in the direction indicated by the arrow B in Figure 2, by the drive means 23. As the piston cylinder unit 1 5 for actuating the pusher member 1 7 is arranged on the frame structure 20, that also performs the pivotal movement. If the bundles 14 which are being conveyed by means of the conveyor 2 are to be ejected from the boxes 3 at the same location as previously, then the piston cylinder unit 1 5 must be pivoted from the position shown in dashdotted lines in Figure 2, into the position shown in solid lines, by means of the piston cylinder unit 24 However, it is also possible for a respective filling apparatus to be associated with each conveyor 1, 2. In such a construction, a respective suitable discharge location for the bundles 14 is associated with each conveyor 1, 2.

Claims

1: Storage apparatus for storing bundles of bags to be fed to bag filling apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus comprises a circulating conveyor with a plurality of boxes disposed thereon for receiving respective bundles of bags, the conveyor in use moves the boxes in a vertical plane of circulation, each of the boxes has an opening in each side of a pair of oppositely facing sides, one of which sides faces inwardly into the apparatus and the other of which sides faces outwardly from the apparatus, at least one stationary guard rail is provided arranged in a lower region of the apparatus where the movement of the boxes on the conveyor changes in direction, the guard rail extends adjacent the outwardly facing sides of the boxes, and a pusher member is arranged at a discharge location for ejecting the bundles from the boxes.

2. Storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a synchronously circulating pair of chains.

3. Storage apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the conveyor has vertical runs and horizontal runs, the vertical runs of the conveyor are longer than the horizontal runs.

4. Storage apparatus according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the boxes are mounted to the conveyor by means of the inwardly facing sides of the boxes.

5. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein additional guide rails are associated with the boxes, guide means co-operating with said additional guide rails being arranged on each box.

6. Storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide means are in the form of rollers running on pins secured to side walls of each box.

7. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of a bottom wall of the box, which bottom wall supports the bundle of bags in the box when the box is at the discharge location, has at least one groove which extends in a longitudinal direction of the box, and into which groove a portion of the pusher member may engage.

8. Storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a top wall of the box, which top wall faces the bottom of each wall of the box, has a groove therein extending in the longitudinal direction of the box, for receiving a portion of the pusher member which may engage therein.

9. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein abutments which are adjustable to the dimensions of the bags are arranged in the interior of the box.

10. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage apparatus comprises a further circulating conveyor provided with boxes and disposed at an angle with respect to said circulating conveyor.

11. Storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said conveyor and said further conveyor are disposed perpendicular to one another.

12. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pusher member is actuated by means of a piston cylinder unit and comprises a rod which is secured to the piston and which is provided at its end which is closer to the boxes with a plate.

13. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pusher member is mounted rotatably about a vertical axis and is pivotal into an operative position by means of piston cylinder unit.

14. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage apparatus is arranged rotatably on a support structure by means of a ball-type rotary connection.

1 5. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a drive means is associated with said conveyor.

1 6. Storage apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said conveyor is driven in a stepwise manner in use.

17. Storage apparatus for storing bundles of bags to be fed to bag filling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.