GB2144405A - Dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically removing individual products (2) stacked and stored in sorting magazines (20) comprises a support plate (133) which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sorting magazine such that an individual item can be pushed out backwards by an ejector between the base of the sorting magazine and the support plate. The ejector comprises an entraining means (130) which is mounted on an actuator (139) in such a way that, during the ejection, it slides along the surface of the support plate, taking with it the lowest item in the sorting magazine, and moves back into its resting position below the support plate. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for automatically removing individual products from magazines The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically removing individual products stacked and stored in magazines.

From German Patent Application P 32 13 119 and from French Patent Application 83.05069, a process for automatically stacking, storing and removing individual products is known, together with an apparatus for performing the process. In this process, various types of individual products are loaded into the sorting magazines, and at the same time the products are removed from the shelves, which are subdivided into blocks of several types of individual products, by means of remotely controlled ejector mechanisms at the moment when a transporting container has arrived at the preceding block, the items are collected and loaded into the transporting container simultaneously when this container has arrived at the block in question, then, once loaded, the transporting container is allowed to travel on and the speed of the transporting containers is maximised in accordance with the sum of the minimum removal, collection and filling time so that removal takes the minimum time possible.

This process is carried out by means of an apparatus which comprises at least a computer, remotely controlled actuating elements, shelves, shelf bases with sorting magazines, transporting containers for stacking and removing and conveying means, and which is characterised in that the shelves are subdivided into blocks each comprising a plurality of shelf bases and the sorting magazines fixed thereon, the shelf bases are inclined relative to the horizontal and are arranged with the normal of the planes in the longitudinal direction of the blocks of shelves, the sorting magazines comprise, at their lower ends, ejectors which transfer the individual products to conveying means, and the conveying means collect the ejected individual products from a block in a discharge apparatus from which the individual products are loaded into transporting containers standing on conveying means, whilst the actuation of the movable elements of the apparatus is controlled by means of the computer.

The process described above and the apparatus for performing the process are appropriate for stacking, storing and removing individual products in a very limited space and for making up an order for several different items in a very short time.

The speed of operation and the density of storage are determined essentially by the nature, construction and arrangement of the sorting magazines and the ejectors. The known ejectors and sorting magazines, however, require a relatively large amount of space and at the operating speed required they result in an excessively high quota of errors in the removal of the individual products.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an arrangement and construction for sorting magazines and ejectors by means of which the storage density and speed of ejection can be increased.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for automatically removing individual products stacked and stored in magazines mounted on shelves such that the longitudinal axes of the magazines are inclined to the vertical, the lower end of each magazine being spaced from a support plate, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the magazine, at such a spacing that an individual product can be ejected diagonally downwards by an ejector for the magazine between the lower end of the magazine and the support plate, the ejector including entraining means mounted on an actuator for said ejector so that during ejection the entraining means moves over the top of the support plate taking with it the lowest product of the stack of products in the magazine and returns to its starting position under the support plate.

With this arrangement of sorting magazine and ejector, considerable space can be saved compared with the arrangement according to the patent applications mentioned above and at the same time the smoother method of operation makes it possible to achieve a higher cycle rate for the ejection.

Preferred features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.

Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a side view of an ejector mechanism with a (partially shown) magazine during the ejection process, Figure 2 shows the apparatus according to Fig. 1 during the return movement of the entraining means, Figure 3 shows the apparatus according to Fig. 1 shortly before the entraining means returns to its starting position, Figure 4 shows a section through the apparatus according to Fig. 3 on the line IV-IV, Figure 5 shows a magazine with a removable closure, Figure 6 shows a magazine with its closure opened, and Figure 7 shows a side view of the magazine with an open closure which is fixed on the shelf.

It can be seen from Fig. 1 that in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the ejector includes a linear drive 139, e.g. a pneumatic cylinder, which is fixed to an angular bracket 141. The angular bracket 141 is mounted on a lead-off plate 142 which is connected to the shelf base (10) (not shown here). A wire frame 131 is mounted at the back of the movable part of the actuator 139, i.e.

projecting towards the cylinder of the actuator.

This frame is substantially rigid in a direction parallel to the cylindrical axis of the ejector, but resilient in a direction perpendicular to that axis. The wire frame 131 is bent upwards at its end and carries the entraining means 130 in its ends. In the present instance, the entraining means 130 is in the form of two rollers (as will be described in more detail hereinafter).

The angular bracket 141 projects beyond the lead-off plate 142 and is slightly bent (at about 10 ) in its end section. A substantially rhomboid plate 128 is mounted on the bent section, at right angles to the angular bracket 141 (and to the lead-off plate 142). Opposite the side of the fixing to the angular bracket 141 the perpendicular plate 128 is connected to a support plate 133 mounted at right angles to it, so that the support plate 133 is arranged with its surface substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the magazine 20. The bend in the angular bracket 141 produces an inclination in the direction of movement of the actuator 139 relative to the direction of the surface of the support plate 133 (through 10 in the present instance).

The magazine 20 is mounted above the support plate 133 at a fixed spacing which is selected so that the lowest item 2 from the stack of items in the magazine 20 can be pushed past the magazine 20 on the support plate 133. The actuating means performs a linear movement which extends at an acute angle to the surface of the support plate. In the operating position of the ejector shown in Fig.

1, the movable part 138 of the actuator 139 is just performing the pushing out movement, i.e. it is sliding out of the cylinder. As a result, the entraining means 130 is pressed against the lowest item 2 and pushes it along the support plate 133 below the next item located in the magazine 20. A stop 134 (described more fully hereinafter) is pressed downwards counter to the spring means 135 which act on it in an upward direction.

When the movable part 138 of the actuator 139 has moved out substantially completely, the entraining means 130 arrives above a slot (or two slots) 136 in the support plate 133. Since the actuator 139 is mounted relative to the support plate 133 in such a way that its axis of movement is somewhat inclined to the surface of the support plate 133, the wire frame 131 is stressed like a spring in the course of the movement of the entraining means 130 away over the support plate 133. As soon as the movable part 138 has moved substantially completely out of the actuator 139, the entraining means 130 arrives above a slot 136 in the support plate 133. As a result of the release of the bending of the wire frame 131, or the biasing obtained thereby, the entraining means 130 is pulled downwards through the slot 136, i.e. below the support plate 133.

Figure 2 shows the return movement of the movable part 138 of the ejector 30, where the part 138 is thus moving into the actuator 139. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the wire frame 131 is already slightly stressed since the entraining means 130 is in contact with the underside of the support plate 133. In the course of the further backward movement of the entraining means 130, the spring frame 131 is tensioned more and more until the movable part 138 has moved almost completely into the actuator 139. In the position shown in Fig.

3, the entraining means 130 is located on the front edge of the support plate 133, and as the movable part 138 of the actuating element 139 moves slightly further inwards, the entraining means 130 slips over the front edge of the support plate 133, the tension in the wire frame 131 is released and it snaps upwards. In this starting position of the actuating element 139 and entraining means 130, the latter is thus located somewhat above the support plate 133. The next ejecting process can then begin from this position.

Obviously, this "rounding" of the support plate 133 by the entraining means 130 can also be achieved by other means. If, for example, the support plate 133 is arranged so that its surface is substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the actuator 139, a downwardly inclined portion is provided at the front end of the support plate 133 and the actuator 139 with the wire frame 131 and entraining means 130 are arranged so that the entraining means 130 lies below the straight portion of the support plate 133 when the spring frame 131 is released, this entraining means 130 is pressed downwards by the bent away portion at the front end of the support plate 133 as the backward movement continues, so that the wire frame 131 is stressed and thus arrives on the top of the bent away portion of the support plate 133 when the actuator 139 has arrived at the end of its backward movement.

Figure 4, which shows a plan view of the apparatus according to Fig. 3 on the line IV-IV, shows that the wire frame 131 is bent in a U-shape and extends backwards axis-symmetrically relative to the actuator 139. The upwardly bent ends of the Ushaped wire frame 131 shown in Fig. 3 merge (see Fig. 4) at their ends into inwardly projecting portions on which the entraining means in the form of rollers 130 are rotatably secured. This arrangement permits a stable symmetrical method of operation, whilst the backward movement of the wire frame 131 and of the entraining means 130 under the support plate 133 is guaranteed by the fact that the support plate 133 is secured to the angular bracket 141 by means of the vertically positioned plate 128 and by the fact that the wire frame 131 is open at one end and a free space is provided between the two rollers 130.Obviously, some other arrangement, e.g. an asymmetrical arrangement, is also possible, provided that the entraining means 130 can travel round the support plate 133 during a complete operating cycle of the actuating element 139.

The stop 134 and its method of operation will now be described more fully. The stop 134 is fixed to a U-shaped wire frame 137 bent substantially at right angles (see Fig. 1) which is rotatably fixed to the vertical plate 128. Spring means 135 are provided which urge the wire frame 137 upwardly toward the magazine 20. Mounted on the angular bracket 141 is a stop 132 which limits the upward movement of the wire frame 137 and stop 134. In the embodiment shown here, the stop 134 is constructed as a roller which sits rotatably on the wire bracket 137. The width of the wire bracket 137 is less than that of the wire bracket 131 which carries the rollers 130, with the result that the two wire frames cannot come into contact.

The arrangement of the wire bracket 137 and its shape and the arrangement of its pivot ensure that the lowest item 2 which lies on the support plate 133 (see Fig. 3) cannot on its own fall through the gap between the support plate 133 and the magazine 20. However, as soon as the entraining means 130 pushes the item 2 backwards, the stop 134 is pressed downwards in an arcuate movement until the item 2 can slide over the stop 134 and fall onto the lead-off plate 142 (see Fig. 1). If the stop 134 is allowed to tip upwards, the same stopping effect is achieved as described above, but the items 2 fall onto the lead-off plate 142 in a less favourable position, which may result in jamming (in the case of a very narrow construction).

The magazine 20, which is shown only diagrammatically in Figures 1 to 4, will now be described more fully with reference to Figs. 5 to 7.

The magazine 20 according to Fig. 5 has two side walls 118, 119 and a base 120 which are integrally connected so as to form a U-shaped channel. At one end, this U-shaped channel is closed off by a closure plate 117 which has on its upper side a portion 116 projecting backwards at right angles. Substantially in the centre of the portion 116 there is a fixing aperture 122 which is preferably in the form of an equilateral triangle the apex of which points away from the closure plate 117. A wire frame 126 is fixed with its two free ends to the side walls 118 and 119 of the magazine 20. The wire frame extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the magazine and opposite the free ends is bent inwards in such a way that these inwardly bent portions abut on the side walls 118 and 119 of the magazine 20 and the wire frame 126 is stressed like a spring.The portions of the wire frame 126 which project inwardly into the magazine 20 merge into downwardly projecting portions 124 which, in the position shown in Fig. 5, merge into a U-shaped portion 127 projecting out of the magazine, so that the wire frame 126 consists of a single correspondingly shaped piece. In this arrangement, the inwardly projecting parts of the wire frame 126 and the downwardly projecting portions 124 of the wire frame project so far into the magazine that the items 2 stored therein (not shown here) cannot slide out of the open end of the magazine 20. However, if the outwardly projecting portion 127 of the wire frame is raised, the wire frame 126 is stressed like a spring and the items can slide out of the magazine 20 under the portions 124 and 127. Obviously, as shown in Fig.

6, the wire frame may also be gripped and raised by its portions projecting inwardly into the magazine 20. Fig. 6 shows that this can be done by means of a U-shaped claw 125 which has a somewhat larger width of opening than the width of the magazine 20. Fig. 7 shows a side view of a magazine 20 which is fixed to the shelf base 10. The shelf base 10 consists essentially of only two rails, the upper rail (in Fig. 7) having a peg 121 which is releasably secured in an oblong hole. The oblong hole extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the magazine. The peg 121 engages in the triangular opening 122 described above and thus defines the spacing between the support plate 133 and the opening of the magazine 20. By correspondingly moving the peg 121 along in the ob long hole, the width of opening corresponding to the height of the item 2 can thus be adjusted.The lower rail 10, which forms part of the shelf base, is provided with a permanent magnet 123 which removably secures the magazine 20 to this rail 10.

The method of operation of this magazine 20 is described hereinafter.

A magazine 20 is filled (from above) with the corresponding number of items 2 until it is substantially full (but this is not absolutely essential for its operation). Advantageously, at least one other filled magazine is stored in a supply store, apart from a magazine 20 filled with the corresponding item, which is placed on the shelf. As soon as the magazine on the shelf is empty, it is taken out, a filled magazine 20 is fetched from the store and hung by its opening 122 on the peg 121.

If the magazine 20 is then pressed onto the lower rail 10 of the shelf base, it is attracted by the magnet 123 and thus held securely in position. When the magazine 20 is pressed down, the correspondingly mounted claw 125 engages under the wire frame 126 and lifts it up. Thus, during insertion, the magazine 20 is opened underneath so that the bottom item 2 can slide out of the magazine and fall onto the support plate 133. This permits particularly rapid filling, whilst it is still possible to adjust the magazine relative to the support plate 133.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for automatically removing individual products stacked and stored in magazines mounted on shelves such that the longitudinal axes of the magazines are inclined to the vertical, the lower end of each magazine being spaced from a support plate, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the magazine, at such a spacing that an individual product can be ejected diagonally downwards by an ejector for the magazine between the lower end of the magazine and the support plate, the ejector including entraining means mounted on an actuator for said ejector so that during ejection the entraining means moves over the top of the support plate taking with it the lowest product of the stack of products in the magazine and returns to its starting position under the support plate.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein resilient connecting means connect the entraining means to the actuator and the direction of movement of the actuating element relative to the support plate is such that, in the course of the ejection process, the resilient means are biased in one direction, at the end of the ejection process the resilient means are released, as a result of which the entraining means arrives below the support plate, in the course of the movement back into the starting position the resilient means are biased in the opposite direction, and at the end of the return movement the entraining means snaps back into its starting position above the support plate, as the resilient means are released.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the actuating element performs a linear movement which extends at an acute angle to the surface of the support plate, and the resilient connecting means consist of a wire frame or the like which is substantially rigid in the direction of movement of the actuating element but resilient at right angles to this direction.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support plate is provided at the ejection end or at its lower end with a stop which enables the item to fall out only when the ejector is simultaneously actuated.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stop is movably mounted counter to the action of a stop spring in such a way that it swings out of the way substantially downwards when a sufficiently great force is exerted on it.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sorting magazines are adjustable in their spacing from the support plate via adjusting means and are removably held on the shelf bases by fixing means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the sorting magazines consist essentially of a U-shaped channel which has a removable closure at the lower end.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the removable closure consists of a spring frame which is raised by a claw when the sorting magazine is fixed on the shelf base, so that the bottom item in the magazine can fall onto the support plate.

9. Apparatus for automatically removing individual products, substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.