GB2165510A - Apparatus for conveying and sorting items - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus consists of a plurality of conveyor carriages 5 that run along a fixed path consisting of a guide rail 1 formed by a pair of spaced, side-by-side, angle irons 2. The carriages 5 are provided with idle guide wheels 8, 10, and attached to at least one carriages 5 is an electric motor 11 that is fed with electric current from a source, through sliding contacts 16, from rods 17 arranged along the path, and which actuates driving wheels (15) to move the carriages 5 therealong in company with dragged carriages which may be coupled to the motor driven carriage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for conveying and sorting items This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying and sorting of items including movable conveying carriages.

Sorting machines are known wherein items are laid on conveyor planes forced to move along a fixed path through a number of collecting stations at which the items are discharged, according to a suitable coding or programme made out at the moment of loading, by pusher elements, or by the tilting of the conveyor plane, or by any other system.

In all these known apparatus, the carriages are mounted on freely rotatable non-driven wheels, and motion is imparted to the carriages as a whole by one or more fixed motors that actuate a traction means, such as chains or the like, linked to the carriages. This arrangement is employed especially in the case of simple paths, such as e.g. straight or rather short paths.

However when the path is complex in layout including bends, branches, inclined sections or sections set at different heights, things get much more complicated, and it is necessary then to divide the path up into a number of sections, and to provide for suitable linkage between one section and the subsequent one, which results in the apparatus being bulky, heavy, costly and, above all, in careful and expensive maintenance being required. In addition, when alterations to the path need to be made, it is often necessary to restructure or rebuild the whole plant.

There is thus a need for a generally improved and simplified apparatus for moving and sorting items which is more flexible in operation and easierto alter if variations or changes in the fixed path are required.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for conveying and sorting items, including a plurality of carriages movable along a fixed path, at least one of which carriages has its own independent motor means for movement thereof, said carriages being also provided with means for conveying and discharging items at a predetermined position along the path.

Thus the fixed part of the apparatus is only the guide-rail on which the carriages run, and it is therefore possible to reduce the number of drive or motor means required, dramatically to reduce the maintenance operations needed and, due to the simple structure of the apparatus, to make changes or alterations quickly.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is the view from above of a carriage in apparatus according to the invention, Figure2 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus of Figure 2, taken along a plane orthogonal to the previous one.

In the apparatus of the invention a fixed path consists of a guide-rail generally indicated at 1, consisting of a pair of spaced, side by side, angle irons 2, secured to a base 3 at a certain distance from each other, so that their flanges 4 protrude outwards laterally in substantially the same plane. Carriages generally indicated at 5 run along the guide rail 1.

Each carriage 5 comprises a frame 6 to which there are fastened pairs of shafts 7 which carry as many idle wheels 8. The latter support the carriage and act, from opposite and act, from opposite sides, upon the flanges 4 of the guide rail 1.

To frame 6 is also fixed a pair of shafts 9, substantially vertical, at the free end of which there are idle wheels 10, that run in between the angle irons 2.

At least one of the carriages 5, (as that shown in the Figures) is self driven and to this end has motor means such as an electric motor 11 or the like secured to the frame 6. The motor 11, through a reducer 12, drives a pair of toothed wheels 13 keyed on shafts 14 on which are secured also driving wheels 15 that, like the previous ones, act upon one of the flanges 4 from opposite sides. Some of the carriages do not have self drive means and are dragged along by the carriages 5 provided with motors 11. In this case on the dragged carriages, wheels 15 are replaced by as many idle wheels 8.

Motor 11 is fed with electric current from a source through sliding contacts 16, from feed rods 17 set parallel to the guide rail 1.

Above frame 6 there is a conveyor plane 18 that may be of any known type, for instance a tiltable plate, or a fixed plane on which a pusher element runs, or a rotating belt actuated by an independent motor fed too with electric current from a source, through sliding contacts, from feed rods.

Connected with the carriage heads there are upwardly extending walls 19, made of flexible material, having the function of filling the gap between two adjacent carriages, so as to ensure a continuity of the planes on which the objects are laid, and prevent the objects from falling between the carriages.

There are also provided jointed coupling means 20 between the carriages for interconnecting adjacent carriages. During working the carriages, which are interconnected, run along the guide rail 1 carrying the items to be sorted.

The carriages 5 may be equipped each with its own motor as illustrated, or driving motor equipped carriages may alternate with one or more dragged carriages. A feature of the invention is the provision of the motor means being secured to the carriages, so that the fixed part of the apparatus is limited to the guide rail, making it possible to avoid fixed motors and like carriage traction means.

Thus, with the movable part of the apparatus being independent from the fixed part, it is possible to make any desired change to either, without the whole apparatus being affected. Consequently, it is eay to vary the path either by re routing rail 1 according to requirements, adding branches and increasing or decreasing the length thereof, without any necessity to act on the mobile parts.

Likewise, the number of carriages could be in creased or decreased as a function of the required plant capacity, without any alteration of the path being necessary. This allows maximum flexibility of the whole apparatus, to comply with various users requirements, in very short times and with no particular difficulties. Furthermore, the resulting apparatus is lighter, simpler, less expensive, and requires reduced maintenance.

A person skilled in the art may provide for several changes and variations, provided they are kept within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. Apparatus for conveying and sorting items, including a plurality of carriages movable along a fixed path, at least one of which carriages has its own independent motor means for movement thereof, said carriages being also provided with means for conveying and discharging items at a predetermined position along the path.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1,wherein the fixed path includes a guide rail consisting of a pair of angle irons, set slightly apart from each other, and wherein the carriages for item conveyance are provided with a number of pairs of idle wheels operable to run along said guide rail and with at least one pair of driving wheels.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the or each motor means in said carriages or said at least one carriage is operable to actuate a pair of toothed wheels engaging with each other and linked to as many driving wheels acting, opposite to each other, upon the guide rail.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the or each said motor means consists of an electric motor providablewith electric current from a source, via sliding contacts, from feed rods arranged along the path and parallel thereto.

5. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, including head portions for the carriages, made of flexible material.

6. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, including jointed coupling means for interconnecting the carriages.

7. Apparatus for conveying and sorting items, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.