GB2285426A

GB2285426A - Transferring and conveying piece goods

Info

Publication number: GB2285426A
Application number: GB9426003A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wulf Lembke; Wilfried Lampe; Erwin Ayen; Thomas Koetting
Original assignee: Mannesmann AG
Current assignee: Vodafone GmbH
Priority date: 1993-12-27
Filing date: 1994-12-22
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Also published as: DE4344941A1; GB9426003D0; FR2714366A1; FR2714366B1

Description

2285426 1 Method and apparatus for transferring, conveying and delivering

piece goods T1 is 11 The invention relates to a method and an apparatus f or transferring, conveying and delivering piece goods, in particular for commissioning cardboard boxes of different sizes.

It is known to transport plastic containers in conveying gondolas. the gondolas being moved at constant speed suspended on an endless conveyor, for transferring, conveying and delivering the plastic containers. merchandise is pre-commissioned into these plastic containers. The empty plastic containers are pushed by a synchronous ly-running push-out conveyor into the conveying gondola. The filled plastic container located therein is placed on a conveyor which runs in parallel and is sent for further processing. The filled container runs into the so-called packing line. In the latter, the articles are removed from the plastic container and packed by hand in the shipping cartons. This method requires high staffing costs and unnecessary technical expenditure owing to the large number of plastic containers.

It is an object of the present invention to transport (charge and deliver) empty and later filled piece goods (containers), in particular cartons of different, ie variable, size and number. This is particularly desirable in commissioning of shipments in department stores and mail- order firms.

2 A method for transferring, conveying and delivering piece goods in accordance with the invention comprises transporting the piece goods in at least one conveying gondola, the conveying gondola being carried on an endless conveyor moving at constant speed, wherein at a first transfer station, the piece goods are pushed singly or in groups onto a positioning conveyor and transported thence to the conveying gondola during movement of the endless conveyor and, wherein at a second transfer station the piece goods, after loading, are transported off the conveying gondola.

The piece goods are pushed singly or in groups onto a positioning conveyor at a first transfer station and during the movement of the endless conveyor are transported in an accurate position onto a conveying gondola and at a second transfer station after loading are transported off, driven ready for dispatch, the conveying gondola. This saves two commissioning operations. Furthermore, the plastic cpntainers used hitherto are no longer required. The time for commissioning is therefore considerably shortened, so that the entire process is more economic.

Grouping may be performed by use of gates which can be pivoted individually in succession behind a respective piece good item which is conveyed into the first transfer station. This means that individual large cartons or a plurality of small ones in groups can be introduced, the number obtained depending merely on the number of the gates which can be pivoted in.

Furthermore, advantageously the endless conveyor and the positioning conveyor are synchronised electrically or electronically by a servomotor.

3 Apparatus for transferring, conveying and delivering piece goods in accordance with the invention comprises at least one conveying gondola carried on an endless conveyor, a first transfer station and, at a distance therefrom in the conveying direction, a second transfer station, a supply conveyor for transporting piece goods to the first transfer station, first conveying means at the first transfer station for pushing the piece goods singly or in groups to a positioning conveyor located adjacent the supply conveyor, and, second carrying means for transferring piece goods from the positioning conveyor to a conveying gondola during movement of the endless conveyor The piece goods, which can be transported ie supplied on a flat conveyor, can be transferred at the first transfer station by means of a f irst conveying means on to a positioning conveyer located next to the f lat conveyor, and can be transferred, by means of an additional conveying element, from the positioning conveyor in each case to a conveying gondola driven by the endless conveyor. This means that the commissioning operation in warehouse, dispatch houses, department stores and mailorder firms can be rationalised.

Piece goods of different sizes can thus advantageously be loaded onto a travelling circular conveyor and filled cartons can be conveyed off therefrom. Furthermore, it is advantageous that special conveying aids used hitherto, which consist of plastic containers, can be dispensed with, which means that two commissioning operations are not necessary. This in turn means that staffing costs can be reduced and the commissioning operation saves time and costs and therefore becomes more economic. Automatic 4 delivery of the finished commissioned shipments takes place.

Continuous automatic transfer (loading on to transverselyconveying conveyor elements) is promoted by driving the positioning conveyor synchronously at the speed of the endless conveyor at a transfer section of the endless conveyor. The pushing-over of the goods thereby takes place without relatively great frictional resistance.

is To allow the nature of the material to be conveyed to be taken into account, the speed at which the endless conveyor is driven is controllable.

Sequence spacings of the goods according to their size and nature may be produced by use of a barrier which at the f irst transfer station can be inserted and removed for allocating individual items.

A defined position of the goods may be achieved by means of pivotable gates f orming an advance stop which move single items into a predetermined position. A belt conveyor is provided which conveys transversely to a transfer section of the endless conveyor.

Furthermore, advantageously the pivotable gates are attached to the pushing means This means that the size of the piece goods is taken into account. Furthermore, a lateral guide is provided for the transferring operation which may also be used to influence positioning.

The gates may be laterally adjustable on the pushing means Allowances can then be made for the width of the goods.

An increase in the conveying capacity, even for differing sizes, is produced if the first transfer station, the positioning conveyor and the conveying gondola are each provided with planes which overlie one another. In each case at least the lower two planes are equipped with the belt or bond conveyors, gates and pushers or with transfer conveyors in the positioning conveyor and with belt or band conveyors in the conveying gondola.

The positioning conveyor may be constructed as a travelling trolley and can be moved synchronously back and f orth by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic servomotor, drive rollers and a traction mechanism.

One type of transverse movement of the material to be conveyed and hence of the transfer of the material to be conveyed from the positioning conveyor into the conveying gondola, is preferably realised in that a drive motor for the belt conveyor or band conveyor and a transfer conveyor is formed in each case on the conveying gondola and on the positioning conveyor.

The readying of the piece goods for dispatch is improved if the second transfer station consists of a transfer conveyor and a positioning conveyor suitably identical to that of the first transfer station, both of which, run parallel to a transfer section of the endless conveyor.

Advantageously, the endless conveyor consists of a transversely-jointed chain, on which a plurality of conveying gondolas are suspended.

The drives of the belt or band conveyors in the individual planes may consist of a belt band with worm motor or a belt band with frictional wheel or a belt with drum motor 6 or a belt with worm motor or a belt with frictional wheel or a belt band with drum motor.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention with a circular conveyor, Figure 2 is a top view of the first transfer station of the apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view in the direction of arrow A of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a front view of the positioning conveyor of the first transfer station, and, Figure 5 is a systemic representation of the pairing of drive and conveying means used.

The apparatus serves for the automatic transfer and delivery of piece goods 1, in particular of empty or filled cardboard boxes la of variable size and number. The filled cardboard boxes la are ready for dispatch. An endless conveyor 2 which runs in a horizontal plane and consists of a transversely-jointed chain 2a, together with drive 29 therefor, serves for this purpose. Located on conveyor 2 are at least one first transfer station 3 for loading the piece goods 1 and, at a distance therefrom in the direction of conveyance 4, at least one additional transfer station 5 which acts as a delivery station.

7 The endless conveyor 2 is held on supports 6 at a height which corresponds to the dimensions of conveying gondolas 7 (see Figure 3).

The piece goods 1, which preferably consist of cardboard boxes la, are transported on a f lat conveyor 8 to the entrance 3a of the first transfer station 3. Cardboard boxes la which bank up at the entrance 3a are separated by a barrier 9 which can be inserted and removed, e. g. can be raised and lowered, so that only individual piece goods 1 can enter a transverse conveying space 10. The f lat conveyor 8 is designed.as a belt conveyor. The cardboard boxes la are allocated in variable number dependent on carton size.

The cardboard boxes la are then positioned by a pusher 11 on a positioning conveyor 12. In so doing, the pusher 11 formed by individual ly-pivotabl e gates 13 pushed laterally against the cardboard boxes la, and by belt conveyors 15, moves the boxes la into the transfer position on the positioning conveyor 12. The cardboard boxes la can be transferred on to a conveying gondola 7 by the positioning conveyor 12 by means of a further conveying element 16. The conveying element 16 in this case consists of a band conveyor. The gates 13 and the belt conveyor 15 are located within a supporting structure 17 forming the transverse conveying space 10. The supporting structure 17 has a transverse guide 18 with drive means f or the pusher 11 with gates 13.

The positioning conveyor 12 is accelerated to the speed of the endless conveyor 2 at a transfer section 14. The endless conveyor 2 which bears the conveying gondola 7 can be driven at constant but controllable speed.

8 The transfer to the positioning conveyor 12 takes place as long as the latter is in the basic position shown in Figure 13. In order to transfer the cardboard box la to the endless conveyor 2, the positioning conveyor 12 travels synchronously and parallel in the transfer section 14 next to the respective conveying gondola 7. The synchronous running of the positioning conveyor 12 is ensured by a subordinate control circuit.

To this end, the positioning conveyor 12 is designed as a travelling trolley 12a or as a slide and can be moved synchronously back and forth by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic servomotor 20 and a traction mechanism 22 guided over drive rollers 21. A belt or band conveyor 19 is provide.

The first transfer station 3, the positioning conveyor 12 and the conveying gondola 7 are each provided with overlying planes El, E2, E3 as illustrated in Figure 5, The lower two planes E2 and E3 are equipped in each case with the belt conveyors 15 and the pushers 11 with the gates 13 or with transfer conveyor 12b in the positioning conveyor 12 and with belt or band conveyors 23 in the conveying gondola 7.

A drive motor 24 for the belt or band conveyor 19 and a transfer conveyor 25 on the conveying gondola 7 is formed in each case on the conveying gondola 7 and on the positioning conveyor 12.

At the second transfer station 5, a cardboard box la is transported via a transfer conveyor 25, which may be formed of a band conveyor and on an identically-designed positioning conveyor 12, which conveyors 25, 12 both run parallel to a transfer section 14 of the endless conveyor 9 2. The cardboard box la, which is ready for dispatch, is then carried off on a further flat exit conveyor 27 via a normal belt conveyor 26. No barrier 9 or pusher 11 is provided.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the equipment of the conveying gondola 7 consists of band or belt conveyors 23 with drives 24 in the individual planes El, E2 and E3. These may take the form, from left to right in Figure 5, of a belt band with worm motor - left plane E2 - or a belt band with frictional wheel - middle plane E2 - or a round belt with drum motor - right plane E2 - or a round belt with worm motor left plane E3 or a round belt with frictional wheel right plane E3 or a belt band with drum motor - plane E3.

Cardboard boxes la which are to be filled in a warehouse 30 are moved in the conveying gondolas 7 as follows: The cardboard boxes la are waiting on the transfer conveyor 12b. A conveying gondola 7 is expected. The conveying gondola 7 approaches. In this phase, the servomotor 20 and at the same time the conveying element 16 are started, so that upon parallel travel of the positioning conveyor 12 and the conveying gondola 7 the transfer conveyor 25 interposed there takes up the cardboard box la. After filling of the cardboard box la, the individually activatable conveying gondola 7 is capable of conveying out the piece goods 1 automatically.

Claims

1. A method f or transferring, conveying and delivering piece goods comprising transporting the piece goods in at least one conveying gondola, the conveying gondolas being carried on an endless conveyor moving at constant speed, wherein at a first transfer station, the piece goods are pushed singly or in groups onto a positioning conveyor and transported thence to the conveying gondola during movement of the endless conveyor and wherein, at a second transfer station, the piece goods, after loading, are transported off the conveying gondola.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the piece goods are grouped by gates which are successively individually pivoted behind a respective piece good.

3. A method as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the endless conveyor and the positioning conveyor are synchronised electrically or electronically by a servomotor.

4. An apparatus for transferring, conveying and delivering piece goods, comprising at least one conveying gondola carried on an endless conveyor, a first transfer station and, at a distance therefrom in the conveying direction, a second transfer station, a supply conveyor for transporting piece goods to the first transfer station, first conveying means at the first transfer station for pushing the piece goods singly or in groups to a positioning conveyor located adjacent the supply conveyor, and, second conveying means for transferring piece goods from the positioning conveyor to a conveying gondola during movement of the endless conveyor.

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5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the positioning conveyor is driven synchronously at the speed of the endless conveyor at a transfer section of the endless conveyor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in either Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised in that the endless conveyor which carries the conveying gondolas is driven continuously at a controllable speed.

7. Apparatus as claim in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the endless conveyor comprises a transversely-joined chain on which a plurality of conveying gondolas are suspended.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein a barrier is provided at the first transfer station which can be inserted and removed for allocating individual piece good items.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 8, wherein single piece good items can each be moved into a predetermined position by means of pivotable gates forming an advance stop.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the pivotable gates are attached to the first conveying means.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the position of the gates on the first conveying means is laterally adjustable.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 11, wherein the first transfer station, the positioning conveyor and the conveying gondola provide planes which overlie one another, at least the lower two planes being 12 equipped with at least one belt conveyor and pushers or, in the positioning conveyor, with at least one transfer conveyor or in the conveying gondola, with at least one belt or band conveyor.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 12 including a belt or band conveyor which conveys transversely to a transfer section of the endless conveyor

14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein a drive for the belt or band conveyor is f ormed on the positioning conveyor.

15. Apparatus as claimed in either Claim 12 or Claim 14, wherein the drive and the belt or band conveyor comprise a belt band with a worm motor or a belt band with a frictional wheel or a belt with a drum motor or a belt with a worm motor or a belt with a frictional wheel or a belt band with a drum motor.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 15, wherein the positioning conveyor comprises a travelling trolley which can be moved synchronously back and forth by means of an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic servomotor, drive rollers and a traction mechanism.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 16, wherein, the second transfer station comprises a transfer conveyor and a second posiitioning conveyor, which each run parallel to a transfer section of the endless conveyor.

18. A method substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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19. Apparatus substantially as hereinbef ore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.