JP2002519270A - Apparatus and method for reorienting an article - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] An apparatus for changing the orientation of an article is provided. The apparatus comprises a first axis of rotation (2), a first article position (34) in which the article has a first article orientation, and a second article position in which the article has a second article orientation. (34). A platform is provided having a surface configured to receive an adjacent article at a first article location and release the article at a second article location. The platform is located at a first radial distance from the first axis of rotation at a first article location and at a second radial distance from the first axis of rotation at a second article location. The platform is configured to rotate about a first (Z) and a second (S2) axis of rotation to move from the first article position to the second article position, wherein the platform is configured to move to the first article position. When moving from the article position to the second article position, the second rotation axis also rotates about the first rotation axis.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of devices and methods for changing the orientation of an article, and more particularly, to selectively changing the spacing or pitch, yaw orientation and / or roll orientation of an article or set of articles. Devices and methods that can be varied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various machines and methods are currently available for changing the orientation of an article. For example,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,351 to Seragnoli discloses a device for rotating tobacco such that two adjacent rows of tobacco can be combined into one row. According to the report, the rack engages with the second row of cigarettes and these cigarettes
It can be rotated by 80 ° and inserted at a predetermined interval between the first row of cigarettes. The cradle is located between two rotating drums that transport the tobacco so that they can rotate between the first and second drums.

[0003] US Pat. No. 5,104,116 to Pohjola relates to an apparatus for receiving and rotating a piece comprising a rotating drum having a plurality of rectangular surfaces for receiving articles. The article is reoriented by the rotation of the drum and its plane such that an orientation is provided having a second angle relative to the axis of rotation of the drum.

[0004] While the above devices may be suitable for the indicated purpose, in order for the articles to be easily categorized and packaged for distribution, the orientation of those articles can be quickly and efficiently adjusted. There is a need to provide improved devices and methods for changing. For example, prior to packaging, the pitch of the article (i.e., the spacing of the articles), the roll orientation (i.e., the orientation around the longitudinal axis of the article) and / or the yaw orientation (i.e., of the axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the article). There is a need for improved devices and methods for efficiently changing the surrounding orientation).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, a first axis of rotation and a first axis having an article orientation having a first article orientation.
An article position and a second article position where the article has a second article orientation.
An apparatus is provided for changing the orientation of an article. A platform is provided having a surface configured to receive an article adjacent the first article location and release the article to a second article location. The platform is located at a first radial distance from the first axis of rotation at a first article position and at a second radial distance from the second axis of rotation at a second article position. Platform is the first
And rotating about the second axis of rotation to move from the first article position to the second article position, wherein the platform moves from the first article position to the second article position. , The second axis of rotation also rotates about the first axis of rotation.

[0006] In a preferred form, the device further comprises a rotating drum located adjacent to the platform. The drum is configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation and has an outer surface configured to receive an article from the platform adjacent a second article location. The gearbox is interconnected with the platform at a first shaft, the first shaft being connected to the drum and rotating together. The gearbox may also include a second gear configured to rotate the platform.
Has a second shaft disposed around the rotation axis of the second shaft. The frame supports a drum and has a bearing ring disposed thereon. A cam interconnected to the gearbox slips into engagement with the race and cooperates therewith to rotate the second shaft about the second axis of rotation, thereby rotating the platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein numbers and the like indicate the same elements throughout the figures. . A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of an article transport system that can selectively vary the pitch, roll orientation, and / or yaw orientation of articles 22 transported by the article transport system 20. Is shown. As used herein, the term "pitch" shall refer to the distance between two predetermined points (e.g., geometric center or center of mass), e.g., the distance between adjacent articles 24 and 26, and "Rolling orientation"
Let us refer to the orientation or position of rotation of the article 22 about a first axis of the article 22 (eg, the vertical axis A). As used herein, the term "yaw orientation" refers to the second axis of the article transverse to or substantially perpendicular to the first axis A, as illustrated by the example of FIG.
(For example, the axis Y). This second axis Y is also the first and second article positions 34 and 36 of the article 22.
Is more preferably substantially perpendicular to the vector F representing the moving direction of
As is apparent from the above, it is preferable that the articles 22 have the same moving direction at the first and second article positions and have different orientations there.

[0008] The change in the roll or yaw orientation of the article 22 is described in terms of the actual effective rotation of the article about the axis associated with the orientation. The rotation performed does not physically rotate the article about the axis, but has the same effect as if the article orientation had changed by rotating about the axis. Thus, the change in rotational orientation of the article 22 is related to the actual effective rotation of the article 22 about the longitudinal axis A. Similarly, the change in yaw orientation of the article 22 is related to the actual effective rotation of the article 22 about the axis Y. In a most preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to the pitch of one or more articles 22;
A selected change in the roll and / or yaw orientation can be provided.
The term “reorientation” is generally used herein to refer to a change in pitch, roll orientation, and / or yaw orientation of one or more articles 22.

[0009] Transport systems made in accordance with the present invention are, in particular, about one ounce (28 gm) and about five ounces.
Weight between ounces (141 gm), length about 10 inches (25 cm), about 3 inches (
6 cm), and is particularly adapted for changing the pitch, roll and / or yaw orientation of elongate articles such as sanitary napkins, which may have a thickness of about 0.25 inches (0.6 cm). obtain. Although the present invention is particularly suited for the use of thin, lightweight and elongated articles such as these, the present invention also relates to pitch, roll and / or yaw orientation of other articles of various shapes, sizes and configurations. May be configured to vary. For example,
The invention can be used for reorienting symmetric, asymmetric, cylindrical, and polyhedral shaped articles. Further, the invention is not limited to paper, fiber, plastic, metal,
And articles formed from a variety of materials, including combinations of these materials and similar materials.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 20 includes an article 2 in a direction of a vector F.
Preferably, it comprises a supply conveyor 28 for at least transporting the two to one rotating assembly 29 having a platform 30. Drum 32, which rotates about drum axis Z, receives articles from platform 30. Next, the discharge conveyor 33 receives and transports the articles from the rotating drum 32 in the same direction as the vector F.
As will be more fully understood hereinafter, platform 30 receives an article at a first article location 34 adjacent supply conveyor 28 and discharges or discharges article 22 to drum 32 at a second article location 36. Supply. The rotating component assembly 29 at the second article position is shown by a broken line in FIG.

The discharge conveyor 33 preferably removes the article 22 from the drum 32 and / or otherwise receives it if further processing is desired (eg, further manufacturing operations or packaging of the article). The goods transport system 20 is configured to receive the goods 22 at a first goods location 34 in a first orientation with respect to the vector F and to discharge the goods to the discharge conveyor 33 in a second orientation with respect to the vector F. More specifically, as the articles 22 are transported between the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33 via the combination of the rotating parts assembly 29 and the drum 32, the pitch, roll orientation, and / or bias of the articles 22 The swing orientation can be varied from article 22 located on ejection conveyor 33 to have a different predetermined spacing (ie, pitch) as will be discussed more fully hereafter.

As one example of an arrangement in which an elongated sanitary napkin product or the like is processed, an article transport system made in accordance with the present invention provides a pitch of articles 22 of about 8 inches and about 14 inches per article on a supply conveyor 28. (35 cm / article) between about 4 inches (10 cm / article) and about 7 inches (18 cm / article) per article on the discharge conveyor 32.
(The article is effectively rotated about 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis A of the article between the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33). Further, the present invention provides that the roll orientation of article 22
0, the yaw orientation can be changed by about 90 degrees (e.g., about 90 degrees about the article axis Y).
Rotate effectively). Such reorientation of the article 22 is particularly useful in the manufacturing and packaging industries where the orientation of the article needs to be changed after manufacture in preparation for packaging.

Referring to FIG. 1 in more detail, for lightweight articles, the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33 ensure that the articles 22 are held against the gravity against the conveyor transport surface 40. It is preferably provided in the form of a vacuum conveyor capable of providing sufficient negative pressure or suction. A heavy drum is provided by a frame 41 which rests on the floor or other solid surface, rather than being suspended above the conveyor, as in a conventional conveyor system where the conveyor transport surface was at the upper right. As can be seen, the conveyors 28 and 33 preferably have an inverted arrangement so that the assembly 32 and the rotating assembly 29 can be supported. The supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33 are preferably provided in the form of a vacuum conveyor having an inverted conveyor transport surface, wherein the articles 22 are
The drum 32 and platform 30 are suspended above the conveyor surface, held on the conveyor transport surface by gravity. Similarly, if the article contains metallic content, a magnetic floor can be used with the conveyor to properly hold the article.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33
Are conveyed radially relative to the drum axis Z (i.e., one as shown in FIG. 1) so that the articles transported over have substantially the same direction of travel as indicated by the vector F. Preferably, they are offset axially (i.e., one behind the other as shown in FIG. 2) and are substantially parallel to one another in a direction transverse to the drum axis Z. This radial and axial compensation of the conveyor provides spacing for rotation of platform 30 about both drum axis Z and axis S2 ', as will be described more fully hereinafter.

As best shown in FIGS. 1-4, the drum 32 is fixedly interconnected with a shaft 4 along a drum axis Z around which the drum and rod rotate.
4 and coaxial. The drum 32 is shown with a radius R1 extending from the drum axis Z to the outer surface 42 of the drum 32 and a length L between the proximal end 46 and the distal end 48 of the drum 32. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft 44 causes the drum 32 to rotate such that the shaft 44 and the drum 32 then rotate at the same angular velocity. Alternatively, the shaft 44 can be replaced by a single shaft extending through the drum 32. Although not shown, the rod 44 may be connected by any method commonly employed in the art, such as by an electric motor connected directly to one of the shafts 44 or indirectly by a chain, belt, or the like. Can be rotated. 3 and 4
As best shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment, the shaft 44 is provided with an eccentric race 5 adjacent the end 48 of the drum 32 cooperating with the rotating assembly 29.
2 as it moves between the supply conveyor and the drum 23 by the rotating assembly 29, the pitch of the articles 22 and / or
Alternatively, the yaw orientation is changed.

A shaft 44 adjacent the end 48 of the drum 38 is secured to a disk 56 or similar structure that supports the rotating assembly 29 and is offset a predetermined distance from the end 48 of the drum 32. Can be linked. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating component assembly 29 preferably includes an arm 58, a gear box 60, and a platform 30. Arm 58 interconnects disk 56 and gearbox 60 so that disk 56 and gearbox 60 rotate about drum axis Z at the same angle. Therefore, the rotation of the shaft 44 causes the drum 32, the disk 56, and the rotating component assembly 29 to rotate at the same speed. By providing the drum and platform rotating at the same angular velocity about the drum axis Z, transport of the article 22 between the platform 30 and the drum 32 at the second article location 36 can be facilitated.

The article transport system 20 includes one arm 5 for simplicity as described above.
8 and the associated rotating component assembly 29 are shown,
The goods transport system 20 may include a plurality of arms 58 and a plurality of rotating component assemblies equally spaced about the disk 56. More preferably, the goods transport system 20 includes between about 6 and about 10 rotating parts assemblies 29. As the number of rotating component assemblies 29 increases, the angular velocity of drum 32 and platform 30 can be reduced with respect to a constant article feed rate, ie, the rate at which articles are fed to first article location 34. For example, an article transport system having six rotating parts assemblies 29 can operate at an article feed rate of about 1000 articles per minute at an angular velocity of about 166 rpm, but with ten rotating parts assemblies, The same article transport system at the same article feed rate can operate at an angular velocity of about 100 rpm, and increasing the number of aggregates can reduce the angular velocity while still providing the same article feed rate. In order to minimize the centrifugal force applied to the article and the rotating assembly, it is generally preferred that the angular velocity be reduced so as to increase the weight of the article 22.

A cam 6 which preferably engages and is at least partially arranged on the eccentric race
A gearbox 60 is shown in FIG. 4 with a housing 61 rotatably supporting a first shaft 62 connected to a cam 64 connected to the cam 4. The first bevel gear 66 is connected to the first shaft 62 facing the cam 64, and has a second bevel gear 66 and a second bevel gear 6 attached to the second shaft 70.
Preferably, 8 is configured to provide a rotation ratio between the first shaft 62 and the second shaft 70 of about 1 to about 3. Therefore, the second shaft 70
Preferably rotate about three degrees per degree of rotation of the first shaft 62;
The rotation of the shaft 62 depends on the rotation of the first shaft 62 and the cam 64 and the eccentric race 5.
2 is controlled. The eccentric bearing ring 52 causes the cam 64 to rotate, which in turn causes the first shaft 62 to rotate counterclockwise between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36 (as viewed from the direction of arrow 71). Time) an angle between about 68 degrees and about 74 degrees,
Preferably, it is configured to rotate.

In a preferred arrangement for lightweight articles, the eccentric race 52 and the cam 64 move the first shaft 62 between article positions within an angle β (FIG. 1) of about 110 degrees about the drum axis Z. It is also configured to achieve the above rotation, wherein the angle β is the point E at the first article position 34 and the second article position 3 as shown by the example in FIG.
The angle between the same point E at 6 and point E, representing the point along axis S2 'around which platform 30 rotates, as will be discussed more fully hereinafter. In other words, the rotating part assembly 29 rotates about the drum axis Z at about 110 degrees between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36, and the cam 64 also rotates this 110 degree rotation. Between about 68 degrees and 74 degrees within the range of
Is preferably rotated. Based on the exemplary 1-3 rotational ratio between the first shaft 62 and the second shaft 70, the second shaft 70 rotates clockwise between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36. (When viewed from the direction of arrow 73 in FIG. 4)
, About 204 and 222 degrees (angle Δ in FIG. 5) about axis S2.

The rotating part assembly 29 rotates through the second article position 36 and moves to the first article position 3
4 (ie, complete rotation about drum axis Z).
And the cam 64 cause the first shaft 62 to rotate in the clockwise direction by the same amount as it rotates counterclockwise between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36, Is preferably configured to return the platform 30 to its initial position and orientation at the first article location 34. Therefore, in the illustrated example, the first shaft 62 moves about 6 times per rotation of the rotating component assembly around the drum axis Z.
It preferably reciprocates counterclockwise, then clockwise, between 8 degrees and about 74 degrees, and this reciprocation is preferably controlled by cam 64 and eccentric race 52.

As shown in FIG. 4, the extension 72 is connected to the second shaft 70 and the platform 30 so that rotation of the second shaft 70 also rotates the platform 30.
It is connected to. For ease of discussion, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 5, the platform 30 is rotated at an angle Δ about a theoretical point E located on the axis S2 of the second shaft 70. The point E need not necessarily form part of the rotating assembly 29, as shown in FIG. 4, and the point E also rotates around the drum axis Z during operation. become. Therefore, when the rotating component assembly 29 makes one rotation around the drum axis Z, the platform 30 also makes one rotation around the drum axis Z, and in addition to the rotation of the first shaft 62, The rotation about 70 axis S2 will also be reciprocated. Platform 30 preferably removes articles 2 from supply conveyor 28 at first article location 34.
And an arcuate receiving surface 74 configured to receive the second 2, which facilitates the interaction between the platform 30 and the article 22 as the platform 30 approaches the first article location 34. This transport reduces or reverses the negative pressure or suction applied to the supply conveyor 28 on the articles 22 so that the articles can be easily transferred or moved between the supply conveyor 28 and the platform 30. This can be achieved by: Between the first article location 34 and the second article location 36, the receiving surface 74 of the platform 30 may also be capable of applying a negative pressure or suction to the article 22. The magnitude of the negative pressure applied to the article 22 by the platform 30 depends on the weight of the article 22 and the platform 30 around the drum axis Z and the axis S2 of the second shaft 70.
It depends on the angular velocity of

The first shaft 62 and the second shaft 70 preferably have rotation axes S1 and S2, respectively. FIG. 5 shows the movement of the platform 30 with respect to the drum 32, the platform 30 being shown rotating about the axis of rotation S2 of the second shaft 70, while the rotating parts assembly 29 is shown for clarity. Therefore, it is fixed to the first article position 34 (ie, the angle β in FIG. 1 is zero). As shown, when the rotating assembly 29 is in the first article position, the rotation axis S2 of the second shaft 70 has a dominant angle ψ and an associated offset angle θ. More specifically, when the platform 30 is in the first article position 34, the second
The rotation axis S2 of the shaft 70 can be said to pass through a point P located on the plane Q, where the plane Q is also at the first article position 34, the second axis of the article 22 (ie, The plane Q is coplanar with the drum axis Z and substantially parallel to the vector F so as to be substantially perpendicular to the axis Y). The dominant angle ψ refers to the angle between the rotation axis S2 and its projection on the surface Q, while the offset angle θ refers to the angle between the projection of the vector F on the surface Q and the projection of the axis S2 on the surface Q. Point. Offset angle θ is about 4
Most preferably, the dominant angle ψ is between about 12 degrees and about 20 degrees. As will be more fully understood hereinafter, the values of dominant angle ψ and offset angle θ can be varied based on desired changes in article pitch and yaw orientation between the first and second article positions.

Next, the operation of the preferred exemplary goods transport system 20 will be described. Therefore, the first
An example of the rotation of the rotating component assembly 29 and its associated platform 30 between the article position 34 and the second article position 36 is shown in FIGS. As described above, the rotation about the axis S2 was performed at the angle Δ and the rotation about the axis Z was performed at the angle β. For ease of discussion, as best seen in FIG. 6A, the receiving surface 74 of the platform 30 has a platform point T disposed thereon, which at the first article position 34 It is located in a range of radius R2 from Z. According to one aspect of the invention, as platform 30 rotates from first article position 34 to second article position 36 (around the S2 axis and the Z axis), platform point T moves out of range of radius R2. Move into the range of radius R1 (ie, adjacent to outer surface 42 of drum 32, as shown in FIG. 6C), thereby changing the pitch of article 22 according to the ratio of these radius values. More specifically, the radius R2 is selected based on the pitch of the articles on the supply conveyor 28 and the number of platforms, while the radius R1 is based on the newly desired pitch of the articles on the discharge conveyor 33. Selected. For example, the desired pitch of articles 22 on feed conveyor 28 may be 14 inches (35 inches) per article.
cm / article), the desired pitch of these articles on the drum 32 is 7 inches per article (18 cm / article), which is also the pitch of the articles 22 on the discharge conveyor 33, but in the article pitch. To achieve this change, the ratio of radius R2 to radius R1 will be about 2 to 1. Thus, as the platform 30 rotates between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36, the platform 30 moves inward in the direction of the drum axis Z from the desired 2 in pitch. To achieve a change to unity, radius R1 would be selected as approximately 1.5 times radius R2.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the pitch orientation of the article 22 is about 180 degrees between the first article location 34 and the third article location 76 (shown in FIG. 1) adjacent the discharge conveyor 32. The third article location 76 is preferably a location where the article 22 is transferred between the drum 38 and the discharge conveyor 32. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the article 22 is disposed on the supply conveyor 28 with the first side 78 adjacent the conveyor transport surface 40. However, after transfer to the discharge conveyor 32, the second side 80 of the article 22 is positioned adjacent to the conveyor transport surface 40 of the discharge conveyor 32, whereby the article between the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33 22 will be rotated about axis A approximately 180 degrees effectively. While the article 22 is not actually rotated about these axes A, it is between the supply conveyor 28 and the platform 30, between the platform 30 and the drum 32, and between the drum 32 and the discharge conveyor 33. Article 2 depending on the combination of transportation
Obviously, one will effectively rotate 2 about its axis A.

As mentioned above, in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the goods transport system 20 comprises:
The roll orientation of the article 22 can also be changed between the first article position 34 and the second / third article position. The orientation of axis S2 of second shaft 70 with respect to plane Q (discussed previously with respect to FIG. 5), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is between first article position 34 and second article position 36. The article 22 can be effectively rotated about its axis Y so as to change the roll orientation by about 90 degrees. While the article 22 does not actually rotate about its axis Y, rotation of the platform 30 about the point E produces an effective rotation about this axis.

A preferred process for designing an article transport system made in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. This fixation can be performed, if desired, using a computer-aided design (CAD) computer program.
First, a radius R2 is determined based on the pitch of the articles on the supply conveyor 28 and the number of the rotating component assemblies 29, and the rotating component assemblies 29 and the radius R2 define the length of the arc between the rotating component assemblies. This corresponds to the pitch of the articles 22 on the supply conveyor 28. Next, based on the desired change in the pitch of the article between the supply conveyor 28 and the discharge conveyor 33, the radius R1 is selected, and the ratio of the radii determines the change in pitch. Since the values of R1 and R2 are determined, the position of the point T in the first article position 34 can be determined. The angle α is selected based on the length to width ratio of the article 22,
Here, by increasing the angle α, the axis can be shifted further along the direction of the drum axis Z between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36 so that the supply conveyor 28 and The discharge conveyor 33 can be suitably spaced, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the values of R 1, R 2 and thereby α are such that when the platform rotates about the axis S 2 of the second shaft 70, the platform 30
, While the rotating assembly 29 is maintained at the first article position 34, which is a first approximation for the second article position 36. Next, the orientation of the axis S2 of the second shaft 70 (ie, the values of the dominant angle オ フ セ ッ ト and the offset angle θ with respect to the axis S2) is first determined by the positioning of the plane M, where the first article position 34 and the position The projection of platform 30 at 82 has approximately the same size and approximately the same shape in plane M (although not necessarily in the same orientation). After positioning the plane M according to the above criteria, the corresponding points defining the platform 30 at the first article position 34 are at the same distance G measured perpendicular to the new position 83 and the plane M, and the position 83 is The position 82 of the platform 30 is adjusted by moving the platform 30 in a direction parallel to the drum axis Z to a position that represents the position of the second article position 36 along the drum axis Z.

A point 8 along the drum axis where the corresponding point of the platform 30 has the same vertical distance to the plane M between the first article position 34 and the position 83
3, the surface of the platform 30 at this position 83
2 will be placed adjacent to the outside 42 so that articles can be transferred to the container therebetween. For example, the platform 30 of FIG. 7 is at a first object location 34 and a second article location 36 at a vertical distance G from the plane M,
The second location 82 (which was the first estimate for the second article location 36) has an example point U at a greater vertical distance. Movement of the platform 30 parallel to the drum axis Z will have a movement component that reduces the value of the vertical distance I with respect to the point U until the position 83 is reached.

After determining the position 83, the orientation of the axis S 2 of the second shaft 70 that rotates the platform 30 between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36 can be determined. The orientation of axis S2 can be determined. The axis S2 is preferably defined by a straight line perpendicular to the plane M and passing through the point E, and the point E is, as shown in FIG.
It is at a distance D and a distance S from the platform point T. In other words, platform point T rotates around point E as described above. The values of θ and ψ are determined as shown in FIG. 5, while the values of S and D can be determined by the following relationship:

(Equation 1)

After determining the values of S, D, ψ, and θ, the arm 56, gearbox 60, and extension 72 can be selected to adapt these geometric relationships as desired. The second article position 36 can then be determined based on the position 83 and the angle β, the position 83 defining an axial position along the drum axis Z of the second article position 36, and the angle β An amount of angular rotation about the drum axis Z between the first and second article positions 34 and 36 is defined. The configuration of the eccentric raceway 52 and the cam 64 can then be selected to provide the desired amount of angular rotation Δ about the axis S2 between the first article position 34 and the second article position 36.

In a preferred embodiment relating to an article of sanitary napkin or similar handling features, an article transport system made in accordance with the present invention can have the structural features described in the table below, which embodiment Changing the roll orientation of the article by about 180 degrees, and changing the yaw orientation of the article by about 90 degrees between the first article position and the second article position to increase the article pitch by up to 1.5 times Can be reduced.

[0032]

[Table 1]

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a first article position 1 adjacent the feed conveyor 128.
Between the second article location 136 adjacent the discharge conveyor 133 and the second article location 136 adjacent to the ejection conveyor 133.
The roll and yaw orientations of the two are illustrated in FIGS. 8-11 as an article transport system 120 that is specifically configured. Preferably, the supply conveyor 128 and the discharge conveyor 133 are parallel to each other so that the transported articles 122 have the same vector of transfer F (ie, direction). Supply conveyor 12
8 and the discharge conveyor 133 are at offset distances B, C and H in three orthogonal directions, as best seen in FIGS.

As best seen in FIGS. 8-10, the goods transport system 120 includes a plurality of platforms 130 (12 shown as an example in FIG. 8), each connected to a hub 90 by an arm 92. Is done. The goods transport system rotates about a hub axis S2 'passing through the center of the hub 90. Each of the arms 92 has an axis S2 ′
From the center to the center of each platform 130. The arm 92, platform 130 and hub 90 are fixedly interconnected such that rotation of the hub 90 about the hub axis S2 '
Rotate 0 in the same way. Preferably, each of the platforms 130 is substantially U-shaped, receives a rectangular article 122 at a first article position 134 in a first orientation with respect to a vector F, and has a second orientation with respect to a vector F ′. The article is configured to be discharged at two article locations 136.

As shown by the example in FIG. 8, each article 122 has a first axis A ′ and a first axis A ′.
Has a second axis Y 'substantially perpendicular to the axis A'. From now on, as will be discussed more fully, the goods transport system 120 is configured to rotate between the first article position 134 and the second article position 136 by a single rotation Δ of the goods transport system 120 about the axis S2 ′. Alone can change the roll and yaw orientation of article 122 about the A 'and Y' axes, respectively, by about 90 degrees.

As described above with respect to the goods transport system 20, the axis S2 ′ with respect to the vector F ′
Provides the ability for an article transport system made in accordance with the present invention to achieve the above described reorientation of article 122 by a single rotation about axis S2 'without additional separate rotation of platform 130 about another axis. provide. Axis S2 'has a dominant angle ψ' and an offset angle '' associated therewith. The dominant angle ψ ′ is defined by the axis S2 ′ and the plane Q
And the angle between the projection axis and the plane Q, as shown in FIG.
It is substantially parallel to both the vector F ′ and the axis Y ′ and is located below the feed and discharge conveyor, while the offset angle θ ′ is the projection of the axis S2 ′ in the plane Q ′ and the feed in the plane Q ′ This is the angle between the conveyor 128 and the projection of the vector F '. In a preferred embodiment, the goods transport system 120 can have the structural features described in the following table, and according to this embodiment, the goods between the first goods position 134 and the second goods position 136. The roll and yaw orientation of 122 can be changed by about 90 degrees.

[0037]

[Table 2]

Next, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a preferred process for designing the goods transport system 120 is described in conjunction with FIG. As shown generally at 94, the desired orientation of the article 122 at the first and second article locations is first superimposed on one another such that the geometric center K of the article orientation coincides. As shown generally at 96, a plane M 'is positioned, where the projection of the article orientation in the plane M' has approximately the same size and shape. The axis S2 'is then the axis that is completely perpendicular to the plane M' at the point P 'and passes through the superimposed geometric center K of the article orientation at 94. After determining the orientation of the rotation axis S2 ',
The values for the dominant angle ψ ′ and the offset angle θ ′ associated with the rotation axis S2 ′ can be easily determined for the plane Q.

The first and second article locations 134 and 136 are then located in the plane M ′ at 96 (article projections are also shown separately in plane M ′ for clarity purposes). It is determined by measuring Δ between corresponding points U of the projection. The article projection in plane M 'is then in plane M' and moves out along a vector L through point P 'in plane M' and the geometric center K of the article projection. The magnitude and direction of the vector L is selected based on the desired arrangement of the feed and discharge conveyors 128 and 133 (eg, to obtain offset distances B, C and H), as long as the vector L is separated by an angle Δ ′. it can. The newly separated position of the article projection in plane M ′ represents the projection there of of the first and second article positions 134 and 136.

Once the rotation axis S2 ', offset distances B, C and H, and radial arm length J have been positioned, the structural characteristics of the hub and arm can be selected to accommodate these geometric relationships. Further, the platform is configured to receive the article 122 at a first article location 134 in a first article orientation and to eject the article at a second article location 136 in a predetermined second article orientation. In addition, the shape and orientation of the platform 130 can be selected.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, further adaptations of the goods transport system described herein can be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. . Some of such possible modifications have already been described and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the goods transport system of the present invention can operate in the opposite direction as discussed herein, so that the goods are:
It arrives at the exemplary orientation shown on the discharge conveyor of FIG. 2 and exits the goods transport system at the exemplary orientation shown on the same feed conveyor of FIG. Similarly, the angles, sizes, number of platforms, supply and discharge devices, and other structural and functional features of the illustrated and described exemplary embodiments are configured for a wide range of material handling applications with appropriate modifications and modifications. it can. The specific embodiments shown and described herein are intended only as preferred exemplary arrangements of the various structures and functions of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be considered with reference to the claims herein, and is not to be limited by the details of construction and operation shown and described herein and in the drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a preferred article transport system according to the present invention, with rotating assemblies shown in a first article position and dashed lines in a second article position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the goods transportation system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the goods transport system of FIG. 1, with the supply and discharge conveyors removed for clarity.

FIG. 4 is a partial schematic plan view of the goods transport system of FIG. 3, with the gearbox housing removed to show details of the internal structure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the goods transport system of FIG. 1, with some structural details removed for clarity, showing dimensional and axial relationships;

FIG. 6A is a schematic perspective view of the goods transportation system of FIG. 1, showing the rotating assembly in one position between a first goods position and a second goods position.

FIG. 6B is a schematic perspective view of the goods transport system of FIG. 1, showing the rotating assembly in one position between a first goods position and a second goods position.

FIG. 6C is a schematic perspective view of the goods transportation system of FIG. 1, showing the rotating assembly in one position between a first goods position and a second goods position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the goods transport system of FIG. 1 with some structural details removed and dimensions and axial relationships to illustrate a preferred process for designing the goods transport system according to the present invention. It is shown.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of another goods transport system according to the present invention having a hub and a plurality of radially extending arms.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of the goods transportation system of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the goods transportation system of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the goods transport system of FIG. 8, with some structural details removed and dimensions reduced to illustrate another preferred step for designing the goods transport system according to the present invention. The relationship between the relationship and the axis is shown.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR , BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS , JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (71) Applicant ONE PROCTER & GANBLE PLAZA, CINCINNATI, OHIO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA F term (reference) 3F072 AA06 GE02 GG16 HA04 JA01 JA05 KA07 KA08 KC02 KC07

Claims (20)

[Claims] A first axis of rotation; a second axis of rotation; a first article position in which the article has a first article orientation; and a second article axis in which the article is different from the first article orientation. A platform having a second article location having an article orientation; and a surface configured to receive an article adjacent to the first article location and to release the article to the second article location. The first article position is located at a first radial distance from the first axis of rotation, the second article position is located at a second radial distance from the first axis of rotation, the second A platform having a different radiation distance from the first radiation distance; rotating about the first and second axes of rotation to move from the first article position to the second article position; The platform is configured as Wherein the second axis of rotation rotates about the first axis of rotation as the platform moves from the first article position to the second article position. A device for changing. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the platform is about 36 degrees around the first axis of rotation.
The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to rotate 0 °. 3. The first and second article orientations have a yaw orientation,
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the yaw orientation of the second article orientation is rotated about 90 ° from the yaw orientation of the first article orientation. 4. The apparatus further comprising: a drum disposed adjacent to the platform, wherein the drum is configured to rotate about the first axis of rotation, and wherein the drum is configured to rotate from the platform to the second article. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has an outer surface configured to receive an article adjacent to the location. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of platforms. 6. A supply conveyor for transporting a plurality of articles to said plurality of platforms, each of said plurality of articles having a first associated therewith.
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of articles has a second pitch associated therewith after being transported to the drum. 7. The system further comprises a gearbox interconnecting with the platform having a first shaft coupled to the drum, wherein the gearbox is disposed about the second axis of rotation. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising a second shaft configured to rotate the platform. 8. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a frame supporting the drum, the frame having a bearing ring disposed thereon, wherein the gearbox is a cam that is displaceably engaged with the bearing ring. And a cam that cooperates with the bearing ring to rotate the second shaft about the second rotation axis.
An apparatus according to claim 1. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rotation of the second shaft is between about 204 ° and 222 ° between a first article position and a second article position. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said rotation of said platform about said first axis of rotation is about 110 ° between said first article position and said second article position. . 11. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a discharge conveyor positioned adjacent to the drum for receiving an article from the drum, the article having a third article orientation on the discharge conveyor, wherein the first and second articles have a third article orientation. Each of the third article orientations further comprises a roll orientation, wherein the roll orientation of the third article orientation is rotated about 180 ° from the roll orientation of the first article orientation. The device according to claim 4. 12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gearbox further comprises a third shaft operatively interconnecting the cam and a second shaft. 13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an extension interconnecting the second shaft and the platform. 14. A first axis of rotation, a second axis of rotation, a first article position in which the article has a first article orientation, and a second article in which the article is different from the first article orientation. A second article position having an orientation, and a platform for receiving an article adjacent to the first article position and releasing the article adjacent to the second article position;
The platform is located at a first position from the first axis of rotation at a first article position;
The platform at the second article location and the first
Providing an apparatus at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation, wherein the second radial distance is different from the first radial distance; and the first article position and the second article. Rotating the platform and the second axis of rotation about the first axis of rotation between the first article position and the second article position between the first article position and the second article position. Rotating the platform about an axis of rotation. 15. A method comprising: providing a drum disposed adjacent to the platform; transferring an article from the platform to the drum at the second article location; and about the first axis of rotation. Rotating the drum. 16. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a plurality of articles, each of the plurality of articles having a pitch, wherein the article is located between the first article position and the second article position. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the step of changing the pitch of the device. 17. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second article orientations of each of the plurality of articles have a yaw orientation, and wherein the yaw orientation of the second article orientation is the first article orientation. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said yaw orientation is provided about 90 degrees. 18. An axis of rotation, a first article position in which the article has a first article orientation, the article having a first direction of movement, also defined by a vector, and an article having a second article orientation. Having a second item wherein the article is also defined by said vector
A second article position having a moving direction of: a hub configured to rotate about the axis of rotation, the hub passing through the axis of rotation, and a hub connected to the hub. An arm extending radially outward from the hub; and a platform attached to the arm for receiving an article adjacent to the first article location and releasing the article to the second article location. And a platform configured to rotate about the axis of rotation to move from the first article position to the second article position. A device for changing the 19. The first and second article orientations of an article have a yaw orientation, wherein the yaw orientation of the second article orientation is the yaw orientation of the first article orientation. 19. The device of claim 18, wherein the device is rotated about 90 ° from. 20. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second article orientations further comprise a roll orientation, wherein the roll orientation of the second article orientation is the roll orientation of the first article orientation. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is rotated about 90 degrees from the orientation.