JPH06255716A - Article carry in/out device by stacker crane - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry pallets in and from a rack promptly by a stacker crane provided with a chain transfer mechanism even if the lengths of the pallets to be handled vary from each other. CONSTITUTION:In a stacker crane provided with a lifting base 4 at a frame 3 which can travel along a rack 1 and which can carry a pallet 7 in and from the rack 2, the lifting base 4 is provided with a traveling base 5 which can advance and retreat from/into a rack 2, and the traveling base 5 is provided with a chain 5e whose traveling can be driven in the same direction as the advance/retreat direction. The chain 5e is provided with a picker which can be engaged with the pallet 7. After the height of the lifting base 4 is decided for a pallet 7 in the rack 2 so that the traveling surface of the chain 5e may be at an upper or lower level in a range smaller than the protruding amount of the picker, the picker is engaged with the pallet 7 by traveling the chain 5e, thus the pallet 7 being carried in and out between the rack 2 and the lifting base 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacker crane installed in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse for storing steel materials and the like, and more particularly to a loading / unloading device for loading / unloading pallets to / from a rack.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, automatic warehouses for storing and storing various pipes such as steel rods and steel pipes have been used. This automatic warehouse is for loading items on pallets, trays, etc. and handling them as one unit, and is generally equipped with a stacker crane for loading and unloading pallets or trays to and from racks. .

An example of an automatic warehouse equipped with such a stacker crane is, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-42125.
There is one described in the publication.

The stacker crane in this automatic warehouse is arranged so that it can be lifted and lowered by a drive mechanism between high-rise racks arranged on both left and right sides when viewed from the front, and a chain transfer mechanism for loading and unloading the pallet to and from the rack and a pallet transfer mechanism. A link mechanism for pulling out and pushing in, and an endless chain for shifting a pallet on a lifting base, a driving roller, and a driving mechanism. The link mechanism is provided on the traveling platform connected to the chain, and is configured to automatically engage and disengage the pallet by the hook of the link mechanism at the stroke end of the transport path of the chain that draws a loop.

[0005]

However, when the pallet is pulled out from the rack, the hook of the link mechanism of the traveling platform near the rack side engages with the pallet, and the engagement is released near the other rack side. Limited to the stroke end. Also, when the pallet is carried in from the traveling platform to the rack side, the hook and the pallet become free when the traveling platform reaches the stroke end corresponding to the intended rack side.

As described above, the engagement and disengagement of the hook cannot be realized only at the stroke end of the chain transfer mechanism, so that the chain transfer mechanism must be stroked regardless of the pallet itself which can be handled.

As described above, since the hooks can be engaged only at both stroke positions regardless of the length of the pallet, even in the case of a pallet adapted to the length of a short product, for example.
Actually, the stroke longer than the pallet length must be operated every time.

An object to be solved in the present invention is to enable a stacker crane having a chain transfer mechanism to promptly carry out a work for taking in and out of a rack even if the length of a pallet to be handled varies.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a stacker crane that includes a frame that can run along a rack and an elevating base that can elevate the frame so that a pallet can be taken in and out of the rack. The elevating base is provided with a moving base that can move forward and backward with respect to the rack, the moving base has a chain that is driven to travel in the same direction as the forward and backward moving direction, and the chain is associated with the pallet. It is characterized by having a compatible picker.

[0010]

With respect to the pallet stored in the rack, the lifting base is moved until the traveling surface of the chain provided in the lifting base reaches a level slightly higher or lower than the target rack. Then, the moving base is moved to the rack side to set the traveling surface of the chain above or below the engaging portion of the rack. On the other hand, it is assumed that the picker protrudes from the traveling surface of the chain, and if the distance between the traveling surface of the chain and the engaging part is set so that the distance is shorter than the protruding amount, the picker will move by the traveling of the chain. To be pulled out from the rack.

Further, when the transfer is carried out from the elevating base to the rack side, the reverse operation is likewise possible.

[0012]

1 is a schematic front view of an automatic warehouse equipped with a stacker crane according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of a left rack and a stacker crane.

In the figure, a frame 3 of a stacker crane is constructed between high-rack racks 1 and 2 which are arranged with a space left and right. Each of the racks 1 and 2 has a long depth and has a space for storing a large number of pallets arranged in that direction, and a hanger 1a for receiving the pallets,
2a are provided at a constant pitch. Further, the frame 3 is provided with wheels 3b driven by an electric motor that rolls on the rails 3a so that the racks 1 and 2 can move in the depth direction (direction orthogonal to the drawing).

The frame 3 is provided with an elevating base 4 movable up and down. The elevating base 4 is movable with respect to the frame 3 while being maintained in a horizontal posture by a guide mechanism, and is operable by a drive system such as an electric motor (not shown). A roller 4a for mounting a pallet on the upper surface of the lifting base 4 and supporting the pallet is shown in FIG.
As shown in, two rows are arranged at both ends at regular intervals.

On the upper surface of the lifting base 4, two moving bases 5 and 6 are provided outside the row of rollers 4a. These moving bases 5 and 6 can slide in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 with respect to the upper surface of the elevating base 4, and their operations are performed by shift cylinders 5a and 6a whose base ends are connected to the elevating base 4 side. . It should be noted that one of the moving bases 5 carries out a loading / unloading operation with respect to the left rack 1 and the other moving base 6 carries out a loading / unloading operation with respect to the right rack 2. Therefore, the rods of the shift cylinders 5a and 6a are connected to the elevating base 4 such that the rods are in opposite postures.

A moving base 5 corresponding to the left rack 1
As shown in FIG. 1, a bracket 5b which is longer than the moving base 5 in the moving direction thereof is provided, and sprockets 5c are attached to both ends thereof. One of the sprockets 5c is
A motor 5d fixed to a bracket 5b can be rotationally driven, and a chain 5e is attached to these sprockets 5c.
To wind. The chain 5e is provided with a picker 5f protruding outward.

A moving base 6 corresponding to the rack 2 arranged on the right side.
Also has a similar configuration, as shown in FIG.
The chains 6e with the pickers 6f are wound around the sprockets 6c provided at both ends of the above, and can be driven by the motor 6d.

The pallet 7 on which the products to be stored and stored in the racks 1 and 2 are placed on the hangers 1a and 2a and slidable, and is a combination of horizontal members and vertical members. Then, on the front surface of the pallet 7, a hook 7a is provided so as to project laterally at a portion located on the lower left side. As shown in FIG. 3, the hook 7a is provided so as to be positioned below the sprocket 5c of the bracket 5b when the lifting base 4 is aligned with the target pallet 7.

In the above structure, the work of pulling out the pallet 7 from the rack 1 is performed according to the following procedure.

First, the moving bases 5 and 6 are made to stand by at the positions aligned with the center of the elevating base 4, and the brackets 5b and 6b and the sprockets 5c and 6c are set so as not to interfere with the left and right racks 1 and 2, respectively. . After this,
The frame 3 is moved and set so that the traveling surface of the chain 5e is positioned corresponding to the hook 7a of the target pallet 7.

Next, the elevating base 4 is moved until the traveling surface of the chain 5e is slightly higher than the hook 7a with respect to the level of the pallet 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the height is set so that the chain 5e does not interfere with the hook 7a and the picker 5f is caught by the hook 7a as the chain 5 travels. That is, the hook 7a
The level of the raising / lowering base 4 is set so that the traveling surface of the chain 5e is located above the hook 7a by a distance shorter than the protrusion amount of. As shown in FIG. 1, the state picker 5f is set at a position above the loop of the chain 5e and close to the rack 1 side, and in this state, the shift cylinder 5a moves the moving base 5 to the rack 1 side. .
The amount of movement at this time is until the sprocket 5c enters the back side of the rack 1 with respect to the hook 7a of the pallet 7, as shown in the schematic diagrams of FIGS.

Next, when the motor 5d is operated to move the chain 5e in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 ((a) in FIG. 4), the picker 5 that has passed the sprocket 5c.
f is hooked on the hook 7a ((b) of FIG. 4). Then, the picker 5f moves to the elevation base 4 side together with the traveling chain 5, so that the pallet 7 in the rack 1 is pulled out and transferred onto the roller 4a.

After the pallet 7 is pulled out by the chain 5e or at the same time as the pulling-out operation, the shift cylinder 5a returns the moving base 5 from the rack 1 side to the original position on the center side of the elevating base 4.

As described above, the pallet 7 in the rack 1 is transferred to the lifting base 4 side, the frame 3 is moved to the pallet recovery destination side, and the lifting base 4 is lowered to the floor level to carry the pallet 7 to the outside. can do.

When the pallet 7 on the lifting base 4 is transferred to the rack 1, the lifting base 4 is moved in the same manner as above.
The level of 1 corresponds to the hanger 1a of the target rack 1. Then, the shift cylinder 5a moves the moving base 5 to the rack 1 side as shown in FIG. 1, and the motor 5d causes the chain 5e to run in the direction opposite to that when the pallet 7 is pulled out.

At the beginning of traveling of the chain 5e, it is preset so that the picker 5f is below the loop and hits the hook 7a of the pallet 7 on the roller 4a. As a result, as the chain 5e travels, the pallet 7 on the moving base 5 side is pushed out and transferred to the rack 1 side, and after the transfer is completed, the operation of the motor 5d is stopped and the moving cylinder 5 is moved up and down by the shift cylinder 5d. Return to the center of the base 4.

The operation of the other moving base 6 is the same, and the pallet 7 can be taken in and out of the rack 2 arranged on the right.

As described above, the hook 7a of the pallet 7 is moved by shifting the moving base 5 to the left side rack 1 side and shifting the other moving base 6 to the right side rack 2.
The pallet 7 can be pulled out from the racks 1 and 2 by first performing the operation of hooking the pickers 5f and 6f on. Also, when the pallets 7 on the moving bases 5 and 6 are transferred to the racks 1 and 2 side, the chains 5e and 6 that travel are also moved.
All that is necessary is to hook the pickers 5f and 6f of e on the hook 7a. For this reason, in the past, the chain mechanism could be engaged and disengaged from the pallet only at the stroke end of the transport chain mechanism, whereas the pallet 7 can be placed at any position.
Chains 5e and 6e can be connected to and released from
The position of the hook 7a required for this operation is not limited. Therefore, even if the length of the pallet 7 changes, it can be taken in and out of the racks 1, 2.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the picker 5 is mounted on the traveling surface of the chain 5e below the loop.
f is engaged with the hook 7a, but the lifting base 4 is at a lower level than the pallet 7 to be handled, and the picker 5f is engaged with the book 7a on the traveling surface above the loop. Of course, it is possible to say

[0030]

According to the present invention, since the pallet chain transfer mechanism is provided on the moving base provided on the elevating base and the moving base can be moved forward and backward with respect to the rack, the chain picker can be placed at the position where it is hooked on the pallet hook. No restrictions. Therefore, it is not necessary to match the length of the pallet with the stroke of the chain transfer mechanism as in the prior art, and it is possible to deal with a warehouse using pallets of various specifications.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an outline of an embodiment of an apparatus for loading / unloading articles of a stacker crane of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the stacker crane including the left-arranged rack in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a main part for showing a positional relationship between a hook of a pallet in a rack and a chain on a moving base side.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing movement of a picker with respect to a hook of a pallet, wherein (a) of the figure shows a positional relationship between a traveling surface of a chain and the pallet, and (b) of the same figure shows that the picker engages with the hook. Shows the combined state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Rack 2 Rack 3 Frame 4 Lifting Base 5 Moving Base 5a Shift Cylinder 5e Chain 5f Picker 6 Moving Base 6a Shift Cylinder 6e Chain 6f Picker 7 Pallet 7a Hook

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A frame that can run along a rack,
A stacker crane comprising: an elevating base that can be moved up and down on the frame; and a pallet that can be loaded into and unloaded from the rack, wherein the elevating base includes a moving base that can move forward and backward with respect to the rack. An article loading / unloading device for a stacker crane, wherein the moving base includes a chain that is driven to travel in the same direction as the forward / backward movement direction, and a picker capable of engaging with the pallet is provided in the chain.