LU82594A1 - LOAD DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSFER SYSTEM BETWEEN SEVERAL CONVEYORS IN A HANDLING INSTALLATION - Google Patents

Description

f *

T

J

The present invention relates to a system for distributing and transferring loads between several conveyors in a handling installation and, more particularly, in the food industry where certain products are introduced into individual packages by production machines before being grouped and overwrapped in overwrapping machines.

In fact, especially for distribution centers such as supermarkets or supermarkets, food products * such as milk, drinks, etc. are grouped and then overpacked before delivery to the said distribution centers.

Therefore, in the factories and packaging of these products, there are provided production machines where the bulk product is put in its unit packaging, and machines for grouping and overpacking of uni-15 packaged products. shut up. Between the two types of machines, it is necessary to provide means capable of transferring the products.

Various devices can be used to route the products in packaged unit loads to the grouping and / or overwrapping machines. One of them consists in using a safe main conveyor which are connected to circuits called "tributaries" and means capable of regulating the transfer of charges from the tributaries to the main conveyor so as to prevent two charges from becoming present simultaneously, which would cause jamming. Another device is to use a switch or divergent. It generally comprises a movable element in rotation around a vertical axis which can be connected to two or three secondary circuits.

But all these devices or their equivalents are complex and very expensive since each conveyor used is a motorized conveyor and driven independently of the other conveyors.

In fact, in the first type of device, the decommissioning of the main conveyor interrupts the supply of the grouping and overwrapping machines. In the second type of device, the same drawback would occur if the pivoting member and / or the feed conveyor were out of service. However, the repercussions on the production of overwrapped charges are far too great when an interruption in the transfer system occurs.

ί **

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose a transfer system which is simple in its production, reliable in its operation and which above all makes it possible to supply the grouping and overpackaging machines even in the event of failure of one or more transport elements.

1 It therefore relates to a load distribution and transfer system between several conveyors, of the type comprising motorized supply or input conveyors, motorized evacuation or output means, load transfer means from the conveyors supply to the discharge means, and it is characterized in that the discharge means are located at least partly below the transfer means which are constituted by distribution members 15 each associated with a conveyor d 'power supply, each dispensing member comprising several independent modules each capable of being removed to allow the transfer of charges from the dispensing member to the discharge means.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge on reading the description given by way of indication but not limiting of two embodiments of the invention, and of the appended drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the distribution system and charge transfer according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a partial and schematic top view of the system shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial elevational view of a distribution and transfer member with its guide means; .30 Figure 4 is a top view of the means shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partial top view of another embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention.

In a plant for packaging and overpackaging a bulk product such as milk for example, production machines 1 to 4 supply, for example, packages containing the bulk product to be packaged in the form of a product or a charge unitary. Each production machine 1 to 4 delivers the '(I' loads or unitary products packed on the conveyor, motorized 5 to 8. These result in a distribution and transfer system designated as a whole by the reference 9 and from which motorized conveyors 10 to 13 leave each leading to a grouping and overwrapping machine 14 to 17 where the unit loads are grouped, for example, in groups of 6 (Figure 1).

The distribution and transfer system 9 consists of distribution members 18 to 21, each associated with * 10 a supply conveyor 5 to 8. The motorized evacuation conveyors are for example grouped two by two so as to evacuate unit products in two different directions.

Thus the conveyors 10 and 11 are arranged at least partly below the distributors 18 to 21 and evacuate the 15 products to the left in FIG. 2, while the conveyors 12 and 13, also located at least in part under distributors 18 to 21, evacuate the products to the right. As a result, the unit products arriving, via the feed conveyor 5 to 8, on the distributors 18 to 21 can be distributed on any one of the discharge conveyors 10 to 13, according to the feeding requirements of the overwrapping machines 14 to 17. In addition, the distributors 18 to 21 are mutually parallel and perpendicular to the evacuation conveyors 10 to 13.

The distributors 18 to 21 are arranged on a frame 22 comprising lower crosspieces 23 for supporting the evacuation conveyors and transfer means. Each distributor 18 to 21 comprises several modules 24 to 27, for example four when the system comprises four evacuation conveyors, and each constituted by a small free conveyor, said free conveyors being independent of each other and capable of be removed so as to create in their place a vacuum or evacuation opening 28. In the interval formed between the upper crosspieces 29 of the frame 22 and constituting the support crosspieces of the modules 24 to 27 and the lower crosspieces 23 are susceptible to move the transfer means 30 constituted by a reception, guiding and transfer chute. The transfer means can be unique and served by j 4 all the distributors 18 to 21 or, on the contrary, comprise several chutes each associated with one of the distributors. Preferably, each distribution member 18 to 21 comprises as many modules as there are evacuation conveyors so that at each module there is associated an evacuation conveyor. The transfer chute 30 includes an open bottom 31 and whose access opening 32 is substantially equal to the discharge opening 28. In addition, to ensure better guidance, during the transfer by * • gravity of the unit product 33, from the module 27 located upstream and adjacent to said discharge opening 28, on the outlet conveyor located in line with the open bottom 31 of the transfer chute 30, the latter comprises two side walls 34 and 35, one of which , 34, is substantially perpendicular and to the right of the edge 25a of the module 25 located downstream and adjacent to the discharge opening 15 while the other wall 35 has at least one curved part 35a, the upper edge 35b of which is substantially in line with the edge 27b of the module 27 (FIG. 3).

According to another variant shown in FIG. 5, the distribution means are supplied by two supply conveyors 20 arranged at one of their ends and by two conveyors arranged at the other end, the evacuation conveyors being directed in the same direction. Thus the conveyors 5 to 8 are associated respectively with the distributors 19, 21, 18 and 20, the discharge conveyors 10 to 13 discharging the unit products to the right in the figure.

The operation of the distribution system according to the invention is as follows.

When the production machines 1 1 4 deliver unitary products packaged on the motorized conveyor belts 5 to 8, said unitary products arrive, according to the supply conveyor which conveys them, to a distribution member 18 to 21 Arrived at the end of the conveyor, for example the conveyor 5 in FIG. 3, they are pushed by the products arriving from behind on an intermediate plate 36 until they are taken up by the first module 27. They continue their path until they fall into the discharge opening 28 which is formed by removal of a module, which has the effect of transferring the unit products 33 onto the evaluation conveyor 11 associated with the removed module . The unitary products are then brought by this conveyor to the appropriate overwrapping machine. By providing a module for each distribution member associated with each evacuation conveyor, it is easy to see that the overwrapping machines can be supplied in the most efficient manner. Indeed, if one supp-v poses that the overwrapping machine 16 is unavailable for any reason, it suffices to evacuate the products “. unit by removing the module 26, not shown, on each * 10 distributor 18 to 21 located upstream of the one associated with the evacuation conveyor leading to the defective or stopped overwrapping machine. The unitary products are then evacuated to the other overwrapping machines.

It should be noted that, thanks to the structure of the transfer chutes 15, the unit products are guided during their fall by gravity so as to avoid possible deterioration during their transfer to the evacuation conveyors.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments of the examples described and shown, it is capable of numerous variants accessible to those skilled in the art, depending on the applications envisaged and without departing from the part of the invention.

"

Claims (10)

1. Load distribution and transfer system between several conveyors in a handling installation, of the type comprising motorized supply or input conveyors, motorized evacuation or output means, load transfer means feed conveyors to. the evacuation means, characterized in that the evacuation means are located at least partially below the transfer means which are constituted by distribution members 10 each associated with a supply conveyor, each member distribution comprising several independent modules which can each be removed to allow the transfer of the loads from the distribution member to the evacuation means. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the removal of each independent module delimits an opening for discharging the charges from the distribution member to the evacuation means. 3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the transfer of the charges is carried out by gravity through the discharge opening on the discharge means which are arranged below the distribution members. 4. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each distribution member comprises as many removable modules as motorized conveyors, known per se and constituting the evacuation means. 5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that each removable independent module is constituted by a free roller conveyor. 6. System according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transfer means comprise a movable chute with an open bottom for the transfer and guiding of loads and capable of being brought into line with the load. 'evacuation opening, v- 7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the access opening of the movable chute is substantially equal to the evacuation opening. 7 ί é * 8. System according to one of claims 6 or 7, charac terized in that the movable chute is formed by two side walls connected together at their edge. lower so as to provide the open bottom, one of said walls being appreciably vertical and located at the right of an edge of the discharge opening while the other wall has at least one curved part whose upper edge is substantially at the right of the other edge of said discharge opening. 9. System according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the distribution members are arranged parallel to one another and perpendicular to the discharge conveyors. 6 ê 10. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the feed conveyors are each associated with a ma-15 · china for the production of packaged products while each evacuation conveyor is associated with a machine for overpacking and grouping said packaged products.