WO1994000372A1

WO1994000372A1 - Method and system for successive transferring of objects between hanging conveyors

Info

Publication number: WO1994000372A1
Application number: PCT/DK1993/000205
Authority: WO
Inventors: Svend Erik Pedersen
Original assignee: Nilas A/S
Priority date: 1992-06-22
Filing date: 1993-06-22
Publication date: 1994-01-06
Also published as: AU5419094A

Abstract

A method and a system for successive transferring of transport objects between hanging conveyors (56, 58), preferably comprising endless ball link transmission chains (54) arranged in hollow support rails (52), and having hanging carrier members (66) for the transport objects. The hanging carrier members (66) are suspended on the support rails (52) by means of carrier rollers (48) being adapted to be connected with the ball link transmission chains (54) by engagement means (50). For the transfer of the hanging carrier members (66) between the hanging conveyors (56, 58) change-over mechanisms (18) with horizontally rotating transfer discs (20) and means for guiding in and out (42) for upper end parts (44) of the hanging carrier members (66), which transfer discs (20) preferably are rotated with higher periphery speed than the speed of the hanging conveyors (56, 58). In a simple manner and by means of simple technical provisions an effective and automatically successive transfer of the transport objects on hanging carrier means between hanging conveyors is hereby obtained.

Description

Method and system for successive transferring of objects between hanging conveyors

The present invention relates to a method for successive transferring of transport objects between hanging conveyors, and of the type described in the introductory part of claim 1.

By hanging conveyors comprising endless ball link transmission chains, automatic transfer of the transport object between the parallel sections of often complex system of hanging conveyors is often required - especially for internal transport systems in manu¬ facturing companies. So far satisfactory methods or systems for that purpose are unknown.

The invention has for its purpose to provide a method for successive transfer of transport objects between hanging conveyors of the type mentioned introductorily, and by which it - by simple and effective provisions - becomes possible to obtain an automatic transfer of the transport objects between the hanging conveyors.

The method according to the invention is distinctive in that carrier rollers with projec¬ ting upper end parts are used for the suspension of the carrier members, said upper end parts comprise horizontal carrier means and upright guide means, that a change-over mechanism with horizontally rotating transfer disc and means for guiding in and out said carrier means is used for the transfer of the transport objects between sections of the re¬ spective hanging conveyors, and that the transfer disc means preferably are rotated with higher periphery speed than the speed of the hanging conveyors. In a simple manner and by means of simple technical provisions an effective and automatically successive transfer of transport objects on the hanging carrier means between hanging conveyors is hereby obtained. Appropriately carrier means are used, which comprise - in relation to the moving direction of the hanging conveyor - transverse end parts, the free ends of which are facing the change-over mechanism.

The invention furthermore relates to a system for carrying out the method, that is for successive transferring of transport objects between hanging conveyors, which preferab¬ ly comprise endless ball link transmission chains being lead in hollow support rails, on which hanging carrier members are suspended by means of carrier rollers, as the carrier members furthermore are adapted to be connected with the ball link transmission chains, which system is distinctive in that the carrier members comprise upper end parts, which is for suspension of the carrier members on said support rails, and which comprise hori¬ zontal carrier means with upright guide means, and a change-over mechanism with one or two horizontal transfer discs with a surrounding upper carrier surface and means for guiding in and out said horizontal carrier means.

Appropriately said carrier means are provided with - in relation to the moving direction of the hanging conveyor - transverse parts, the free ends of which are facing the respective change-over mechanisms.

The system comprises change-over mechanisms with mutually opposite rotating transfer discs being adapted to transfer said carrier means between guiding-in and guiding-out zones of the respective transfer discs.

In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sketch of a hanging conveyor system according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment for a transfer disc of a change-over mechanism accor¬ ding to the invention - as seen from the top, Fig. 3 shows a side view - partly in section - of the transfer disc cf. Fig. 2, while

Fig. 4 shows a transport hanging carrier member for a change-over mechanism cf. Figs. 2 and 3.

As an example Fig. 1 shows a sketch of a hanging conveyor system in a nursery, where a primary hanging conveyor 2 is mounted under supporting roof trusses and stretching along opposite sides of a common interior wall 4 between a greenhouse 6 and a greenhouse 8. Between the greenhouse 8, a packing room 10, and a pot room 12 a se- cundary hanging conveyor 14 is mounted. In the greenhouse 6 a so-called table convey¬ or 16 is mounted, which is displaceably suspended on support rails stretching longitudi¬ nally through the greenhouse 6, and adapted to serve transverse plant tables in the greenhouse 6.

Between the primary hanging conveyor 2 and the table conveyor 16 two change-over mechanisms 18 are mounted on the last-mentioned conveyor, said chamge-over mechanisms are adapted to be displaced along the primary hanging conveyor 2 together with the table conveyor 16. Between the secundary hanging conveyor 14 and the primary hanging conveyor 2 two stationary change-over mechanisms 18 are mounted.

By means of the transport directions of the respective hanging conveyors shown in Fig. 1 the total hanging conveyor system may be used to transport new-potted plants from from the pot room 12, via the secundary hanging conveyor 14, the primary conveyor 2, and the table conveyor 16 to the plant tables in the greenhouse 6 - and at the same time pot plants ready for sale may be transported the opposite way, namely via the table con¬ veyor 16, the primary conveyor 2, and the secondary conveyor 14 to the packing room 10, as change-over mechanisms 18 are used, which permit simultaneous passage of transport objects between the co-operating hanging conveyors, for instance between the table conveyor 16 and the primary conveyor 2, and between the latter and the secundary conveyor 14. In Figs. 2 and 3 an embodiment for the change-over mechanism 18 is shown, which comprises a transfer disc 20 consisting of a central hub cylinder 22, in which internal ends of a large number of spokes in the form of round iron rods 24 are fastened in such a manner, that the spokes 24 opposite the hub cylinders 22 may be swung adjusted in the height. Along the periphery of the transfer disc 20 a strong, ringshaped carrying cloth 26 of rubber web is secured at the outer ends of the spokes 24, that is so that the latter still may be displaced up and down in relation to the hub cylinder 22.

Co-axial to the hub cylinder 22 a lifting ring 28, which by means of inclined carrying rods 30 is secured to a sliding block member 32, which - in a not shown manner - may be displaced up and down along a common shaft 34. That is that by means of the lifting ring 28 the outer ends of the spokes 24 may obtain the shown horizontal position or by displacement of the sliding block member 32 downwards - as indicated may stretch inclined downwards - corresponding to the transfer disc 20 being ready for activation or not, respectively.

Outside the lifting ring 28 an arched activation rail 36 is placed, which by means of car¬ rying rods 38 is secured to a lower sliding block member 40, which - in a not shown manner - may be displaced up and down the shaft 34. The activation rail 36 stretches for some more than the quarter of a turn of the transfer disc 20 and it has wedge-shaped end parts, that is the activation rail 36 being highest at the middle.

Over the carrying cloth 26 two arched guiding rails 42 are mounted, which stretch parallel to the activation rail 36, and being adapted to catch an upright guide means 46 projecting from upper end parts 44 of a hanging carrier member 66 (Fig. 4), so that the carrier rolls 48 and engagement means 50 between the carrier rollers 48 by means of the transfer disc 20 may be lifted free from a support rail 52 and a ball link transmission chain 54, respectively, of a hanging conveyor 56 - and successively be replaced on a second hanging conveyor 58 (Fig. 2). Said upper end parts 44 of the hanging carrier member 66 are lifted - by means of the change-over mechanism 18 - totally free from the hanging conveyor 56, as the end parts 44 comprise an upper shackle part 60 with a longitudinal carrying member 62, from which said upper guiding means 46 projects.

The change-over mechanism 18 has the following function:

When one on the hanging conveyor 56 arriving hanging carrier member is wanted to be transferred to the hanging conveyor 58, the change-over mechanism 18 is activated - as the transfer disc 20 is rotated clockwise - by displacement upwards of the activation rail 36, so that the carrying cloth 26 of the transfer disc from the "place of arrival " stretches inclined upwards, that is the carrying member 62 is gripped by the carrying cloth 26 and lifted upwards. Hereby the carrier rollers 48 and the engagement part 50 are lifted free from the support rail 52 and the ball link transmission chain 54, respectively. The hanging carrier member (Fig. 4) is as a whole now only supported on the carrying cloth 26 along the periphery of the transfer disc 20, as the carrying member 62 by the enga¬ gement between the guide means 46 and the guiding rail 42 is forced to follow the transfer disc 20.

By opposite ends of the activation rail 36 the carrying cloth 26 is stretching inclined downwards again - and carrier rollers 48 and the engagement means 50, which - during the transfer has been placed under the carrying cloth 26 - now is allowed to be replaced on the hanging conveyor 58, as the engagement between the guiding means 46 and the guiding rails 42 at the same time ends.

Claims

1. A method for successive transferring of transport objects between hanging convey¬ ors, preferably comprising endless ball link transmission chains arranged in hollow support rails, and having hanging carrier members for the transport objects, said carrier members are suspended on the support rails by means of carrier rollers being adapted to be connected with the ball link transmission chains, characterized in that carrier rollers with projecting upper end parts are used for the suspension of the carrier members, said upper end parts comprise horizontal carrier means and upright guide means, that a change-over mechanism with horizontally rotating transfer disc and means for guiding in and out said carrier means is used for the transfer of the transport objects between sections of the respective hanging conveyors, and that the transfer disc means preferably are rotated with higher periphery speed than the speed of the hanging conveyors.

2. A method according to claim ^characterized in using carrier means com- prising - in relation to the moving direction of the hanging conveyor - transverse end parts, the free ends of which are facing the change-over mechanism.

3. A system for successive transferring of transport objects between hanging conveyors, which preferably comprise endless ball link transmission chains being lead in hollow support rails, on which hanging carrier members are suspended by means of carrier rollers, as the carrier members furthermore are adapted to be connected with the ball link transmission chains, characterized in that the carrier members comprise upper end parts, which is for suspension of the carrier members on said support rails, and which comprise horizontal carrier means with upright guide means, and a change- over mechanism with one or two horizontal transfer discs with a surrounding upper carrier surface and means for guiding in and out said horizontal carrier means.

4. A system according to claim 3, characterized in that said carrier means are provided with - in relation to the moving direction of the hanging conveyor - transverse parts, the free ends of which are facing the respective change-over mechanisms.

5. A system according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in comprising change-over mechanisms with mutually opposite rotating transfer discs being adapted to transfer said carrier means between guiding-in and guiding-out zones of the respective transfer discs.