WO1995005993A1

WO1995005993A1 - Electric overhead conveyor

Info

Publication number: WO1995005993A1
Application number: PCT/EP1994/001901
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernd Rall; Werner Bopp; Walter Grieme
Original assignee: Thyssen Aufzüge Gmbh
Priority date: 1993-08-24
Filing date: 1994-06-11
Publication date: 1995-03-02
Also published as: DE4328436A1; EP0715598A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an electric overhead-conveyor system (10) with a track (12) and one or more vehicles (16, 18) which can be driven along the track, the vehicles having two holding devices located a certain distance apart along the track and designed to be coupled to two attachment devices fitted to the goods, in particular containers (26a, 26b), to be conveyed. The invention proposes that each vehicle (16, 18) has two independently driven sets of running gear (20a, 20b, 22a, 22b), each of which is fitted with one of the two holding devices, and that each vehicle has its own control unit which, when the vehicle is moving along the track, keeps the distance between the two sets of running gear essentially constant, thus enabling goods, in particular containers (26a, 26b), of different dimensions, and hence with different distances between the attachment devices, to be conveyed simply.

Description

E L E K T R O HÄ N G E B A H N

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to an electric monorail system with a rail section and one or more vehicles which can be moved along the rail section, the vehicles comprising two receiving devices spaced along the rail section for coupling to two coupling devices which are held on the goods to be transported, in particular on containers. Up to now, this type of monorail conveyor has been used in the normal load range (ast less than 1 t) primarily for the transport of goods in workshops.

The previously known vehicles contained a drivable undercarriage and a further undercarriage spaced apart along the rail route, which was mechanically and rigidly coupled to the first driven undercarriage.

The object of the present invention is to create an electric overhead conveyor, in particular for the heavy-duty area, with which transport goods, in particular containers, with changing dimensions and thus different distances between the coupling devices can be transported in a simple manner. To solve this problem, it is proposed that in an electric monorail system of the type described in the introduction, each vehicle comprises two drives which can be driven independently of one another, each of which contains one of the two receiving devices, and that each vehicle is assigned a control and regulating unit which is used in the method of Vehicle keeps the distance between the chassis essentially constant.

In principle, electric monorails are also known from local passenger transport systems. If necessary, cabins are equipped with two undercarriages there. Linear motors are used as drive systems, so that active control for maintaining the minimum distance between two cabins can be omitted. The cabs carried on the trolleys can only be changed to adapt the transport capacity in depots specially designed and equipped for this purpose. A precise positioning of the trolleys to the cabins is not necessary and is also not possible.

In contrast, the present invention is concerned with a transport of heavy goods and in particular also with the floor-bound handling of transport goods, in which it is often important to position the undercarriage with respect to the transport goods to be transported. With the solution according to the invention, this can be implemented at any point along the rail route.

Compared to the conventional monorail systems from the normal load range, one of the main advantages is that a completely different load suspension principle is used, which, even when the container is loaded unevenly, has essentially no torques acting on the cradle and • the associated undercarriage, but ensures that when Picking up the container practically only vertical forces occur. In the prior art, however, it was necessary to to design telescopic holding device or its undercarriage so that torsional forces could also be absorbed by unevenly loaded transport goods containers.

The load-bearing principle according to the invention creates the possibility, particularly in the case of electric monorails for heavy load transport, of constructing the holding devices inexpensively, since essentially only vertical forces have to be manageable.

This also applies to the use of gripping arms to hold the goods to be transported, in which the articulation point on the goods to be transported can be spaced several meters from the running gear / rail contact.

This makes it possible to transport goods of different lengths or with different distances between the coupling devices without any mechanical modifications using the electric monorail conveyor. It is only necessary to bring the two trolleys into the correctly spaced position, the control and regulating unit then keeping the predetermined distance constant when the vehicle is being moved.

The rigid coupling between the trolleys and in particular the arrangement of the drive power in one of the trolleys is eliminated. This makes it possible to use bogies of identical design, which allows a reduction in production costs.

The receiving device of each carriage preferably comprises a hoist, so that the flexibility of the monorail when handling goods is only limited by the available rail route: the picking up and setting down of transport goods can take place along the entire available rail route and does not require any ground-based auxiliary devices. In particular, the invention relates to a heavy-duty electric overhead conveyor with a rail section and one or more vehicles that can be moved along the rail section and have load receiving devices that are used for handling and transporting loading units, preferably containers, swap bodies, semitrailers or similar transport containers with standardized openings ¬ take devices can be used.

The handling systems known hitherto for the transport vessels mentioned are floor-bound, e.g. stationary, rail-guided or rubber-tired. With the present invention, this function is to be performed by corridor-free transshipment devices which run along an elevated, arbitrarily long rail route.

The present invention provides an electric monorail system which can be used to easily transport goods of combined traffic with changing dimensions and to place and pick them up at any point along the route without using additional transfer stations.

Here, each vehicle comprises two independently driven undercarriages, each of which contains one of the two load suspension devices, and a control and regulating unit which positions the two autonomous undercarriages exactly above the loading unit during the handling process and the distance of the undercarriages when the vehicle is moved keeps constant distance from each other by means of active distance control.

This makes it possible to transport goods with the electric monorail system without any mechanical modifications to the load suspension devices and without additional transfer stations different lengths or with different distances between the receiving devices to pick up and transport independently. It is only necessary to bring the two trolleys into the correctly spaced position above the goods to be transported using their own travel drives. This positioning of the two trolleys can be done either manually by means of a remote-controlled hand terminal or fully automatically by means of position marks relative to the rail route.

Both trolleys of the electric monorail vehicles are equipped with a hoist. It is thus possible, without additional transfer stations, to directly pick up or set down a transport good or a loading unit at any point along the route. In particular, it is possible to pick up or set down the loading unit directly from the train carrier; for this purpose, the route is installed in the middle of the train tracks. It is also possible to take over or transfer the loading unit from a stationary transfer station (e.g. plate conveyor) or mobile transfer station (e.g. rail-guided crane). As a combined transport and handling system, the invention can handle the loading units of combined traffic in any combination between the modes of transport by rail, road, sea and inland water; Furthermore, the system with the same or similar transport containers can also be used for logistic services in the local transport sector ("city logistics").

Each of the two undercarriages has its own load-carrying device, ie the previously used loading gear is "shared". This "split loading harness" can contain two lockable pivots and a hinged gripper; it is also possible to equip the load suspension device so that it engages laterally in container corner fittings. With the two The two front and rear corner fittings of a standard container can be pivoted, and the gripping pliers fit into the front and rear gripping tabs of a swap body or semi-trailer. Two trolleys are therefore always required for gripping and transporting a loading unit.

The length adjustment of the (divided) loading gear and the positioning above the loading unit is carried out by the two autonomous travel drives of the trolleys. To stabilize the vehicle network, a telescopic traverse can be used between the undercarriages and also between the two load suspension devices, which (in contrast to conventional constructions) does not absorb any load moment. The traverse is also adjusted via the travel drives of the trolleys. In the principle of the load and moment control as well as the length adjustment, the divided loading harness therefore differs fundamentally from the prior art.

One of the chassis of the vehicle is preferably designed as a master chassis and the other chassis is used as a slave vehicle. The driving commands are thus transmitted to the master undercarriage, and the traversing movements of the master undercarriage are then used to derive the movements of the slave undercarriage.

From a control point of view, it is advantageous to determine the vehicle driving ahead as the master chassis.

If, however, the exact positioning of the bogies along the rail route and in particular the transport goods to be picked up is important, it can be advantageous to define the trailing bogie as the master bogie.

Particularly preferred undercarriages can optionally be defined as master or slave undercarriages. In a further preferred electric monorail system, it is provided that the control and regulating unit includes data transfer stations in the two trolleys, which enable data exchange between the two trolleys and / or a control and regulating unit separate therefrom. For example, it can be provided that the control and regulating unit is fixed in place on the electric monorail, while corresponding actuators are arranged in the two undercarriages, which control or regulate the driving performance of the individual undercarriages.

Alternatively, it can be provided that the control and regulating unit is accommodated in one of the two undercarriages and transmits control commands to the other undercarriage, preferably the slave undercarriage, via the data transfer stations.

There are several possibilities for the data transfer between the two undercarriages and / or the control and regulating unit, wherein in addition to an exchange of radio signals for data transmission, optical signals or else electrical signals via a common data line can be used. If electrical signals are used for data transfer between the two bogies and / or the control and regulating unit, provision can be made for a common data line to be laid along the rail line, from which the bogies each tap the corresponding data signals .

Alternatively, it can be provided that the common data line is at the same time a common power supply line, which must be tapped by the undercarriages anyway in order to absorb the drive energy. This considerably simplifies the construction of the data transfer station or its coupling to the electrical data line.

In order to keep the trolleys at a constant distance, can be seen that each individual undercarriage contains a measuring device for determining the distance traveled in each case, the measured values of which are compared with one another and used to control or regulate the drive current of the respective drives of the undercarriages.

In addition, it can be provided that the vehicle comprises a distance measuring device for determining the distance between the two undercarriages, the distance measuring device generating a signal for the control and regulating unit, which generates this signal for emitting corresponding control signals for the drives of the two undercarriages evaluates.

In addition, it can be provided that the slave undercarriage comprises a current monitor circuit which generates a signal for the control and regulating unit when the current consumption of the drive of the slave undercarriage assumes values outside of a tolerance during the movement of the vehicle.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the knowledge that the current taken up by the drive of the slave chassis or the drive energy fluctuates when the slave chassis is either pulled or pushed by the master chassis. The evaluation of the signal of the current monitor circuit allows the control and regulating unit to generate corresponding control and regulation signals which bring the slave chassis back to the correct distance from the master chassis, the one recorded by the drive of the slave chassis Current is returned to the expected value or to the tolerance range around this value.

These and further advantages of the invention result in the following from the explanations of the drawings. The individual shows: 1 is an overview drawing of a typical overhead conveyor according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 details of the suspension of the trolleys on the rail track;

Fig. 3 is a detailed drawing in an enlarged form from Fig. 1;

4 shows an overview drawing of an electric overhead conveyor according to the invention in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;

5 shows a detailed drawing with holding devices, which comprises various docking devices;

6a / b receiving device according to FIG. 5 in a first variant of use; and

7a / b receiving device according to FIG. 5 in a further use variant.

1 shows an electric monorail system provided with the reference number 10, in which a rail section 12 of 3 stands 14 is held at a height of approximately 15 m above the ground. The rail 12 holds two vehicles 16 and 18, each of which comprises two trolleys 20a, 20b and 22a, 22b which can be driven independently of one another. The undercarriages 20a and 22a are each designed as so-called master undercarriages and the undercarriages 20b and 22b as slave undercarriages assigned to them. However, it can be provided that the undercarriages 20a, 20b, 22a and 22b each work as a master undercarriage if they drive ahead in the direction of travel.

Each of the trolleys 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b comprises a coupling device direction 24, which cooperate with corresponding docking devices on containers 26a and 26b to be transported.

FIG. 2 shows in detail how the vehicles, here using the example of the master undercarriage 20a, are kept suspended from the rail section 12.

Finally, FIG. 3 shows, by way of example, on the vehicle 16 how, by simply moving the undercarriage 20b into a position shown in reference number 20b ', the receiving device 24 can be changed in distance and brought to twice the distance here.

As shown in detail here, the undercarriages 20a and 20b comprise a distance measuring system 28, the output signal of which in each case supplies data to the control device of the vehicle 16. Accordingly, the drive energies to be absorbed by the vehicles are regulated, and it is thus ensured that the two undercarriages 20a and 20b remain at a constant distance from one another during the movement of the container 26a.

Preferred distance measuring devices, hereinafter referred to as distance systems, are shown in the following table:

Distance system advantages disadvantages

1. Ultrasonic encoder no cuts in the fixed distance in the event of failure of a 2 point switch, conductor rail collision. required possible only fixed distance possible large scanning lobe and therefore large

Reflective surface necessary

Influences by

Interfering edges possible

Interference caused by

Noises possible

2. Optical distances, no cuts in the collision switch required if a measurement fails, analog conductor line encoder

Vanabler distance possible

Contamination control available

3. Optical distance as point 2 measurement, analog constant measuring switch, two-value comparison and channel stop if there is too large a deviation in the event of a sensor failure, no collision.

FIG. 4 shows an overview drawing similar to FIG. 1 with an electric monorail 30, in which, as described above, a rail section 32 is held by three stands 34 at a predetermined distance above the ground. The overhead conveyor 30 contains two vehicles 36, 38, which are shown in different operating positions. The vehicle 36, with its undercarriages 40a, b, transports a container 42 which is held at both ends by the coupling device 44a, b assigned to one of the undercarriages 40a, b.

The coupling devices 44a, b each contain a lifting device with which, as shown in the example of the vehicle 38, the container can be lowered onto the ground or a rail vehicle or road vehicle parked there.

In the case of the vehicle 36, the container 42 is docked and held on the coupling device 44a, b by means of customary standardized pivots. These pivot pins cannot be seen in detail in this figure, but are explained in more detail in connection with FIGS. 6a and b.

In the case of its coupling devices 44a, b, the vehicle 36 includes gripping tongs 46a, b in addition to the pivots (not shown in detail), which here are each pivoted horizontally into an out-of-operation position. These gripping tongs can be pivoted vertically and are then available for gripping a container by its gripping fittings, as is shown in the example of vehicle 38. The same functional parts on the vehicle 38 are identified with the same reference numerals and with an apostrophe as the corresponding functional parts of the vehicle 36. The vehicle 38 also shows the function of the lifting mechanisms inherent in the undercarriages 40a, b and 40a ', b' , which allows the coupling device 44a, b, 44a ', b' to be lowered to the ground in order to be able to receive containers 42, 42 'even from this plane.

FIG. 5 shows in detail a vehicle 50 which can be moved on a rail 48 and which transports a container 52. As already in connection with the vehicle 36 of FIG. 4 described here, a coupling device 54a, b of the individual undercarriages 56a, b of the vehicle 50 includes a pivot coupling (not shown in detail) and gripping arms 58a, b in order to grip and hold containers on their underside. In order to achieve maximum flexibility in the adaptation to the container length with a large range of the gripping arms 58a, b, it is provided that the gripping arms 58a, - b are not completely in the horizontal position in their inoperative position, but rather something to this to be positioned inclined so that the mutually facing gripping arms 58a and 58b can be arranged such that they overlap one another. The reference numerals provided with the lower case letter c represent the undercarriage 56b in its position located away from the undercarriage 56a, as is the case when a container of maximum length is transported. The hoists, which are each assigned to the trolleys 56a and 56b, are not shown and explained in more detail here.

FIGS. 6a and b show in detail undercarriages 60a and b of a vehicle of an electric monorail system according to the invention, which are shown in FIG. 6b moved together to the minimum distance. In addition to a trolley 62a, b, the trolleys 60a and 60b also contain lifting trolleys 64a, b which can be rotated about a vertical axis and which hold bi-functional coupling devices 66a, b adjustable in height. The hoists 64a, b contain their own drive motor 68a, b, which can lower or raise the coupling devices 66a, b for setting down or picking up a container. Each of the lifting mechanisms 64a, b preferably includes a guide part 70a, b, into which a complementary part of the coupling devices 66a or 66b can be engaged in the raised position of the container or the coupling devices 66a, b, so that a positive connection between the respective coupling device 66a, b and the associated lifting gear 64a, b and thus the associated running gear 60a, b for the transport travel of the vehicle. The hoists 64a, b can therefore be in the form of a simple Cable pull mechanism can be formed, which is completely sufficient for raising and lowering the coupling devices 66a, b, while for the driving operation of the vehicle a complementary part of the coupling devices 66a, b can be engaged in the guide part 70a, b and thus during the driving operation for a mechanical coupling with the respective undercarriage ensures that oscillating and wobbling movements of the coupling devices 66a, b during the journey, including any goods to be coupled thereto, are excluded.

At the lower end of the coupling devices 66a, b a pivot pin 72a, b protrudes, which can be inserted into a correspondingly standardized recess on the top of the container and which can be locked in the recess of the container with a rotary movement. In addition, the coupling devices 66a, b carry gripping arms 74a, b pivoted into the horizontal, the function and mode of operation of which are explained in more detail in connection with FIGS. 7a and 7b.

6b, the two pairs of gripper arms 74a and 74b are pivoted in the same direction into the horizontal, the pairs of gripper arms 74a and 74b preferably pointing in the opposite direction of travel F. This is a third possible arrangement of the gripping arms in the non-operating division (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5). Because the lifting mechanisms 64a, b are held on the carriage 62a, b so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, these carriages are particularly suitable for moving on rail routes which follow a course deviating from a straight line.

FIGS. 7a and 7b finally describe the use of the pairs of gripper arms 74a, b when picking up a container as Cargo. As is particularly clear from FIG. 7a, the pairs of gripper arms 74a, b can each be pivoted outwards and then, in their vertical position, can be inserted into a recess on the container floor. FIG. 7a shows the disengaged position of the gripper arms 74a in broken lines, while FIG. 7b shows the gripper arms in solid lines in their active position and in broken lines in their inoperative position, in which they are pivoted into the horizontal. The same functional parts in FIGS. 7a and 7b denote the same parts as in FIGS. 6a and 6b.

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Electric monorail system with a rail section and a vehicle which can be moved along the rail section, the vehicle comprising two receiving devices spaced along the rail section for coupling to two coupling devices held on the goods to be transported, in particular on containers that the vehicle comprises two independently driven undercarriages, each of which contains one of the two receiving devices, and that the vehicle is assigned a control and regulating unit which keeps the distance between the undercarriages constant when the vehicle is being moved.

2. overhead conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device comprises a hoist for receiving and depositing transported goods.

3. Electric monorail system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that one of the trolleys of a vehicle is designed as a master trolley, while the other trolley works as a slave trolley.

4. Electric monorail system according to claim 3, characterized in that the respective undercarriage functions as the master undercarriage.

5. Electric monorail system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control and regulating unit comprises data transfer stations in both trolleys which enable data exchange between the trolleys and / or the control and regulating unit.

6. Electric monorail system according to claim 5, characterized in that the data transfer stations comprise a device for the transmission of optical signals.

7. Electric monorail system according to claim 5, characterized in that the data transfer stations can be coupled to a common data line which is laid along the rail route.

8. Electric monorail system according to claim 7, characterized in that the common data line is a common Stromver¬ supply line for the drives of the trolleys.

9. Electric monorail system according to claim 5, characterized in that the data transfer stations comprise a transmitting and receiving device for transmitting and receiving radio signals.

10. Electric monorail system according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the vehicle comprises a distance measuring device for determining the distance of the trolleys.

11. Electric monorail system according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the slave undercarriage comprises a Stromwächter¬ circuit which generates a signal on the basis of The current consumption of the drive of this undercarriage can be controlled in such a way that the distance between the undercarriages remains within a predetermined tolerance.