WO1995025688A1

WO1995025688A1 - Method and device for sorting blanks

Info

Publication number: WO1995025688A1
Application number: PCT/AT1995/000058
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Lisec
Original assignee: Peter Lisec
Priority date: 1994-03-24
Filing date: 1995-03-22
Publication date: 1995-09-28
Also published as: ATA62994A; AT402194B; AU1885195A

Abstract

In order to sort glass plate blanks, the blanks are placed in compartments (2) in a compartmentalized shelf (1). The blanks are transferred from the shelf (1) to compartments (6) in a compartmentalized carriage (5). By displacement of the carriage (5) along the shelf (1), the compartment (6) in the carriage (5) into which the blank is to be placed is aligned opposite the compartment (2) in the shelf (1) holding the blank. The operation is carried out in such a way that a compartmentalized carriage (5) is filled with blanks, the filled carriage (5) is moved into a position (5') adjacent the shelf (1) and simultaneously a further, empty carriage (5) is moved out of a waiting position and loaded with blanks from the shelf (1) whilst the filled carriage (5) is conveyed away and emptied. For practical reasons, a loading arrangement (3) which is movable along the shelf (1) loads the latter with blanks from the side opposite the side on which the carriage (5) is displaced.

Description

Process and plant for sorting blanks

The invention relates to a method and a system for sorting blanks, in particular glass sheet blanks.

From EP 477 163 B1 it is known to sort glass sheet blanks in that the glass sheet blanks conveyed by a cutting system are placed in compartments of a plurality of compartment trolleys arranged one behind the other, which can be displaced independently of one another transversely to the compartments arranged in them. A disadvantage of this known embodiment is that as soon as all the compartments have been filled in the compartment trolley, all of the trolleys have to be transported away at the same time and a corresponding number of empty compartment trolleys have to be brought up. Another disadvantage is that in the compartment trolleys, with the exception of the last compartment trolley, one compartment must remain free for the transport of (glass sheet) blanks.

From EP 0 048 334 AI it is known to place a compartment trolley loaded with blanks on a transfer trolley and to move the transfer trolley along a stationary compartment frame formed from a plurality of compartment trolleys. By moving the compartment trolley, it can be aligned with respect to the compartment frame so that the blank placed in a compartment of the compartment trolley is opposite the correct compartment in the compartment frame, so that the blank from the compartment trolley is pushed into this compartment of the compartment frame that can. When the compartment trolleys are filled, they are exchanged for empty compartment trolleys.

The requirement to always replace all fan trolleys with empty fan trolleys at the same time in the known systems for sorting glass sheet blanks results in undesirable waiting times during which the glass cutting system in which the glass blanks are produced has to be at a standstill.

The invention has for its object to provide a method and a system for performing the method with which plate-shaped blanks, in particular glass sheet blanks, can be placed in compartment trolleys sorted according to any criteria, without having to take a break when replacing a full compartment trolley with an empty compartment trolley.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the blanks, for example supplied by a cutting system, are placed in a compartment shelf and in that the blanks are transferred from the compartment shelf to a compartment trolley, the compartment of the compartment trolley in which the blank is to be placed opposite the compartment aligns the compartment shelf by sliding the compartment trolley along the compartment shelf.

A system which is particularly suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention is characterized by a compartment shelf, by a loading device with which cuts can be placed in the compartment shelf, and by at least two compartment trolleys which can be moved alternately along the compartment shelf.

With the method according to the invention and the system proposed for carrying out the same, the cuts are placed one after the other into compartments of the compartment shelf by a loading device, it being possible to carry out pre-sorting. In order to convert the blanks into a compartment trolley, for example sorted according to sizes and / or orders, the compartment trolley is placed with the compartment in which a blank, e.g. a glass sheet blank that is to be placed is aligned with the compartment of the compartment shelf in which the corresponding blank has been temporarily stored.

As soon as the compartment trolley has been filled with the desired number of blanks, for example glass sheet blanks, it is moved into a position next to the compartment shelf and an empty compartment trolley, which could already be brought into a waiting position, is stopped without interrupting work ¬ process with blanks from the shelf. While the second trolley is being fed with blanks, the previously filled compartment trolley can be transported away so that the trolleys in to provide him with sorted blanks for further processing or processing or for removal.

In the method according to the invention, work is carried out with at least two compartment trolleys, but depending on the size of the system and the size of the compartment trolleys, as a rule several compartment trolleys are used in the circuit.

Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the method and the system of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

Further details and advantages of the method and the system according to the invention result from the following description, in which reference is made to the drawings. It shows:

1 in plan view and schematically a system for sorting blanks using the example of sorting glass sheet blanks,

2 shows an example of an embodiment for the charging device with a compartment shelf in side view,

3 is a plan view of FIG. 2,

4 shows an embodiment for a compartment trolley,

5 and 6 in different views another embodiment for a compartment trolley,

7 and 8 a third embodiment for a compartment scale,

9 rod or cord-like elements of compartment trolleys or compartment shelves with pipe sections and

Fig. 10 shows a detail of Fig. 9 on an enlarged scale and in section. First, the basic principle of the method according to the invention and a system of the invention suitable for carrying out the same is described with reference to FIG. 1.

The system shown in FIG. 1 has as essential components a compartment shelf 1 with several compartments 2 aligned parallel to one another, into each of which a blank (e.g. a glass panel blank) can be inserted. For this purpose, a loading device 3 is assigned to a long side of the shelf 1, which can be moved in the direction of the double arrow 8, for example on rails 4, along the shelf 1. The loading device 3 are cut in the direction of arrow 7, e.g. Glass sheet blanks that come from a cutting system are abandoned. After the loading device 3 has been aligned with a compartment 2 of the compartment shelf 1 by moving it in the direction of the double arrow 8, the blank is inserted in the direction of the arrow 9 into the selected compartment 2 of the compartment shelf 1.

The blanks can already be pre-sorted into the compartment shelf 1 or simply placed in the compartments 2 starting from one end of the compartment shelf 1, in the order in which they are fed.

The blanks are moved from the compartment shelf 1 into one of the compartments 6 of a compartment trolley 5, which can be moved in the direction of the double arrow 12, for example on rails along the compartment shelf 1. This is symbolized in FIG. 1 by the arrow 10. Because or a compartment 6 of the compartment trolley 5 selected in it can be aligned with compartment 2 of the compartment shelf 1 in which the blank to be implemented has been temporarily stored, the blanks in the compartment trolley 5 can be aligned according to sizes, commissions (orders ), or other order criteria can be sorted.

As soon as the compartment trolley 5 has been loaded completely or to the desired extent (for example with all the cuts of an order), it is moved to the compartment rack 1 in a position which is shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 (position 5 '). Once this is done, another compartment wagon will be made 5, which was in the waiting position on the other side of the shelf 1, was brought up and loaded with blanks from the shelf 1 as described. While this is happening, the previously filled and meanwhile emptied compartment trolley 5 can be moved into the waiting position or another, empty compartment trolley 5 is provided in the waiting position at the left end of the compartment shelf 1 in FIG. 1.

The construction of the compartment shelf 1, the compartment trolley 5 and the loading device 3 is not essential for the invention. Preferred embodiments for the above-mentioned components of the system according to the invention are described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10.

2 shows a loading device 70 and a fan rack 80, which is known from EP 477 163 B with the difference mentioned below. The difference is that in the invention the loader 70 is over wheels, e.g. can be moved on rails 4 in the direction of arrow 8, whereas the shelf 80 is stationary. When used for the present invention, unlike EP 477 163 B, the holder 82 assigned to the shelf 80 can be moved in the direction of the double arrow 8 in synchronism with the loading device 70 in order to align it with the selected compartment 2 of the shelf 80. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the support frame 75 for the blank to be inserted into the fan rack 80 is not always raised and lowered on the base frame of the loading device. This will only be the case if, as is known from EP 477 163 B, the blanks are fed in a higher position than they are placed in the compartments of the compartment shelf 80 by the loading device 3, 70.

The loading device 70 has a support frame 75 which is inclined to the rear by approximately 3 to 6 °. The loading device 70 consists of a base frame 71, which can be pushed back and forth across wheels 81 (arrow 8) to the conveying plane, with an essentially vertical sliding guide 72, which is parallel to the rear by 3 to 6 ° inclined support frame 75 and is aligned perpendicular to the conveying direction. On this slide guide 72, the support frame 75 can be moved up and down by means of corresponding guides 73 and 74 via drive means (not shown), for example hydraulic motors or pressure medium cylinders. Support rollers 77 are rotatably mounted on the support frame 75 and on its horizontal lattice struts 76. At the lower end of the support frame 75 there is also a conveyor device 78 designed as an endless conveyor belt.

The shelf 80 is arranged next to the loading device 70. The compartments of the compartment shelf 80 are inclined by the same angle as the conveying plane of the loading device 70, that is to say by approximately 3 to 6 °. In order to facilitate the feeding of the individual glass sheet blanks into the compartments of the compartment shelf 80 delimited by rods or tensioned ropes, a holder 82 is provided which has struts 83 arranged in a rake-like manner. The holder 82 can be displaced in the direction of the arrow 8 synchronously with the loading device 70. Support rollers 85 are attached to the vertical legs 84 of the struts 83, on which the glass sheet blanks are supported during their transport into a compartment of the compartment shelf 80. To support the glass sheet blanks from below, a support beam 86 is provided which optionally supports drivable support rollers 87 which are assigned to the vertical (i.e., approximately 3 to 6 ° inclined) legs 84 of the struts 83. In addition, in the direction of transport (arrow 9) there are also a transport or support roller 87 in front of and after the shelf 80, which are also arranged on the support beam 86.

The support beam 86 can be raised or lowered up and down, as a result of which the conveyor rollers 87 can be brought into or out of contact with the lower edge of a glass sheet blank. The compartment trolley 20 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 has a plurality of compartments 21 for receiving glass sheet blanks. The compartments 21 of the compartment trolley 20 are formed by tensioned rods or ropes 22. To the . Tensioning the rods or ropes 22 have short springs 23 inserted over their ends protruding from the upper frame part of the compartment trolley 20, which can be tightened using nuts 24. The lower boundary of the compartments 21 is formed either by rollers which are arranged at a distance from one another, which can be driven if necessary, or by fixed supports which are arranged at a distance from one another.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the glass sheet blanks in the direction of arrow 25 into the compartments 21, freely rotatable rollers or balls can be arranged on the rods or ropes 22.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the compartment wagon 20 has feet 26 below, over which it stands on a chassis 27. The carriage 27 can be moved back and forth via wheels 29 running in rails 28 in the direction of the double arrow 12 (FIG. 1), so that each compartment 21 of the compartment trolley 20 can be aligned with respect to a compartment 2 of the compartment shelf 1 or 80.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one compartment 21 of the compartment carriage 20 is assigned a linear conveyor device 31 which has a plurality of transport rollers 32 pointing upwards. The linear conveyor device 31 can be raised in the direction of the double arrows 33 into the lower region of a compartment 21 and can thus support the movement of a glass sheet blank into the compartment 21 of the compartment trolley 20. The rollers 32 of the linear conveyor device 31 engage between the lower support elements (supports or rollers) assigned to the compartment, and the rollers 32 engage on the lower edge of the glass sheet blank.

Such a linear conveyor device 31 can be assigned to each compartment of the compartment trolley 20, or a linear conveyor device 31 can be raised on the floor 34 so that it can be moved either of the compartments 21 of the compartment trolley 20 by moving the compartment trolley 20 in the direction of the double arrow 30 can be assigned.

To move the compartment trolley 20 in the direction of the double arrow 30, the chassis 27 is shown with a Drive coupled. This drive can be a rack and pinion drive or an endless belt drive, preferably a toothed belt drive, which is actuated in order to align the desired compartment 21 of the compartment trolley 20 with the group of lifting arms 5 of the lifting device 4 that has been set up.

The compartment trolley 40 according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is constructed similarly to the compartment trolley 20 of the embodiment according to FIG. 4, with the difference that it can be moved directly on wheels 41 on the floor 34. In order to guide the compartment trolley 40 exactly, the wheels 41 are accommodated between guide rails 42 or 34 U-shaped profiles are mounted on the floor in which the wheels 41 run.

In the compartment trolley 40, no rolling elements are provided on the tensioned bars or ropes 22, which delimit the compartments 21, but rather an essentially rake-like holder 45 is provided, which in the embodiment shown shows four of a bar 46 arms 47 projecting below. On the arms 47 of the bracket 45, freely rotatable support rollers 48 and on the free, lower ends of the arms 47 support and transport rollers 49, which engage on the lower edge of glass sheet blanks, are mounted. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the holder 45 can be aligned with respect to each of the compartments 21 of the compartment trolley 40 such that the support rollers 48 protrude laterally and the transport and support rollers 49 into the compartment 21 from below. The holder 45 can be aligned with each compartment 21 by moving the compartment trolley 40 in the direction of the double arrow 30 and / or by moving the holder 45.

5 and 6 in the direction of the double arrow 30 (corresponds to arrow 12 of FIG. 1), a coupling 50 is provided on this, via which the fan carriage 40 with an actuator 51, which is shown in FIG Embodiment is designed as a rack and pinion drive, can be coupled.

A bracket 45 with support rollers 48 and optionally with support and transport rollers 49 can also be used in the compartment trolleys 20 according to FIG. 4 may be provided. The roles on the tensioned rods or ropes 22 of the compartment trolleys 20 can also be omitted. Such rollers can also be provided on the tensioned rods or ropes 22 of the compartment carriage 40.

The liftable linear conveyor device 31 (FIG. 4) can also be used in the embodiment of the compartment trolley 40 according to FIGS. 5 and 6. In this case, the support and transport rollers 49 on the bracket 45 can also be omitted. It should be pointed out that, apart from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the compartment shelf 1 can also be designed similarly to one of the embodiments for compartment trolleys shown in FIGS. 4 to 8.

The embodiment of a compartment trolley 101 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which is known per se from the Austrian patent application 2468/92 published on March 15, 1994, and which can be used for the invention, consists of one Base plate 101, which has feet 102 on its underside. The feet 102 can, as shown in the drawing, be equipped with rollers 103, it being possible for at least some of the rollers 103 to be designed as steering rollers.

Posts 104 and 105 protrude upward from the base plate 101 and carry a beam 106 at their upper ends.

Rod or cord-like elements 109 are stretched between the longitudinal edges 107 and 108 of the base plate 101 and the beam 106 and each form a compartment 110 into which sheet-like objects 111, 112 (blanks, for example glass sheet blanks) are inserted can.

An embodiment is also possible in which the rod-like or cord-like elements 109 are tensioned from the beam 106 only to one side, ie to the longitudinal edge 107 or 108 of the base plate 101. In this embodiment, the uprights 104 and 105 are preferably arranged on one of the longitudinal edges of the base plate 101, ie in two corners thereof. The rod-like or cord-like elements 109 are, for example, steel cables which have a plastic coating on the outside. In order to ensure the necessary tension of the rod-like or cord-like elements 109, as is known per se from AT-B-394 987, short springs 113 can be provided on one or both ends of the elements 109, which by means of Nuts 114 can be tensioned in order to prestress the elements (FIG. 2).

In the area of each compartment 110, grooves 115 are provided in the top of the base plate 101, which are delimited on both sides by strips 116, which e.g. are screwed onto the base plate 101 or are formed in one piece with it. The grooves 115 are somewhat narrower than the width of the compartments 110 determined by the rod-shaped or cord-shaped elements 109, so that the plate-shaped objects 111, 112 (blanks) to be inserted are guided and are not placed in adjacent compartments 110 Can grind objects 111, 112 along. Furthermore, the grooves 115 ensure that tabular objects 111, 112 placed in the compartments 110 rest only in the region of their upper edge on one or the other rod-shaped or cord-shaped element 109 which delimits a compartment 110.

Due to the inclined position of the rod-shaped or cord-shaped elements 109, which delimit the compartments 110, two rod-shaped or cord-shaped elements 109 are sufficient for each compartment 110, in order to also securely place objects 111, 112 with different heights (perpendicular to the base plate 101 measured extension of the objects to be parked).

As can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, recesses 117, which are open at the bottom and extend transversely to the grooves 115 and in which transport rollers 118 are received, are provided in the base plate 101. In this case, recesses 119 can also be provided in the strips 116 on their side 120 facing the base plate 101, said recesses 119 being arranged in the base plate 101 above the recesses 117 running transversely to the grooves 115. The recesses 119 in the strips 116 are so deep that the transport rollers 118 can be lifted up so far that they protrude into the grooves 115 and thus can convey the tabular objects 111, 112 into or out of the compartments 110.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the transport rollers 118 are fastened to a frame 125 which is either rigidly fastened to the base plate 101, but preferably, for example, Is adjustable relative to the base plate 101 by means of pressure medium cylinders, so that the transport rollers 118 can be brought out of engagement with the tabular objects 111, 112 accommodated in the compartments 110. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the frame 125, in which the transport rollers 118 are mounted, is arranged on the base plate 101.

In Fig. 8, the frame 125 is arranged on a base frame 126 in a manner not shown and optionally, e.g. via pressure medium cylinder, can be raised and lowered. The device stands with feet 128 on the base frame. The base frame 126 has casters 127, of which at least one pair can be designed as castors. In this way, the compartment trolley 101 can be moved either on its own (FIG. 7) or over the base frame 126 (FIG. 8) and can be positioned in relation to the upstream compartment shelf 1, so that e.g. Glass sheet blanks can be sorted into compartments 2 according to any order criteria.

9 and 10 show a rod-like or cord-like element 109 with cylindrical tube pieces 130 pushed over it, which can be used for the compartment shelf or a compartment trolley. The tube pieces 130 have the shape of a tube sleeve with a bore 131 and a cylindrical outer jacket 132 and lie loosely against one another via end faces 133 oriented perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. The pipe sections 130 are preferably made of plastic.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lowermost pipe section 130 rests on the strip 116 and the uppermost pipe section 30 is removed from the beam 106 or the springs 113. In the case of a compartment trolley according to FIG. 7 or 8, the distance is at least as large as the stroke of the frame 125.

If a glass sheet abuts or bears against a pipe section 130 when it is pushed in or out in a compartment trolley or into a compartment of the compartment shelf, this can rotate freely on its rod-like or cord-like element 109 so that it touches the edge of the Rolls up the glass sheet and does not cut it open or damage it.

If a glass sheet is lifted up from the frame 125 while, for example, it lies slightly inclined with its upper edge against a pipe section 130 with respect to the element 109, then this pipe section 130 and the pipe sections 130 located above it are also pushed upwards without it becoming one the pipe pieces 130 damaging relative movement between them and the glass sheet comes and without the lifting movement of the glass sheet is hindered.

The invention thus provides a possibility of preventing direct contact between the plate-like or plate-shaped objects, such as glass plates or insulating glass panes, and the lateral supports with tensioned rod-like or cord-like elements, for example steel cables, without it unnecessary waste of space or obstruction of the lifting movement of the objects as in EP 477 163 A or very high wear of the plastic coverings as in EP 603 151 A.

In summary, the invention can be represented as follows, for example:

For sorting glass sheet blanks, the blanks are placed in compartments 2 of a shelf 1. The blanks are transferred from the compartment rack 1 into compartments 6 of a compartment trolley 5, the compartment 6 of the compartment trolley 5, into which the blank is to be placed, compared to compartment 2 of the compartment rack 1, in which the blank is accommodated Move the compartment trolley 5 along the compartment shelf 1. The procedure is such that a compartment trolley 5 is filled with blanks, the filled compartment trolley 5 is moved into a position 5 'next to the compartment shelf 1 and at the same time another empty compartment trolley 5 is brought up from a waiting position and is fed with blanks from the compartment shelf 1 while the filled compartment trolley 5 is being transported and emptied. For practical reasons, the compartment shelf 1 is loaded with blanks from the side by means of a loading device 3 which can be moved along the compartment shelf 1 and which is opposite the side on which the compartment trolley 5 is moved.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method for sorting plates, in particular Gla¬ panel blanks, characterized in that the blanks, for example supplied by a cutting system, are placed in compartments (2) of a compartment shelf (1) and that the blanks from the compartment shelf (1) passes into a compartment trolley (5), the compartment (6) of the compartment trolley (5), into which the blank is to be placed, being shifted relative to the compartment (2) of the compartment shelf (1) in which the blank is accommodated aligns the compartment trolley (5) along the compartment shelf (1).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in each case a compartment trolley (5) is filled with blanks, that one moves the compartment trolley (5) into a position (5) next to the compartment shelf and moves on from this position and that one brings further empty compartment trolleys (5) from a waiting position and feeds these blanks from the compartment shelf (1) while the filled compartment trolley (5) is being transported away.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fan shelf (1) is loaded from the side with blanks opposite the side on which the Fächerwa¬ gene (5) are moved.

4. System for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by a compartment shelf (1), by a loading device (3) with which blanks can be placed in the compartment shelf (1), and by at least two compartment trolleys (5), which can be moved alternately along the shelf (1).

5. Plant according to claim 4, characterized in that the loading device (3) along the compartment shelf (1) is arranged on the side of the compartment shelf (1) opposite the compartment trolley (5).

6. Plant according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the blanks in the compartment shelf (1) and in the compartment trolley (5) are placed essentially vertically in essentially vertical compartments (2, 6) of the compartment shelf (1) and the compartment trolley (5).

7. Installation according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the compartment trolleys (5) aufwei¬ sen or parked on such, via which they are adjustable on guide rails (11) along the compartment shelf (1) .

8. Installation according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the loading device (3) on guide rails (4) along the shelf (1) is adjustable.