Feed appliance for feeding products onto a further-processing appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099875-B2
Application number	US-201715605440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	May 30, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A feed appliance for feeding products to a further processing appliance includes a standby circulatory apparatus with a takeover station and with several transport units that are circulatorily movable independently of one another for each receiving a product at the takeover station, a provision conveyor for feeding the products to the takeover station, and a control device for controlling the feed of the products and of the transport units into a takeover section of the takeover station and for controlling the takeover of the fed products by the transport units. The standby circulatory apparatus for creating a gapless product stream includes a release device for the cyclically controlled release of individual transport units into the takeover section. For this, the control device is designed to release a transport unit only given a feed of a cyclically correct product into the takeover section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conveying system for a gapless feeding of products to a further-processing appliance, comprising:
a provision conveyor for feeding the products to a takeover station of a standby circulatory apparatus,
the standby circulatory apparatus for taking over products from the provision conveyor and for conveying the products to the further-processing appliance, the standby circulatory apparatus comprising the takeover station and several transport carriages that are circulatorily movable independently of one another for each receiving a product at the takeover station from the provision conveyor, and
a control device for controlling the feed of the products and of the transport carriages into a takeover section of the takeover station and for controlling the takeover of the products which are fed by the provision conveyor by the transport carriages,
wherein the standby circulatory apparatus for creating a gapless product stream comprises a release device for the cyclically controlled release of individual transport carriages into the takeover section, wherein the control device is designed to release a transport carriage only given a feed of a cyclically correct product, which is correctly conveyed at a cycle of the provision conveyor into the takeover section.

2. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the takeover station comprises a forced-conveying device that can be driven by a drive, for moving the transport carriage from the release device into the takeover section at a predefined speed.

3. The conveying system according to claim 2 , wherein the forced-conveying device comprises a transport screw that is rotatable about a rotation axis, for moving the transport carriage along the rotation axis of the transport screw.

4. The conveying system according to claim 2 , wherein the standby circulatory apparatus comprises a cycle take-up device that takes up a conveying cycle of the forced-conveying device.

5. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the takeover station comprises a positioning device for positioning the leading edge of the products conveyed by the provision conveyor into the takeover section, during the takeover by the transport carriage.

6. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the provision conveyor comprises a belt conveyor, by way of which the products are conveyed to the takeover station.

7. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the provision conveyor comprises a sensor device for detecting products.

8. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport carriages each comprise a gripping element for holding the products.

9. The conveying system according to claim 8 , wherein the takeover station comprises at least one cam guide for switching the gripping elements of the transport carriages, which are moved through the takeover section, between an open position and a closure position.

10. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the standby circularly apparatus forms an accumulating stretch, which is in front of the release device considered in the circulatory direction, for accumulating the transport carriages.

11. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive of the provision conveyor and of the forced-conveying device are coupled to one another.

12. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein a delivery station for delivering the products to the further-processing appliance is arranged on the standby circulatory apparatus in a manner subsequent to the takeover station considered in the circulatory direction.

13. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the release device comprises a retaining element, which can be switched by the control device and by way of which the transport carriages can be held back in front of the takeover section considered in the circulatory direction, and individually released into the takeover section.

14. A conveying system for a gapless feeding of products to a further-processing appliance, comprising:
a provision conveyor for feeding the products to a takeover station of a standby circulatory apparatus,
the standby circulatory apparatus for taking over products from the provision conveyor and for conveying the products to the further-processing appliance, the standby circulatory apparatus comprising the takeover station and several transport carriages that are circulatorily movable independently of one another, for each receiving a product at the takeover station from the provision conveyor, and
a control device for controlling the feed of the products and of the transport carriages into a takeover section of the takeover station and for controlling the takeover of the products which are fed by the provision conveyor by the transport carriages,
wherein the standby circulatory apparatus forms a buffer stretch that is subsequent to the takeover station considered in the circulatory direction, for buffering transport carriages charged with products,
wherein the conveying system comprises a detection device for the continuous detection of the number of transport carriages buffered in the buffer stretch.

15. A method for creating a gapless product stream with a conveying system according to claim 14 , comprising the steps of:
releasing individual transport carriages in a cyclically controlled manner by way of the release device and
moving the individual transport carriages in a cyclically synchronous manner with the individual products which are fed by the provision conveyor into the takeover section,
wherein a transport carriage is released by the release device only on feeding a cyclically correct product which is correctly conveyed at a cycle of the provision conveyor into the takeover section.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a cyclically correct product in the provision conveyor is detected by way of a sensor device and the control device consequently produces a control command for the release of a transport carriage at a cycle which corresponds to the takeover cycle at which the detected, cyclically correct product is taken over at the takeover station.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a product and a transport carriage of a takeover cycle are each conveyed into the takeover section in a cyclically synchronous manner.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the takeover station comprises a forced-conveying device that can be driven by a drive, for moving the transport carriage from the release device into the takeover section at a predefined speed, and a switching cycle of the release device at which the products are released by the release device is synchronised with the cycle of the forced-conveying device which is taken up by the cycle take-up device.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the conveying cycle of the provision conveyor is synchronised the cycle of the forced-conveying device, which is taken up by cycle take-up device.

20. A method for creating a gapless product stream with a conveying system according to claim 14 , comprising the steps of:
continuously detecting the number of transport carriages buffered in the buffer stretch by the detection device, and
regulating and controlling the degree of filling of the buffer stretch by the control device based on measurement results of the detection device.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the control device increases a product takeover cycle rate of conveying system on falling short of a

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Wagner Matthias

Classifications

• B65H5/006

  Feeding stacks of articles to machines · CPC title

• B65H5/085 Primary

  by combinations of endless conveyors and grippers (suction belts B65H5/224) · CPC title

• B65H29/003

  by grippers (B65H29/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H5/12

  Revolving grippers, e.g. mounted on arms, frames or cylinders · CPC title

• B65H29/005

  by chains or bands having mechanical grippers engaging the side edges of articles, e.g. newspaper conveyors · CPC title