Separating apparatus for separating crossed hooks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759608-B2
Application number	US-201916273801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A separating apparatus ( 10 ) for separating crossed hooks ( 21 a - d ) of overhead conveyor units ( 2 a - d ) includes a conveying cylinder ( 1 ) having a recess ( 11 ) which forms a helical thread ( 12 ) with helix base ( 121 ) and helix flanks ( 122, 123 ) for the conveyance of the hooks ( 21 a - d ). The conveying cylinder ( 1 ) includes at least, one wing-shaped separating element ( 13 ), which extends over a partial circumference of the conveying cylinder ( 1 ) and protrudes in the radial direction from the peripheral surface of the conveying cylinder ( 1 ), wherein the separating element ( 13 ), by rotation of the conveying cylinder ( 1 ), is insertable between two hooks ( 21 a - d ) resting on the conveying cylinder ( 1 ).

First claim

I claim:

1. A separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) for separating crossed hooks ( 21 a - d , 21 ′, 21 ″) of overhead conveyor units ( 2 a - d , 2 ′, 2 ″), the separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) comprising: a conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) having a recess ( 11 ) which forms a helical thread ( 12 ) with helix base ( 121 ) and helix flanks ( 122 , 123 ) for the conveyance of the hooks ( 21 a - d , 21 ′, 21 ″), the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) comprising at least one wing-shaped separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ), which extends over a partial circumference of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) and protrudes in a radial direction from the peripheral surface of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″), wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ), by rotation of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″), is insertable between two hooks ( 21 a - d , 21 ′, 21 ″) resting on the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″).

2. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the partial circumference over which the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ) extends is greater than or equal to one-eighth, one-sixth, one-quarter or one-third of a circumference of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″).

3. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ) has an inclination in the azimuthal direction.

4. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 3 , wherein the inclination of the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ) matches a slope of the helical thread ( 12 ) at the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ).

5. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 3 , wherein the inclination of the separating element ( 13 ) is lesser or greater than a slope of the helical thread ( 12 ) at the separating element ( 13 ).

6. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a , 13 b , 13 d ) is arranged on a helix flank ( 122 , 123 ).

7. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 6 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a , 13 b , 13 d ) is arranged on a, in relation to the direction of conveyance (F) of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″), front helix flank ( 123 ) or rear helix flank ( 122 ).

8. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to one of claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 c ) is arranged on the helix base ( 121 ).

9. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 ) extends from the helix base ( 121 ) to a helix flank ( 122 , 123 ).

10. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ) has a profile which tapers in an azimuthal direction, which azimuthal direction preferably corresponds to a direction of rotation (R) of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″).

11. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element ( 13 , 13 a - d ) has a profile which tapers away from the peripheral surface of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) in the radial direction.

12. The separating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element protrudes in the radial direction from the peripheral surface of the conveying cylinder with a height which varies over the partial circumference, wherein preferably the height of the separating element decreases in an azimuthal direction which corresponds to a direction of rotation of the conveying cylinder.

13. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) has at least two, three, four, six or eight separating elements ( 13 , 13 a - d ).

14. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 13 , wherein the separating elements ( 13 , 13 a - d ) are arranged offset along the longitudinal axis of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″), preferably spaced apart by less than one full turn of the helical thread ( 12 ).

15. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 13 , wherein the separating elements ( 13 , 13 a - d ) are arranged azimuthally offset.

16. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 13 , wherein the separating elements ( 13 ) are configured such that at least two separating elements ( 13 ) extend over differently sized partial circumferences of the peripheral surface of the conveying cylinder ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″).

17. The separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 13 , wherein the distance between two adjacent separating elements ( 13 , 13 a - d ) differs from the pitch of the helical thread ( 12 ) in the region of the separating elements ( 13 , 13 a - d ).

18. The separating apparatus ( 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 , wherein the separating apparatus ( 10 ′, 10 ″) has a guide apparatus ( 3 ′, 3 ″), which is arranged on the conveying cylinder ( 1 ′, 1 ″) such that the guide apparatus ( 3 ′, 3 ″) limits a radial and/or azimuthal movement of the hooks ( 21 ′, 21 ″), and the guide apparatus ( 3 ″) is preferably configured to push the hooks ( 21 ″) in the axial direction.

19. The separating apparatus ( 10 ″) according to claim 18 , wherein the guide apparatus ( 3 ″) is configured as a brushing worm ( 31 ″) arranged parallel to the conveying cylinder ( 1 ″), wherein the brushing worm ( 3 ″) can be brought into engagement with hooks ( 21 ″) resting on the conveying cylinder ( 1 ″).

20. The separating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein on the conveying cylinder, downstream of the at least one separating element, is arranged a sensor, which is configured to detect singularized hooks.

21. A conveyor ( 100 ) having a separating apparatus ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″) according to claim 1 .

22. The conveyor according to claim 21 , comprising a control system which controls the separation of the crossed hooks with the separating apparatus, wherein the control system is preferably connected to a sensor, arranged downstream of the at least one separating element, for detecting separated hooks, and controls the conveying speed of the conveying cylinder in dependence on the detection of hooks by the sensor.

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Tanner Roland

Classifications

• B65G33/02 Primary

  for articles · CPC title

• B65G2201/0229

  Clothes, clothes hangers · CPC title

• B65G33/30

  with a discontinuous helical surface · CPC title

• B65G47/28

  during transit by a single conveyor · CPC title