Conveying wheel and conveying system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688484-B2
Application number	US-201415021100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a conveying system having carriages guided on a guide of a first conveying segment, each of which has a wheel catcher that includes a conveying wheel having carriage catching areas, each of which is associated with one of several entrainers disposed along a periphery of the conveying wheel. Each entrainer has a carriage-catching surface that faces the rotation direction and that cooperates with a wheel catcher on a carriage. The entrainers are all independently controllable.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what we claim as new, and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for use in a conveying system that comprises a plurality of carriages guided on a guide of a first conveying segment, each of said carriages comprising a wheel catcher, said apparatus comprising a first conveying wheel that rotates in a rotation direction about a wheel axis, wherein said first conveying wheel comprises carriage catching areas, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of first entrainers, wherein said first entrainers are disposed along a periphery of said first conveying wheel, wherein said first entrainers comprise a first first-entrainer, wherein said first first-entrainer comprises a carriage-catching surface that faces said rotation direction and that cooperates with a wheel catcher on a carriage, wherein each of said first first-entrainer is controllable independently of other first entrainers, and wherein said first first-entrainer is configured to move a catch surface thereof in a direction opposite said rotation direction, said apparatus further comprising a plurality of second entrainers, wherein each of said second entrainers is associated with a corresponding one of said first entrainers, wherein said plurality of second entrainers comprises a first second-entrainer, wherein said first second-entrainer is pivotable in synchrony with said first first-entrainer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first first-entrainer is pivotable about an axis parallel to said conveying wheel axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first second-entrainer is configured to pivot in a direction opposite that in which a first first-entrainer pivots.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, said first first-entrainer lags behind said first second-entrainer in said rotation direction of said first conveying wheel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tooth arrangements, wherein said plurality of tooth arrangements comprises a first tooth-arrangement, wherein said first tooth-arrangement couples said first first-entrainer and said second second-entrainer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second conveying segment, said second conveying segment being a mirror image of said first conveying segment about a plane that is disposed halfway between said first and second conveying segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a control point at which pivoting of said first first-entrainers takes place relative to said first conveying wheel is adjustable.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an adjustable control curve for adjustment of said control point.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first conveying wheel comprises comprising a star wheel that comprises a plurality of cut-out apertures formed on a circumference thereof, said apertures being open into a space radially beyond said star wheel, wherein said first entrainers are pivotable relative to said star wheel, wherein said first entrainers define fingers that protrude into corresponding ones of said cut-out apertures, wherein said plurality of cut-out apertures comprises a first cut-out aperture, and wherein said first first-entrainer defines a finger that protrudes into said first cut-out aperture.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further wherein carriages can be moved on a closed movement path along said first conveying segment, said first conveying segment comprising a deflection region, wherein said first conveying wheel comprises carriage-catching areas around a circumference thereof, wherein said carriage-catching areas are configured to engage said wheel catchers so as to propel said carriages while said carriages are in said deflection region.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a chain, wherein said first conveying segment comprises a first conveying segment section extending along a conveying direction, wherein said chain moves said carriages along said first conveying segment section, wherein said first first-entrainer is controlled such that when a wheel catcher of a carriage engages a carriage-catching area of said first conveying wheel, a carriage-catching surface of said first first-entrainer moves in said rotation direction of said first conveying wheel, thereby accelerating said carriage.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second conveying wheel identical to said first conveying wheel, wherein said first and second conveying wheels are disposed at opposite ends of said first conveying segment, wherein said first conveying wheel is disposed at a first deflection region of said first conveying segment and said second conveying wheel is disposed at a second deflection region of said first conveying segment, wherein said first and second deflection regions define opposite ends of a first conveying segment section of said first conveying segment.

13. An apparatus for use in a conveying system that comprises a plurality of carriages guided on a guide of a first conveying segment, each of said carriages comprising a wheel catcher, said apparatus comprising a first conveying wheel that rotates in a rotation direction about a wheel axis, wherein said first conveying wheel comprises carriage catching areas, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of first entrainers, wherein said first entrainers are disposed along a periphery of said first conveying wheel, wherein said first entrainers comprise a first first-entrainer, wherein said first first-entrainer comprises a carriage-catching surface that faces said rotation direction and that cooperates with a wheel catcher on a carriage, wherein each of said first first-entrainer is controllable independently of other first entrainers, wherein said first first-entrainer is configured to move a catch surface thereof in a direction opposite said rotation direction, and wherein a control point at which pivoting of said first first-entrainers takes place relative to said first conveying wheel is adjustable.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising an adjustable control curve for adjustment of said control point.

15. An apparatus for use in a conveying system that comprises a plurality of carriages guided on a guide of a first conveying segment, each of said carriages comprising a wheel catcher, said apparatus comprising a first conveying wheel that rotates in a rotation direction about a wheel axis, wherein said first conveying wheel comprises carriage catching areas, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of first entrainers, wherein said first entrainers are disposed along a periphery of said first conveying wheel, wherein said first entrainers comprise a first first-entrainer, wherein said first first-entrainer comprises a carriage-catching surface that faces said rotation direction and that cooperates with a wheel catcher on a carriage, wherein each of said first first-entrainer is controllable independently of other first entrainers, wherein said first first-entrainer is configured to move a catch surface thereof in a direction opposite said rotation direction, and wherein said first conveying wheel comprises comprising a star wheel that comprises a plurality of cut-out apertures formed on a circumference thereof, said apertures being open into a space radially beyond said star wheel, wherein said first entrainers are pivotable relative to said star wheel, wherein said first entrainers define fingers that protrude into corresponding ones of said cut-out apertures, wherein said plurality of cut-out apertures comprises a first cut-out aperture, and wherei

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Kamps Sebastian
• Nitsch Thomas
• Van Heukelum Stefan

Classifications

• B65G47/082

  grouping articles in rows · CPC title

• B65G47/847 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title

• B65G35/06

  comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32) · CPC title

• B65G17/32

  Individual load-carriers · CPC title