System with telescopic conveyor and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776801-B2
Application number	US-201514636325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system has a telescopic conveyor 20 and at least one guiding element 40 . The at least one guiding element 40 may be fixed at a location by means of securing components 43 . The telescopic conveyor 20 can be moved in or counter to the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor 20 from a parking position into an operating position, with the telescopic conveyor 20 being guided by the at least one guiding element 40 , in order to allow operation of the telescopic conveyor 20 . The telescopic conveyor 20 can be moved in or counter to the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor 20 , with the telescopic conveyor 20 being guided by the at least one guiding element 40 , from an operating position into a parking position in order to clear a space which is occupied by the telescopic conveyor 20 in the operating position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. System comprising a locally fixed conveyor of a fixed installation, a telescopic conveyor that is separate from the locally fixed conveyor, and at least one guiding element, wherein the telescopic conveyor includes a carrier frame and a plurality of telescopic segments movable relative to said carrier frame, and wherein the telescopic conveyor includes a continuous belt extending over the carrier frame and each one of said plurality of telescopic segments,
wherein the telescopic conveyor and the at least one guiding element are configured to cooperate with each other in such a manner that the telescopic conveyor is movable, guided by the at least one guiding element, in and/or counter to the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor between a parking position and an operating position of the telescopic conveyor, and
wherein the at least one guiding element comprises securing components which fix the at least one guiding element at a location below the locally fixed conveyor in such a manner that the telescopic conveyor, for reaching its parking position, is moveable as a whole to be located at least for the most part below the locally fixed conveyor.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor comprises wheels and wherein the at least one guiding element comprises at least one rail for guiding the telescopic conveyor.

3. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor comprises a guiding wheel which can be guided by the at least one guiding element and which
is arranged in a rear region of the telescopic conveyor and/or
is arranged centrally relative to the telescopic conveyor and/or
is orientated horizontally and/or
is guided between two rails which act as the at least one guiding element.

4. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor comprises means for height adjustment of a front end of the telescopic conveyor, with a height of a rear end of the telescopic conveyor being maintained.

5. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor comprises wheels and at least one motor for driving at least one of the wheels and wherein the system comprises at least one control unit which is configured to control the at least one motor in response to a user input.

6. System according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one component for mechanical limitation of the movement of the telescopic conveyor beyond the parking position and/or the operating position.

7. System according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one sensor which is arranged to detect that the parking position and/or the operating position of the telescopic conveyor has been reached.

8. System according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one retention arrangement for retaining the telescopic conveyor in the parking position and/or in the operating position of the telescopic conveyor.

9. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor and the at least one guiding element comprise cooperating stabilising components for stabilising the telescopic conveyor when the telescopic conveyor is operated in an operating position.

10. System according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one guiding element comprises at least one rail which is fixed centrally below the conveying arrangement and which extends along the conveying direction of the conveying arrangement.

11. System according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic conveyor is located in the operating position thereof at least for the most part in front of the conveying arrangement, wherein the conveying arrangement has a first conveying height which is higher than a conveying height of the telescopic conveyor in the operating position thereof in a region adjoining the conveying arrangement, and wherein the conveying arrangement has a front end which can be lowered to a second conveying height which corresponds to the conveying height of the telescopic conveyor in the region adjoining the conveying arrangement.

12. System according to claim 11 , wherein the conveying arrangement comprises at least one actuator and wherein the front end of the conveying arrangement can be lowered to the second conveying height by means of the actuator.

13. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the fixed installation is a sorting installation and/or
the fixed installation is an encoding installation, and/or
the locally fixed conveyor comprises a supply arrangement.

14. Method for using a system, wherein the system comprises a locally fixed conveyor of a fixed installation, a telescopic conveyor that is provided in addition to the locally fixed conveyor, and at least one guiding element, the method comprising:
moving the telescopic conveyor as a whole in or counter to the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor from a parking position into an operating position with the telescopic conveyor being guided by the at least one guiding element in order to enable operation of the telescopic conveyor, and/or
moving the telescopic conveyor as a whole in or counter to the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor from an operating position into a parking position with the telescopic conveyor being guided by the at least one guiding element, wherein the telescopic conveyor includes a carrier frame and a plurality of telescopic segments movable relative to said carrier frame, and wherein the telescopic conveyor includes a continuous belt extending over the carrier frame and each one of said plurality of telescopic segments;
wherein the at least one guiding element comprises securing components which fix the at least one guiding element at a location below the locally fixed conveyor in such a manner that the telescopic conveyor, in its parking position, is located at least for the most part below the locally fixed conveyor.

15. System according to claim 1 , wherein the locally fixed conveyor of the fixed installation comprises lateral supports fixed to ground.

16. System according to claim 1 , wherein the locally fixed conveyor of the fixed installation comprises lateral supports and wherein the at least one guiding element is secured to the lateral supports.

17. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the locally fixed conveyor of the fixed installation comprises lateral supports fixed to ground.

18. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the locally fixed conveyor of the fixed installation comprises lateral supports and wherein the at least one guiding element is secured to the lateral supports.

Assignees

• Hartmann Bernd
• Henderson Martin
• Deutsche Post Ag
• Sovex Ltd

Inventors

• Hartmann Bernd
• Henderson Martin

Classifications

• B65G41/02

  Frames mounted on wheels for movement on rail tracks · CPC title

• B65G21/14 Primary

  to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44}) · CPC title