Process and arrangement for conveying flat workpieces
AssigneeHerbert Meyer GmbH & Co. KG
InventorWilhelm Borner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for processing flat workpieces, in particular for carrying out operations between fabric pieces in superposed relationship, feeding the workpieces to a continuously operating workstation by pre-conveyors that cooperate with subsequent conveyors. The pre-conveyor and each subsequent conveyor are so arranged that, upon starting the pre-conveyor with a workpiece on its conveyor path, the conveyor path of the pre-conveyor is extended over the conveyor path of the subsequent conveyor to such an extent that the workpiece can be moved over the conveyor path of the subsequent conveyor. When that position is adopted, the conveyor belt of the pre-conveyor is stopped and the workpiece is deposited on the conveyor belt of the subsequent conveyor by shortening the path of the pre-conveyor.
Claims14
A process for discontinuous pre-conveying of flat workpieces to a subsequent conveyor, wherein a workpiece is fed to a pre-conveyor at an entry end, passed through a conveyor section and discharged at an exit end to a subsequent conveyor, comprising the steps of
- providing a pre-conveyor and extending a conveyor belt path of the pre-conveyor in a direction of conveying movement and beyond a near edge of a conveyor path of a subsequent conveyor to dispose a workpiece laid on the pre-conveyor for movement in the conveying direction of the pre-conveyor and to a position above the conveyor path of the subsequent conveyor,
- providing the pre-conveyor conveyor belt with reverse motion-blocking means for permitting circulating movement of the pre-conveyor conveyor belt in only one direction,
- stopping the pre-conveyor when a workpiece moved on the pre-conveyor has reached a reference position relative to the conveyor path of the subsequent conveyor,
- transferring the moved workpiece to the subsequent conveyor for further movement by the subsequent conveyor by shortening the conveyor belt path of the pre-conveyor, and
- providing a further workpiece to the entry end of the pre-conveyor during said transfer of the moved workpiece on the subsequent conveyor.
Apparatus for the discontinuous pre-conveying of flat workpieces to a workstation having a circulating transport belt with a first width transverse to the direction of belt advancement, said apparatus comprising
- a subsequent conveyor having two or more intermediate conveyors which operate independently of each other, which are disposed in mutually parallel arrangement, and which are arranged upstream of the workstation in the direction of conveying movement,
- a pre-conveyor associated with each of the intermediate conveyors,
- each pre-conveyor having reverse motion-blocking means for permitting circulating movement of the pre-conveyor in only one direction,
- the intermediate conveyors being arranged for feeding a workpiece transferred to them from the respectively associated pre-conveyor to the circulating transport belt of the workstation which is arranged downstream, and
- wherein the overall belt width of the parallel arrangement of the intermediate conveyors is smaller than or equal to the width of the transport belt of the workstation, and wherein said transport belt is arranged for receiving the workpieces delivered by the intermediate conveyors.
Apparatus for the movement of workpieces along an endless conveyor belt path from an entry end to an exit end, said apparatus comprising
- an endless conveyor belt,
- means forming a conveyor belt path,
- belt loop storage means for keeping the conveyor belt always tensioned while allowing for motion when extending the conveyor belt path and, conversely, for shortening the conveyor belt path in a stationary condition,
- carriage means for altering the length of the conveyor belt path when moving a workpiece from the entry end to the exit end of the conveyor belt path,
- said carriage means being arranged for determining the front edge of the conveyor belt path and being moveable in the direction of the conveying movement,
- the conveyor belt path means being arranged such that the endless conveyor belt surrounds the belt loop storage means and the carriage means, and
- reverse motion-blocking means coupled to the endless conveyor belt for permitting circulating movement of the endless conveyor belt in only one direction,
- wherein a workpiece placed on the entry end of the conveyor belt path when the endless conveyor belt is in a stationary condition is moved to the exit end of the conveyor belt path by uni-directionally extending the conveyor belt path, the workpiece is transferred from the exit end of the conveyor belt path by shortening the conveyor belt path, and while the conveyor belt path is shortened a further workpiece may be placed on the endless conveyor belt which is again in a stationary condition at the conveyor belt path entry end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.