System and method of flexibly sorting and unloading finished parts during part manufacturing process

In a sheet fabricating environment in which worksheets are cut into finished pieces with each worksheet being cut in accordance with at least one program routine, a method of unloading said finished pieces comprising the steps of:

• identifying for each production run the program routines in accordance with whose programmed operations pieces of different dimensions are to be cut from said worksheets;
• retrieving from each of said program routines data relating to said to be cut pieces;
• utilizing said data retrieved from said program routines to compute optimal locations at at least one unloading means where finished pieces of the same dimension cut in accordance with different ones of said program routines are to be moved to so as to prevent any conflict in unloading of finished pieces during production run;
• wherein said unloading means comprises a stacker mechanism having a plurality of coplanar sections each with removable base supports and a receiver means having a storage area, wherein said utilizing step further comprises the steps of:
• assigning a sorting address to each of said sections;
• designating each said sorting address to a specific one of said sections to which finished pieces of a given dimension are to be moved;
• removing the base supports of respective ones of said sections to which corresponding finished pieces of different given dimensions are moved to unload each of said finished pieces of a given dimension from the same sorting address;
• positioning a predetermined location of said storage area of said receiver means below said section of said stacker mechanism corresponding to said same sorting address so that said each finished piece of a given dimension is deposited on said predetermined location;
• whereby finished pieces of respective dimensions are separately deposited on corresponding predetermined locations of said storage area of said receiver means to effect stacks of finished pieces having the same respective dimensions.

In a sheet fabricating environment in which worksheets are cut by tool means into finished pieces, a system for unloading said finished pieces comprising:

• means for inputting program routines to direct said tool means to effect finished pieces from each of said worksheets;
• at least one means for unloading said finished pieces;
• means for identifying said program routines in accordance with whose programmed operations pieces of different dimensions are to be cut from said worksheets;
• means for retrieving from each of said program routines data relating to said to be cut pieces;
• means for utilizing said data retrieved from said program routines to compute optimal locations at said unloading means where finished pieces of the same dimension cut from different ones of said program routines are to be moved to so as to prevent any conflict in unloading of finished pieces during production run;
• wherein said unloading means comprises:
• a conveyor having a plurality of tiltable sections;
• at least one receiver means having a receiving area, said sections being substantially superposed over said receiving area;
• wherein each of said sections of said conveyor is assigned a sorting address so that finished pieces of different given dimensions are moved to corresponding ones of said sections;
• and
• wherein selective ones of said sections are respectively tipped to enable each finished piece of a given dimension to be deposited onto a corresponding location on said receiving area of said receiver means.

In a sheet fabricating environment in which worksheets are cut by tool means into finished pieces, a system for unloading said finished pieces comprising:

• means for inputting program routines to direct said tool means to effect finished pieces from each of said worksheets;
• at least one means for unloading said finished pieces;
• means for identifying said program routines in accordance with whose programmed operations pieces of different dimensions are to be cut from said worksheets;
• means for retrieving from each of said program routines data relating to said to be cut pieces;
• means for utilizing said data retrieved from said program routines to compute optimal locations at said unloading means where finished pieces of the same dimension cut from different ones of said program routines are to be moved to so as to prevent any conflict in unloading of finished pieces during production run;
• wherein said unloading means comprises:
• a stacker mechanism having a plurality of coplanar sections each with removable base supports, a sorting address being assigned to each of said sections so that finished pieces having the same given dimension are directed to a particular one of said sections and removable therefrom by the removal of the corresponding base supports;
• a receiver means having a receiving area divided into respective locations each positionable to be below any of said sections designated by any sorting address so that a predetermined location of said receiver means is positionable below a corresponding sorting addressed section such that only finished pieces of the same dimension are deposited thereon;
• wherein the base supports of respective ones of said sections to which finished pieces of the same given dimension are moved are removed to deposit finished pieces of the same given dimension onto the same location of said receiving area.