US 6,581,752 B2 · Method and device for splitting-up a stream of piece goods

Abstract

For splitting-up a supply stream (2) of piece goods into a plurality of conveying away streams, the supplied objects (3) are guided onto a plurality of conveying away paths (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) in a predetermined splitting-up sequence. The device includes a supply device for serially supplying objects (3) to a split-up point (1) and for positioning the objects (3) for being taken over by holding device (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) in the split-up point (1). The device also has a plurality of conveying away systems, each one of which defines one of the conveying away paths. Of the conveying away systems advantageously each one has a closed-loop rail track (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) and holding devices (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) movable along the rail track independently of one another and with variable distances between one another. The rail tracks (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) of the conveying away systems converge toward the split-up point (1), run through the split-up point (1) parallel to one another, and diverge after the split-up point (1). The conveying away systems also have buffers that retain the holding devices upstream of the split-up point (1) and devices for releasing the holding devices from the buffers (7.1, 7.2, 7.3) in a controlled manner. The conveying away systems also have devices for conveying the holding devices (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) through the split-up point (1) in a controlled manner and for activating the holding devices in the split-up point. A serial stream of holding devices through the split-up point (1) is produced by controlled release of holding devices (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) from the buffers (7.1, 7.2, 7.3) so that holding devices belonging to different conveying away systems are arranged in a sequence corresponding to the splitting-up sequence for the objects (3).

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for splitting-up a serial stream (2) of objects according to a predetermined splitting-up sequence, said objects to be conveyed away along a plurality of conveying away paths, the method comprising the steps of:

serially supplying objects (3) to a split-up point (1) and positioning each object in predetermined fashion at the split-up point (1),
providing for each one of the plurality of conveying away paths a rail track and a plurality of holding means assigned fixedly to the rail track and movable along the rail track with variable distances between one another, each rail track running through the split-up point and comprising means for buffering the holding means upstream of the split-up point,
at the split-up point, taking over each positioned object by one of the buffered holding means (6), and serially conveying away the objects (3) from the split-up point, each object being held by a holding means (6),
wherein a sequence of the holding means (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) assigned to different conveying away paths in the serial holding means stream conveyed through the splitting-up point corresponds to the splitting-up sequence.

1 more element

A device for splitting-up a serial stream (2) of objects (3) according to a predetermined splitting-up sequence, wherein the objects after being split-up, are conveyed away along a plurality of conveying away paths, the device comprising:

a supply device (10, 11, 12) for serially supplying the objects and for positioning the objects (3) at a split-up point (1),
assigned to each of said plurality of conveying away paths, a conveying away system for conveying away the objects (3) from the split-up point (1) in a held manner, each of the conveying away systems comprising a rail track (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) and a plurality of holding means (6.1, 6.2, 6.3), said holding means being movable in a conveying direction (F) along the rail track (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) with variable distances between one another,
wherein each of the rail tracks (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) run through the split-up point (1) in a direction of conveyance (F) and parallel to one another and diverge downstream of the split-up point (1),
wherein each of the conveying away systems further comprises means for buffering the holding means (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) upstream of the split-up point (1), means for releasing the holding means (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) from the buffering means (7.1, 7.2, 7.3) in a controlled manner, and means (21) for conveying the holding means (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) through the split-up point (1) in a controlled manner, and
wherein the device further comprises means for coordinating release of the holding means from the buffering means (7.1, 7.2, 7.3) in accordance with the splitting-up sequence.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and device for splitting-up a stream of piece goods

Life of this patent

Method and device for splitting-up a stream of piece goods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22